Chapter 107 The Palace Intrigue Begins
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Crown Prince Mu Chen slowly stepping into the Taiji Hall. This was the first time he had appeared in such an important public occasion since his confinement was lifted.
He was still wearing his apricot-yellow casual clothes. He had a handsome face, but his complexion was unhealthy and pale. His eyes were sinister, and the corners of his lips were curved in a half-smile. He exuded an unsettling and chilling aura.
What's even more eye-catching is that, following half a step behind him, is none other than Li Bao'er's half-sister, Li Yan.
But at this moment, Li Yan was completely different from the spoiled and willful concubine's daughter of the Prime Minister's mansion. She was dressed in a light pink palace dress that was too plain and even a little ill-fitting. She lowered her head and looked meek. She was thin and her face was even paler than the Crown Prince's. Her eyes were filled with fear and timidity. She followed the Crown Prince step by step. She did not look like a concubine who was about to enter the Eastern Palace. Instead, she looked like a maid who was frightened by the twang of a bow.
Li Bao'er was astonished to see Li Yan's appearance. Li Yan had been brought into the palace by the Empress's decree after her wedding, and Bao'er hadn't paid much attention then. But seeing Li Yan's current state, Bao'er suddenly realized that Li Yan had received considerable "tutoring" from the Empress.
001 then spoke up, "Tsk tsk tsk, your half-sister, ever since Longhua Temple was chosen by the Imperial Preceptor Fang Xu as the woman of destiny, the Empress has brought her into the palace under the pretext of teaching her palace etiquette in advance."
Everyone envies her for the incredible fortune she has received, but this so-called fortune has actually pushed her into a den of tigers and dragons. Judging from her current state, she has clearly suffered greatly at the hands of the Empress.
[Is this what a seemingly gentle and generous, but actually ruthless empress in palace dramas looks like?]
Bao'er was speechless: "So you haven't been watching Japanese dramas lately, but have been watching palace dramas every day?"
001: [Hehehe~ This is such a good read, a guide to palace intrigue! I recommend you check it out, host.]
Bao'er: "Then take me back."
001: [Cough cough... What? I can't hear you.]
Crown Prince Mu Chen's gaze swept past everyone and landed on Li Bao'er and Mu Cenlin. He led Li Yan directly to the Emperor's presence, gave a perfunctory bow, and then turned to walk towards the seat second only to the Emperor and Empress, his tone filled with undisguised sarcasm:
"It's just a minor quarrel between girls, yet it's caused Father and Aunt to intervene personally, and Princess Kangning even had to apologize in public. Second brother, isn't your princess a bit too pampered? Or is it that Second brother's power is so great that he can trample on the dignity of a royal princess at will?"
Mu Cenlin held Li Bao'er's hand without letting go, and his posture remained unchanged as he lazily leaned back in his seat.
He raised his eyes, calmly meeting Crown Prince Mu Chen's provocative and sinister gaze, while a faint smile curved his lips.
“Your Highness is mistaken.” Mu Cenlin’s voice had a cool quality that clearly reached everyone’s ears. “It’s not that Bao’er is delicate, but rather that the royal family’s dignity and the proper order between the ruler and his subjects cannot be taken lightly.”
“As a member of the imperial family, Princess Kangning should set an example for all women. If she is not restrained from disrespecting the princess and offending the princess consort, will she dare to disregard palace rules and even… disrespect the crown prince tomorrow?”
Mu Cenlin gave Mu Chen no chance to refute, and continued slowly, "As for your immense power, I have only ever wanted to share the Emperor's burdens and serve the court. I have never dared to overstep my bounds. But Your Highness," he changed his tone, his eyes suddenly becoming sharp, "your urgent words when you spoke on behalf of Princess Kangning reminded me of something."
He paused, and as everyone held their breath, he slowly said, "According to urgent reports from the border, spies from the Western Regions have recently infiltrated the capital and are operating rampantly. Furthermore, the Princess's businesses seem to have been having overly close dealings with Western Region merchant caravans recently, and this has not yet been clarified. Your Highness is so concerned about Princess Kangning at this moment, could it be... that you know something inside? If so, I hope Your Highness will prioritize the affairs of the state and inform Father Emperor as soon as possible."
This caused not only Crown Prince Mu Chen to frown, but even the Emperor sitting at the head of the table to darken his expression slightly! Colluding with foreign powers is a heinous crime! With just a few casual words, Mu Cenlin subtly pinned the suspicion of treason on the Crown Prince and the Princess's residence!
Mu Chen trembled with rage, pointing at Mu Cenlin: "You...you're spouting nonsense!"
The entire Taiji Hall seemed to freeze, as if even the air itself had solidified!
The princess's originally dignified and peaceful face instantly turned frosty when she heard Mu Cenlin accuse her of "having too close ties with Western Region merchants." Her phoenix eyes flashed with malice as she stared directly at Mu Cenlin.
"Mu Cenlin! How dare you!"
The eldest princess's chest heaved violently, clearly furious. As the eldest princess, the emperor's own sister, she held an unparalleled position of honor. When had she ever been slandered like this? And by her most despised nephew!
“Every single account of my properties is crystal clear, and all my dealings with the Western Regions are legitimate trade permitted by the court. How can there be any talk of secrecy? And why should I report to you, Prince Jing?!”
"How dare you spout such nonsense and slander my reputation before the Emperor and all the officials! Who gave you the audacity!"
She grew angrier as she spoke, abruptly standing up, her gaze fixed on the emperor, her tone filled with grievance and immense indignation:
"Your Majesty! You heard it all! Cen Lin is increasingly disregarding us elders! To protect his princess, he dares to falsely accuse me! If he dares to accuse me of treason today, will he dare to question Your Majesty's authority tomorrow?! This trend must not be allowed to continue!"
Everyone in the hall was so frightened they dared not breathe, lowering their heads in horror. Prince Jing had truly stirred up a hornet's nest! To avenge his wife, he dared to drag even the most unapproachable princess into the mess?
Li Bao'er had heard many times how much the current emperor trusted this older sister, so she couldn't help but worry about Mu Cenlin. But she saw that Mu Cenlin actually had the leisure to smile slightly at her.
She felt much comforted; this was how her man should be!
Despite facing the princess's anger, Mu Cen remained calm and spoke in a tone that was neither humble nor arrogant:
"Princess, please calm down. What I said was simply a factual report of the military situation at the border, and I mentioned relevant clues. My intention was to urge the Emperor and the court to pay attention to the matter of spies in the Western Regions. I had absolutely no intention of targeting you."
The princess was so taken aback by his seemingly indirect approach that she nearly choked on her breath. Pointing at Mu Cenlin, her finger trembled, but she couldn't find a more incisive rebuttal. She couldn't very well claim that her businesses had absolutely nothing to do with the Western Regions, could she? That would be true deceiving the emperor!
The Emperor frowned as he observed the tense scene unfolding before him. He knew his elder sister's temperament well and understood that Mu Cenlin was not one to speak without reason. There was likely something fishy about this matter, but Mu Cenlin's choice to publicly confront him at a palace banquet was indeed too sharp.
"Enough!" The emperor finally spoke in a deep voice, with an unquestionable air of authority. "Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, not a place for court discussions! The matter of spies from the Western Regions is to be investigated by the relevant authorities. Elder sister, there is no need to be angry. Cen Lin, you should also be careful with your words and actions."
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