The next day, Empress Dowager Xu summoned the husbands of the third and fourth wives to the palace at the same time. The two husbands happily rode into the palace in carriages.
Before leaving, he made a special trip to the mourning hall.
"Brother, someone from the Xu family has to keep going. Don't worry, leave it to us."
The third master and the fourth master spoke in unison.
Madam Xu didn't even lift her eyelids, her face remaining completely calm.
In the afternoon, the two gentlemen were brought back. They were in a terrible state, their clothes were disheveled, and their faces were covered in bruises. The third gentleman, in particular, had a fist-sized bump on his head.
The Xu family hired a doctor.
Upon further questioning, it was discovered that the two gentlemen had offended the Crown Princess in the palace and were punished by her by kneeling for three hours. They even startled their horse on their way back to the mansion.
The two of them tumbled several times on the carriage, almost vomiting bile.
The Xu family suddenly fell into an eerie silence.
The third branch of the family no longer dared to take over the Xu family.
On this day, the Prince of Zhennan came to pay his respects and visit Pei Zhao. Looking at his son's ashen face and frail body, he looked at Xu Qing'er with displeasure: "Is this how you take care of Zhao'er?"
"The young master shot and killed my father, should my Xu family treat him like royalty and feast him?" Xu Lin stepped forward and blocked Xu Qing'er's path, tilting his head back: "An apology should be done with the proper posture!"
"How dare you, a junior, speak to me like that!" the Prince of Zhennan roared.
Xu Lin was completely unafraid: "If the Prince of Zhennan cares about his son, then take him away. It'll save us from having to look at him!"
"you!"
Prince Zhennan was speechless. He wanted to take him away, but he was afraid that as soon as he did, the Crown Prince's men would come to question him.
Pei Zhao looked up: "Father, I can endure it."
The Prince of Zhennan suppressed his heartache and looked at Xu Qing'er: "Qing'er, this is your husband!"
Xu Qing'er lowered her eyes and did not respond.
Helpless, the Prince of Zhennan could only leave in a huff.
An hour later, someone from the inner palace came again to summon Xu Qing'er to the palace.
"Eldest sister," Xu Lin said anxiously.
Xu Qing'er smiled: "I believe in the Crown Princess."
Upon entering the palace, they were intercepted by the people of Yikun Palace. Yun Dong led them to Yikun Palace, where they could see Zhao Qingyan gritting her teeth and copying scriptures under the corridor.
"The Princess Consort copied scriptures for as long as the Lady returned to the manor. She slept for three hours each day and spent the rest of her time copying scriptures."
Xu Qing'er's eyes flickered slightly. No wonder she looked so dejected and pale. She hadn't even noticed Zhao Qingyan when she passed by her after entering the room.
It wasn't until Xu Qing'er spoke that Zhao Qingyan looked up, her pupils shrinking: "Why are you here?"
She quickly sneered, "You'll get what's coming to you!"
To Zhao Qingyan's surprise, Xu Qing'er was not only not punished, but also sat down and played chess with Song Yue!
Yun Dong served tea from the side!
Zhao Qingyan became anxious: "Why can she sit down while I have to copy scriptures? She is also a citizen of Northern Chu, and she should also copy scriptures to pray for the Emperor's well-being."
Yun Dong walked out with a dark face and slapped Zhao Qingyan across the face without any politeness: "Shut up! You've disturbed the Crown Princess, you deserve to die!"
"You!" Zhao Qingyan covered her face, both angry and furious.
Inside the house
Xu Qing'er smiled and said, "Thank you for helping me get revenge, Crown Princess."
"It has nothing to do with you. It's just that I find her an eyesore." Song Yue raised her hand and touched her cheek. When she first met Zhao Qingyan, she was inexplicably whipped by her, and almost ended up with a scar.
She has only just begun to settle this score.
Xu Qing'er suddenly realized and chuckled, "I had forgotten about that."
What are your plans next?
"Your Highness, I have a favor to ask of you."
Song Yue put down the chess piece and looked up at her.
“Pei Zhao is extremely arrogant and narrow-minded. The only thing I can’t bear to part with right now is my two innocent children. I would like to ask the Crown Princess to help me keep my two children.”
Xu Qing'er stood up and knelt on the ground: "From now on, my life belongs to the Crown Princess."
“The blood of the Prince of Zhennan flows in the veins of these two children. If anything happens to the Prince of Zhennan in the future, they will bear the burden. So why not... take a gamble?” Song Yue said calmly.
Xu Qing'er was taken aback at first, then suddenly realized and kowtowed to Song Yue: "Thank you for the reminder, Crown Princess."
"The Empress Dowager has been waiting for you for a long time."
"yes."
Ning'an Palace
One by one, the people she invited were invited away by Song Yue. Empress Dowager Xu was filled with anger but had nowhere to vent it, and she was also helpless against the other party.
Until she saw Xu Qing'er walk in.
"You've arrived," Empress Dowager Xu said coldly.
"Empress Dowager." Xu Qing'er curtsied and looked up at the other party with a calm gaze: "I know why the Empress Dowager summoned me. I beg the Empress Dowager to spare the Xu family."
Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager Xu sat bolt upright, almost halfway up her back: "What did you say?"
"My father died at the hunting grounds. My second, third, and fourth uncles no longer dare to get involved in the struggle for imperial power. Why should the Empress Dowager drag the Xu family into this? The Xu family can't afford to cause any more trouble. The Crown Prince has no rivals now."
"Did the Crown Princess teach you to say that?" Empress Dowager Xu was furious. The Crown Prince and the Emperor were both short-lived, and the throne would be vacant sooner or later.
"This is the last time I will visit you in the palace. From now on, the Xu family will be taken over by my younger brother, and the Xu family will only be loyal subjects to the Emperor!" Xu Qing'er kowtowed to the Empress Dowager Xu, and then slowly stood up: "If the Empress Dowager continues to cause trouble, the Crown Princess will not tolerate you either."
After saying that, Xu Qing'er turned and left.
Only Empress Dowager Xu remained, standing there in a daze.
All I could think about was that phrase, "Even the Crown Princess wouldn't tolerate you."
"How dare she?" Empress Dowager Xu was furious.
Yikun Palace
"Madam Xu has left the palace." Yun Dong served her another cup of hot tea, and couldn't help but ask with some curiosity, "Why did the Crown Princess help Madam Xu?"
Song Yue was reading a letter when she looked up and sighed. "It was probably the day my grandmother was kidnapped by Pei Zhao, when I kidnapped Xu Qing'er's daughter, and she knelt down and begged me to pay with her life."
That day, Xu Qing'er's eyes were filled with fear.
She softened.
Even if Xu Qing'er has her faults, she is definitely a good mother.
From that day on, Xu Qing'er knelt down and promised to obey her orders and report all the news from the Zhennan Prince's Mansion to her.
As it turns out, Xu Qing'er succeeded.
“The children are innocent. The Zhennan Prince’s Mansion will be uprooted sooner or later. It’s a pity for those two children.” Song Yue smiled.
The youngest one is only about six months old.
How could she bear to do that?
"Crown Princess!" The young eunuch entered and greeted her, handing her a letter. Song Yue took it and read it, seeing that it said Chu Tianqi and Zhang Shen had been found.
Now everyone has been captured by Prince Jing.
The letter also said that both men were stubborn and would rather die than submit, and were convinced that the Crown Prince was not a good person. Prince Jing had tried all sorts of methods to no avail.
Song Yue raised an eyebrow: "Since they can't be used by me, there's no need to keep them."
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