Chapter 45
"Your Majesty, I have important matters to report!"
He had originally entered the Imperial Study today with a sense of certainty, but he found himself sitting on the sidelines. Now that the Crown Prince had brought Shen Qingnian in, and the two were behaving so intimately, he felt uneasy.
The Emperor glanced at Lin Minxin and said calmly, "Minister Lin, please wait a little longer."
"Yes, Lord Lin, His Majesty has his reasons for making us wait. Why are you in such a hurry?" Shen Zheng smiled and seemed quite cheerful.
With the Crown Prince treating Shen Qingnian so attentively, coupled with His Majesty's attitude, it's clear that her position as Crown Princess is secure.
Lin Minxin's expression darkened upon hearing Shen Zheng's words. Just as he was about to say something, he saw his daughter, Lin Yue'er, being led in by a eunuch.
Lin Yue'er was pale and looked somewhat dazed. Earlier, Shen Qingnian had pulled her into the water and made her swallow a lot of lake water while she was underwater. The old woman hadn't been able to save her in time.
After she was finally rescued and brought ashore, she changed her clothes at home and developed a fever. The family physician had just examined her when someone from the palace arrived, saying that the Emperor wanted to summon her to the palace.
She knew this time the odds were against her, but she was still burning up and felt extremely unwell and confused, unable to think of anything else.
When Lin Minxin saw that Lin Yue'er had been summoned to the palace, his heart tightened and his unease grew.
Looking at Shen Zheng sitting beside him, who had a relaxed expression and showed no surprise whatsoever, his heart sank even further.
After Lin Yue'er entered, she knelt before the Emperor. Before she could speak, she heard Song Xuan's slightly cold voice: "Lin Yue'er, do you know your crime?"
You previously whipped Miss Shen, and just now you pushed her into the lake. What is your punishment?
Lin Yue'er was burning up and felt very uncomfortable, but she still knelt on the ground and argued: "Your Highness, it was Shen Qingnian who provoked me. If she hadn't said those things, I wouldn't have pushed her into the lake!"
"Your Majesty, Your Highness, please don't be deceived by Shen Qingnian!"
She was very unwilling to accept it!
When she saw His Highness rescue Shen Qingnian by the lake, her heart was breaking.
She was clearly the one who grew up with His Highness, and her grandfather had even done His Highness a favor. The position of Crown Princess should belong to her, and Shen Qingnian, who used despicable means, was not worthy at all!
At this moment, Lin Minxin walked to Lin Yue'er's side, knelt down, and spoke in a firm and powerful tone:
"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince's ordeal at the dilapidated temple that day was a carefully orchestrated scheme by Shen Zheng and his daughter!"
The emperor narrowed his eyes on the chair, his originally humble expression turning serious as he looked at Shen Zheng and Shen Qingnian.
"What do you mean I schemed against the Crown Prince? What dilapidated temple? Lin Minxin, don't make false accusations!" Shen Zheng said angrily, standing up abruptly from his stool, looking agitated as if he had been framed.
Having said that, he knelt down and kowtowed three times to the Emperor: "Your Majesty, Lord Lin has slandered me without warning. I beg Your Majesty to investigate!"
At this moment, Shen Qingnian, who was sitting on the stool, was deathly pale. Her body began to tremble uncontrollably, and tears welled up in her eyes.
Song Xuan had been keeping a close eye on her. When he noticed that something was wrong with her expression, he quickly came up behind her, placed his large hand on her shoulder, and silently comforted her.
"Qingnian, don't be afraid," Song Xuan's low voice reached her ears.
Shen Qingnian's trembling gradually stopped, as if she had been calmed down.
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