Chapter 205 The Tacit Understanding Between Mother and Daughter
Li Sanqi insisted that he was not wrong, so he naturally refused to apologize to the Crown Princess.
However, the Crown Prince was adamant and insisted that Li Sanqi apologize to the Crown Princess. Seeing Li Sanqi's stubborn attitude, he even suggested that Li Sanqi personally apologize to the Wu family.
Li Sanqi could hardly believe her ears. "What did you say? I am a princess, and you want me to apologize to the Wu family? Do they even deserve it?"
Crown Prince Li Chengjun said coldly, "Whether you are worthy or not is not for you to decide! I'm telling you to go, so you'd better go obediently!"
Li Sanqi was furious and threw himself into the Empress's arms, crying, "Mother!"
The Empress was also somewhat angry, frowning and glaring at the Crown Prince, "Your seventh sister is a legitimate princess, representing the face of the imperial family! You actually made her apologize to the Wu family? What were you thinking?"
"Or is it that the Crown Princess is really that important to you? Worthy of you disregarding the dignity of the royal family for her sake?"
The Crown Prince hesitated for a moment, but still gave an affirmative answer, "Mother, the Crown Princess is the woman I love, the woman I want to spend my life with. She has borne me children, cared for me, and managed the affairs of the household. I cannot let her feel disheartened!"
The Empress laughed in anger, "Heh, I never expected my son to be such a romantic! You don't want to break the heart of the Crown Princess, so you'll break the heart of your own sister and mother?"
Sure enough, no man is any good! Whether it's Emperor Xiaozhao or the Crown Prince, they're both heartless scoundrels!
Emperor Xiaozhao relied heavily on her and her maternal family, the Yongchang Marquis's Mansion, in order to ascend the throne.
As a result, when he ascended the throne, she, the empress, became a mere figurehead, and the Yongchang Marquis's mansion was forced to gradually fade into obscurity.
Now, even her own son dares to disobey her and doesn't respect her!
In the end, the Crown Prince was just imitating his father, Emperor Xiaozhao!
Sensing that the Empress was in a bad mood, Li Sanqi quickly and gently patted her chest, gritting his teeth as he said, "Mother, please don't upset yourself. It was all my rash actions. I'll go apologize to the Crown Princess and the Wu family!"
The Empress grasped Li Sanqi's small hand, looking at the Crown Prince with disappointment in her eyes, "Are you determined to send your own sister to apologize to the Crown Princess?"
The Crown Prince was not unaware of the Empress's sorrow, but he only hesitated slightly before firmly replying, "Yes! Mother, please don't try to persuade me. You should advise Seventh Sister to learn from Sixth Sister and not act too outrageously!"
The Empress looked at the Crown Prince in disbelief, her voice trembling as she said, "You...you compare your own sister to Li Jingyue, the daughter of that lowly Consort Zhao?"
That bewitching slut Zhao Xianfei, how could she have been so good to her back then!
When Consort Zhao first entered the palace, she thought she was virtuous and kind, and that she had suffered since childhood, so she protected and cared for her in every way.
And what was the result? She, Consort Zhao, was the only one in the entire harem to enjoy the emperor's favor for over a decade without waning.
If she hadn't failed to give birth to a son, Consort Zhao would almost have usurped her position as empress.
It's true what they say: a barking dog doesn't bite!
The Crown Prince frowned and reminded her, "Mother, Jingyue is also my younger sister. As the mother of the nation, you should be broad-minded and emulate the virtues of a mother to the world."
The Empress was so angry that she couldn't speak.
Fearing that the Empress might be upset, Li Sanqi quickly comforted her, saying, "Mother, please don't be angry. It's all my fault! I shouldn't have caused trouble. I'll go apologize to the Crown Princess! I'll go apologize to the Wu family! Please don't let me upset you!"
With that, Li Sanqi glared fiercely at the Crown Prince, "I promise, I'll apologize to the Crown Princess and the Wu family tomorrow! Are you satisfied now?"
The Empress trembled as she embraced Li Sanqi, tears streaming down her face.
"Get out! You're not my son! I don't want to see you!"
The Empress raised her hand with difficulty, pointed in the direction of the palace gate, and weakly urged people to leave.
The Crown Prince frowned deeply, hesitated for a moment as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately said nothing and turned to leave the Empress's palace.
Once the Crown Prince left, the Empress could no longer hold back and burst into tears, holding her daughter.
This is her own son! This is her eldest son on whom she placed so much hope!
Before even becoming emperor, he was already disobedient and unfilial to his own mother. How could she possibly have any hope for the future?
Thinking of this, and considering that the Empress Dowager was still heartbroken because of Emperor Xiaozhao's admonition, and had locked herself in her palace, suffering in silence, the Empress felt a deep sense of desolation.
This is the royal father and son!
Equally ruthless! Equally unfilial! And equally domineering and self-centered!
"Mother! Please don't cry! It's all my fault! Waaah... I shouldn't have left the palace, I shouldn't have provoked the Crown Princess, I shouldn't have summoned my elder brother, the Crown Prince, I shouldn't have made you sad! It's all my fault! Waaah... Mother! I was wrong!"
Li Sanqi hugged the Empress, apologizing as he cried with her.
Just as the mother and daughter were embracing and weeping, the Fifth Prince, Li Chengming, heard the news and rushed over.
"Mother? Seventh Sister? What's wrong with you? Why are you crying all of a sudden?"
The Fifth Prince stared in astonishment at the two who were crying their eyes out, and asked in confusion, "Didn't they say that my elder brother, the Crown Prince, had come to Mother's palace?"
"Where is the Crown Prince?"
"Shut up! Don't mention that scoundrel to me!" The Empress released Li Sanqi and glared angrily at the Fifth Prince. "You're not allowed to mention him in front of me again! I don't have that son!"
The fifth prince was so startled that he couldn't close his mouth in shock.
He secretly cast an inquiring glance at Li Sanqi.
What exactly happened?
What heinous crime did the Crown Prince commit to provoke such a furious reaction from the Empress Dowager?
Li Sanqi took a handkerchief and wiped away the Empress's tears, then wiped away his own. He looked at the Empress for her opinion, and seeing that she did not object, Li Sanqi then told her everything that had happened that day.
The Empress looked at the Fifth Prince with an indifferent expression from beginning to end.
Having learned from the Crown Prince's experience, she no longer held any hope for the Fifth Prince.
However, unexpectedly, after hearing Li Sanqi's explanation, the Fifth Prince was immediately filled with anger: "Has the Crown Prince lost his mind? How can he let Seventh Sister apologize to the Wu family?"
"Seventh Sister is a princess, how dare they be worthy of her?"
"And my sister-in-law too. It's clearly her family's fault, how could they instigate the Crown Prince to pressure my seventh sister?"
"No! I need to go and talk to the Crown Prince!"
"This matter is clearly the fault of the Crown Princess and the Wu family. They should be the ones apologizing to Seventh Sister!"
With that, the Fifth Prince started to walk out.
"My son!"
The Empress quickly called out to stop the person.
"Mother?" The Fifth Prince turned around and looked at the Empress.
Seeing the Empress's red eyes, the Fifth Prince's anger surged. "Mother, don't stop me! I want my elder brother, the Crown Prince, to apologize to you!"
"How could he cause the Empress Dowager such heartache for the sake of the Crown Princess?"
"You are his biological mother! How could he treat his mother like this?"
He then walked out again.
Seeing her youngest son's genuine attitude in protecting her and her daughter, the Empress felt a little gratified and instructed Li Sanqi, "Go and stop your fifth brother."
Li Sanqi was also moved by the Fifth Prince's attitude and quickly got up to pull him back.
"I am very pleased that you are able to protect me and your sister. However, your elder brother is determined to have a wife and not his mother and sister. It would be futile for you to go. You should not waste your time."
The empress offered her advice in a dejected tone.
"Mother is right. Fifth Brother, you shouldn't go to see the Crown Prince. Right now, the Crown Prince only has the Crown Princess in his heart. If you go, not only will you not be able to get an explanation for Mother, but you'll probably just come back with a belly full of anger. Why bother?"
Li Sanqi also tried to comfort him with a mournful face.
But the more the two tried to stop the Fifth Prince from going, the more determined he became to go.
He couldn't believe that his elder brother, the crown prince, would treat their mother and sister this way.
Finally, after much persuasion from the Empress and Li Sanqi, the Fifth Prince, enraged, headed straight for the Crown Prince's residence.
Watching the Fifth Prince's departing figure, the Empress gave Li Sanqi a deep look, lowered her voice, and whispered in a voice only loud enough for the mother and daughter to hear, "Do you think it would be better for us, mother and daughter, if your fifth brother were the Crown Prince?"
Li Sanqi was so shocked that her mouth dropped open, and she couldn't utter a single word. But her head nodded honestly again and again.
At this moment, the mother and daughter reached an unprecedented level of understanding!
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