The Crown Princess waved her hand and entered the hall first, then instructed the maids to report in turn.
Fortunately, the guards only surrounded the East Palace and did not take any further action. Fruits, meats, and vegetables could be brought in, and dirty clothes and night soil could be sent out.
Even the medicine that Consort Rouliang of the West Palace needed to drink every day was delivered to the main gate by a special person.
The Crown Princess calmed down a bit and asked.
Where are the people in the backyard?
"Consort Guo threw a tantrum, saying she wanted to go to the Imperial Garden to get fresh flower petals. As a result, her maid tried to go out through the back door and was stabbed by the guards who were stationed there. The maid fainted from fright, and Consort Guo dared not cause any more trouble."
After finishing her speech, Granny Lin started talking about other people.
"The others in the back are relatively quiet, staying in their rooms and not coming out. Lady Rouliang in the west wing has been sleeping and waking up repeatedly, so she probably doesn't know the news yet!"
The Crown Princess listened and nodded, but when Lin Mama finished speaking, she suddenly realized that someone had been missed.
"What about the one in the east wing hall?"
Granny Lin's expression was strange.
“This old servant did not see Consort Xi. Juqing from the east side hall stopped this old servant. This old servant only saw the bed curtains and did not see the person clearly.”
The Crown Princess frowned.
"Send people to investigate, and also send the palace maids in the east hall to inquire about their situation."
Granny Lin curtsied and withdrew.
Under these circumstances, the Crown Princess could no longer send someone to pay her respects, so she sent someone to other rooms to inform them that she was exempt from paying her respects for the next few days, and then handled palace affairs in the palace.
Without having to go out and avoid the hassle of getting the token, what would normally take more than an hour to complete was all done in half an hour.
The Crown Princess dismissed the head maids, picked up her teacup, and took a sip of lukewarm tea.
Suddenly, Granny Lin rushed in in a panic.
"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Several palace maids have disappeared from the East Side Hall! Even Granny Fangqi has vanished without a trace!"
Clang!
The teacup in the Crown Princess's hand fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.
She abruptly stood up, her eyes filled with surprise and uncertainty.
"Gone? What do you mean gone? How could it be gone!"
"I just don't know what's going on!" Granny Lin was also very worried. "We can't find them anywhere."
The Crown Princess suddenly looked towards the east.
"And what about Consort Xi?"
Granny Lin shook her head: "This old servant went again under the pretext of delivering something, but still didn't see anyone."
The Crown Princess took a deep breath and waved her hand.
"Bring your entourage, I am going to visit Consort Xi in person!"
So, the Crown Princess, accompanied by a group of palace maids and nannies, strode to the east gate of the palace.
When Juqing saw the Crown Princess arrive, she was startled and quickly blocked the doorway, preventing them from entering.
The Crown Princess swept her sharp gaze across the room.
"Get out of my way!"
Immediately afterwards, the two old women held Juqing down and pulled her aside.
The Crown Princess strode in, quickly entered the bedroom, and abruptly pulled back the bed curtains.
It was completely empty inside.
"Where is your master?"
She turned around and sternly questioned Juqing.
Juqing bit her lip and remained silent.
The Crown Princess sneered, "To flee the palace at such a crucial time, you must be a spy, right? Guards! Seize the East Side Hall for me! I'll go find His Highness right now."
The Crown Princess stormed off to the front hall once more.
Upon meeting the Crown Prince, the Crown Princess recounted the events in a rapid-fire manner, and concluded with a self-summary.
"Xi Liangdi's origins are unclear, and now her whereabouts are unknown. She is likely someone planted by Your Highness's side. Your Highness must be on guard!"
The Crown Prince was speechless, never expecting that the Crown Princess would think of such a thing.
He put down his book and looked up at the Crown Princess for the first time.
“Xi Liangdi was escorted out of the palace by my own men.”
The Crown Princess froze.
"Why?"
She couldn't help but ask again.
But as soon as she asked the question, a sudden realization flashed through the Crown Princess's mind, and she understood immediately.
"Your Highness knew all along that the Crown Prince's palace would be sealed, so you sent Consort Xi away in advance? But if Your Highness knew all along, why didn't you make preparations in advance? Why didn't you inform me?"
The Crown Princess clenched her fists, her anger reaching its peak.
"How should we deal with this? If Father wants to punish me, and I resist, wouldn't that be deceiving the Emperor? My crime would be even more serious. As for why I didn't tell you... if you, my Crown Princess, knew, you would definitely inform the Zhao family immediately. Once the Zhao family takes action, no matter what we say, Father will only be angrier."
A hint of unease flashed across the Crown Princess's face.
“My father and brother are also thinking of His Highness’s best interests, but His Highness does not seem to trust them. If we had discussed it beforehand, my father and brother would have listened to His Highness’s instructions.”
The crown prince shook his head and said no more.
He already knew what kind of people the Zhao family were; they were extremely ambitious and would never listen to him completely. If they were to feign compliance while secretly trying to profit from the situation, it would be even more detrimental to his plans.
The crown prince remained silent.
The Crown Princess pursed her lips and asked again.
"What about Consort Xi? Why was she the only one sent away? Is she more important to Your Highness than the throne? More important than yourself?"
Even the Crown Princess didn't dare compare herself to Song Xibai.
To everyone's surprise, the crown prince nodded seriously.
The Crown Princess stared wide-eyed in utter astonishment.
However, the crown prince's next words changed her mind.
“With Consort Xi pregnant, she is naturally more important than anyone else in the Eastern Palace at this moment.”
The Crown Princess was startled.
She recalled the changes in Xi Liangdi during this period, her mind filled with disbelief.
She thought she had the Eastern Palace completely under her control, but the Crown Princess knew nothing about Consort Xi, which frustrated her greatly.
But then the Crown Princess realized that Consort Xi had no foundation in the Eastern Palace, so how could she keep it a secret?
It's obvious that someone helped her.
The only candidate, without a doubt, is the Crown Prince.
The Crown Princess took several deep breaths to suppress her complicated emotions.
After careful consideration, the Crown Princess asked another question.
"How many months pregnant is Xi Liangdi now? Is it possible to tell the sex?"
After she finished speaking, she paused, then couldn't help but feel wronged for herself.
"Why does Your Highness hide this from me? After all these years, don't you know me well enough? Am I the kind of person who would resort to underhanded means to harm a concubine? When Consort Rou, of lowly birth, became pregnant, did I say a word when you brought her back to the Eastern Palace?"
The Crown Prince thought to himself that the intricacies of the situation were far too complex, and the more people who knew, the greater the danger. Who could guarantee that the Crown Princess wouldn't secretly intervene?
Perhaps she won't take action now, since the Crown Prince needs a child.
But what if Song Xibai gives birth?
There were far too many cases in the palace of mothers leaving their children behind.
"I don't need to explain everything to you. If you want to keep your position as Crown Princess, then straighten your mind. What is rightfully yours, I will not shortchange you. What is not rightfully yours, you should not covet."
The crown prince slowly rose and walked step by step outside.
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