If he had no family behind him, and if he and the Empress were not related, he would have nothing to fear and could simply tell the truth.
However, he had the entire Fucha family behind him, and the rise and fall of the family was related to the future of too many people. How could Fu Qing dare to gamble so easily?
The Emperor had already stripped the Empress of her authority to manage the harem. If it were to be revealed that she had plotted to harm Yu Shan, given the Emperor's temperament, he would certainly depose Yu Ying from her position as Empress!
As Yu Ying said, Fu Qing didn't care about his future, and it didn't matter if he didn't become an official, but his ninth brother Fu Heng was different.
It's obvious to anyone with eyes that the Emperor is grooming Fuheng. Fuheng is indeed talented, but when the Emperor is grooming someone, family background is also a factor to consider.
Fuheng's noble family background, coupled with his status as the Empress's younger brother, made it easier for him to be promoted and to gain popular support. However, if Fuheng's sister were no longer the Empress, it would be hard to say whether the Emperor would still value him...
The heavy burden on his shoulders eventually overwhelmed his sense of justice, and Fu Qing had no choice but to compromise. At the same time, he was also very clear that he could not hesitate, because if he hesitated, the emperor would definitely suspect him!
In the end, Fu Qing made up his mind and denied it outright, saying, "I did not find anything unusual during my inspection."
Hongli was hoping to find some clues from Fu Qing, but to his surprise, he found nothing.
There is currently no evidence to prove that it was the work of thieves, and the horse died suddenly. The veterinarian examined it but could not explain the cause and could only consider it an accident.
There were too many suspicious things about this matter, and someone must be hiding something. Su Yushan always had her suspicions, but she never thought that the person hiding it would be Fu Qing!
With the trail dead, Hongli was in a bad mood. Su Yushan didn't want to put too much pressure on him, so she pretended to believe it was just an accident.
"It's common for horses to go crazy. I'm lucky that my child and I are alright. There's no need to investigate this matter any further."
Yu Shan insisted on not allowing any further investigation, so Hongli had no choice but to give up and temporarily put the matter aside.
Hongli refused to let her return to the palace, so the Empress Dowager summoned Su Yushan and earnestly persuaded her:
"Now that you are pregnant, it is inconvenient for you to serve the emperor. You might as well return to the palace. The palace has all kinds of food, and the guards keep a close watch on things, so there is no chance of anything going wrong."
Yu Shan had anticipated the Empress Dowager's words and had already prepared a response. Instead of arguing with the Empress Dowager, she found an excuse and sighed mournfully:
"That's what I told Your Majesty as well. Your Majesty was also worried about the child and ordered a thorough investigation, but they couldn't find out the reason. So Your Majesty specially invited a master to tell my fortune."
The wise man said that my pregnancy was fraught with danger, and I needed to stay by the Emperor's side to be protected by his dragon aura in order to avoid it and turn the danger into safety. This incident is the best proof of that.
Su Yushan spoke in a mysterious and cryptic manner. When the Empress Dowager brought up the child's health, Su Yushan also used the child as a pretext. The Empress Dowager was speechless and secretly sighed that this Su Yushan was so eloquent and good at sophistry!
Seeing that the Empress Dowager remained silent and had a gloomy expression, he guessed that she had nothing to say, but he also felt very embarrassed.
Sitting quietly to the side, Gao Xiuwen decided to give the Empress Dowager a way out and took the opportunity to persuade her:
"Your Majesty, why don't we let Consort Chun stay? The hunt will only last for a little over half a month. She's already here, so it won't make much difference when she goes back."
If Consort Chun were to return to the palace alone, and something were to happen to her, the Emperor would surely be frantic! If he then blames you, wouldn't all your good intentions have been wasted?
After careful consideration, the Empress Dowager realized that Gao Xiuwen's words made some sense. If something happened to Su Yushan, whether it was fate or human intervention, Hongli would definitely blame her.
Normally, he might complain, but she was fearless. However, Su was carrying the emperor's child, and royal blood was the most precious thing. For the sake of this child, the Empress Dowager could not take any risks.
Thinking of this, the Empress Dowager finally gave up the idea and reluctantly said to Su Yushan:
"Then you shall stay here for the time being. Remember to be careful and cautious, and never let the child be harmed again. If anything happens to the child, I will hold you responsible!"
Su Yushan obediently responded and sat there for a while until the Empress Dowager said she wanted to rest. Only then did she and Gao Xiuwen get up to take their leave.
On the way out, Su Yushan thanked Gao Xiuwen, "Thank you for speaking up for me earlier."
Gao Xiuwen smiled gently, "Of course, what I said was the truth. It's safer for you to stay by the Emperor's side. After all, Consort Xian is still in the palace, and there are many conflicts between you two. If you go back to the palace, and Consort Xian has bad intentions, it will be really hard to guard against."
Lan Rong's confinement period has expired. The Empress Dowager originally planned to take Lan Rong out of the palace with her, but Hongli firmly refused and left her in the palace. If Yu Shan returns to the palace early, it is hard to guarantee that Lan Rong will not resort to underhanded tricks to retaliate against her.
After much thought, staying in the hunting grounds is the safest option.
In the days that followed, Hongli led a group of princes, ministers, and guards on a hunting trip.
The princes all traveled together, and Rong Yu also wanted to join them, so she repeatedly begged her father, the Emperor.
Hongli thought his daughter was good at horseback riding and could try hunting, but Su Yushan was worried that her daughter would get hurt.
Hongli laughed heartily, full of confidence in his daughter, "She is the only princess in the royal family, and she should be proficient in both literature and martial arts. She should be well-versed in poetry and also skilled in riding and archery."
Rong Yu gently shook his mother's hand, "Mother, I've learned everything and I'm quite agile! I'm not as delicate as you think. Please let me give it a try!"
The father and daughter worked together, with Su Yushan thinking that since her daughter was interested in hunting, she should let her experience it. Parents shouldn't always be too controlling; it's good to loosen the reins sometimes.
After thinking it through, she stopped stopping her daughter and agreed to let her go hunting.
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