Chapter 56
If it weren't for the fact that it was during the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet, Lady Xuanwu would have slapped Wen Xin across the face long ago.
"Please speak freely, Your Highness's wife. I will not blame you."
Emperor Chengyuan glanced coldly at Lady Xuanwu, then looked at the lonely girl in the main hall, his tone softening unconsciously.
Of course, to outsiders, the emperor's voice still sounded majestic and unpredictable; only his closest confidants could sense the difference in His Majesty's attitude.
Mo Zhi, the eunuch, couldn't help but glance at the delicate and beautiful girl, and felt a chill run down his spine.
Sun Zhong, the head of the Eastern Depot, gave his colleague a questioning look.
He had been in charge of the overall situation in the palace, and Mo Zhi had accompanied His Majesty to deal with Xu Yong's matter, so he was unaware of what had happened between His Majesty and the wife of the Marquis of Xuanwu's heir.
However, His Majesty never does useless things and does not pay attention to unimportant people. Now, his attitude towards the wife of the Marquis of Xuanwu's heir is obviously different, which naturally attracts his attention.
Mo Zhi hesitated, looking worried and unsure of what to say.
However, to outsiders, the two chief eunuchs beside Emperor Chengyuan always appeared expressionless, with dark and terrifying eyes, the kind of ruthless men who could frighten people into wetting themselves.
Only those who know him very well can see the miserable look on Eunuch Mo's face.
Sun Zhong expressed concern: "Brother, what's wrong? Did you get cheated on by the palace maid you were having an affair with?"
Mo Zhi: Get out!
Wen Xin seemed to relax a little after hearing the emperor's words.
The powerful officials chuckled: How naive! The gentler His Majesty's tone, the less ruthless he is at killing people!
Wen Xin mustered her courage and said, "Your Majesty, I did not mean to wander around the palace, nor did I mean to be late for the Empress Dowager's banquet."
"elder sister!"
Wen Xian could no longer remain calm. She stood up in a panic and called out to Wen Xin, afraid that she would blurt out something that would expose her.
Upon hearing Wen Xian's voice, Wen Xin froze, tears welling up in her eyes, filled with bitterness and grievance.
Emperor Chengyuan looked at Wen Xian with icy eyes, his imperial aura heavy and his bloodthirsty aura pressing down.
How could Wen Xian, a woman confined to her quarters, bear this? She immediately knelt on the ground with a thud, her face deathly pale.
Emperor Chengyuan ignored her and said to Wen Xin, "Continue."
Seeing his beloved woman in such a disheveled state, Shangguan Hao felt sorry for her and guessed what had happened.
He frowned, fearing that Wen Xin might say something inappropriate and harm Xian'er, so he quickly stepped out of his seat and bowed to the emperor at the head of the table.
“Your Majesty, this is my first time entering the palace. I am unfamiliar with the rules and got lost, which caused me to miss the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet. It is my fault. Please forgive me, Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager.”
Shangguan Hao appeared to be apologizing, but in reality, he was shifting all the blame onto Wen Xin.
Wen Xin swayed, looking at her heartless husband in disbelief, tears streaming down her face.
The delicate and beautiful girl wept silently, like a flower easily broken in the wind and snow, utterly pitiful.
The powerful and wealthy people watching the show couldn't help but reveal a meaningful expression on their faces.
This heir of the Marquis of Xuanwu is so heartless. He protects other women in public and doesn't care about his own wife at all.
This behavior, this character... and he calls himself a gentleman?
Tsk tsk!
Premier Wen's eldest granddaughter is extremely unlucky.
Sitting to the side, the wrinkled old face of the Prime Minister twitched. He looked at Wen Xin, then at Wen Xian, and fell silent, not speaking up. He seemed to be neutral, but in reality, he supported Shangguan Hao in shifting all the blame onto Wen Xin.
Not to mention that his feelings for Wen Xian were deeper than for Wen Xin, Wen Xian's value to the Wen family was also incomparable to that of Wen Xin.
As a child of the Wen family, Wen Xin should naturally contribute to the family. I hope she will be more sensible.
However, Princess Qinghe, who was sitting below the Empress Dowager, had a gloomy expression.
She disliked Wen Xin, the woman who had taken over Shangguan Hao's original wife position, but she hated Wen Xian, the woman her beloved was always thinking about.
Princess Qinghe glared at Shangguan Hao with displeasure, but at the same time she was genuinely worried, and she secretly warned him to shut up and leave.
Her brother was not someone to be trifled with. Even though he had no feelings for Wen Xian, she was still his concubine in name only.
No emperor would like to see his concubines constantly involved with other men.
Besides, what about Emperor Chengyuan, that tyrant?
Does Shangguan Hao have no regard for his life?
Normally, Shangguan Hao would not be so impulsive, but Wen Xian is his precious darling, how could he not be anxious?
"Bang!"
Emperor Chengyuan placed the teacup on the dragon table with a clear clatter, clearly indicating that the emperor's patience had run out.
Everyone's skin tightened subconsciously.
Shangguan Hao, in particular, was on tenterhooks.
He looked at Wen Xin, ignoring her tearful eyes, and warned her with displeasure that she should stop.
If she dares to implicate Xian'er, he will definitely not let her off.
Wen Xin closed her eyes, her pale face filled with despair and pain.
"Oh!"
Emperor Chengyuan sneered.
Overwhelmed by the emperor's imposing aura, Shangguan Hao suddenly knelt down.
Emperor Chengyuan: "Since I haven't spoken, when did it become your turn to speak?"
Shangguan Hao pleaded guilty in fear, "This humble subject deserves to die."
You deserve to die!
Emperor Chengyuan's tone was cold, "I had no idea that the heir of the Marquis of Xuanwu cared so much about Consort Xian."
The emperor's words sent a shiver down everyone's spine.
Isn't this an insinuation that the heir of the Marquis of Xuanwu has an improper relationship with a palace concubine?
The Grand Secretary Wen and the Marquis of Xuanwu could no longer sit still and hurriedly knelt down to beg for forgiveness.
If they don't apologize soon, both families will lose their heads.
No one could have imagined that something as simple as a noblewoman being late for the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet would escalate into such a huge incident!
The Empress Dowager, who was celebrating her birthday, did not look well.
But after glancing at her son, the emperor, beside her, she didn't dare say anything.
It's no use saying anything!
Shangguan Hao, terrified, tried to prove his innocence, "Your Majesty, this humble subject did not."
Emperor Chengyuan said indifferently, "Is that so? When the Crown Prince's wife first entered the hall, you ignored her completely, but you got anxious as soon as Consort Xian spoke."
Shangguan Hao: "..."
The powerful officials: "..."
No, Your Majesty, can't you be a little more discreet about something that could potentially turn your head green?
But clearly, Emperor Chengyuan was not the kind of monarch one would expect.
In his eyes, Wen Xian was nothing more than a useless object sent to the palace by the Wen family.
He didn't care about her at all, let alone consider her his woman.
Even if Wen Xianzhen slept with Shangguan Hao, Emperor Chengyuan would at most wave his hand and have them killed. He wouldn't care about anything else.
Emperor Chengyuan said meaningfully to Grand Secretary Wen, "Since Consort Xian and the heir of the Marquis of Xuanwu are so in love, why did you send them into the palace in the first place, making me the sinner who broke up lovers?"
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