"I was wrong. I shouldn't have been so afraid. I shouldn't have liked Yutong but didn't dare to say it. I even tarnished my cousin Suyun's reputation."
"Father, it was all my fault for being so clever. I thought that if you announced the good news on a happy day, everyone would be happy. I never expected it to cause such a big mess."
“Punish me, strip me of my title, or even kill me, but don’t let Yutong suffer. She can’t bear it.”
"I also hope that Second Brother will not make things difficult for Cousin Yutong in the future, and will leave her a quiet place to live."
“And…and Cousin Suyun,” Jinglu turned back with a heavy heart. A glimmer of hope flashed in Cheng Suyun’s eyes, and Jinglu still pleaded for her.
"She's still a young woman. Even if she's made a mistake, don't let her be unable to live because of her ruined reputation."
When Zheng Yutong and Cheng Suyun saw that Jing Lu was still pleading for them, they both burst into tears.
Jing Huaixu put his hand on Jing Lu's shoulder, listened to his words that sounded like he was giving his last instructions, patted him twice heavily, and sighed to the sky.
"You're so soft-hearted. Of all these people, which one is worth protecting?"
Jing Huaixu had few children, and Jing Lu had always been well-behaved. It was impossible for him to suspect Jing Lu based on just a few words from Empress Dowager Cheng.
Especially since Jing Lu is still pleading for everyone, Jing Huaixu, based on his long-held opinion of Jing Lu, thinks the child is foolish.
Otherwise, given how things have turned out, he can't understand who really benefited tonight.
"Your Majesty, you mustn't listen to Lu'er. How can he bear so much?" Consort Zheng was terrified, fearing that the blame would fall on her son.
Jing Huaixu glanced at her sideways. His usually smiling face was now devoid of any emotion. He turned and took two steps toward the high seat.
Upon stopping in front of the steps, Jing Huaixu abruptly turned around, his expression solemn, his voice slightly sarcastic.
"Mother, I have few children. What kind of place is the Dali Temple? Even if they are investigated and the truth is found, they will have disgraced me and the royal family."
Empress Dowager Cheng was waiting for Jing Huaixu to say this, and she offered another idea as a peacemaker.
"Your Majesty, I also feel that things have come to this point. Perhaps we should change our perspective. Maybe it will bring double happiness, and the Crown Princess's children will have more playmates in the future."
Her point was that they should just go with the flow and arrange marriages for the four of them.
Maybe we'll be having children soon.
This eliminates the trouble of going to Dali Temple.
Jing Huaixu readily agreed: "I had the same idea. How about we handle this matter in a way that pleases everyone? What do you think, Your Highness?"
His choice of this method was understandable. Royal scandals should be covered up if possible, unless one has committed heinous crimes such as treason and patricide. Otherwise, there is no reason for the royal family to deliberately embarrass themselves in front of the world.
Jing Yan understood Jing Huaixu's implied meaning, but if the person who harmed Yue Jiang and the child was confused with the royal family's reputation, he would be pressured to back down.
How can he possibly support Yue Jiang and create a safe haven for her? What's the point of him being the crown prince?
Jing Yan stubbornly cupped his hands and said, "If Father Emperor grants the marriage, I have no objection. However, I am investigating the murderer, the murderer who harmed my wife and children."
“Jiang’er is the Crown Princess of Jing Kingdom. Her safety is also a matter of Jing Kingdom’s reputation. Your son does not want his wife to live in fear every day.”
"I beg Father to do justice for the child in my womb," Yue Jiang said, standing beside Jing Yan and offering a curtsy to Jing Huaixu together.
Ultimately, Jing Shuo and Jing Lu committed all morally reprehensible acts, regardless of whether Jing Huaixu did it for the sake of the royal family's reputation or for the sake of the seemingly innocent Jing Lu.
He certainly didn't want things to go on like this.
But in the middle of all this was the child in her womb who had almost been harmed, and that person must know that Jingyan was not the type to swallow her anger.
This meant that if Jing Huaixu wanted to suppress the matter, he had to first appease Jing Yan and himself.
No matter how much an emperor loves his outstanding son, he would not want that son to be out of his control.
A crown prince who is too weak also has countless flaws in the eyes of the emperor.
Someone has framed her and Jing Yan as part of a scheme; no matter which option she chooses, it's a trap. It all depends on the emperor's magnanimity.
What Yue Jiang can see now is that Jing Yan does not want to be a weak crown prince.
Yue Jiang hoped that Jing Huaixu would still prefer Jing Yan to be more assertive.
Jing Shuo, who had no feelings for Zheng Yutong, was being forced to marry her to quell the scandal because of tonight's events, which was tantamount to making him accept his bad luck.
The Zhao family was now smug, and so was the Longevity Palace.
Jing Shuo was the one who got ripped off, he protested.
“Father, I will not marry Zheng Yutong. She is definitely suspected of harming the imperial heir. You must find out the truth.”
"Second brother, how could you misunderstand Yutong like this? Grandmother, Father, I believe Yutong would not harm my sister-in-law," Jinglu kowtowed repeatedly, pleading for Zheng Yutong.
Zheng Yutong was terrified. A thorough investigation would inevitably lead to physical suffering, so she knelt down in front of Empress Dowager Zheng, grabbing her clothes and pleading.
"Grandmother, please save Yutong! Yutong really did not harm the Crown Princess. Yutong is innocent."
"Quickly help Lu'er up," Empress Dowager Zheng instructed Consort Zheng with heartache, fearing that Jing Lu would die if he kowtowed a few more times.
Before her, Zheng Yutong was still crying her heart out. Empress Dowager Zheng was unsure whether Zheng Yutong had harmed anyone, but since the person was from her own palace, protecting Zheng Yutong was the only way to clear Changshou Palace of suspicion of harming Yuejiang.
“Your Majesty, Yu Tong is my person. What schemes could she possibly have to harm the Crown Princess and my future great-grandson?”
"The palace maids are all dead. If someone else fabricates a false confession, wouldn't that be a miscarriage of justice for Yu Tong, and I would become the ultimate villain?"
"Mother, it seems the Crown Princess had an incident at the Longevity Palace, didn't she?" Jing Huaixu suddenly reminded her.
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