Chapter 150 The Storm Rises in the Imperial Court
Chu Jichen had no idea what kind of storm his casual remark had stirred up in Shen Qingci's heart.
Seeing her stunned, he assumed she was simply too surprised and went straight to the point:
"This is your first birthday after marrying into the royal family, and also your first birthday as the Regent's wife. Naturally... it should be celebrated in grand style."
Upon hearing this, Shen Qingci slowly came back to her senses.
To be honest, she didn't want to celebrate her birthday.
On her birthday, she would uncontrollably think of her parents and brothers who had long since passed away, which only added to her sadness.
but……
That is indeed a perfect excuse.
Aside from a wedding, there is probably no more legitimate and attention-grabbing occasion for a banquet than the princess's first birthday.
Only by making the event big enough and inviting everyone she wanted could she ensure that her upcoming performance would have a large enough "audience" and be a sensation.
Shen Qingci suppressed the complex emotions in her heart and nodded: "Alright, everything... will be as Your Highness wishes."
A gentle smile instantly appeared in Chu Jichen's eyes. He immediately summoned the steward and swiftly arranged the matter, instructing everyone in the manor to cooperate fully and ensure that the princess's birthday banquet was held in a grand and dignified manner.
Shen Qingci, on the other hand, only needed to sit comfortably in his residence and decide who he wanted to invite to the banquet.
...
The next day, Shen Qingci locked himself in his study and repeatedly considered the guest list for his birthday banquet, looking at the names of various families in the capital.
He pondered this for a whole day.
It wasn't until night fell and the city lights came on that she finally finished confirming the last list.
She rubbed her sore temples, called Wanqing, and prepared to bathe and rest, only to belatedly realize—
Chu Jichen has not returned yet.
Shen Qingci's heart tightened, and she subconsciously glanced at the night sky outside the window, which was already soaked in ink.
Since she married into the royal family, Chu Jichen had never returned home this late, no matter how busy he was. This... was extremely unusual.
A sense of unease quietly spread through her heart.
“Wanqing,” she said in a low voice, “go and summon Yuanbao.”
Yuanbao appeared in the study almost instantly. He bowed respectfully, but his expression betrayed a hint of barely perceptible panic: "Your Highness, did you summon me?"
"Where did the prince go?" Shen Qingci asked bluntly.
Yuanbao's eyes were clearly hesitant. He lowered his head and said vaguely, "Your Highness... Your Highness has some important matters to attend to today."
Seeing his attempt to cover up his misunderstanding, Shen Qingci felt a surge of anger well up inside her!
The first thing that flashed through her mind was the mother and daughter in Yunmeng Tower.
Could it be that he... went to meet Yun Yao again? Or even stayed out all night?
But the thought only flashed through her mind before she forcibly suppressed it.
Given Chu Jichen's shrewdness, there's no way he would leave such an obvious handle for her or Prime Minister Liu to seize upon at this time.
unless……
Shen Qingci's heart sank. She took a step forward, her voice suddenly turning sharp: "Has...something happened to him?!"
A fleeting hint of guilt flashed in Yuanbao's eyes, but he still stubbornly insisted, "No! Your Highness... Your Highness is perfectly fine!"
"Look me in the eyes!" Shen Qingci's gaze instantly turned icy cold, and an aura of superiority emanated from her. "Yuanbao, if you still acknowledge me as your princess consort, then tell me the truth!"
Yuanbao was so shocked by her terrifying aura that he knew he could no longer hide it. He could only kneel down with a thud and tell her the shocking events that had happened in the court that day.
"During the morning court session this day, Prime Minister Liu suddenly launched an attack!" Yuanbao's voice was filled with anger and resentment. "He... he actually listed Your Highness's 'three major crimes'!"
"First, he framed a loyal official! He somehow obtained some false evidence and, in front of the entire court, accused... accused the Prince of being the mastermind behind framing the Shen family back then!"
"Secondly, he intended to rebel! He exposed the prince's private army, and although the exact scale is unknown, he described it in great detail!"
"Thirdly, he is holding the emperor hostage! He accuses the prince of imprisoning His Majesty, intending to emulate the powerful ministers of the previous dynasty and commit treacherous acts!"
Upon hearing this, Shen Qingci's face turned deathly pale, her expression filled with disbelief!
She staggered back a step, her voice trembling, "Then...how is the Prince...how is he now?"
Yuanbao gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with humiliation: "Now, Prime Minister Liu has joined forces with a large number of court officials, under the pretext of 'purging the emperor's inner circle,' to force His Majesty to issue an edict demanding that the Prince... suspend all regency powers, move out of the regency palace, and accept a thorough investigation by him and all the officials..."
Shen Qingci felt a chill run through her body. She steadied herself by gripping the table, her voice trembling, "Then the Prince... he just let them slander him like this? Didn't he... refute it at all?!"
"I refuted it! How could I not refute it!" Yuanbao's eyes were bloodshot, filled with endless anger and humiliation. "But... but if you want to find fault, you can always find a reason!"
He gave a bitter laugh, his voice filled with sorrow: "That old fox Liu Wenyuan has already planned everything! The so-called 'evidence' he presented was a mix of truth and falsehood, and even if the prince refuted it one by one on the spot, he could always find a new excuse to attack him!"
"He even rallied nearly half of the officials in the court, and together they attacked the prince in the Golden Hall! They insisted that if the prince did not agree to a thorough investigation, he must have something to hide and be guilty of treason!"
Yuanbao clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force: "They even said... since we're going to investigate thoroughly, then we can't let the prince leave the palace again, and we can't let him have any contact with the outside world, in order to prevent him... from secretly making arrangements to destroy the evidence!"
Shen Qingci's heart sank heavily.
"So..." her voice was incredibly hoarse, "...the prince is now...trapped in the palace?"
Yuanbao nodded heavily, a deep-seated hatred flashing in his eyes: "That old scoundrel Liu Wenyuan has already arranged for those officials and censors he's won over to be divided into several groups, guarding the prince day and night. They call it an interrogation, but in reality... how is that any different from interrogating a prisoner?!"
Shen Qingci took a deep breath, a heart-wrenching pain shooting through her chest.
She abruptly turned her head, her clear phoenix eyes fixed on Yuanbao, her voice icy and piercing:
"Why didn't you tell me about something this big sooner?!"
Yuanbao was startled by the terrifying aura in her eyes and quickly lowered his head, his voice filled with guilt and helplessness: "Your Highness, please forgive me... It's... It's the Prince who wouldn't allow it."
"His Highness... he cares about you the most. He knows that if you knew about this, you would be worried and unable to eat or sleep. So... so he ordered that we must not tell you about this under any circumstances."
"We...we dare not disobey the prince's orders..."
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