Before the Thirteenth Prince could ask Consort Xi why she was trapped inside Changchun Palace, he hurried into the palace on horseback. Upon arriving at Changchun Palace, he indeed saw more than a dozen ministers meditating outside.
"My lords, what are you doing here?" The Thirteenth Prince noticed several white-haired founding ministers meditating and approached them to inquire. One of the ministers, nearing seventy, said indignantly, "Thirteenth Prince, you've finally arrived! With the Emperor absent, Consort Xi has arbitrarily placed the Empress under house arrest. We simply cannot understand this!"
Thirteenth Prince was shocked? Lanqin had placed the Empress under house arrest. How could Lanqin, who was always so careful and cautious, do such a thing? "Lord Liu, is this true?" Lord Liu didn't believe that Consort Xi would do such a thing, but the news had already spread, and there were so many people outside Changchun Palace. Consort Xi would definitely have to give an explanation!
Thirteen, fearing that word would spread that the old ministers were sitting in meditation outside Changchun Palace, which would damage Lanqin's reputation, advised, "Old ministers, please rise! The matter has not yet been confirmed, and your actions will not help!"
The old ministers remained motionless, their eyes fixed on the gates of Changchun Palace, as if trying to bore a hole through them. Thirteenth Prince knew that if Lanqin didn't come out and explain, they certainly wouldn't let it go! He sighed and entered Changchun Palace.
Lanqin breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the Thirteenth Prince arrive. She had tea served and helped him to sit down. "Your Majesty, are you aware that there are more than a dozen ministers waiting for you outside?" The Thirteenth Prince pointed in the direction of the door.
Lanqin nodded, still unsure how to resolve the matter. "They say the Empress has been placed under house arrest by you, is that true?" Although the Thirteenth Prince trusted Lanqin's character, he still harbored some doubts due to the large number of people protesting.
Lanqin pursed her lips, realizing she couldn't hide the truth any longer, and since she needed the Thirteenth Prince's assistance, she decided to tell him. "The Empress has indeed been placed under house arrest by me!"
When the Thirteenth Prince heard this news from Lanqin, he was still somewhat shocked, after all, she was usually a gentle and considerate woman. "Why did you do this?" The Thirteenth Prince was both angry and annoyed. How could Lanqin do such a thing?
"Thirteenth Prince, you have no idea how many secrets the Empress has. I put her under house arrest this time because I wanted to get her to tell me what's going on!" Lanqin had originally planned to resolve this matter secretly, but it seemed impossible now. Seeing the Thirteenth Prince's indifferent expression, Lanqin added, "The Empress must have been involved in Hongli's assassination attempt last time, but... I haven't found any evidence yet."
"Your Majesty, you are truly foolish! You have imprisoned the Empress without authorization, a capital offense! Now that the Emperor is not here, how can I ensure your safety!" Before leaving, the Fourth Prince entrusted the Thirteenth Prince with taking good care of Lanqin and protecting her, but now…
"Thirteenth Prince, please don't worry. Although I placed the Empress under house arrest, she is still perfectly fine! In principle, I haven't abused her with any torture." When I went to see the Empress just now, her injuries from last time should have almost healed, and I couldn't see any marks on her body.
"How exactly did this matter leak out? The ministers are all waiting for you to come out and give an explanation." The Thirteenth Prince really couldn't understand how Lanqin, who was usually so careful, could let such a big thing leak out.
Lanqin lowered her head in deep thought. It seemed that she had no choice but to go out and give an explanation this time!
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