The Yiyuan Hall was brightly lit. The emperor, dressed in casual clothes, sat quietly before his desk, holding a vermilion brush, listening to the reports from below. The warm coals burned brightly, making the hall feel as cozy as a spring day.
He wore a moon-white long robe embroidered with delicate green bamboo, covered with a white light gauze that added a touch of hazy beauty. His face was handsome, with a hint of youthful ambition, yet his elegance was undeniable.
Standing in the middle, with a humble and respectful posture, he reported in a clear and steady voice, speaking in an orderly and unhurried manner.
“Father, this is the situation. I have written down the details in a memorial for your review.” Liang Qingchen said with an elegant smile and a slight bow.
"Qingchen, you've worked hard this time. You did a great job, and your father is very pleased. Take a rest these days and visit your mother and grandmother. They often talk about you in my ear."
Emperor Liang Yuan smiled. He had always been very satisfied with his eldest son. When the child was young, he was not close to him because of the empress. Later, as the child grew up, he showed some talent and ability. He handled everything properly, which made his father look at him with new eyes.
He had many children, but he valued his eldest son the most, and even harbored some regret for neglecting them in the past. Fortunately, Consort Xian was virtuous and her son was filial, and she did not hold a grudge for neglecting them in the past.
"Your subject obeys the decree." Liang Qingchen clasped his hands together, bowed slightly, and spoke in a gentle tone.
"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened—" The plump Sixi rolled into Yiyuan Hall like a ball, her voice sharp and unpleasant, mixed with a hint of crying.
"What happened? What kind of behavior is this, making such a racket? Do you believe I'll take your head?" Emperor Liang Yuan felt embarrassed and ashamed, having lost face in front of his son. He was furious and embarrassed.
"This servant dares not do it again, but the matter was urgent and that's why I was so anxious. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!" Sixi was terrified by Emperor Liang Yuan's words and knelt down on the ground with a thud, kowtowing and begging for forgiveness.
He didn't think he had enough influence to make Emperor Liang Yuan retract his order. Even though they had grown up together, his life was always in danger. This was the meaning of serving a ruler like walking on thin ice.
"Father, I believe that Steward Sixi's mistake was unintentional. Please forgive him this time, considering that she has served you for so many years!" Liang Qingchen cupped his hands in greeting. Sixi was a decent person and never bullied others. Most importantly, he was Mother's man, and we couldn't let someone we had worked so hard to raise be ruined so easily.
Moreover, he knew very well that his father was just saying it in a fit of anger, and that giving him a way out would be enough.
"For the sake of the Crown Prince, I will spare you this time. Tell me, what is it that makes you so flustered?" Emperor Liang Yuan took the opportunity to back down and did not pursue the matter further.
Si Xi then remembered the important matter, his face turned deathly pale, and his body trembled involuntarily. "Your Majesty, something has happened to Consort Rou."
These words were like a thunderbolt, causing the sky to collapse and the earth to split open.
"What did you say?!" Emperor Liang Yuan stood up in disarray, his handsome face turning slightly pale.
Seeing this scene, Liang Qingchen lowered her eyes, her gaze clear. She had always heard that Consort Rou was deeply favored by the Emperor, comparable to the Empress of yesteryear. She had thought it was an exaggeration, but she never expected it to be true.
"Early this morning, Consort Rou went to pay her respects to Her Majesty the Empress. The two chatted for a while, and then the incident happened." Sixi stammered. These two are both formidable figures. With a new love and an old flame, how will His Majesty choose?
"Prepare the carriage for Fengyi Palace." Emperor Liang Yuan flicked his sleeves and left, leading a large group of people towards Fengyi Palace, his heart filled with a myriad of thoughts. Liang Qingchen didn't care about his father's neglect. He shrugged, dusted off his sleeves (which were not actually dust), and prepared to go to Zhaoyang Palace to pay his respects to his mother.
His mother never hid the intricacies of the palace from him, always speaking openly and without reservation. As a result, Liang Qingchen knew from a young age how terrifying women could be, never taking anything lightly, and certainly never being as clueless about the affairs of the palace as his father.
Upon arriving at Chaoyang Palace, the mother and son exchanged pleasantries. Wuyou couldn't get enough of looking at her son, pulling him aside to chatter. They hadn't seen each other for several months and missed each other terribly. It was a heartwarming scene of motherly love and filial piety.
The Phoenix Palace was in chaos. When Emperor Liang Yuan arrived, all the palace servants were on edge, silent and trembling, not daring to say a word.
Despite wearing a bright red palace dress, Bai's face remained pale, creating a stark contrast with the color of her clothes. Her red lips were tightly pursed, and she was wringing the handkerchief in her hands, her face revealing her unease.
"Where is Consort Rou?" This was the first thing Bai Yiran asked upon meeting him. Her heart was bleeding. Did the Emperor really like this little bitch that much? She was clearly the Emperor's favorite, the Empress whom he had married through proper channels.
"Your Majesty, Consort Rou is being treated by the imperial physician, she..." Bai Yiran was about to explain, regardless of the fact that the incident happened here, but Emperor Liang Yuan did not give him a chance to speak.
With a wave of his hand, he immediately questioned, "Empress, the incident involving Consort Rou happened here. You must give me an explanation. If anything happens to the prince in her womb, I will hold you accountable."
Bai Yiran was on the verge of tears, "Your Majesty, I do bear some responsibility, but he brought this all on himself."
Recalling what had happened half an hour earlier, Bai still couldn't hide her resentment. This Consort Rou, for some unknown reason, had stayed behind after her morning and evening greetings, saying she wanted to talk to him and reconnect. Bai, not caring much, agreed.
Who knew that this woman had somehow found out about that matter, and told him to his face that she was unwilling to hand over the child to him, telling him to stop dreaming. What a joke! Could a mere concubine like him possibly sway the Emperor and Empress Dowager's plans? It was utterly delusional. He was determined to have this child.
After arguing for a couple of minutes, Consort Rou went berserk, smashing the porcelain on the table to pieces, grabbing her hand and shoving her while yelling, before collapsing to the ground.
This blatant framing was so shocking that it blinded him. In all his years in the harem, this was the first time he had ever seen such a shameless and scheming woman.
Seeing the blood on the ground, Bai Yiran panicked. She wanted Su Yun to be in trouble, preferably leaving the mother and child, but she also didn't want him to be in trouble. This conflicting feeling was driving her crazy.
"Even in this state, Consort Rou is still speaking like this. Are you even human?" Emperor Liang Yuan was surprised and disappointed. In his heart, the Empress had always been a gentle woman. He never expected her to say such vicious words. Could it be that this woman had been pretending all along?
"Your Majesty, Consort Rou did it on purpose. She knew about our plans and was unwilling to let me raise the child, so she orchestrated this whole thing. She's deliberately trying to frame me!"
Bai Yiran gritted her teeth, deeply hurt by the disappointment in Emperor Liang Yuan's eyes.
"What a joke! Even if he wanted to scheme against you, he wouldn't use a burdened child as a bargaining chip, would he?" Emperor Liang Yuan shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't believe that anyone could go to such lengths.
"Your Majesty, Consort Rou, she..." At this moment, the imperial physician arrived, kneeling on the ground with his head down, stammering.
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