Inside Zhaolan Palace.
Concubine Wen dismissed all the palace servants, leaving only mother and daughter. Looking at Chu Li's calm appearance, she naturally understood something in her heart.
Sighed:
"Did the Fourth Prince really harm you?"
"Don't you believe it, mother?"
"I believe you, but what you said today has implicated the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince. Your father has believed in you because he has never fought or competed since you were a child. But when he reacts, he will inevitably doubt you."
Chu Li knew.
If she does this once or twice, the emperor will believe her.
If she came a few more times, she would become a suspect.
But she was also forced.
They wanted her life, what had she done wrong?
"Don't worry, mother. Since I dare to do this, I know what I am doing."
Concubine Wen opened her mouth, wanting to say something but stopping herself, and finally just sighed: "You must be careful in everything. No matter what you want to do, you are not allowed to hide it from me. Although my position is not high, your three uncles are also very capable. They all have meritorious service on the battlefield."
In the future, if anything really happens, the Wen family will be able to protect her.
Chu Li felt a slight soreness in his nose, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart. He was deeply moved.
Her uncles were away all year round, guarding various places and had no time to take care of their wives and children at home. Every time they returned to the capital, they would miss her. Even when she had gotten into trouble a few times in the past, they would send letters back to the capital to plead with the emperor for mercy.
So, even though Wen Ya hurt her twice, she couldn't bear to kill her.
"Mother, I won't let you worry."
Concubine Wen touched her head, her eyes full of love and care.
After sitting for more than half an hour and instructing the palace servants to take good care of her, Concubine Wen left. As soon as she left, Gou Ba came to report:
"Master, the Fourth Prince wants to see you."
Chu Li heard everything that Emperor Chu and the Fourth Prince said before.
She was just pretending to be unconscious.
"Let him in."
"Master, aren't you afraid? What if he..."
"This is Zhaolan Palace, under the Emperor's nose. He dare not do anything, unless he doesn't want the lives of his entire mother's family anymore."
"yes."
Gou Ba bent down and went out to report the news.
Soon, Chu Haoyue arrived.
When he came, he was full of gloom, as if he was swept away by a whirlwind. Even the air in the room became condensed, and his eyes were filled with hatred and unwillingness.
Chu Li sat on the small couch, the wound on his arm was not a problem.
"The fourth brother is here."
"Please take a seat."
Chu Haoyue stood still, staring at her straight in the eyes, "There is one thing I am very curious about, please help me solve it."
Chu Li laughed:
"I have been stupid since I was young. Even Master Jiang said that I am a piece of rotten wood that cannot be carved. How can I be able to solve the doubts of my fourth brother?"
"You have."
Chu Haoyue sneered, "How did that jade ruyi appear on the assassin? How did you do it?"
He couldn't figure it out.
The jade ruyi had always been kept well by him in the warehouse.
In fact, Chu Li did not expect this, but she knew in her heart that it must have been done by the Regent.
First it was the Seventh Prince Chu Jinglin, then the Fourth Prince Chu Haoyue, and then the Third Prince Chu Xiling was involved. The Regent was using her to eliminate them one by one.
She said calmly, "Why is the assassin hired by the Fourth Brother asking me?"
"If I had such ability, I wouldn't have been assassinated."
"Churi!"
There was anger in Chu Haoyue's eyes:
"You won, I lost, the outcome is decided, why do you still have to put on airs? How long do you want to keep pretending? Or have you become addicted to pretending over the years, and do you really think you are innocent and harmless?"
Chu Li raised her eyes slightly and looked at the man whose face was unsettled and seemed to be out of control.
I can't help but think back to my memory of him.
Kind, hypocritical.
Who doesn’t wear a mask when living in this world?
Even he himself is not immune to this, so why should he question her?
"Fourth brother, do you still remember when we were little?" She looked out the window, "That year, I was flying a kite in the Imperial Garden and the kite string broke. When I climbed onto the roof to pick it up, you threw a stone over and it hit the tiles under my feet."
"I was so frightened that I rolled down from the roof. The big cut on the back of my head left a scar that is still there."
She can touch it.
No hair grew back where the scar was.
With the fingertips touching the back of the head, with a light touch, one can clearly feel the length and texture of the scar.
That time, she almost died.
“Why did you throw the stone?”
"I……"
Recalling the past, Chu Haoyue will never forget it.
What was his mentality at that time?
Jealous of Chu Li for being favored by the Emperor? Jealous of him for having a gentle and loving mother? Or jealous...
He can no longer remember his state of mind at that time.
When he saw Chu Li climbing up to the roof alone, with that thin and frail figure, he suddenly picked up a big rock and threw it at him as if possessed.
Chu Li rolled down.
His head was covered in blood, and his life or death was uncertain.
He realized belatedly that he had gotten into trouble and fled away in fear, but when he calmed down and thought about it, no one saw him throwing stones, and even if Chu Li saw it, there was no evidence.
The stone has been thrown and it has been thrown. Who can accuse him?
So, he lived these years with peace of mind.
"So, what you are doing today is to avenge what happened back then?" Chu Haoyue sneered as if he suddenly realized something.
"If you had died in the fall, there wouldn't have been so much trouble afterwards."
Chu Li felt that his thoughts were chilling, like a poisonous snake.
If you don't agree, there's no need to talk too much.
The voice turned cold: "If there is nothing else, please leave, Fourth Brother."
"You still haven't told me how you made that jade ruyi?"
"I won't tell you."
"you--"
Chu Li picked up the teacup and took a sip. "I broke my brain when I was young, so my memory has never been very good. I always go east and west. I hope Fourth Brother will forgive me."
How could Chu Haoyue not know that he said that on purpose?
But he couldn't refute it.
The more he couldn't get an answer, the more unwilling he felt. He would leave the imperial capital early tomorrow morning. Perhaps this trouble would haunt him day and night and make him uneasy.
"If your brain isn't working well, just fall again. Maybe if you fall again, you'll fall back to where you were before."
After saying this in a cold voice, he turned away.
-
Imperial study.
When Lu Zhaoyang, the daughter of the Left Prime Minister, received the news from her father-in-law, she immediately went to the palace to meet the emperor. However, she was confused as to why the emperor suddenly summoned her.
But she was well-mannered and spoke appropriately:
"Your Majesty, long live the emperor."
The King of Chu raised his head and saw that she was wearing a silver hairpin with a pair of crabapple petals in her hair.
"Ms. Lu, do you have a crush on a gentleman?"
Lu Zhaoyang paused, subconsciously holding his hair, and replied calmly: "In reply to the emperor, this double crabapple was given by my grandmother. It was her dowry."
The King of Chu nodded and did not ask any further questions: "Stand up."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"I summoned you here today because I want to comfort you. Lu Zuoxiang has no sons, only you and the Third Prince's wife. I heard that although you are born from different mothers, you are better than my own children. The Third Prince's wife passed away suddenly, and I'm sure you must be extremely sad."
When mentioning this, Lu Zhaoyang's eyes suddenly turned red:
"Mengdie...she did pass away suddenly, and her death was unjust..."
Before he could finish his words, he was already choking with sobs.
The King of Chu sighed and said soothingly, "I have ordered the Ministry of Rites to make good arrangements for the funeral of the Third Prince's Consort. However, once the Third Prince's Consort is gone, Lu Zuoxiang will only have you as his daughter. Seeing that Lu Zuoxiang is old, I really can't bear it."
"In the future, your marriage will be as you wish."
Lu Zhaoyang looked slightly happy, hid himself quickly, and knelt down crying to express his gratitude.
At this time, Wang Defu came over:
"Your Majesty, the Third Prince requests an audience."
There was a slightly deep look in Emperor Chu's eyes, and his turbid eyes were hard to guess. He glanced at Lu Zhaoyang who was kneeling on the ground.
The Third Prince was not summoned. Why did he suddenly enter the palace instead of staying at home to take care of the funeral of his wife?
Or, for her...
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