Chapter 54 "She is carrying my child..."
==Chapter 54: Synopsis==
The New Year of the sixth year of the Dingyuan era was destined to be anything but peaceful.
At the beginning of the new year, His Majesty deposed the original Crown Prince Xiao Ruofei from his position as heir apparent and appointed Prince Cheng, Xiao Yu, as the new crown prince. The speed of this action astonished the ministers and also frightened them. This was the way of the imperial family. Although the epidemic in the capital had been brought under control, the suffering of the people was irreversible, and the epidemic had also been a waste of resources and manpower.
When Zhou Heng received the imperial edict from the Northern Li Emperor, the smile on his face faded. Having navigated the treacherous waters of the Southern Qiong court for so many years, Zhou Heng was always keenly aware of danger. The eunuch who had just delivered the edict had shifty eyes and spoke haltingly, which was clearly suspicious. There must be something fishy going on.
Originally, Prince Xiang was supposed to come to Beili this year, but due to the turbulent situation in Beili, Prince Xiang did not intend to get involved. But what if something happens to the young lady?
Zhou Heng clenched his fists tightly. Despite his fearlessness, he dared not go to the Beili Imperial Palace at this moment.
Seeing that he stood motionless like a statue, the servant cautiously inquired, "Sir, would you like to go to Prince Cheng's residence first?"
"Didn't you just hear him say that Eunuch Zhou has already gone to Prince Cheng's residence?" Zhou Heng said sarcastically. He wouldn't believe it if nothing had happened yet. If something really happened in the Northern Li court, what did it have to do with him, an envoy from Southern Qiong? Zhou Heng had been living in the capital for nearly two years, and the Northern Li emperor had never summoned him to the palace.
After some deliberation, Zhou Heng wrote a letter before going to the palace and tied it to the wild goose that Qin Jue had left him. Since the young lady had married in place of Princess Weiyang on the orders of the Emperor and Empress, she should not have to bear the consequences alone.
"Let's go, let's enter the palace." Seeing the wild goose fly into the sky, Zhou Heng lowered his eyes and straightened the wrinkles on his white cloud-patterned sleeves, speaking without changing his expression.
The post station where Zhou Heng was staying was even closer than the Prince Cheng's residence. Before he entered the palace, the concubines of the six palaces, as well as Princess Huiyang, had already arrived. The six palaces were led by the Empress and Consort Qin. Since neither the Empress nor Consort Qin spoke, the other concubines naturally dared not speak casually. However, Princess Huiyang, who was born of the same mother as the current emperor, was not afraid of the emperor's expression at all. She raised her beautiful eyes and asked, "I wonder why my imperial brother summoned us here?"
The Emperor glanced at Princess Huiyang and said, "Let's wait for the Crown Prince and Crown Princess to arrive first."
Princess Huiyang frowned imperceptibly and exchanged a knowing look with Yan Chenzhou. It seemed the Emperor meant that the main focus of the day was the Crown Prince and his wife.
The decree to establish a new crown prince only reached everyone's ears last night. Even if the crown prince is careless, he wouldn't make a mistake today, would he? Besides, Princess Huiyang and Yan Chenzhou both know that Xiao Yu is not someone who would make mistakes easily or give others a handle to use against him.
Consort Qin shared the same thoughts as Princess Huiyang and Yan Chenzhou. Consort Qin glanced at the Emperor's expression out of the corner of her eye. Logically speaking, this shouldn't be the case. The Emperor was unwell, and Yu'er came to the palace to attend to him and help him deal with memorials. The prescription for the epidemic was given by Abbess Jinghui out of respect for Weiyang. Moreover, if it weren't for Weiyang, how would the truth about the epidemic have been known? The Emperor's mood was very inexplicable.
As for the Empress, because the Emperor had deposed her son from his position as Crown Prince, she was filled with self-pity and despair, her eyes lifeless, sitting there like a puppet.
In the vast palace, Xiao Ruofei had the best expression, especially since he was the only one in the hall who knew the so-called truth. He was even more smug. If Xiao Yu and his wife didn't want him to have an easy time, then he wouldn't let them have an easy time either. Even if his father favored Xiao Yu, the fact that the daughter of the Nanqiong royal family was marrying in place of Princess Weiyang was still true. Let's see what reason they will have to refute it later.
Xiao Yu loves his wife so much; if she were to be thrown into prison later, he would probably be devastated.
After an incense stick had burned, the eunuch, looking utterly exhausted, entered the hall and announced, "Your Majesty, Lord Zhou has arrived."
The Emperor suddenly looked up and said, "Summon them."
Zhou Heng's arrival broke the tranquility of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Dressed in a crimson robe, he clasped his hands in greeting to the emperor at the head of the table, saying, "Your humble servant greets Your Majesty."
"Lord Zhou, please excuse the formalities and take a seat." The Emperor gazed deeply at Zhou Heng, but did not vent his anger on him.
Zhou Heng's gaze was dark as he pondered the Emperor's next words while drinking tea. The girl's identity had been exposed without anyone noticing anything amiss when the Crown Prince visited the capital last time. Now, without any opportunity or warning, how had her identity been revealed, or had he misjudged the situation?
Based on his intuition, Zhou Heng felt that his intuition was correct. Zhou Heng turned his gaze to Xiao Ruofei. At this moment, the eyes of this deposed crown prince could not hide his smugness and excitement. He was brainless, but he was the only person in the hall who could possibly reveal the girl's identity. Zhou Heng was puzzled as to how he knew the girl's identity.
Zhou Heng gripped the teacup tightly, trying to calm himself down and deal with whatever came his way.
Zhou Heng's arrival eased the atmosphere in the hall for a while, but then came a deathly silence. The Emperor, Empress, and Consort Qin, who were in the main seats, were people who could handle big occasions, and their expressions did not change at all. The concubines below had never seen such a scene before, and the longer they waited, the more frightened they became. How was this any different from a joint trial by the six courts? But they could not show it.
Finally, Eunuch Zhou came in to report, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess have arrived."
Everyone looked up at the same time. The couple had entered together. The man was dressed in a purple robe with gold patterns, his steps were leisurely and his demeanor was elegant. The woman was dressed in a light green floor-length dress, her features were bright and beautiful, and her figure was graceful and slender. The moment the two entered the hall, the inner hall seemed to become even brighter.
The emperor narrowed his eyes. The woman before him was undoubtedly a good match for his son. She was beautiful and intelligent. If such a woman became empress in the future, she would surely be able to assist the new emperor and manage the harem well. But that did not mean that Nanqiong could just use a fake to appease them.
His Majesty can distinguish between a princess born of the royal family and a princess of the imperial clan, especially since the royal family of Nanqiong is untrustworthy and goes back on their word.
Thinking of this, the Emperor looked at Su Wanyue with icy coldness and extreme sharpness, as if he wanted to see right through her.
Xiao Yu took an extra step forward, just enough to block the woman behind him. Then the two of them bowed to the Emperor together, saying, "Your subject greets Your Majesty the Emperor and Your Majesty the Empress."
"No need for formalities." The Emperor's face was stern, and his voice was so deep it could drip water; there were some scores to settle one by one.
"Please take a seat."
The eunuch led Xiao Yu and Su Wanyue to sit down. Their seats were the first ones below them. The atmosphere in the hall was tense, like a storm brewing. But Xiao Yu seemed completely oblivious. He put one arm around his wife's waist and placed a celadon bowl in her hand with the other. This action made the emperor's face darken and Xiao Ruofei's face turn ugly. What did Xiao Yu mean by this?
Consort Qin, with her languid, fox-like eyes, first glanced at Xiao Yu and Su Wanyue, then asked the Emperor with a beaming smile, "I wonder why Your Majesty summoned us here?"
As soon as Consort Qin spoke, the Empress immediately perked up. Even if the Crown Prince was deposed, she was still the Empress. She couldn't let this vile woman, Consort Qin, steal her thunder. The Empress also asked the Emperor why he had summoned them. The Emperor handed a portrait to Eunuch Zhou, saying, "The Empress and Consort Qin may take a look at this portrait."
The Imperial Concubine was the most favored concubine in the palace, and the Emperor had always treated her gently. Whenever she spoke, the Emperor would always speak softly and patiently to explain to her. This was the first time the Emperor had treated the Imperial Concubine so coldly.
Duke Xie and Duke Zhou exchanged a glance, secretly wondering what the problem might be with the painting.
Eunuch Zhou respectfully handed the portrait to the Empress and Consort Qin. "What kind of mysterious portrait is this?" the Empress wondered to herself. When the portrait was fully opened, the Empress's eyes widened and she exclaimed in shock, "Isn't this the Crown Princess?"
Consort Qin's heart sank. Following the Empress's gaze, she saw three people in the portrait. The most eye-catching were the young man and woman brewing tea together. Consort Qin didn't recognize the young man, but she clearly recognized the young woman. She subconsciously glanced in the direction of the woman. How could this be?
Su Wanyue felt Consort Qin's gaze. Her small hands, hidden in her sleeves, curled up together. She couldn't see what was depicted in the painting, but recalling Eunuch Zhou's hesitant gaze and words in the Prince's mansion, a guess gradually welled up in her mind.
That means... her identity may have been discovered.
The chill instantly spread to her limbs and bones; Su Wanyue pursed her lips, feeling cold all over.
Xiao Yu glanced at Xiao Ruofei, who was standing at the head of the table, his eyes filled with chilling coldness. Xiao Ruofei straightened his back for a moment. That look made him feel that if his father hadn't been there, Xiao Yu would have killed him. But he hadn't done anything wrong. Nan Qiong was using an imposter to impersonate the real princess, and now he wasn't even allowed to speak.
"Your Majesty, this portrait is..." Consort Qin saw the woman's hesitation and shock, forced a smile, and asked the Emperor.
Consort Qin had been favored by the Emperor for many years, and she could sense that something was wrong, but she had not yet fully understood what was going on with this portrait. Could this young man be the person Wei Yang had liked in Nanqiong? But even if he was the person Wei Yang liked in the past, hadn't Wei Yang already married into the family? If the Emperor kept pressing this matter, what would the Nanqiong envoys think?
"This portrait was obtained by Yan Wushuang from Bai Shuang, the female physician whom Yi'er admired before," the Emperor said, emphasizing each word.
How did this matter get involved with the female physician? Consort Qin really didn't understand the intricacies of the situation. Not only did she not understand, but no one else did either.
Among those in the palace, only Su Wanyue and her husband, and Zhou Heng, could understand the Emperor's words. Zhou Heng was from Nanqiong and knew Bai Shuang's identity very well. However, although Master Huiyuan and Abbess Jinghui were from the same clan, they did not have close contact. Had Bai Shuang met the girl before?
Regardless of the circumstances, Bai Shuang was still a native of Nanqiong. Whether out of respect for Master Huiyuan or because Xiao Yu and Xiao Yi were brothers, she had no right to reveal the girl's identity to the public.
Zhou Heng was restless for a moment. The Emperor took in the gazes of everyone in the hall and solemnly ordered, "Summon Bai Shuang into the hall."
Two eunuchs escorted a young girl dressed in white into the hall. The girl, who had been charming and lovely the last time they met, was now as pale as paper. Even though her clothes were intact, it was clear that she had suffered considerable injuries.
Consort Qin frowned.
Bai Shuang was clearly being tortured. Su Wanyue instinctively tried to stand up, but the man beside her lightly pressed down on her wrist, preventing her from doing so.
The Emperor frowned, his voice as cold as frost, "Bai Shuang, the First Prince says the people listed here are Master Huiyuan, the Second Young Master Lu of Nanqiong, and Princess Zilu of the Nanwang Mansion. Do you have anything to say?"
What……
The person in the portrait is Princess Zilu of the Nanqiong Nanwang Mansion.
The Empress and Consort Qin, who were the first to see the portrait, both changed their expressions, but the person in the portrait was clearly...
Even a fool would realize what was happening by now. The gazes of everyone in the hall fell upon Su Wanyue, filled with surprise, doubt, pity, and incomprehension.
Only Xiao Yu looked at her with pity.
Bai Shuang glanced in Su Wanyue's direction, then lowered her head, "This humble woman knows nothing."
But her attitude had already said it all. The Emperor smiled, but the next moment, that smile turned into a sneer. "Lord Zhou, let me ask you a question: Is the Crown Princess sitting in front of you Princess Weiyang of Nanqiong or Princess Zilu of the Nanwang Mansion? Lord Zhou, you're not going to tell me that you've never seen what the real Princess Weiyang looks like in Nanqiong, are you?"
The Emperor's two rhetorical questions caused Zhou Heng's expression to darken completely, becoming as viscous as ink, because he knew that no matter what he said, the Emperor before him would not believe him, for he had already made his own judgment.
But once it's confirmed that the girl is marrying in place of her cousin, Princess Weiyang, far away in Nanqiong, will certainly be fine for a while, but what about the girl? What should she do?
Zhou Heng couldn't bear to see her suffer, and was about to grit his teeth and say that he knew nothing, when Xiao Ruofei spoke casually: "As an envoy of Nanqiong, Lord Zhou must be wholeheartedly devoted to the Emperor and Empress of Nanqiong, so how could he tell the truth? If Father wants to know the truth, he might as well ask Third Sister-in-law directly."
The truth was revealed as everyone's eyes fell on Su Wanyue. The Emperor had known the truth all along, and all he wanted was Su Wanyue's confession to prevent the world from thinking that they had wronged her. But clearly, it was Nan Qiong who had broken her promise first.
The so-called "Qin-Jin alliance" was nothing but a conspiracy to "steal the beams and replace the pillars".
The Emperor had already turned his gaze to Su Wanyue, his expression both oppressive and dangerous. "Crown Princess, what do you have to say?"
At this moment, Su Wanyue calmed down. She lowered her eyes. Every moment she had been in Beili, she was afraid that her identity would be exposed, because that would implicate others. She was worried that she would not do well. But when things were really exposed, she felt a long-lost sense of relief. Like a resilient reed, she knelt down and said, "I am indeed not Princess Weiyang. I am willing to bear all the blame and mistakes."
A dark glint flashed in the Emperor's eyes. Such courage and the ability to bend and stretch were truly beyond the capabilities of an ordinary woman. Most women would probably be panicking and at a loss for what to do at this point, or even starting to make excuses. But she remained calm. It seemed that Nan Qiong had carefully selected her people.
Xiao Yu looked at his wife kneeling on the ground, and his heart trembled violently. His fingers, hidden in his wide sleeves, twitched involuntarily. He suddenly realized that perhaps this was his wife's true side: bold and resilient.
At this moment, Xiao Yu wanted to kill someone.
The Emperor gave Su Wanyue a deep look, no longer wanting to waste any more words. "Guards, take the Crown Princess into..."
"Wait a minute." The speaker was Xiao Yu, Consort Qin, and Zhou Heng.
"Your Majesty, the Southern Qiong royal family deceived us first, using a member of the imperial clan to switch the roles and fool us, Bei Li. I will not hold it against you because you were also deceived, but your Crown Princess should be the real Princess Weiyang. Do you understand?" The Emperor felt that he had already done enough to save the woman's face, only temporarily imprisoning her. He did not say that he would torture her. The princes of the royal family who made mistakes were also tortured.
His Majesty had already learned about Princess Zilu of the Southern Prince's Mansion beforehand. She was renowned for both her talent and beauty, and even Princess Weiyang paled in comparison. If it weren't for the Southern Prince's deception, His Majesty would have agreed to let her become the Princess Consort of Cheng, based solely on her status as a royal princess. However, times had changed. The former Prince Cheng had been made Crown Prince, and with the Southern Prince's deception, His Majesty could not accept this woman as his royal daughter-in-law.
Therefore, when he saw Xiao Yu defending her, the Emperor was clearly displeased. He thought this woman was amazing; an imposter, yet she knew how to win people's hearts, and everyone in the palace was protecting her.
The Emperor's face was cold, but Xiao Yu's face was even colder. His voice was as cold as a knife, but his actions were gentle as he picked up his wife in front of everyone. "Your subject has forgotten to tell Father and Mother that she is carrying my child."
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