Lady Liu knelt on the ground, her eyes filled with concern as she looked at Xu Lingqing: "I... I overestimated myself. As long as you are well, I don't care about anything else."
She choked with emotion, almost unable to speak, and kept raising her sleeve to wipe her eyes, but the tears seemed impossible to wipe away, flowing endlessly.
Such a genuine outpouring of emotion is truly moving.
The onlookers had almost all concluded that Xu Lingqing had become successful, and therefore was unwilling to acknowledge her as her mother who had shared hardship with her.
Zhao Zhiyan stared intently at Xu Lingqing.
Waiting for her next move.
Xu Lingqing looked up and met a cold, icy gaze. His heart sank. He was destined for a supreme position in the future, how could he allow himself to have a mother-in-law like this, allowing others to laugh at and slander him behind his back?
The most taboo thing for prominent families is their social status.
The reason why Xu Lingqing did not marry Zhao Zhiyan was because of her lowly status and was not worthy of being the principal wife. In the end, Zhao Zhiyan sent Xu Lingqing to Japan in exchange for a favor, and secretly planned to bring her back as a princess sent for a political marriage.
That's how she became the Eighth Prince's Consort.
She has worked so hard to get to where she is today, and she would never allow a lowly person to hold a handle against her and make her a laughing stock in Kyoto.
Therefore, Xu Lingqing was determined not to admit Liu Niangzi's identity. She kicked Liu Niangzi hard on the shoulder: "Madwoman! Someone must have bribed you. I buried my mother with my own hands. There is no way she could still be alive. Guards, drag this person away!"
Two guards immediately restrained Lady Liu. She struggled but couldn't break free. She looked at Xu Lingqing in disbelief, appearing deeply shocked.
"How can the Eighth Princess Consort, who seems so delicate and frail, be so cruel?"
"You all probably don't know this, but a few days ago, when the Eighth Princess got married, someone died in the mansion. A woman had only packed a few dishes, which displeased the princess, so she beat her to death."
"Is that so?"
Seeing that things were not going well, Xu Lingqing hurriedly walked up to Zhao Zhiyan and said aggrievedly, "No one has ever targeted me before, but ever since I got engaged to the prince, I have been in constant trouble. As a woman, I can't explain myself no matter how hard I try."
Zhao Zhiyan pursed his lips, sighed deeply, and said, "This woman may have mistaken someone else for someone else. I find her rather pitiful, so I'll take her into my residence and find her a courtyard to settle down."
“Your Highness?” Xu Lingqing disagreed: “She’s just a beggar. What if someone tries to impersonate my relative in the future? Are we supposed to support them all?”
As the future emperor, she felt that Zhao Zhiyan should have enough courage and decisiveness.
Only in this way can we silence the gossip.
The two locked eyes, Zhao Zhiyan's face hardening: "Lingqing, this matter still needs to be thoroughly investigated..."
"Does Your Highness not trust me?" Xu Lingqing asked back, her face showing a sad and distressed expression. "Ever since we returned to the capital, Your Highness has changed. In the northern frontier, Your Highness never questioned me like this."
Xu Lingqing released her grip on her clothes and took two steps back: "If Your Highness insists, I dare not object. I am tired."
She curtsied to Zhao Zhiyan, then turned and walked away.
After walking a few steps, Xu Lingqing heard Zhao Zhiyan change his mind and suggest finding a place to settle Liu Niangzi first, and she slowly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Your Highness, I think the Prince is very angry today." Huamei cautiously probed, "If this matter is not resolved, it will affect your relationship with the Prince."
Xu Lingqing looked somewhat tired. Trouble had been piling up one after another lately, leaving her no time to catch her breath.
She closed her eyes.
The image of Song Yue's beautiful face flashed in his mind, smiling smugly at him.
"Song Yue!" Xu Lingqing clenched her fists. It must have been Song Yue who instigated this behind the scenes.
She will definitely avenge this humiliation!
"From today onwards, you are no longer required to deliver tonic soup to the Prince, nor are you allowed to inquire about his movements," Xu Lingqing ordered in a deep voice.
Sometimes pushing her too hard can backfire.
She could vaguely sense that Zhao Zhiyan's feelings for her were not as strong as before.
As long as she lives well, she will surely be the ultimate victor in the future.
The future empress can only bear her own name.
Back in the courtyard, Xu Lingqing picked up the destroyed scriptures from the table and tore them to shreds in a fit of anger!
She wouldn't stoop to imitating what Song Yue did.
The events that occurred at the gate of the Eighth Prince's Mansion were the subject of much discussion among the people. Many felt that the Eighth Princess was cold-hearted and ruthless, and did not even acknowledge her own mother.
These words eventually reached the ears of the censor, who impeached Zhao Zhiyan the next morning at court, accusing him of being unruly in his household affairs, disobeying filial piety, and being unworthy of being a son.
Zhao Zhiyan frowned and argued for a few minutes.
The Prefect of the Capital stepped forward: "The son of Granny Zhang in Xingshan Village is a dim-witted fool. He usually relies on Granny Zhang to feed him. However, he went to the banquet in Beiyuan and never came back. The boy almost starved to death. It was only because his uncle from a collateral branch found him in time and saved his life. Your Highness, what exactly did Granny Zhang, an ignorant village woman, do wrong?"
"The person was killed at the wedding banquet. Both morally and logically, the Eighth Prince's Mansion should provide an explanation."
“Many soldiers came from Xingshan Village. They fought on the front lines to protect their country, but their fellow villagers died tragically in the rear. Isn’t that heartbreaking?”
The questions, one after another, made Zhao Zhiyan's face grow increasingly ashen.
The morning court session was filled with heated debate, with the most frequent demand being that Zhao Zhiyan relinquish his military power. They argued that his protection of a murderer made him unworthy of having soldiers from Xingshan Village risk their lives for him.
The Emperor of Northern Chu clenched his fist and pressed it to his lips, coughing lightly twice: "I believe the Eighth Prince will investigate thoroughly and give everyone an explanation, won't he?"
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