Chu Tan'er's legs went weak, and she slumped down into the chair beside her.
"Brother, how could I be disappointed that you didn't drink the poisoned soup? What do you take me for?"
She feigned composure as she refuted the emperor's words, but her flustered expression betrayed her.
"I know what you're thinking. I have no children yet, and judging by the lifespan of my ancestors, I don't have many years left."
"The position of Crown Prince is vacant. Apart from your son Fang Xun, there really isn't anyone suitable to succeed him."
Chu Tan'er stammered in denial:
“How can you say that, Your Majesty? Physician Lü said that your heart ailment hasn’t flared up for a long time and that you’ll definitely get better.”
The emperor sneered and looked up at Chu Tan'er, whose eyes were darting around: "Indeed, whatever you say now, the only one who knew about your scheme, Lan Hui'er, is dead. No one can accuse you of poisoning me."
"Brother...do you really have to use such malicious thoughts to speculate about me?"
"Chu Tan'er." The emperor called her by her full name again, "You know in your heart whether this is malicious speculation about you."
"Actually, I can understand your desire to support Fang Xun to the throne. If I had no children, I wouldn't care whether Fang Xun became emperor or not."
The emperor stood up, walked to Chu Tan'er, looked down at her coldly, and said in the calmest voice:
"But Consort Chen is currently pregnant, so you'd better put away those inappropriate thoughts."
Hearing the words "Consort Chen" from her brother's mouth, Chu Tan'er's anger once again overcame her fear.
"Did I misunderstand? Does Your Majesty mean that you can overlook the fact that I am unfavorable to you, but you can't forgive me if I am unfavorable to Consort Chen?"
"Yes, if you dare to use any tricks against her, I will retaliate against Fang Xun in the same way." The emperor answered her without the slightest hesitation.
Chu Tan'er gritted her teeth, her hatred still seeping through them: "For this woman, my brother dares to disobey even Mother's words, and doesn't even care about our sibling relationship. Consort Chen is truly remarkable."
She gripped the armrest of the chair and slowly stood up. "I should have known. When you bestowed upon her the title of 'Consort Chen,' I should have known that she was indeed different from others in your eyes."
The emperor looked at her coldly. "It's no use saying more. Let me give you one more piece of advice: you are already a princess, and your husband's family has been in business for a hundred years. They are enough for you to enjoy wealth and honor for the rest of your life. Stop now, and you can live a peaceful life for the rest of your days."
He didn't finish his sentence, but it wasn't hard to hear the threatening meaning in his words.
Chu Tan'er shrank her shoulders and silently took several steps back to keep her distance from the emperor.
She raised her chin, feigning fearlessness, and tried her best to maintain her usual indomitable demeanor, saying:
“Brother, I have received your admonition.”
"I will not admit to plotting to murder the king. You have no evidence and cannot touch me, so I can still sit securely in this position of the eldest princess."
"However, Your Majesty will have to put in more effort in the future. Consort Chen's pregnancy is a good thing for Yun Sheng, but it may not be a good thing for the harem."
"In the past, the concubines in the harem did not want to fight because they believed that fighting was useless, since you treat everyone the same."
"But things are different now. All the concubines in the harem have seen your favoritism and affection towards Consort Chen."
"People in this world are not worried about scarcity but about inequality. Since Your Majesty likes Consort Chen so much, you must protect her and the child in her womb. If I don't take action against her, I'm afraid many people in the harem will also have restless thoughts."
The emperor remained silent, his fist clenching tightly in his sleeve.
After saying this, Chu Tan'er didn't want to make a fool of herself any longer. She guiltily looked away and turned to leave.
The jewels on her body jingled with her footsteps, a sound that irritated the listener.
After she left, the emperor went directly to a side hall.
Gu Jiangli was still waiting for him there.
————
Xiao Anzi stood timidly to one side, wishing he could bury his head in the ground.
His appearance stirred a sense of pity in Gu Jiangli.
He was too young and didn't understand the ways of the palace well enough. He was simple-minded and easily gave his heart away.
It just so happens that the emperor is someone who doesn't care about these rules, and coupled with Gu Jiangli's easygoing personality, Xiao Anzi felt no restraint in front of Gu Jiangli and said whatever came to mind.
Although Gu Jiangli wouldn't take these things to heart, it was inevitable that someone like the Eldest Princess would fly into a rage if she heard about them.
Gu Jiangli has a natural affinity for kind-hearted people, and this is certainly true for Xiao Anzi as well.
"Xiao Anzi, don't be afraid. His Majesty won't punish you. Just be careful with your words in the future and don't give the Princess any reason to criticize you."
Upon hearing the words "Princess," Xiao Anzi trembled and quickly said, "This servant will not dare to speak recklessly again. I am very grateful to Consort Chen for saving me today; otherwise, I would probably have been punished even more severely."
Gu Jiangli comforted her, "I didn't do anything. The princess came here today specifically to target me. You're just an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire."
"No, no, no, Your Highness, I will never forget your kindness today."
Seeing his expression, Gu Jiangli stopped trying to persuade him.
His persistent demeanor is somewhat similar to that of a lotus flower.
Just as Gu Jiangli was thinking this, the emperor approached her with a frown.
After exchanging words with the eldest princess, the emperor's expression became even more unpleasant.
"Did His Majesty and the Eldest Princess not have a pleasant conversation?"
The emperor first shook his head, then waved his hand to dismiss the palace servants around him.
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