Princess Cheng was thrown into a well and nearly drowned. Although she was rescued by chance, she fell ill and never recovered. The Empress Dowager was furious for as long as Princess Cheng was ill. Prince Cheng was her own son and the current emperor's younger brother. His princess was almost killed in the palace.
If we don't find out, it will be a disgrace to the Emperor, Prince Cheng, and the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager had punished countless incompetent people for failing to find the murderer for so long. Now she was being told that the one who killed Princess Cheng was none other than her son, Prince Cheng.
Princess Cheng is not sick, but she has no choice but to fall ill.
Prince Cheng was the flesh and blood of the Empress Dowager. She knew that Prince Cheng had some selfish desires, but who doesn't have selfish desires? As long as they weren't excessive, even the Emperor would turn a blind eye. But the Empress Dowager never expected that Prince Cheng would be so ruthless as to kill even the woman who bore him children.
Princess Cheng preferred to become a nun and was ordered to commit suicide rather than be buried with King Cheng after her death.
The Emperor felt sorry for Princess Cheng because her own son was so cruel to her. Even though she did things that damaged the royal family's reputation, he did not pursue the matter and even asked her to give Princess Cheng a way out.
Thinking of all this, the Empress Dowager felt her body grow cold.
She never imagined that her son could be so cold-hearted and cruel.
Thinking of the Crown Prince, the Empress Dowager asked with heartache, "Where is the Crown Prince?"
Granny Zhao shook her head, "Before I returned to the palace, I went to Prince Cheng's residence. The young master wasn't there. The steward told me that he likes to listen to Zen teachings and might have gone to Huguo Temple..."
Upon hearing the words "Huguo Temple," the Empress Dowager's expression changed drastically. "Quickly! Go to Huguo Temple!"
Zhao Mama also considered that possibility, and as soon as the Empress Dowager gave the order, she quickly withdrew.
Princess Cheng doted on her son so much that he was like the apple of her eye. Even if she didn't want to be buried with Prince Cheng after her death, she wouldn't abandon him. Princess Cheng was afraid that her daughter, Princess Yong'an, would be implicated by Prince Cheng, so she tried every means to ask the Empress Dowager to grant Princess Yong'an a marriage and marry her out of Prince Cheng's mansion.
The Crown Prince of Cheng was fond of listening to Zen teachings, which the Empress Dowager knew. In order to help the Crown Prince find out who poisoned him, Xie Jingyan made up an excuse to send him to Huguo Temple. The Crown Prince had a very happy time at Huguo Temple, enjoying listening to the master explain the scriptures. Later, it was discovered that the poison had been put in the pastries sent by a palace maid from the Empress Dowager's palace, and he no longer had to stay at Huguo Temple. The Crown Prince was somewhat disappointed when he left.
Later, his health improved significantly, and he would occasionally visit Huguo Temple. After Princess Cheng fell seriously ill, the Crown Prince of Cheng would go to Huguo Temple every few days to offer incense and pray for her.
Crown Prince Cheng really liked Huguo Temple, so much so that he even changed the incense in his residence to the temple's unique Zen incense.
Although Crown Prince Cheng is in poor health, he is a filial son. It is highly unusual that Crown Prince Cheng could remain unmoved and stay at Huguo Temple after his wife shaved her head at Jingci Nunnery.
The Empress Dowager was also worried about the Crown Prince of Cheng...
There's a saying that goes, "What you fear most is what happens." When Granny Zhao returned, her eyes were red-rimmed. Although she didn't say anything, the decades-long tacit understanding between mistress and servant startled the Empress Dowager, who stood up abruptly, her body swaying.
A palace maid quickly supported the Empress Dowager, whose voice trembled as she asked, "The Crown Prince...?"
Granny Zhao nodded, her voice choked with emotion.
The Empress Dowager was overcome with grief and indignation. "The Emperor hasn't even implicated them yet, and they've already punished themselves. They're tearing my heart out with a knife!"
Zhao Mama's eyes were red. Prince Cheng had been seriously ill for so many years. She often visited Prince Cheng's residence on behalf of the Empress Dowager. She had watched Prince Cheng grow up. After suffering from illness for so many years, he finally got better, but in the end, he entered a Buddhist nunnery.
Granny Zhao wiped her eyes and said, "The young master said that the Empress Dowager loves him and the Emperor loves him too. He should be more sensible and not make things difficult for the Empress Dowager and the Emperor..."
Prince Cheng has committed a capital offense, and the Empress Dowager may not be able to protect him, but she will definitely not allow the Emperor to implicate Prince Cheng's heir and will protect him to the end.
The crimes committed by Prince Cheng extended to his wife and children. The more the Empress Dowager protected Prince Cheng's heir, the more alienated she became from the Emperor.
Since the Crown Prince himself has entered a monastery, the Empress Dowager can only blame him.
It's heartbreaking to see someone so sensible.
The Empress Dowager wept uncontrollably.
The news that Princess Cheng had shaved her head at Jingci Nunnery spread like wildfire throughout the capital. However, the news of Crown Prince Cheng's renunciation of the monastic life had not spread because he spent most of his time in the meditation room in the backyard, quietly reading and reciting scriptures. In addition, he had rarely appeared in public in the past fifteen years, so not many people recognized him. Two days after he shaved his head, the news had not spread.
But the truth eventually came out, and three days later, the news of the Crown Prince's renunciation of Buddhism spread.
It was already surprising enough that Princess Cheng shaved her head at Jingci Nunnery, but considering she was sickly and didn't have much time left, it was understandable that she wanted to do some things she liked before she died. But the Crown Prince was Prince Cheng's son, and he had a title to inherit, a wealth and honor that many people could only dream of. He was born noble, yet he easily gave up such immense wealth and honor. Was he out of his mind?
The day the news of Prince Cheng's renunciation of Buddhism spread was the same day Tang Ze was to marry Xu Huan. At the wedding banquet at the Duke of Tan's mansion, everyone was talking about it like crazy, and everyone felt that there was something unusual behind this event.
First, Prince Cheng disappeared without a trace, and his double was taken hostage by assassins from Xiliang. Then, Princess Cheng shaved her head, and even Prince Cheng's heir abandoned everything...
If Prince Cheng were an ordinary prince, everyone would definitely suspect that his family was about to face a great disaster. But who is Prince Cheng? He is the current Empress Dowager's own son and the Emperor's own younger brother.
Princess Huyang and her husband were also having a wedding banquet at the Duke of Tan's mansion. They were initially quite happy, chatting and laughing with the noble ladies. However, upon hearing the news, their expressions changed drastically. They didn't even bother to drink the wedding wine and got up to leave.
The eldest prince consort accompanied her into the palace. Princess Huyang, seeing the sickly Empress Dowager, felt both heartache and anxiety. She stepped forward and asked, "Mother, what terrible thing happened at Prince Cheng's residence? Why is even Qi'er..."
By the end, Princess Huyang's voice choked with emotion.
She simply couldn't accept that the Crown Prince of Cheng had also become a monk; she knew something must have happened at the Cheng Prince's residence.
And it's a big deal.
She had been to the palace quite often these days, but no matter how she asked where Prince Cheng was, the Empress Dowager remained tight-lipped. She was not a fool; the Emperor had always been very filial to the Empress Dowager. However, she had asked the palace servants, and they said that ever since Empress Song attempted to assassinate the Emperor and was banished to the Cold Palace, no matter how ill the Empress Dowager was, how many times she couldn't eat or sleep, or how many times she saw the imperial physicians, the Emperor had never come to Shou Kang Palace to see her.
She wanted to question the Emperor about why he didn't even care about the Empress Dowager's health, but the Imperial Son-in-Law stopped her from going. Even if she went, she wouldn't be able to see the Emperor.
Princess Huyang's heart had been itching for days, and now she couldn't hold back any longer. She had to find out what had happened at Prince Cheng's residence!
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