The imperial concubine glanced at the emperor beside her, but noticed nothing unusual.
Relieved that His Majesty couldn't hear his daughter's thoughts, the Third Prince breathed a sigh of relief. He knew it was best not to let his father hear such treasonous words. Just as he was about to carry the little one back to the side hall, he heard the eunuch's announcement from outside the door.
"Her Majesty the Empress has arrived."
The Empress led her entourage into Xuanhua Palace and bowed to the Emperor at the head of the table, saying, "Your Majesty, I apologize for disturbing you."
"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Imperial Concubine!"
The palace maids and eunuchs knelt on the ground.
"Rise, all of you." The Emperor didn't know why the Empress had come, but he guessed it was because she was worried about the Consort, since they were good friends.
"Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress." The Imperial Concubine actually hated the Empress, this vicious woman, but she still had to put on a show and bowed to her.
"You're being too polite, Consort. Don't you even want to call me 'elder sister' anymore? As soon as I heard about the fire at Yiyue Palace, I rushed over, fearing something might have happened to the nearby Xuanhua Palace..."
The Empress's gist was: I went to great lengths to come and care for you, yet you show no gratitude.
[Oh, so this is the current Empress. She's not even as pretty as my beautiful mother. And she speaks in such a sycophantic way. Isn't she trying to sow discord between my mother and my unworthy father? Her words are so obvious, surely no one can miss it.]
Jing Le knew a bit about physiognomy, and the moment she saw the Empress, she knew that this person had a pale face but a wicked heart, and had done some bad things behind the scenes.
The Imperial Concubine had always thought that the Empress's words were for her own good, but in the end, she was always punished and even gained a reputation for being unforgiving. Now, after hearing Jing Le's words, she realized that the Empress had been trying to undermine her all along.
The Third Prince nodded slightly. He hadn't noticed until his sister told him. He had felt uncomfortable about what the Empress had said before, but he couldn't find an answer. Now he finally did.
The Emperor, who had originally intended to have the Empress sit down, twitched at the corner of his mouth. Could he say that he hadn't noticed? He had indeed been a little dissatisfied with the Consort, and who exactly was that little girl?
If someone calls you "Father Emperor," it must be your daughter. But with so many children, it's hard to remember them all. The only daughter of the Imperial Concubine is Jia Yue. Could it be her?
He remembers clearly that I called him "Father Emperor" twice this time.
"His Majesty..."
"Your Majesty, please speak your mind." The Emperor frowned slightly, not wanting to watch their infighting, and interrupted them directly.
The Empress's expression froze for a moment. She hadn't expected that her words would not elicit the Emperor's concern, but instead, she would be reprimanded. This was different from usual.
[Hahaha, look at the Empress's stiff expression. Did she think Father couldn't see through her scheming? Luckily, Father has some brains and wasn't blinded by this wicked woman.]
Jing Le had to keep an eye on the Empress, since she was here to frame her beautiful mother; the real show hadn't even started yet.
The Imperial Concubine and the Third Prince suppressed their laughter; they couldn't let anyone see it, or they would be exposed.
Your Majesty: I am the Emperor of the Great Yong Dynasty, of course my brain is sharp.
He absolutely refuses to admit that he was mentally challenged in the past.
"I just ran into Consort Gui on the way. She said she saw villains enter Xuanhua Palace. I'm worried..." No one present knew what she was worried about.
Wu, the nanny beside the Empress, glanced at the woman in white among the palace maids.
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, the woman had her hair loose, wore an inner garment, and appeared to be wrapped in a white cloak. She looked delicate and frail, evoking pity in people.
"Waaah, Your Majesty, you must do justice for me! That villain not only set fire to my residence, but also fled to my sister Consort's place after being discovered. You must find that person to prevent him from offending my sister Consort."
The concubine knelt on the ground, and tears streamed down her face as soon as she opened her mouth, looking utterly pitiful.
Upon hearing that the villains had entered Xuanhua Palace, the Emperor's expression immediately changed: "Explain the matter clearly."
The Empress saw all of this, which fueled her jealousy even more, and she broke the finger guards hidden in her sleeve.
[Haha, the wicked father cares about mother, and the empress is insanely jealous. No wonder she wants to get back at mother.]
[The reason is actually the Emperor!]
[The Empress is about to put on a show of crying "stop thief!" while pretending to care about you, secretly hoping you'll die soon...]
Jing Le didn't say what happened next, leaving the eavesdroppers in a state of agonizing uncertainty.
"...That's how it is." After finishing her sentence, the Consort noticed the Emperor at the head of the table was lost in thought and called out, "Your Majesty~"
"Get up first..." The emperor is a tyrant in the court; if he finds evidence, he will behead the emperor. He is only slightly better in front of the imperial concubine.
[And this Consort Gui is no better; she's the Empress's woman, and she's done plenty of things to frame my mother and cause her trouble.]
"Keep kneeling." Upon hearing Jing Le's words, his expression changed drastically, and his words became colder.
The concubine, who was about to get up, was so frightened that she knelt down again. The noise was so loud that even Jing Le, who was secretly watching, heard it.
Ouch, that sounds painful, but I won't sympathize with you. It's your own fault for being a bad person.
The Imperial Concubine couldn't hide her smile when she heard how lively her daughter was.
"Your Majesty, it would be better to arrest the villain first. My sister, the Imperial Concubine, won't be at ease until the villain is caught." The Empress quickly composed herself and returned to her original gentle demeanor, appearing entirely to be acting in the best interests of the Imperial Concubine.
The Emperor frowned, looked up and examined the Empress. He saw that she looked natural and her eyes showed concern.
He wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't heard what Jing Le said, but listening to the Empress, he realized that tonight was probably the moment they had been waiting for.
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