Chapter 87 The Second Prince Passed Away
Wen Wanyu saw Cheng Shuyi suddenly fall silent. She stretched out her hand and waved it in front of her eyes: "What's wrong? Why are you suddenly silent?"
Cheng Shuyi forced a smile: "I'm thinking of something."
Once, Wanwan had told her that the Queen might not be as simple as she and I imagined. At the time, she hadn't thought anything was wrong, and even thought Wanwan was making a big deal out of nothing. But when the charcoal fire incident came up, she was horrified.
Cheng Shuyi took a deep breath and grabbed Wen Wanyu's arm, "Wanwan, why did you tell me to be careful of the Queen last time?"
Wen Wanyu's arm was a little painful from being gripped by her, but she didn't ask why or what the reason was. Instead, she looked into her eyes and said, "At first, I thought the Queen was strange. Concubine Zheng could be considered half the real murderer of the Third Prince! Yet, in front of outsiders, she tolerated Concubine Zheng in every way, compromised in every way, and greeted her with a smile."
Cheng Shuyi was stunned. In the past, she had always viewed the Queen as a 'close sister', so she didn't find it strange. But thinking about it carefully today, it was indeed strange. She couldn't do it. Or rather, no mother could live with the murderer of her child.
Wen Wanyu said slowly, "The Queen told us the truth about the Third Prince's untimely death, and repeatedly told us to be especially careful of Concubine Zheng. Perhaps Concubine Zheng is not a good person, but the Queen's words are nothing more than an attempt to stir up trouble. It's just another way of 'killing someone with a borrowed knife.'"
The wind rustled the leaves. Cheng Shuyi's eyes were dull.
Wen Wanyu knew the Queen's position in Cheng Shuyi's heart, so it was understandable that she found it difficult to accept. She consoled him with a few words: "Shuyi, what's wrong? Bamboo leaves spoil the color of the water, and your lover spoils your heart."
Cheng Shuyi paused for a moment and said, "It's okay. I'm just too stupid. I'm just too foolish."
After she finished speaking, she looked up at Wen Wanyu, with a glimmer of melancholy in her eyes. Sooner or later, the queen would plot against her.
Wen Wanyu: "What's wrong?"
Don't be shocked.
Cheng Shuyi didn't intend to hide anything and said frankly, "The Second Prince's wheezing attack is probably related to the Queen."
Wen Wanyu suddenly understood. No wonder Cheng Shuyi took the initiative to ask about the Queen this time.
Cheng Shuyi met her gaze.
"The Queen doesn't care anymore," Wen Wanyu said. The Emperor already knew there was a problem with the charcoal fire in Fuyao Palace, and soon he would find out about it. The Queen didn't care at all.
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Inside Fengyi Palace, wisps of sandalwood burned. Incense emanated from the incense burner, filling the room with a sense of tranquility.
The maid from Fuyao Palace knelt on the ground in panic. She told the Queen that the Emperor had discovered something wrong with the charcoal fire.
The Queen only smiled faintly and looked at the petals in her hand: "I understand, you can go back."
The palace maid knelt on the ground motionless, wanting to say something but stopping herself.
The queen pointed at the incense burner, and Qiu Wen immediately understood and opened the lid of the incense burner engraved with a phoenix with spread wings.
"Why, do you have anything else to say?"
The queen picked up a few petals and threw them in. The palace maid kowtowed and then spoke: "Please, Your Majesty, save this servant of yours." She knew very well that sooner or later she would be the one to be found out, and then she would be dead.
The petals had already transformed into wisps of fragrant white ashes, sinking to the bottom of the furnace. Qiu Wen closed the lid, and the Queen smiled and said, "You are very brave."
It was winter, but a thin layer of sweat broke out on the maid's forehead. "I dare not. I want to live."
Live. The Queen's eyebrows rose slightly. Perhaps it was because of this desire to survive. A smile mixed with the mist at the corner of her lips: "I promise you."
The maid was delighted and kowtowed three times, "Thank you, Your Majesty. Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Go back."
"Yes, I'll take my leave."
Thinking of the maid's words, Qiu Wen felt a surge of fear in her heart, and said worriedly: "Your Majesty, you shouldn't take the risk of hurting the Second Prince. The Emperor is already investigating."
Once the crime of murdering the heir of the dragon is determined, it will be useless even if the queen is the queen.
The golden feathers of the phoenix on the incense burner lid gleam in the candlelight, and each feather looks like a carefully carved work of art.
The Queen lowered her eyes: "Are you questioning me?"
Time stood still, and Qiu Wen knelt down to admit her mistake: "I dare not."
Hearing this, the queen's brows were no longer full of spring water, and she sneered: "Don't you dare?"
"She killed my third prince, and I'm paying her back."
Should.
Qiu Wen tried to reason with her, saying, "The Second Prince has passed away, but Concubine Zheng is still the Concubine. If the Emperor were to find out about your case... wouldn't that be more trouble than it's worth?"
Aunt Liu came in, glanced at Qiu Wen who was kneeling on the ground, and sighed silently. She was the Queen's wet nurse, and as long as the Queen made a decision, no one could persuade her.
She helped Qiu Wen up and said slowly, "Tian Ji's horse race—Your Majesty, you used a medium-quality horse to fight against their inferior horses. What's the point of this?"
Her queen gently adjusted her phoenix hairpin with her bare hands and said, "Just as Mammy said, a good horse should be used against a good horse."
There can't be two tigers on one mountain. Only those favored by the emperor are qualified to fight.
Aunt Liu understood her implication and did not try to persuade her any further.
Dusk falls quietly.
The news that "the second prince has passed away" was like a thunderclap in silence, instantly shaking every corner of the palace.
A heavy atmosphere enveloped the entire Fuyao Palace. Wailing cries filled the air, and the entire palace was immersed in deep sorrow. Tears of grief streamed down the faces of the palace maids and eunuchs, their complexions heavy and their eyes dim.
Only a few concubines in the palace felt sad.
Xie Junyao and Concubine Zheng accompanied the Second Prince on his final journey. Concubine Zheng threw herself on the bed, weeping almost to the point of losing her voice. Xie Junyao's eyes were red, but he didn't shed a single tear.
White cloth and white lanterns were hung in Fuyao Palace.
The fluttering white silk mourning banners drifted in the cold wind. In the depths of the funeral hall, white candles shone brightly.
Another prince in the palace died early.
The Queen Mother fainted when she learned of this. Of the three princes, only the eldest prince remained.
The nurse brought the eldest princess back to Fuyao Palace. She insisted on seeing the second prince, as she was young and worried about a potential conflict. The servants, of course, refused, and there was no time to consult the emperor or the queen.
The eldest princess has already broken into the funeral hall, and the servants can do nothing about it, as the two siblings have a deep affection for each other.
Xie Junyao was heartbroken and abdicated for three days. The Second Prince's death caused a great uproar in the court, especially in the General's Mansion.
Xie Junyao invited the monks from the temple to perform a prayer for the second prince.
Inside the funeral hall, people, dressed in mourning clothes, knelt before the coffin. The monks chanted in a deep, drawn-out voice. Their words, like a call to heaven, moved people with awe.
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