Chapter 347 The Crown Princess is not worthy of being the Queen?
After Xiao Hong said this, everyone fell silent again.
Xie Yao looked at Xiao Hong in surprise. She didn't expect that Xiao Hong still remembered Concubine Li.
And now he said it in front of everyone.
Noticing the gazes falling on him, Xiao Hong's chin slightly raised up, without any intention of retreating!
Xiao Ji glanced at him indifferently and did not answer.
This attitude made Xiao Hong very angry, "Brother Crown Prince, I'm talking to you!" He called him "Brother Crown Prince" but in fact he was not polite at all.
"The evidence is irrefutable that Concubine Li murdered Your Majesty." Xiao Ji glanced at Xiao Hong, "I originally wanted to wait until my father woke up to make a decision, but now my father has passed away, and the cause was Concubine Li's poisoning."
"If Concubine Li behaves like this, I will not allow her to enter the presence of my father."
Some court officials even petitioned to have Concubine Li buried alive with the emperor.
"You're talking nonsense!" Xiao Hong naturally didn't believe such words. No matter whether it was true or not, he still thought the same as before that his mother could not bear such a crime.
"That's enough."
A majestic but tired voice sounded, and the eldest princess' eyes fell on Xiao Hong, "Be quiet."
Xiao Hong was unwilling, but he could only keep silent for a moment.
Okay, okay, everyone supports Xiao Ji and stands on his side, right?
But while Xiao Hong was angry, another thought flashed through his mind...
So in the evening of that day, Xiao Hong quietly went to Fengming Palace. He insisted on seeing the eldest princess, leaving Suqin, who originally wanted the eldest princess to have a good rest, with no choice but to report the news.
So much happened today.
Whether it was the death of the emperor or the truth that Xiao Ji already knew... it made the princess tired. In addition, she was still very weak because of the drug given by the emperor, and she was old, so she could not bear it any more.
"Aunt, you have to make the decision for me!" As soon as Xiao Hong entered the room, he squatted in front of the eldest princess, his voice full of grievance.
The eldest princess just felt a headache and her expression was very ugly.
Xiao Hong ignored it and continued, "Those fools don't know, but you, aunt, know it best. Father has always valued and loved me, so how could he leave the throne to my brother, the crown prince?"
"Besides, my brother the Crown Prince doesn't have much time left. If something happens to him, the court will be in turmoil again."
"So I think the Crown Prince must have bribed Concubine Shu and Li Dajian to forge the Emperor's oral order!"
It's really abominable that the throne that belonged to him was taken away.
Isn't it just to target him to slander my mother? Humph!
The eldest princess was silent for a moment, looking at Xiao Hong speechlessly with disdain in her eyes.
Someone like Xiao Hong... is really not suitable to inherit the throne.
Xiao Hong continued, "Aunt, you and the emperor have always had a harmonious relationship. You were the one who always took care of the emperor. You must know who the emperor really favors."
"Now that my father has passed away, my aunt will not bear to see his hopes dashed, right?"
Xiao Hong said it clearly: he is the emperor's hope!
If you want the emperor to leave without any worries, then quickly support him in overthrowing Xiao Ji and sitting on the throne.
The eldest princess was speechless and laughed angrily.
She glanced at Xiao Hong and said slowly, "You are right. I do know what the emperor means."
Xiao Hong was overjoyed, a huge smile appeared on his face, and he looked at the princess with anticipation.
The eldest princess said slowly: "The emperor prefers the prince."
Xiao Hong's smile froze on his face, then slowly withdrew. He clenched his fists and looked at the princess with disappointment, "Aunt, have you also surrendered to them?"
"If my father knew about this in the afterlife..."
Before Xiao Hong finished speaking, he was interrupted by a voice, "If you really don't believe it, why don't you go ask Father in person?"
The person who spoke was Xiao Ji.
He was led in from outside the hall by Xuan Yue, and his eyes were full of coldness when he looked at Xiao Hong.
Go, go and ask father?
Xiao Hong was stunned, but his father had already passed away, how could he ask? Should he ask in the underworld?
When Xiao Hong reacted, his face turned pale and his first reaction was that he didn't believe Xiao Ji dared to do this.
But when he met Xiao Ji's cold eyes, he suppressed the thought.
Xiao Ji, Xiao Ji really dares...
Xiao Hong looked at Xiao Ji, then at the eldest princess, bit his lower lip, flicked his sleeves and turned to leave.
The princess then looked at Xiao Ji, her voice full of fatigue, "Why is the prince here?"
"Xuan Yue acted on his own initiative. Please punish me, Princess." Xuan Yue knelt down and apologized without giving any further explanation.
She was just worried about the eldest princess and wanted to resolve the second prince's issue as soon as possible so that the eldest princess could have a good rest.
"Aunt, I will take care of Xiao Hong. Have a good rest, aunt."
The princess moved her lips subconsciously, wanting to say something, but swallowed her words back and hummed, "Everything is up to the crown prince."
The eldest princess was already very tired and didn't want to say more.
Xiao Ji naturally asked to leave. The princess glanced at Xuan Yue and said, "See the prince off."
Xuan Yue responded with a "yes", stood up obediently, and sent Xiao Ji away from Fengming Palace.
As soon as he left Fengming Palace, Xuan Yue couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, may I ask if there is any news about my sister in the northern border?"
It has been a while since I sent the letter to the North, but there has been no reply...
Xiao Ji said: "No reply yet."
Xuan Yue's face was filled with visible disappointment. She bit her lower lip and said, "If you have any news, please let me know, Your Highness."
Xiao Ji nodded and said, "Don't worry, Miss Xuan."
Then Xiao Ji turned and left. Xuan Yue pursed her lips slightly with worry on her face. Although she was very angry when she first found out that Xuan Shu was running away, at this moment she was only filled with pure worry.
As long as Shushu is fine, everything else will be fine.
Before Xuan Yue returned to the princess, he suppressed the worry on his face and took care of the princess so she could rest.
The princess glanced at Xuan Yue and said, "The one-month period has expired. You don't have to stay by my side anymore..."
Before the princess finished speaking, Xuan Yue knelt down and said, "Xuan Yue acted on her own initiative and is willing to accept any punishment."
"But please don't chase Xuan Yue away, Princess. Let Xuan Yue stay by your side."
The princess sighed softly and reached out to help Xuan Yue up. "You misunderstood. I don't mean to punish or blame you."
Xuan Yue looked up at the princess with joy in her eyes and said, "Princess, please allow Xuan Yue to continue to serve you."
The princess paused, looked at Xuan Yue and asked, "Do you... want to enter the harem?"
What?
Xuan Yue didn't react for a moment, but then she understood and said immediately, "Princess, please understand. The Crown Prince and the Crown Princess are deeply in love, and a third person cannot interfere. I have absolutely no such intention."
Xuan Yue knelt on the ground and refused to get up. "I took the initiative to report today's events to the Crown Prince. It was not for any other reason, but because I was worried about the health of the Princess."
Xuan Yue looked at the eldest princess with sincerity in her eyes.
"I know." The eldest princess was not surprised. After spending these days together, she already understood what kind of girl Xuan Yue was.
She said, "Since you don't care, I will just pretend that I never mentioned this matter."
She didn't mean to put someone next to Xiao Ji, but she thought that if Xuan Yue had this intention, she wouldn't mind fulfilling it.
After all, as an emperor, he can no longer act arbitrarily like an unpopular prince.
Although Xiao Ji has not yet ascended the throne, it is expected that many people have already set their sights on him.
Besides, the eldest princess had another idea in her mind.
The prince was able to sit on the throne, and it was found out that it was the emperor who assaulted the late queen, so... the prince's health is most likely fine.
Even if it's not completely cured, at least it shouldn't be a big deal.
Perhaps... she should have discovered it from the moment the Crown Princess became pregnant, but she never thought about it that way and just thought that Zhao Zhao Sui Sui was an unexpected blessing from God.
The princess collected her thoughts, looked at Xuan Yue who seemed relieved, and said, "You have been tired these past two days, go get some sleep."
…
After Xiao Ji left Fengming Palace, he returned to Yangxin Palace. This made Xiao Hong, who had been keeping an eye on his whereabouts, breathe a sigh of relief and relax completely.
Fortunately, Xiao Ji was still rational and was not going to cause trouble for him at this time.
When Xiao Ji arrived at the Yangxin Palace, Xie Yao was also there.
"Your Highness." Xie Yao raised her eyes to look at him, her eyebrows slightly curved, "You're back. Is everything okay with the Princess?"
Xiao Ji shook his head, signaling Xie Yao to rest assured, "It's nothing serious."
"Xiao Hong relied on the fact that Xiao Zhige had just died, and the people of the world were staring at me. If I deal with him at this time, I would inevitably be criticized, so he acted recklessly." Xiao Ji knew what Xiao Hong was thinking.
Xie Yao said: "It seems that Your Highness has already come up with a solution?"
"Yes." Xiao Ji nodded, "Give him a few more days."
After the emperor passed away, his body was kept for seven days.
During these seven days, Xiao Hong was still jumping around, especially since Xiao Ji threatened him last time but didn't really do anything to him.
Xiao Hong became more and more unscrupulous and even called Xiao Ji a coward behind his back.
However, due to Xiao Hong's attitude, no ministers dared to approach and agree with him. They all kept their distance from him and avoided him.
Because through the events of these days, the court officials have discovered that the prince is not as harmless as he appears. And the throne has been decided, so Xiao Hong's fuss will not have any impact, so everyone has chosen their camp.
Xiao Hong was angry, but there was nothing he could do.
He just kept note of the lives and official positions of those people in his heart, thinking that one day... he would definitely take severe revenge on them.
In the blink of an eye, it was the day of the emperor's burial.
Xiao Hong's efforts these past few days have not yielded any results, but he has become much more arrogant.
At this moment, after listening to the official from the Ministry of Rites finish reading the eulogy, he began to howl loudly, "Father, how could you leave like this, Father! What will I do after you are gone, Father..."
The originally solemn occasion seemed a bit funny because of Xiao Hong's noise.
Xiao Hong kept crying, "Father, you used to love me the most, but now that you are gone, some people have started to bully me...Father, please open your eyes and look at me!"
"Father...Father..."
“…”
Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment, and the official from the Ministry of Rites looked at the prince for help. If he continued crying, he would miss the auspicious time. What should he do?
Xiao Ji gave Si Nan a look, and someone immediately came forward to help Xiao Hong up and stopped him from making a fuss.
Xiao Ji then said, "Second brother's filial piety is evident to all, and I am also moved by it."
He hesitated for a moment, then issued an order: "Since this is the case, Second Brother will mourn for Father in the Imperial Mausoleum for three years, so that he can always be by Father's side."
What?
Xiao Hong was dumbfounded!
Let him observe mourning in the imperial mausoleum?
Xiao Ji actually treated him like this!
Since ancient times, only princes and kings who made mistakes would be sent to guard the imperial mausoleum. The imperial mausoleum is guarded by guards all year round and is hidden in the mountains. Once you enter, there is no way out.
He won't, he won't go!
At this moment, Xiao Ji said it was three years, but how would Xiao Ji remember him after three years? As long as no one spoke for him, he was afraid that he would have to stay in the imperial mausoleum for the rest of his life.
"I..." Xiao Hong was about to refute. He didn't want to go to the imperial mausoleum. He wanted to be the emperor!
As soon as he said a word, the third prince Xiao An said: "Your Highness the Crown Prince is kind-hearted, and the second brother has always been filial. I think he must be grateful for such an opportunity."
Xiao Hong: “…” He was so grateful that he burst into tears!
But Xiao Ji and Xiao An's concerted efforts perfectly blocked Xiao Hong's retreat. Xiao Hong's face turned red and he couldn't say anything.
The clan members and court officials were all here, and at this moment they all echoed and praised. Xiao Hong could no longer speak casually. No matter how stupid he was, he knew that if he refuted now, he would easily be labeled as "unfilial" by Xiao Ji.
His face was terribly dark, and his eyes were full of hatred as he looked at Xiao Ji and Xiao An.
Damn it!
He thought that Xiao Ji had been ignoring him these days because he was afraid of him and couldn't do anything to him, but he didn't expect that Xiao Ji was waiting here!
And there's that bastard Xiao An.
He was silent in the past, but no one knows when he has joined Xiao Ji's army and is willing to follow Xiao Ji like a dog!
However, if Xiao An knew what Xiao Hong was thinking, he would definitely say that Xiao Hong had misunderstood.
Although he no longer had the delusion of competing with Xiao Ji for the throne, he did not become Xiao Ji's dog. He just followed Xiao Ji and added insult to injury.
Compared with Xiao Ji, he disliked Xiao Hong even more.
I can't stand Xiao Hong's arrogant and confident look.
As for Xiao Ji, although he got the throne, there was one thing that Xiao Ji had lost to him, and that was the favor of Master Xuan. He did not take Xiao Ji seriously.
"Let's go." Xiao Ji gave an order, and the team set off immediately to escort the emperor to the imperial mausoleum.
Of course, Xiao Hong will have to stay in the imperial mausoleum this time.
This was also the reason why Xiao Ji tolerated Xiao Hong's behavior these days, even though everyone with a clear mind knew that Xiao Hong was unreliable.
But there are also people with ulterior motives approaching Xiao Hong.
Xiao Ji's order at this moment was to directly cut off all the thoughts of Xiao Hong and the people behind him.
Want to cause trouble?
He dealt with Xiao Hong first.
Xiao Hong was unable to respond to the decree issued in front of so many people at this time.
The matter was settled.
But when they arrived at the imperial mausoleum and after the emperor was buried, Xiao Hong knelt in front of Xiao Ji in front of everyone.
"Brother Crown Prince, I am willing to guard the imperial mausoleum on behalf of my brothers and fulfill our filial duties." As soon as Xiao Hong opened his mouth, he distributed the matter to several princes, making him appear filial and righteous.
"But I believe that my mother has nothing to do with what happened to my father, and that she was also being plotted against. I ask my brother to release her and grant her the title of Grand Concubine."
This is the solution Xiao Hong came up with along the way.
Xiao Ji had made up his mind and was clearly determined to deal with him. The court officials and clan members all stood on Xiao Ji's side, so he could not resist and could only leave a way out for himself.
The three years that Xiao Ji talked about today.
What he wants is for someone to intercede for him in three years so that he can leave this hellhole...
Xiao Ning has already defected and is nowhere to be found. Concubine Li is the best and only candidate he can think of.
Except for Concubine Li, no one else would offend Xiao Ji for him.
There is none today, and there will be none in three years.
He thought that Xiao Ji would not refuse this deal.
Xiao Ji thought for a moment and said, "My second brother's pure filial piety has moved me."
"In this case, I will forgive Concubine Li once and send her to the imperial mausoleum, which will also fulfill the Second Prince's filial piety."
Xiao Hong: "???"
Is that what he meant?
Xiao Ji did it on purpose. Xiao Ji definitely did it on purpose. He just wanted to curse people now!
What he wants is a way out. Why does he want his mother to come to the imperial mausoleum?
But the next moment, a court official knelt down and said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince is wise!"
Xiao Hong looked over fiercely and instantly confirmed the man's identity. It was none other than Cheng Fengqi.
Xiao Hong has become completely familiar with this person in the past few days. He is a lackey who would immediately go and have a bite if Xiao Ji said shit was delicious!
Xiao Hong was left in the imperial mausoleum.
Watching the team led by Xiao Ji leave, his heart was filled with resentment and hatred.
Xiao Ji, damn Xiao Ji...how could you treat him like this?
Seeing that the team was about to disappear completely, Xiao Hong still wanted to follow them unwillingly, but was stopped by the guards guarding the imperial mausoleum.
"Second Prince, you cannot leave here."
…
On the sedan chair back to the capital, Xie Yao looked at Xiao Ji, "This is what His Highness said, will you give him a few more days?"
"Yes." Xiao Ji nodded, "In this lifetime, he will never leave the imperial mausoleum again."
That was his intention from the beginning.
It's not just because Xiao Hong has been jumping around and being annoying these days, but also because... the way Xiao Hong looks at Yaoyao makes him want to dig out his eyes.
"The third prince..." Xie Yao raised her eyebrows slightly.
Today, Xiao An cooperated quickly and settled the matter right away.
Xiao Ji shook his head, indicating that he had not discussed this with Xiao An in advance. "Perhaps, this is the result of doing too much evil and then killing oneself."
Although he didn't say it in advance, he expected that Xiao An would not miss the opportunity to take advantage of his misfortune.
Xie Yao hummed, and stopped bothering with Xiao Hong's hand. Instead, she reached out and held Xiao Ji's hand, saying, "Your Highness has lost weight in the past few days."
During the seven days of mourning, Xiao Ji not only had to kneel down to mourn the death, but also had to deal with government affairs and spend time with her and the children...
I really can't be in both places at once.
Xiao Ji held Xie Yao's hand in return, "Yaoyao despises me?"
Xie Yao glared at him, "Your Highness, you are talking nonsense." How could she be disgusted? She was clearly distressed.
After thinking for a while, Xie Yao said again: "Fortunately, His Highness did not vomit this time..." She still remembered how Xiao Ji vomited whatever he ate when she was pregnant with Zhao Zhao and Sui Sui.
She looks more like a pregnant woman than she does.
Xiao Ji: "What are you vomiting?"
Obviously, he doesn't remember.
Xie Yao was stared at by Xiao Ji, and she thought to herself that she was a little too talkative. The prince was now so childish that he wanted to compare everything with his past self.
She said this... isn't she just looking for trouble?
But Xiao Ji stared at her with a burning gaze, so Xie Yao could only talk about the past events as briefly as possible.
As expected, Xiao Ji fell silent, with a thoughtful look on his face.
"Your Highness." Xie Yao reached out and gently pulled Xiao Ji's hand, "Don't think too much..."
"Yeah." Xiao Ji nodded and held Xie Yao's hand, "I know."
After the emperor was buried in the imperial mausoleum, the Ministry of Rites' next focus would be on the enthronement of the new emperor.
The Imperial Astronomical Observatory calculated the date and scheduled the coronation ceremony to take place ten days later.
When the Ministry of Rites came to the Yangxin Palace to discuss this matter with Xiao Ji, Xiao Ji had no objection and said, "On the same day, I will enthrone the Crown Princess as Queen and she will enter the palace with me."
After these words were spoken, there was a moment of silence in the hall.
An official from the Ministry of Rites tried to probe, "Your Highness, although the Crown Princess is your first wife, the Xie family is not well-off, and Lord Xie has passed away. If she were to enter the Eastern Palace..."
The man hadn't finished speaking when he slowly stopped talking under Xiao Ji's gaze.
Xiao Ji's eyes swept over these ministers one by one, and his cold voice was full of obvious displeasure, "So, you all think that I shouldn't enthrone the Crown Princess as the Queen?"
Everyone was silent.
Silence speaks volumes.
Apparently, at least most people present thought so.
Xiao Ji sneered, "Then you tell me, who is worthy of being the queen?"
Xiao Ji was obviously angry, and everyone knelt down, "Your Highness, please calm down."
But there was indeed a fool who immediately gave examples of several noble ladies, all of whom he had obviously already inquired about...
The more he spoke, the darker Xiao Ji's face became. "That's enough."
Xiao Ji interrupted him directly, "I have made up my mind. The Crown Princess will be my only queen. If you object... just keep it to yourself."
"If you can do it, do it. If you can't do it... just resign and go home!"
Xiao Ji's attitude was so strong that several court officials who had their own ideas could only bow their heads when they saw him.
Afterwards, Xiao Ji discussed the details of the coronation ceremony with several people from the Ministry of Rites. He ignored the ministers' hesitation to speak throughout the whole process.
Let him compromise?
That's impossible.
If he still has to compromise with his ministers on these matters, then what is the point of him being the emperor?
After the officials from the Ministry of Rites left, Xiao Ji instructed Li Dajian and Si Nan, "Don't tell the Crown Princess about what happened recently."
From beginning to end, Xie Yao would only be his only wife, his only queen, and his only beloved woman.
Of course, he didn't want these things to disturb Yaoyao's good mood.
"Yes." Li Dajian and Si Nan agreed immediately.
However, Xiao Ji did not allow the news to be spread outside, and the news that the Ministry of Rites did not agree with Xie Yao being the queen still spread inexplicably.
Xie Yao naturally heard about it as well.
Zhu Qing was very angry. "Who are these people? Crown Princess, you and His Highness have a deep relationship, and you have children. You have gone through so many ups and downs along the way. How dare those people humiliate you like this..."
They have no idea what the Crown Princess has sacrificed for His Highness.
"Okay." Xie Yao was helpless. She didn't expect that she would be asked to comfort Zhu Qing. "Whatever they say, His Highness won't listen."
She still has this confidence.
"I'm just angry." Zhu Qing stamped her feet in anger.
At this moment, a palace maid came in to report, "Crown Princess, Miss Xuan wants to see you."
Xuanyue?
Xie Yao said: "Please come in."
After she gave the order, she asked again, "No news from the North?"
Zhu Qing shook his head. "The North Territory replied that they had received the letter and would look for Miss Xuan Er, but they have not replied to say anything about Miss Xuan Er yet."
Zhu Qing was silent for a moment, and then his voice became a little deeper, "Crown Princess, Miss Xuan II wouldn't..."
"Wait a little longer." Xie Yao said.
Soon, Xuan Yue was led into the house by a palace maid. After she bowed to Xie Yao, she said, "Crown Princess, I am here to say goodbye today."
"The affairs in the palace have been concluded. The eldest princess will return to the princess's residence. I will also leave the palace, so I have come to bid farewell to the Crown Princess."
Xie Yao nodded, asked her to sit down, mentioned Xuan Shu's matter again, and asked Xuan Yue to feel at ease.
Xuan Yue nodded, and after a moment of silence, she said, "Crown Princess, the Crown Prince is about to ascend the throne. The harem is empty now, and many people in the court have already..."
"Please be careful, Princess."
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