Chapter 2: Demanding an Explanation
"Chen Feng, raise your head."
Tianyao walked slowly to Chen Feng, bent down, smiled, and gave a soft command.
Chen Feng slowly raised his head. On that resolute face that Tian Yao knew so well, there was no panic whatsoever, only calm.
Do you know what mistake you made?
Tianyao tilted her head and asked in a calm and unhurried tone.
"The princess was not properly protected."
Chen Feng's expression remained unchanged as he replied.
"Where are the guards not well-guarded?"
Tianyao's smile remained unchanged as she looked directly at Chen Feng and asked.
Chen Feng's eyes flickered, and the next second, he lowered his head, knelt on the ground, his forehead touching the ground, and whispered back.
"Without the princess's permission, they allowed Madam Cui and the doctor into the princess's bedchamber."
Sure enough, he knew.
"Tell me, who ordered you? Think carefully before you answer. Madam Cui can't control you."
The smile on Tianyao's face disappeared. She slowly straightened up, raised her foot, and stepped on Chen Feng's fingers, which were respectfully placed on the ground. She pressed her foot down hard on Chen Feng's fingers and asked in an icy tone.
Chen Feng kept his mouth shut, gritted his teeth, and remained silent, letting Tian Yao stomp on his fingers hard.
It was as if even if Tianyao broke his fingers, he wouldn't say a word.
Tianyao was very angry and furious. Chen Feng remained silent, so she guessed who was behind it, but there was nothing she could do about it.
She didn't want to be the one taking her anger out on others, so she lifted her foot and removed it from Chen Feng's fingers.
"Get out of here, all of you, and never appear before me again."
Tianyao shouted angrily, and then strode towards the outside of the princess's residence.
She's going to find the mastermind and demand an explanation.
He was clearly her most beloved brother, so why did he put her in such a disadvantageous situation?
Every month, he would have the best doctor from the Imperial Medical Academy examine her pulse, which meant that he had known about her infertility for a long time.
Why didn't he tell her immediately?
Instead, is this how you let her know?
Is he... taking revenge on her?
To get revenge on her, three years ago, despite his objections, she agreed to the marriage bestowed upon her by the late emperor.
Or perhaps he saw that she and Yunzhou had been very happy for the past three years, so he was unhappy and wanted to ruin her happiness?
Tianyao sat in the carriage heading to the palace, her mind a jumble of thoughts, like a tangled ball of yarn, impossible to unravel.
Two incense sticks later, Tianyao stood at the entrance of the Inner Affairs Hall, waiting to be summoned by His Majesty.
"Father-in-law, who's inside now?"
She stood in the shade and asked her father-in-law, who was beside her.
"Your Highness, this is your consort, the Minister of Personnel, Cui Yunzhou."
The eunuch spoke respectfully, with a kind smile on his face. This person in front of him was the apple of His Majesty's eye; he could not afford to offend her.
Cui Yunzhou?!
Tianyao's eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief.
Could it be that he learned from Madam Cui that she was infertile, and then rushed to the Inner Palace to request an audience with His Majesty to divorce her?
Even if she wanted to divorce Cui Yunzhou, it should be her who brought it up with His Majesty, not Cui Yunzhou. Where does Cui Yunzhou's behavior leave her?
She was a princess, the only one with a title, Princess Qionghua!
If Cui Yunzhou really does that, then he will be her enemy.
She didn't mind using her methods to show him what she was capable of.
At this moment, Tianyao's beautiful dark eyes held only sternness, devoid of any warmth.
...
Before an incense stick had burned, inside the Inner Affairs Hall, Cui Yunzhou stood below the high platform and asked, his voice clear and melodious.
"Your Majesty, the princess told me that you have the head of the Imperial Hospital take her pulse every month. Has the head of the Imperial Hospital ever said that the princess... is very likely unable to have children?"
"So what if I said it? So what if I didn't say it?"
Tianheng, sitting atop the high platform, didn't even look up. He reviewed the memorials and replied casually.
!
Your Majesty, he was not surprised at all.
He knew, he had known for a long time, that Yao'er's body was very likely incapable of bearing children...
Cui Yunzhou stared at Tian Heng on the high platform with a shocked expression, his face shifting from shock to grief, his voice trembling as he asked.
Is there really no other way?
Upon hearing this, Tianheng paused in his hand holding the brush, slowly raised his head, looked directly into Cui Yunzhou's pleading eyes, and gritted his teeth as he spoke.
“Cui Yunzhou, that’s my sister, my most beloved sister. If there’s a way, do you think I would be stingy?”
Cui Yunzhou was taken aback, then gave a wry smile.
Yes, everyone in the world knows that Yao'er is His Majesty's most beloved younger sister. How could His Majesty possibly have a way to help Yao'er instead of helping her?
The last glimmer of hope has been completely extinguished.
He and Yao'er will never be able to have a child of their own in their entire lives...
A profound emptiness I've never felt before.
Cui Yunzhou bowed and paid his respects to Tianheng, saying weakly, "Your subject takes his leave."
After saying that, without waiting for Tianheng's permission, she turned around and walked out of the Inner Affairs Hall in a daze.
Tianyao saw Cui Yunzhou walking out of the Inner Affairs Hall with his head down and looking listless, and subconsciously opened her mouth to call out to him.
But in the end, no sound came out of her throat.
She hesitated, wavered, because she didn't know what to say after calling out to Cui Yunzhou.
She stood on the steps, watching Cui Yunzhou walk away with heavy steps, and in the end, she did not call out to Cui Yunzhou.
"Princess, His Majesty summons you in."
The father-in-law bowed respectfully to Tian Yao.
Tianyao withdrew her gaze from the distance where Cui Yunzhou was no longer in sight, turned around, and entered the Inner Affairs Hall.
“I remember the last time you took the initiative to see me was about three years ago.”
Time flies, doesn't it?
Tianheng's voice reached Tianyao's ears from afar.
Tianyao raised her head and met Tianheng's gaze, which was staring straight at her. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly looked away from Tianheng, saying softly.
"Your Majesty, I have come today only to ask one question."
"You instructed my head guard and the guards to let Madam Cui into my bedchamber, didn't you?"
"...Yaoyao is indeed clever. I knew you would guess that Chen Feng has no acting skills at all."
Before anyone knew it, Tianheng walked up to Tianyao, reached out and grasped Tianyao's slender wrist, pulling her towards a chair as he spoke, his tone very affectionate.
He admitted it; he didn't even bother to hide it anymore. What exactly is he trying to do?!
Tianyao felt apprehensive and uneasy.
Tianheng pulled Tianyao to sit down on a chair, then sat down next to her, poured a cup of hot tea, placed it beside her, and asked in a very patient and soft voice, as if afraid that a loud voice would scare Tianyao away.
"I have waited three years for you to come to me on your own initiative, so please spend more time talking to me this time, okay?"
Want to talk?
say what?
His purpose in orchestrating this was to force her and Yunzhou to divorce.
Is it true that he couldn't wait to break off the marriage arranged by his father just one year after his death?
Tianyao lowered her head, her hands tightly gripping her dress, and she laughed to herself.
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