Chapter 95 Seeking a Tiger's Skin
The Emperor spoke sincerely, but Meng Lingge knew that if she dared to say even half a word that Prince Anshun was wronged, or to say even half a good word for Prince Anshun's mansion, this dog of an emperor could immediately send her back to Dongling Pavilion.
And we will never give her another chance to leave.
Thinking of the current state of the Prince of Anshun's mansion, Meng Lingge's eyes reddened, and her words sounded even more desolate.
"Your Majesty, I am truly unfortunate. On my wedding day, I became the laughingstock of the capital. After marriage, I was dutiful to my mother-in-law and served my husband with utmost care and diligence, never daring to be perfunctory. Even when I was placed under house arrest in Dongling Pavilion, I never complained. But my father and mother..."
She really didn't want to make up stories about Prince Anshun and his wife, but when she got to the crucial moment, she choked up and cried, as if she was too heartbroken to speak, which made her look especially pitiful.
The Emperor smiled slightly, but pretended to comfort him, saying, "The Prince of Anshun and his wife are really going too far. They made a mistake and implicated their juniors. As a result, after being placed under house arrest, they still took their anger out on their juniors. If you ask me, you are too weak."
Meng Lingge sobbed softly, her face streaked with tears.
It wasn't that she wanted to put on an act, but rather that she remembered her mother's instructions from the previous night.
The emperor is very suspicious, so even if you know his thoughts, don't show it, and certainly don't reveal them. Even if the emperor tries to entice you, let him speak first. This will not only reduce his suspicion but also make him think you are easy to control.
The emperor prefers people who are easy to control.
The Emperor patiently waited for her to cry for a while. Seeing that she didn't say anything else, he coughed and continued to coax her, "I know you are a good child, and I didn't mean to make things difficult for you. But you are, after all, the daughter-in-law of the Prince of Anshun. It would be against the rules, both in terms of reason and law, for me to simply release you."
Meng Lingge nodded and said, "This subject knows, it is all my fate..."
The Emperor saw that Meng Lingge had spoken so clearly, yet she kept not saying what he wanted to hear. He must have suffered too much of a blow and was not as clever as before.
However, judging from this, her discord with Prince Anshun and his wife was probably not a conspiracy among the three of them. Otherwise, she wouldn't be so shrewd and capable of keeping things hidden at such a young age.
Despite this thought, the Emperor still wanted to test the waters to be on the safe side.
"I am the Emperor of the Golden Moon Kingdom, and the lives of its people are in my hands. If you wish to regain your freedom, I can grant your wish. However, the Anshun Prince's Mansion is sealed off. After you leave, will you return to the Meng Mansion or seek out Prince Wen?"
This is a dangerous problem.
If she were to return to the Meng residence, she would first reveal what the Emperor desired, which would arouse his suspicion.
If she were to go to Wen Zhiming, the Emperor would not allow it, and there would be no way he would let her go.
Meng Lingge lowered her eyes and bowed her head, saying, "If I return, it will bring shame to my family. However, the Prince and Princess no longer regard me as their daughter-in-law, and I do not wish to return to Prince Wen's side. I truly do not know what to choose, and I beg Your Majesty to make the decision for me."
The difficult problem that the emperor had thrown out has returned to his hands.
Since that's the case, he stopped pretending.
The Emperor walked to Meng Lingge's side and said earnestly, "Prince Anshun has treasoned and should be executed. As long as you are his daughter-in-law, I cannot let you go. Therefore, I can only grant you a divorce from Prince Wen. Since you are divorced, you cannot return to Prince Wen's side. Of course, Prince Wen cannot be left unattended, so I will arrange another marriage for him. You don't need to worry. Are you satisfied with my arrangement?"
Meng Lingge clenched her hands, which were hidden in her sleeves, but nodded obediently and said, "This subject will obey Your Majesty's arrangements."
As the Empress Consort had guessed, the Emperor would only allow her to leave if she divorced her husband.
But the dog emperor actually wanted to arrange a marriage for her husband. He probably did this to make her give up completely and ensure that she would no longer have any connection with the Prince of Anshun's mansion.
How could she possibly be satisfied with this result?
No matter how resentful one is inside, one cannot show the slightest dissatisfaction on one's face.
The emperor is going too far; he won't give her any room for negotiation. She can only try to get some benefits from other sources.
Thinking of this, Meng Lingge choked up and said, "But there is one thing I don't understand. Since His Majesty has granted me permission to divorce Prince Wen, can I take my dowry back with me?"
Upon hearing this, Meng Xingyuan's eyes lit up.
That was half of his wealth accumulated over so many years as an official, all of which was confiscated and deposited into the national treasury. Just thinking about it makes his heart bleed.
This thing was confiscated on the Emperor's orders; he wouldn't dare ask the Emperor for it even if he had the guts. Unexpectedly, his daughter was much bolder than him, and he was both worried and expectant.
The emperor was surprised, but not angry at all.
He wasn't afraid that Meng Lingge was after the money; he was afraid that Meng Lingge's heart was still in the Prince of Anshun's mansion.
He wasn't afraid that Meng Lingge would covet the money, but he was unwilling to take out any more money that had gone into his treasury.
The Emperor chuckled twice and shook his head, saying, "This is a difficult matter. If I had granted you a divorce from Prince Wen before the Anshun Prince's Mansion was sealed, you could have taken your dowry with you. But now the Anshun Prince's Mansion was sealed first, and then you divorced Prince Wen. The dowry has already been deposited into the national treasury and cannot be returned."
Meng Lingge already knew he wouldn't agree, so she compromised and said, "Your Majesty, I understand. It would be my honor if my dowry could end up in the national treasury. But when I got married, I not only had a dowry, but also four personal maids. I am innocent, and they are innocent too. Your Majesty, could you release these four maids as well? I would be eternally grateful."
The emperor frowned, still unwilling to agree.
Having just embezzled a large dowry from the Meng family, and given that Meng Lingge and Meng Xingyuan are both sensible and polite, it would be unfair not to give them some sweeteners in return, as he has a reputation for benevolent governance and love for the people.
Clear rewards and punishments, and a combination of kindness and severity, are all methods used by those in power to control others.
The emperor wore a warm smile.
"As I said before, Lord Meng is my most trusted minister, and you are someone I have watched grow up. How could I refuse you when you ask me for a few maids? They should still be in prison right now. I will send someone to deliver them to the Meng residence for you later."
"Your Majesty, I thank you. Long live the Emperor!"
Meng Lingge was truly happy this time. Being able to get Chunhong and the other three back from this dog emperor was her biggest gain today. Otherwise, if her four delicate girls had really been exiled to the frontier, two of them would probably have fainted from crying on the way.
She was dressed lightly and hadn't slept much the night before, looking somewhat frail and haggard. But her heartfelt joy instantly enhanced her appearance, making her look like a delicate flower standing in the wind.
The emperor was nearly sixty years old and long past the age of lust, but when he looked at Meng Lingge, his gaze held a strange quality.
"I almost forgot something. Before releasing you, there's one more thing I need to investigate. Eunuch Liu, summon the imperial physician."
The eunuch behind him was about to leave after receiving the order when the emperor said again, "Wait, summon the female officials as well."
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