Chapter 210 I Want to Taste the Salt and Bitterness for That Fool
Pei Yanchuan sent someone to give orders that no one present should spread the news of what happened today, in order to protect the Empress's reputation.
"King Langya, thank you for today," the Queen said.
"Your Highness's presence here is...a coincidence?"
Pei Yanchuan said, "It was the Imperial Son-in-Law who sent someone to inform us. The Emperor is also waiting for the Empress in the private room on the third floor. However, the Emperor cannot easily show himself for such matters."
"Then let me, the king, come here to help the empress out of this predicament."
If the Emperor were to intervene and insist that the Grand Princess relinquish her military power, given her domineering nature, it would be impossible for her to agree.
In the end, it was the emperor, not the empress, who lost face in front of the people.
"His Majesty has come too?" The Empress was somewhat surprised.
"Wait for Her Majesty upstairs." Pei Yanchuan pointed to the private room ahead. "I will have someone escort Her Majesty upstairs."
Empress Rong Zhiyi nodded, and Song Zhuran said, "Since my brother-in-law is here and Sister Jiang has someone to keep her company, I will return to my residence first."
"I'm so tired today."
The Empress nodded in agreement and then ordered a bodyguard to personally escort Song Zhuran up to the private room on the third floor where the Emperor was staying.
"Mo Ran?" Jiang Wan Ning finally had a chance to ask.
"Come out," Pei Yanchuan said calmly, and Mo Ran climbed in through the back window.
Jiang Wan Ning and Shen Ru Zhi were both curious, and Shen Ru Zhi even wanted to check if the wound was still there.
“I did not commit suicide. This is pig’s blood that Young Master Yu gave me. I kept it in my bosom. This knife is also a prop.”
Mo Ran took out the knife he used for self-inflicted death, and the blade retracted.
"I see." Shen Ruzhi took the knife curiously. "What if the Grand Princess meets you again next time?"
"That subordinate is Mo Ran's younger brother, who took Mo Ran's identity to serve as a bodyguard by the prince's side."
Mo Ran casually mentioned that these matters had already been discussed with the prince beforehand.
Jiang Wan Ning glanced at the cunning Pei Yan Chuan, who looked like a child waiting to be framed.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Wan Ning then asked directly, "Why did the驸马 (the驸马) inform the Emperor and the Prince? How did he know about what happened here?"
"Someone was on their way to inform the Grand Princess when the Prince Consort happened to see them and overheard them, which is why the notification was sent."
Jiang Wan Ning nodded. If that's the case, then there's nothing wrong with it.
"I've discovered something else," Mo Ran suddenly remembered.
Seeing Pei Yanchuan and Jiang Wanning looking at her, Mo Ran said directly, "Then Miss Song the Second knows martial arts."
"Moreover, her internal strength is very profound. Just before I came in, she happened to have just gone out. A child fell on the road, and it was Miss Song who rushed over."
"Others may not have seen it clearly, but I saw it very clearly. Before Miss Song's hand even touched the child's waist, the child had already stood up straight."
"Even my subordinates and Mo Qing rarely possess such profound internal strength."
Seeing that Jiang Wan Ning showed no surprise, Pei Yan Chuan asked softly, "You already knew?"
Jiang Wanning shook her head slightly, "I've only had my suspicions, but I don't know just how high her martial arts skills are."
"Today, the Grand Princess accidentally deleted the Empress's name, and it was she who did it behind the scenes. This Song Zhuran seems to be quite extraordinary."
"Moreover, the person we investigated is Young Master Xuan. When we arrived today, Young Master Xuan had become someone else, which means that she has a powerful backer."
Both of them are skilled in ventriloquism, yet neither of them shows their faces; therefore, their relationship must be extraordinary.
"But I don't understand, why did she deliberately cause trouble for the Grand Princess and the Empress today?"
“I will send people to continue investigating this matter. Let’s go up to the third floor to see the Emperor first,” Pei Yanchuan said. “The Prince of Jin is also there.”
"The Prince of Jin?"
Jiang Wan Ning felt another wave of doubt. It seemed that Prince Jin had stopped going out to travel and enjoy the scenery ever since the last Emperor's birthday banquet.
He usually doesn't leave the palace, so why is he here with the Emperor today?
"We met them on the way, so we came together," Pei Yanchuan explained simply.
Jiang Wan Ning didn't ask any further questions.
We arrived at the third floor.
When the Emperor saw Pei Yanchuan and Jiang Wanning enter, he greeted them, "There's no need for formalities outside, please sit down."
Prince Jin laughed and said, "Your Majesty is still biased. I was clearly outside the palace when I saw you just now, so why did I bow to you?"
The Emperor chuckled and joked, "Then why don't you go out and come back in, and I'll waive your formalities?"
The Prince of Jin slumped in his seat, fanning himself gently with a fan in his hand. "Never mind, I'm too lazy."
Prince Jin then turned his gaze to Jiang Wan Ning, "But speaking of which, Prince Langya, your princess is really something else, this hot pot is such a delicious thing."
"I have traveled all over the world and have encountered many similar dishes, but there are very few that are so delicious and so varied."
"You little rascal, how did you know you hadn't left the house all this time?"
The emperor's words, seemingly joking and showing concern, were actually a test.
“Your Majesty, I can have someone deliver it to your door,” said Prince Jin with a smug look on his face. “Your Majesty, you live in the palace all the time, so it seems you don’t know that.”
"This hot pot restaurant owned by Princess Langya allows customers to bring their own ingredients and have the food cooked at their doorstep."
"Although I haven't left the manor these days, I've eaten a lot of good food."
"Haha, I see," the Emperor laughed. "But with your temperament, you can't sit still in one place for half a month at a time."
"Why did you stay in the capital for so long this time?"
The Prince of Jin paused for a moment, then gave a wry smile, "I'm a little embarrassed to say this."
"While traveling, my younger brother met a woman, and... he accidentally got involved with her. That woman was quite..."
The image of a woman flashed through the Prince of Jin's mind. He smiled self-deprecatingly and shook his head. "In any case, she has issued an arrest warrant for my brother."
"If we get caught, it will be terrible. I had no choice but to hide in my den."
"Oh? So you weren't really here for my birthday, but to escape a romantic debt, hahaha..."
Emperor Xiao Yu laughed and said, "What family's woman could frighten you like this?"
The Prince of Jin quickly explained, "It's not a debt of affection; it's just that my brother accidentally took her things."
"What is that?"
Seeing that the Emperor was pressing for an answer, whether out of curiosity or to test him, Prince Jin understood that if he didn't give the Emperor a satisfactory answer...
This incident will sow the seeds of suspicion in the emperor's heart.
“Actually, it’s nothing.” Prince Jin suddenly looked at Jiang Wan Ning. “This… is all thanks to Princess Langya.”
Everyone was stunned for a moment.
Only after hearing what Prince Jin said next did Emperor Xiao Yu realize what had happened. He laughed and said, "You little rascal, so you've offended the princess of Western Xia."
"But you didn't seem to know each other at the birthday banquet that day?" The Emperor's eyes suddenly became inquisitive.
Prince Jin sat up straight, his face full of grief. "When I was traveling before, I met a middleman selling hot pot base at ridiculously high prices."
"But some idiot actually bought it."
"I just wanted to taste the saltiness for that fool, so I disguised myself..."
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