Chapter 459 Unrestrained
So when Su Leyan heard Meng Lingge say with a tone of pity and heartache that she must be very tired, the high walls she had built in her heart instantly collapsed.
When she saw the shoulder that leaned towards her again, and the sincere and friendly eyes, she could no longer hold back.
Meng Lingge didn't say anything, but gently patted Su Leyan's back, letting her cry her heart out.
Su Leyan first broke down in tears, then sobbed softly, and finally choked out a sob...
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, she finally raised her head, wiped away her tears, and spoke softly.
"Since the Empress guessed so accurately, she must already know about what happened in the Prince Zhong's residence. Since you know, I suppose the Emperor..."
She thought she had kept it a secret, but it turned out that she had been discovered long ago.
Su Leyan sighed deeply, her expression sorrowful.
"That's why the Emperor arranged for Prince Zhong to be stationed in the northern frontier, so that he would walk right into a trap. Whether he goes or not, Prince Zhong cannot escape the crime of overstepping his bounds."
Having said all that, Meng Lingge knew there was no need for them to inquire further about each other.
She held Su Leyan's hand and said with concern, "Prince Zhong was affected by the Gu King, and this is not solely your fault. If it weren't for saving the Emperor back then, Prince Zhong wouldn't have been forced to take Yueyin Shuang. Without Yueyin Shuang causing his death, you wouldn't have given him the Gu King to save his life. In the end, it's the Emperor and I who owe you and Prince Zhong. We haven't even made up for what we owed, so how could we possibly have schemed to harm Prince Zhong?"
Meng Lingge looked into her eyes, her gaze sincere.
"Sending Prince Zhong to garrison the northern frontier was indeed the Emperor's plan, but this plan was not intended to punish Prince Zhong, but to help you."
Su Leyan was somewhat incredulous, "Are you helping us?"
It wasn't that she didn't trust Wen Zhiming and Meng Lingge, but it seemed that no matter what Wen Kehao chose, it would be a dead end.
“That’s right.” Meng Lingge nodded emphatically.
“We are not only sisters-in-law, but also good friends. I will not hide it from you, this matter is not only to help you, but also to fulfill my wish to be with the Emperor.”
Meng Lingge stood up as her gaze swept over the furnishings of Fengyi Palace, her tone calm yet sincere.
"You should know that the Emperor has been arguing a lot with his officials in court about the harem and the issue of offspring. Perhaps I am not on good terms with the harem. On the day my eldest son was born, I was harmed by the remnants of corrupt officials that the Emperor was punishing, and I have not been able to conceive again in recent years. The court officials believe that I am bewitching the Emperor, but the Emperor is determined to protect me, and I have long been weary of the position of Empress."
“If this continues, one day, either the emperor and his ministers will turn against each other, and the court will be in turmoil. Or the emperor and I will gradually become estranged and drift apart. Neither of these is the outcome that the emperor and I want to see. Therefore, we are preparing to leave.”
Meng Lingge placed her hand on Su Leyan's shoulder and continued.
“But you are different. You have no worries about having children, and Prince Zhong also needs many women to deal with the poison of the Gu King. In the past year, the Emperor has discussed state affairs with Prince Zhong many times. Now that the court is stable, Prince Zhong is fully capable of fulfilling his duties. Therefore, you are more suitable than us for the position of Empress.”
Su Leyan stood up in shock.
"The Empress means she's going to give up the throne to us? How is that possible?"
She had never had such an idea. Although she sometimes bought girls to bring into the mansion, she felt that to satisfy Wen Kehao's needs for a lifetime, she would have to make him the emperor. Only when he had countless beauties in the harem would she no longer have to worry about finding women for Wen Kehao.
However, she never considered letting Wen Kehao take the throne. Firstly, Wen Zhiming and his wife had treated them well, and secondly, this was a matter between her and Wen Kehao, and she did not want others to share the burden.
She knew Meng Lingge's difficulties, but she didn't know that Meng Lingge actually wanted to leave the palace, and that the emperor had even agreed to it.
What a free and easy couple they are! Even after relinquishing their positions as emperor and empress, they can still be so carefree.
Even if the two of them were willing, this matter was not so simple; the civil and military officials, as well as Wen Kehao, would not agree.
Meng Lingge said.
"Why not? It would allow me and the Emperor to escape our constraints, resolve your crisis with Prince Zhong, and ensure that the girls we bought eventually find a good home. With the Emperor in the Northern Frontier, the long-standing border issues between the Golden Phoenix and Blue Feather kingdoms can also be resolved. It's a win-win situation, a highly profitable endeavor."
Su Leyan was in a state of confusion, feeling that Meng Lingge's words made sense, but also that the plan was not feasible.
Thinking that she had come today to plead for Wen Kehao's life, he picked up his teacup, drank a large cup of tea, and asked in a deep voice.
"What should we do?"
"Put yourself in a desperate situation and you will survive."
Knowing that Su Leyan had fallen for him, Meng Lingge helped her sit down again, and the two faced each other.
"If Prince Zhong waits until others discover his secret and report it to the Emperor, he will lose the initiative. Right now, Prince Zhong needs to personally explain the situation in the backyard of his Prince Zhong residence during the morning court session, so that everyone understands his difficulties and knows the truth of what happened back then. At that time, Prince Zhong will not be able to go to the northern frontier, and the Emperor will not have an heir apparent for the time being. With these two major problems in front of him, the Emperor can then reasonably propose the matter of abdication. As long as the Emperor becomes the prince who goes to the northern frontier, and Prince Zhong becomes the Emperor, then the two major problems of the court will be solved."
"Of course it's not that easy, but as long as the abdication is reasonably proposed, the Emperor and I will find a way to make it happen."
Meng Lingge spoke sincerely, but Su Leyan shook her head after listening.
"The prince will not agree."
Wen Zhiming is very important to Wen Kehao. He would definitely not agree to take his brother's place. Even if he was told that it would be good for both of them, he would still think it was a betrayal of his elder brother.
Meng Lingge chuckled softly.
"Others might not be able to get him to agree, but I think you definitely can. You just need to tell him all your predicament, your difficulties, and your helplessness, let him know that you have no way out, let him know that you have reached a dead end. Only if he agrees to this matter can you both be free from any worries, and he will treat it carefully. You have protected him for three whole years, it's time for him to protect you once."
Su Leyan used to be a very confident person, but in the past three years, the guilt she felt towards those girls, the fear of her secrets being exposed, and the worry about Wen Kehao have made her lose her former carefree and unrestrained nature.
Despite all that Meng Lingge had said, she was still hesitant.
She was both afraid that Wen Kehao wouldn't cooperate, and also afraid that if Wen Kehao did cooperate, the outcome would be different from what Meng Lingge had predicted.
Meng Lingge continued, "You still have three days to go to the Northern Frontier. Think it over carefully. Do you want to resolve this issue decisively and quickly, or do you want to toil day and night for this secret, exhausting your body and mind, living in constant fear for the rest of your life?"
Su Leyan held her abdomen with one hand and held Meng Lingge's hand tightly with the other, unable to make a decision for a long time.
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