Prince Rong's Mansion, Heir's Courtyard
On the stone bench in the middle of the courtyard, Rong Qi fiddled with the jade pendant at his waist and asked softly, "Have you found out who that girl is?"
Rong Yi and Rong Xin shook their heads: "Master, you have no information at all, how are we supposed to investigate?"
Rong Qi looked up at them: "We have information, do we still need you?"
Rong Qi's eyes radiated a dangerous aura.
The two guards choked.
What the master said makes sense, but they really couldn't find anything.
"Your subordinates will continue the search."
Rong Qi waved for them to leave.
Rong Qi suddenly thought of something, waved his hand to summon the guards, and gave them instructions in his ear.
After speaking, the guard disappeared into the shadows.
That night, the Third Prince Rong Mian had his leg broken by thieves. The entire Third Prince's residence was bustling with people coming and going, even alarming the Imperial Concubine.
Upon hearing the news, Rong Qi's lips curled slightly.
Hmph, if it weren't for the fact that I ran into that little girl during this assassination attempt, I would have broken all three of your legs.
...The Third Prince's Residence...
Rong Mian, lying on the bed, screamed in pain. The bleeding had been stopped, but he was deathly pale.
The room had been cleaned, and at this moment only Rong Mian and his concubine mother, Li Wanyue, were present.
"Mother, this must have been done by Rong Qi! Mother, you must avenge me!" Rong Mian cried out in pain.
"Alright, what are you yelling for? Do you want the whole world to know that you sent someone to assassinate Rong Qi but failed, and instead he sent someone to break your leg?" Li Wanyue said angrily, looking at Rong Mian's pathetic state.
Rong Mian was still a little afraid of his mother, and muttered softly, "What should I do? I must get revenge."
Li Wanyue glanced at him: "You sent someone to assassinate him, why didn't you just kill him? Why did you let him seek revenge?"
Rong Mian: "Who knew he was so strong, and that he was already poisoned, yet he fought Rong Yi to a draw, and was eventually sent away and escaped."
Li Wanyue: "Right now, we can only stop for now. He's definitely on guard. Besides, if your father finds out what you've done, you'll be in big trouble."
"You also know what your father's attitude is towards that person."
Rong Mian: "Mother... is Rong Qi really Father's child?"
Li Wanyue: "Don't ask so many questions. It's not a bad thing that I'm not telling you this. Just know that some things, once done, have to be done with all your might. If the enemy retaliates, you'll be in a very passive position."
Rong Mian listened to his mother's words, so he nodded to indicate that he understood.
After he fell asleep, Li Wanyue left the room and returned to the palace.
It wasn't that she didn't want to stay and take care of her son, but there was a palace decree that none of the concubines in their harem were allowed to spend the night outside.
So what if she's a Noble Consort? She's still just a concubine.
Ultimately, none of them compare to the woman and child in the Emperor's heart.
Even the Empress is inferior.
...the Imperial Study...
At the dragon-patterned desk, Rong Yuan, dressed in a dragon robe, was reviewing memorials.
"Has the Imperial Concubine returned to the palace?"
The chief eunuch, Hong, bowed his head and said, "Yes, Your Majesty."
Rong Yuan: "Aqi's methods this time seem a bit too lenient."
Upon hearing this, the head eunuch's legs trembled.
Your Majesty, I was startled when you finished speaking.
"Then Your Majesty..."
Rong Yuan: "Forget it, let Aqi decide for himself."
The chief eunuch was relieved.
But then he heard what she said next, and his heart jumped again.
"Go back to the Consort's palace and find any excuse to have her copy scriptures and chant Buddhist prayers for the Empress Dowager."
"Do not stop within two months."
The head eunuch bowed his head and responded.
Wow, the son makes a mistake, and you punish the mother? Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.
Moreover, the Empress Dowager has been buried for many years; are you afraid of scaring the Consort to death?
However, this was not what he wanted; he just needed to obey orders.
The next day, after receiving the imperial edict, Li Wanyue overturned everything in Yanxi Palace after the eunuch who read the edict left.
After stopping, Li Wanyue sat on the ground, muttering blankly, "Heh, as expected, as long as Rong Qi is involved, His Majesty will not let it go easily."
The palace maid, Hongmu, quickly went over to comfort her: "Your Highness, be careful what you say."
Li Wanyue: "Do I still have to worry about what I might say? He knows I didn't get along with the Empress Dowager before, and now he's asking me to copy scriptures and chant Buddhist prayers for her. Isn't he just deliberately making things difficult for me?"
"Besides, the other lowly women in the palace are probably all laughing at me."
Hongmu: "Your Majesty, please keep your voice down. His Majesty has caught us red-handed, so we have no choice but to accept the punishment. Your Majesty cannot let others laugh at us. However, who knows who will win and who will lose in the end?"
It must be said that Hongmu truly lives up to her title as a head palace maid; her words are sure to resonate with Li Wanyue.
Li Wanyue was someone who listened to advice, and reached out to let Hongmu help her up.
Hmph, she will definitely not let Rong Qi and those women in the harem get away with it.
Hongmu helped Li Wanyue up, instructed the other palace maids to clean the hall, and then led the Consort to her room to change clothes.
Upon hearing this news, the Third Prince Rong Mian, with only one leg, smashed the house to pieces; truly, they were mother and son.
Once his leg heals, he won't let Rong Qi off the hook.
Of all the people who heard this news, the Empress's Kunning Palace was the calmest.
When the Empress heard the news, she acted as if nothing had happened, because she was the Emperor's childhood sweetheart and knew Rong Qi's identity.
She, Rong Qi's mother, and the Princess Consorts of Feng and Rong grew up together. She naturally knew why the Emperor doted on Rong Qi so much, even more than on her own son.
All she had to do was manage the harem well for him and keep him from getting distracted. She didn't really care who would eventually inherit the throne.
She didn't want her son to have his hands stained with blood for the throne. She just wanted him to be safe and happy.
But she wouldn't hesitate to retaliate if anyone tried to harm her family.
Upon hearing the news, most of the other palaces were gloating, while a small number were indifferent.
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