Chu Yaoyao had no idea what her mother was thinking. After watching the rich woman leave, she grinned and started to pick up the treasures on the table.

He was slurping his saliva while scraping.

[Sent, sent…]

Seeing her like this, Concubine Shu silently covered her face. Fortunately, Concubine Meng had left, otherwise...

So embarrassing!

Imperial Study

Zhao Chengwen lowered his head in shame and knelt down to plead guilty. "I have failed your Majesty's trust. Please forgive me."

"Get up first. You were not in the capital at the time, so it's not your fault. Who was guarding that cell?"

"Your Majesty, it's the Imperial Guards."

No matter what, it was his fault for not being strict with his subordinates. I didn't expect that the emperor would not blame him.

Zhao Chengwen felt even more guilty because of this.

"Ahem, father!" The prince walked in with a pale face.

Seeing this, Emperor Qixuan stood up and walked over, looking at him worriedly, "Why are you here? If you are sick, you should rest well."

"I am worried."

After thinking for a moment, Emperor Qixuan looked at Zhao Chengwen and said, "Then let's start with the imperial guards guarding the prison."

"I want to see who is betraying me!"

"yes!"

After Zhao Chengwen left, the prince looked hesitant and seemed to be hesitant to speak.

"If you have something to say, just say it."

"Father, why don't we go to Qionghua Palace?"

After hearing his words, Emperor Qixuan returned to his chair and sat down again.

He had also thought about it. When he heard the news that Xiao Hu was silenced, he subconsciously thought of Yaoyao.

But this is wrong. Yaoyao is just a two-year-old baby and should not bear all this.

They couldn't always rely on Yaoyao, and she had already helped enough.

This time, the clues were all in front of them, but the Xiao family still took advantage of it! "We can't always rely on her."

What's more, they don't know what price Yaoyao will pay for this news, so they can't take the risk.

The prince stepped forward and said anxiously: "Father, I understand what you mean, but..." Time waits for no one.

Emperor Qixuan raised his hand to interrupt him.

"I know that the sooner this cancer of the Xiao family is eradicated, the better, but... let's wait for news from the third brother first."

"Third brother?"

At night, at the gate of Changhua Palace.

Chu Yao took Xiao Anzi and hid in the corner before, secretly looking at the guards at the door.

"There are more guards than last time. Are you sure you can get in?"

Xiao Anzi patted his chest and assured, "Don't worry, Your Highness."

Suddenly, a person came from the distance, but he was quite far away and Chu Yao couldn't see his face clearly.

I could only vaguely hear the guards at the door shouting respectfully: "Hello, Captain Sun!"

Captain Sun? Could he be the Xiao family's spy?

Before Chu Yao could think about it, he heard Xiao Anzi calling him, "Third Prince, you can go in now."

"Ah?" Chu Yao looked over and saw that there was no one at the gate.

Although he was doubtful, he did not dare to show any expression other than surprise at this moment.

After entering the gate of Changhua Palace, he encouraged himself in his heart as he walked.

Although his mother is not as easy to deceive as Xiao Anzi, he is sure he can do it.

He is no longer the good-for-nothing Third Prince.

He is Chu Yao who has read the Thirty-Six Stratagems!

"Yao'er!"

Xian Fei ran out of the room, hugged him, and grabbed his shoulders, "Hurry up and let mother see it."

Although he didn't know how much of this worry was true or false, Chu Yao's eyes still turned red the moment he saw his mother.

Why did she rebel? Why did she poison her father and him? Why did she treat him like this?

Seeing this, Concubine Xian thought he was asking about the punishment, so she naturally couldn't tell him the reason.

After a long while, she uttered a few words, "Your father has some misunderstandings about your mother."

Hearing this, Chu Yao took a step back and avoided her hand.

So this is what my mother thought. It was a close call, I almost got exposed.

The two of them walked into the room in silence. Concubine Xian handed him a handkerchief and asked casually.

"Did Yaoer come to Changhua Palace the night before yesterday?"

Chu Yao's hand holding the handkerchief paused. It seemed that his mother still suspected him.

"Hmph!" He angrily wiped his face with a handkerchief a few times and then threw it to the ground.

"I was originally going to come and see my mother, but was stopped by Xiao Zhuozi outside!"

Seeing that he was the same as usual, Concubine Xian reached out and gently touched his forehead, "You are still so naughty."

"Now the Queen Mother and the Emperor both have a problem with Mother. You really shouldn't have come to Changhua Palace. He did the right thing. He is a loyal man. What a pity..."

Chu Yao clenched his hands tightly under the table, with a puzzled expression on his face.

"What's so sad? Didn't my son come in anyway?"

Xian Fei chuckled, "That's not what mother is talking about. Didn't Yao'er notice that someone is missing from his side?"

Chu Yao lowered his head and thought for a long time, then shook his head, "Who is missing?"

"Little Zhuozi." After the virtuous concubine said this, she secretly observed his reaction.

Hearing the name, Chu Yao's back froze for a moment, then he slammed the table and stood up suddenly.

"If mother hadn't told me, I wouldn't have noticed. Where did this servant go? He didn't even tell me. He simply doesn't take me seriously!"

Concubine Xian stood up and handed him a glass of water, "Yao'er, don't be angry. Mother, send him away."

Chu Yao first drank a sip of water, then asked: "Where did you send it to?"

The nonchalant tone made it seem like he was just asking casually.

The virtuous concubine looked at him, sighed softly, and said meaningfully: "Of course it is..."

"Send him to reunite with his family."

Chu Yao suddenly realized, "Go home, it's better to go. You keep nagging me all day and trying to persuade me to study. It's so annoying!"

"Speaking of studying, mother..."

Chu Yao looked at her cautiously, "I heard that my father and grandmother punished my mother because I didn't study hard."

"If I study hard, will my father not punish you if he is happy?"

"No!" Concubine Xian shouted subconsciously.

Afterwards, she seemed to realize that her reaction was a bit too intense, and she smiled and poured him a glass of water.

"Studying is so tiring. Mother just wants Yaoer to be happy."

"Okay, I'll listen to my mother." Chu Yao sat down deflated, holding the cup and drinking it in sips.

At this moment, he felt extremely disappointed. Would his mother rather be punished than let him make progress? "Good boy, try this, fresh out of the pot." Concubine Xian pushed a plate of snacks to his side.

Chu Yao grabbed a few pieces and stuffed them into his mouth, nodding as he ate, "The snacks in Mother's Palace are still the best."

"Who told you why mother was punished?"

Chu Yao was eating a snack and said vaguely: "Xiao Anzi said so."

"Yeah?"

There was a flash of murderous intent in Concubine Xian's eyes. She thought he was a smart guy!

Soon, she thought of something else.

"The little girl born to Concubine Shu seems to be quite popular with the Emperor and the Empress Dowager recently."

Hearing this, Chu Yao paused.

Mother, are you going to attack Yaoyao? Seeing this, Concubine Xian narrowed her eyes slightly, and her tone was inexplicably dangerous.

"What's wrong with Yao'er? Are you hiding something from mother?"

(End of this chapter)