This day was like a nightmare for all the concubines in the harem.
They returned to the palace one by one, trembling all over.
Some even had nightmares for a long time.
Consort Shu was no exception.
She dreamt every night of those people coming to seek revenge.
The Emperor naturally heard about this matter and summoned Ning Hongze to inquire about it.
Ning Hong naturally spoke the truth. The emperor is the emperor after all. Even if he doesn't concern himself with politics at the moment, he still has people he can use in the palace.
He should know everything.
"Has the matter been investigated? Who are those palace maids?"
"A spy who should be returning south."
"The Southern Hui Kingdom?" Upon hearing the name Southern Hui, Emperor Chengye frowned. How did this involve the Southern Hui Kingdom again?
The Southern Hui borders the Dayin border. Back then, the Ning family was stationed on the border and repeatedly defeated the Southern Hui who attacked them.
For many years afterward, the Southern Hui dared not offend them again.
Why did Nan Hui dare to make another move this time?
The emperor paused, was it because of the Ning family?
Because he executed the Ning family members.
Does Nan Hui really think that their Dayin Sect has no other generals besides the Ning family?
"Your Majesty, the Taoist priest has brought you new elixirs."
"Oh, really? Let me see." Upon hearing that a new elixir had been produced, Emperor Chengye immediately put the matter out of his mind. "You are in full charge of this matter. You must find out the truth. If it really is the Southern Rebellion, then the Southern Rebellion should have made other moves this time."
After saying this, Emperor Chengye followed the eunuch to the alchemy room.
Ning Hong nodded in agreement.
He bowed respectfully to see the emperor off, but a sarcastic smile played on his lips.
Inside the Eastern Palace, the Empress slowly picked up her teacup and gently blew on it. She looked up at the Crown Prince sitting opposite her.
"Your Highness, what do you think?"
"Mother, I did have nightmares for two days, but I feel much better now." Zhao Qingqi had lost a lot of weight, and the lively expression on his face had also diminished.
The Empress felt heartbroken seeing this, yet she was helpless.
Born into an imperial family and as the eldest son of the Empress Dowager, he had no choice but to fight and snatch.
"It seems that Your Excellency is teaching you seriously."
"Yes, my son has benefited greatly."
He felt that all his deductions were wrong.
After spending nearly two months together, he completely overturned his conclusions.
It is said that Ning Hong is a wolf in sheep's clothing with malicious intentions.
But what he saw was a lazy, eccentric person who had the world in his heart.
"Mother, it's truly terrifying to hear people say the same thing."
He now understood how his mother had felt back then.
He felt depressed and upset because others misunderstood Ning Hongze.
He didn't want such a person to be misunderstood by so many people.
"It's good that you understand. People's hearts are too complicated. In the future, you will inherit the throne and become the king of this great music. You cannot listen to one side or believe one side. You must look more and think more."
The Empress touched Zhao Qingqi's face tenderly.
"Your subject knows." Ning Hong had also taken him out of the palace before. They pretended to be brothers, drinking in teahouses and visiting brothels. He even taught him to distinguish some drugs, including aphrodisiacs.
He said that the "beauty trap" has been used countless times throughout history. It is the easiest of all the schemes to use, and also the one that emperors of all dynasties were most likely to fall for.
He took him to see all sorts of beautiful women.
At that moment, while looking at all the beautiful women, his gaze couldn't help but fall on Ning Hongze.
He felt that there was no one more beautiful than him in the world.
Of course, he dared not say those words aloud.
Everyone knows that the Ninth Prince hates it when people compliment his good looks.
After the Empress left, Zhao Qingqi sat alone at his desk, lost in thought, holding a book in his hand, but unable to concentrate on reading it at all.
"Your Excellency, what kind of person are you, really?"
A palace maid slowly walked in and lit the incense burner placed on the table.
A strange, subtle fragrance wafted over.
Zhao Qingqi suddenly covered his nose.
He stepped forward, grabbed the incense burner, and threw it outside, even kicking the palace maid away.
"Your Highness." The palace maid's clothes were disheveled.
The moment he was kicked away, his outer shirt came off.
She clutched her outer garment to cover herself, feeling both ashamed and guilty. Her eyes were brimming with tears, and her gaze towards the Crown Prince was filled with a plaintive, tearful expression.
"Where is the head auntie?"
"Yes, Your Highness." A neatly dressed middle-aged woman rushed over. "Your Highness, what's wrong?"
"Where did this palace maid come from?"
"This palace maid?"
The head maid glanced at the palace maid and, seeing that she was alluring and disheveled, her expression changed immediately. She stepped forward and slapped the maid across the face.
"You lowly servant, what are you doing? Trying to seduce the Crown Prince?"
That damned, vile servant girl! How old is the Crown Prince? How could she do such a thing? If she had harmed the Crown Prince, even if she were to be skinned alive, it would be too late.
"Aunt Wan, take her to my mother's place and let her handle it. Remember to bring that incense burner with you."
"That slut even drugged me?" Aunt Wan's face darkened further.
Unable to resist, he stepped forward and struck the palace maid several times.
"You shameless wretch, you want to sleep with me? That's easy. I'll ask the Empress to send you to the red tent so you can serve those soldiers. Serve them to your heart's content."
"Your Highness, no, Your Highness! I only did this because I admire you so much. Please forgive me this time. I will never dare to do it again."
The maidservant leaned forward slightly so that Zhao Qingqi could see her figure.
Her master once said that she was a natural beauty.
Dealing with such a hothead should have been a piece of cake. But to my surprise, despite numerous attempts to lure her in, she wouldn't take the bait. In desperation, I had no choice but to drug her. Before the drug could even take effect, she was thrown out, along with the incense burner.
Zhao Qingqi looked at him calmly, his expression unmoved.
He suddenly turned around, went into the room, grabbed the teapot from the table, and smashed it directly at the woman.
Tea leaves spilled all over her.
She looked at Zhao Qingqi in disbelief.
"Your Highness, this servant—"
"Drag her away." This kind of thing, and she still wants to seduce him.
To hook him, at the very least, one should be dressed in red, handsome, refined, and possess a languid air about them. A figure gradually materialized in my mind.
That's it, it's him. He's so handsome!
"Huh? Something's wrong? What's going on?" Zhao Qingqi's grin suddenly froze. Wrong, wrong, it's not him, it shouldn't be his?
It shouldn't be his?
Has he gone mad? Is he not normal anymore?
"Your Highness, the Crown Prince requests an audience on behalf of the Princess."
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