Chapter 57
The nanny standing next to the empress dowager shouted with full force. Chu Miaomiao sighed inwardly and cursed Wei Zhen at the same time.
Wei Zhen is really something this time. He didn't do a good job, but he was very good at pretending.
If he had the confidence to sit back and relax before, now he is just conceited.
Chu Miaomiao had previously thought that the earliest she would be discovered would be tonight, but she didn't expect that not long after Wei Zhen left, Changqiu Palace came to invite someone.
The visitor specifically mentioned that the Empress Dowager and the Empress had summoned Princess Pingyang, Chu Miaomiao.
Now that’s great, I have no choice but to go.
Chu Miaomiao had no choice but to go to Changqiu Palace with her, which is why the nanny ordered her to kneel down.
"The sinner Chu Miaomiao pays homage to the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and the Princess of Yu."
Chu Miaomiao knelt on the ground with her head bowed. The Queen Mother, sitting high on the throne, stared at her and hesitated to ask her to stand up. Princess Yu glanced at the Queen Mother and secretly worried about Chu Miaomiao.
It is true that Princess Yu loves to watch the fun, but she thinks that some fun is not suitable for deep participation, such as the fun in front of her concerning Chu Miaomiao.
The Queen Mother originally intended the eldest daughter of the Duke of Ying to be the Crown Princess. She was the best choice for both her appearance and family background, and even for her political influence on the Crown Prince. However, Chu Miaomiao suddenly appeared, making Wei Zhen completely devoted to her and determined to marry her.
If nothing had happened to the King of Chu, Chu Miaomiao would still be the Princess of Pingyang, and the Queen Mother might not have said much. Unexpectedly, the King of Chu rebelled, and Chu Miaomiao became the daughter of a criminal. Even in this situation, Wei Zhen still resolutely chose her to be the Crown Princess. How could this not make the Queen Mother angry?
So when the saint "accidentally" revealed the news that Chu Miaomiao had entered the palace, the queen mother immediately sent someone to invite the queen, Princess Yu and Chu Miaomiao.
Princess Yu knew in her heart that she was not invited just to watch the fun. She was probably shouldering the arduous task of breaking up the marriage between Chu Miaomiao and Wei Zhen.
"Mother." The Queen looked at Chu Miaomiao with pity in her eyes. "The floor is so hard, her knees are hurting from kneeling for too long. Let her get up, Mother."
Princess Yu also silently agreed in her heart. Some words can only be effective if spoken by the Queen. If she were to speak in her place, she might incur the Queen Mother's displeasure.
It was obvious that the Queen Mother came to establish Chu Miaomiao's authority, and she didn't dare to speak against the Queen Mother's face.
The Queen Mother snorted coldly and said proudly, "Miss Chu is truly capable. Not only did she trick the Crown Prince into being confused for you, but even the Queen spoke well of you."
Chu Miaomiao sighed inwardly. When someone doesn't like you, even things that have nothing to do with you can become a weapon of attack.
"Reporting to the Empress Dowager, I dare not."
"Miss Chu, you're truly too modest," the Queen Mother sneered. "You're a criminal, you should have been imprisoned awaiting your fate. I wonder what sorcery you used to trick the Crown Prince into disregarding the laws of your country and hiding you in the Eastern Palace? And then you even pleaded for you, defying the Emperor's will. What else are you afraid of?"
The Queen Mother's voice suddenly rose, and her stern voice startled the Queen, and Princess Yu was also a little nervous.
"Mother..." The Queen's voice was weak, as if she was a little scared, "Don't say that about Miaomiao..."
Princess Yu also hurriedly said, "Mother, calm down. These are just one side of the story we heard. Why not listen to Miss Chu's side of the story?"
The Queen Mother clearly disagreed: "This person has deceived the people with her lies and deceived the Crown Prince into disregarding his own life and future for her. In my opinion, there is no need to listen to her excuses. She should be executed directly."
Chu Miaomiao's heart tightened, then began to beat wildly, her breath stagnating in fear. When she truly faced death, endless fear washed over her, like a dense net binding her tightly, leaving her with nowhere to escape.
"Mother!"
Two female voices rang out simultaneously. The Queen's face was filled with anxiety, and her eyes, pleading as she looked at the Queen Mother, were filled with pleading. Princess Yu stood up and shouted in surprise, "Please reconsider, Mother! Even if Miss Chu must die, she should die under the law. Your actions, Mother, are tantamount to lynching!"
"Mother, please don't kill her." The Queen's eyes were filled with mist. "This is Ah Zhen's favorite person. If you kill her, Ah Zhen will be very sad."
The Queen Mother rarely showed a hard heart in front of the simple and innocent Queen. But this time, the Queen Mother was determined to get rid of Chu Miaomiao, so she didn't even look at the Queen, and signaled the nanny beside her to bring up the prepared things.
Princess Yu felt something was wrong. She winked at the maid standing beside her and asked her to leave with the nanny so that she could go find the prince to report the news.
But just as her maid took a step, she heard the Queen Mother shout, "Princess Yu! Tell your people to stay put! Don't think I don't know you're trying to tip off the Crown Prince."
Princess Yu, whose thoughts were seen through, stood still and smiled awkwardly.
Not long after, Nanny and three maids stood in front of Chu Miaomiao with trays. The Queen Mother then allowed Chu Miaomiao to stand up and choose one for herself.
Poisoned wine. White silk. Dagger.
Chu Miaomiao felt sad, knowing that she would definitely die today.
It's really ridiculous to say so.
She usually talked about death all the time, acting like she had no fear of death. But now that it had really come to this, she felt fear and timidity.
Her eyes wandered between the three, and finally she reached out her hand tremblingly towards the cup of poisoned wine.
The poisoned wine takes effect quickly, so there shouldn't be too much pain or suffering. Maybe you can even die in a dignified manner.
But just as she was about to touch the cup of poisoned wine, she suddenly felt something hit her hand. The pain made her pull her hand back, and she ended up knocking over the wine cup.
In a flash, the pregnant queen trotted in front of Chu Miaomiao and stubbornly confronted the queen mother: "Your Majesty, please don't kill Miaomiao! If you kill Miaomiao, I - I will never like you again!"
Childish words naturally have no deterrent effect on ordinary people, but for the empress dowager who regards the queen almost as her own child, the lethality is still quite large.
She stared at the queen in amazement. The child who had always obeyed her was now standing against her for a sinner with no relatives. She simply could not believe what was happening before her.
"Ah Ran! You protect her like this, even going against our mother's wishes. Is she really that good? Do you know who she is?"
The Queen pouted, feeling very aggrieved: "She is a good person! Ah Zhen is a good person, and the person Ah Zhen likes must also be a good person! Ah Zhen wants to protect her, so I will protect her too!"
Chu Miaomiao looked at the Queen's back in surprise, and her heart softened. After all, she and the Queen had little in common, and even for Wei Zhen's sake, the Queen had no obligation to protect her like this.
But the queen chose to protect her simply because she trusted Wei Zhen, and even dared to rebel against the empress dowager. How could she not be moved?
Seeing the atmosphere becoming tense, Princess Yu spoke up to advise, "Mother, the Queen is pregnant now. She must not get emotional or see blood. Pregnancy is not easy for the Queen. Please consider the Queen and the unborn child."
Seeing the Queen's belly, Princess Yu finally realized she could use this as an excuse. She didn't know how long she could delay the matter, but at least she could save Chu Miaomiao's life for now. As for what happened next, it all depended on her own luck.
*
After Wei Zhen returned to the Eastern Palace, the housekeeper hurried forward and told Wei Zhen that Chu Miaomiao had been invited to the Changqiu Palace by the Queen Mother.
Wei Zhen, who had just escaped a disaster from the saint, had no time to think about it. He turned around and hurried to Changqiu Palace.
Wei Zhen had previously rejected the marriages arranged by the Queen Mother several times for Chu Miaomiao. This time when the Queen Mother summoned Chu Miaomiao, he was really afraid that the Queen Mother would transfer her dissatisfaction with his refusal of marriage to Chu Miaomiao.
However, when he finally arrived at the gate of Changqiu Palace after running all the way, Princess Yu was already standing outside waiting for him.
Princess Yu soothed Wei Zhen and helped him regulate his rapid breathing. She straightened his slightly crooked jade crown for him. Thinking of what she was going to say next, she couldn't help but complain in her heart.
There is no such thing as a free lunch, nor is there a free lunch. Since she had been invited by the Empress Dowager to watch the fun today, she also had to persuade Wei Zhen on her behalf.
"aunt."
Wei Zhen's anxious tone brought Princess Yu back to her senses: "Where's Miaomiao? Is she still in there?"
Princess Yu sighed deeply, which made Wei Zhen's heart rise to his throat, for fear of hearing bad news about Chu Miaomiao.
"Miaomiao, was she——"
Princess Yu interrupted him: "She's fine, don't worry."
After carefully observing Princess Yu's expression and seeing that she did not seem to be faking it, Wei Zhen finally felt relieved and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Where is she? Why can't I see her?"
"Hmm..." Princess Yu considered her words carefully before slowly saying, "The Queen Mother means that Miss Chu is not suitable to stay in the palace right now."
Seeing Wei Zhen's expression becoming serious, Princess Yu hurriedly said, "Don't be anxious. Listen to me. Personally, I agree with the Queen Mother's opinion."
Princess Yu then recounted to Wei Zhen everything that had transpired in Changqiu Palace today, sighing, "Neither the Queen Mother nor the Empress are in a good mood right now. I'm also worried that the Saint will vent his anger on Miss Chu. It would be dangerous to keep her in the palace or send her to prison. So, I've asked the Queen Mother for permission to take her back to Prince Yu's residence for the time being."
Wei Zhen opened his mouth to speak hastily, but Princess Yu stopped him with a wave of her hand. "Your most important task right now isn't to keep her tied to you, but to figure out how to resolve this crisis. You're Miss Chu's only support. If you truly fall, she'll surely die too. Therefore, saving you is also saving her."
"Thank you for your advice, aunt." Upon hearing this, Wei Zhen bowed deeply and solemnly to the Princess of Yu.
As the saying goes, "too much concern leads to confusion." Wei Zhen was afraid that Chu Miaomiao would escape again, and he was also afraid that the Queen Mother or the Sage would send someone to secretly assassinate her. So he thought that the only way to be safe was to keep Chu Miaomiao by his side at all times. However, this also focused all his attention on Chu Miaomiao, which made it easy for him to neglect other things.
Now that Princess Yu is willing to help him take care of Chu Miaomiao, how can he not feel grateful.
"Don't thank me yet."
Princess Yu felt a headache when she thought about what she would have to say to Wei Zhen. But since it was the Queen Mother's order, she had no choice but to go along with it, no matter how reluctant she was.
"Even if Miss Chu can escape this disaster, I'm afraid she won't be able to become the Crown Princess. The Queen Mother means that the only candidate for the Crown Princess is the eldest daughter of the Duke of Ying."
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