Chapter 322 Afraid of wronging her
"How dare you! Do you think a woman with such a vicious mind, capable of twisting right and wrong, is fit to be my Crown Princess? What wishful thinking!" Pei Siyan's brows furrowed with intense malice. Sheng Xiyue's thoughts represented those of a segment of powerful and aristocratic families.
Pei Siyan's resentment towards powerful and aristocratic families continued to rise. They were too arrogant and their reach was too long.
If they were able to murder Consort Zhang so easily this time, does that mean they can murder whomever they want?
Sheng Chunfang seemed to have aged considerably in an instant, her low, hoarse voice filled with helplessness, "Sheng Xiyue has developed delusions, her words are not valid, I hope Your Highness will show mercy."
"In that case, let the Imperial City Guard handle it according to the law," Pei Siyan ordered in a deep voice.
If the Sheng family were to refuse to back down and insist on pleading for mercy, he could vent his anger on them. However, Sheng Xifang had already abandoned him. If he insisted on pursuing the Sheng family's joint responsibility at this moment, it would inevitably cause a huge uproar in the court.
If only Sheng Xiyue is punished, the Sheng family will owe her a huge favor.
If the Sheng family makes another big mistake in the future, he will have a reason to settle accounts later.
This time, Sheng Xiyue didn't try to kill herself; she almost collapsed to the ground and fainted.
After everyone dispersed, Dou Wenyi stayed behind. Consort Zhang's condition was still unclear, and she was quite worried.
Recently, the Northern Barbarians have been making strange moves again. Zhang Chengxian and Pei Siyan came out of their sleeping quarters and rushed to Chongzheng Hall without stopping.
Zhang Chengxian's brows furrowed with worry. "Your Highness, the palace is rife with danger and violence. A single misstep could lead to certain death. My aunt has been trapped in the palace her whole life. Perhaps we could let her go to her fiefdom with the princess someday."
Pei Siyan had no objection to this. "What's so difficult about that? As long as Her Majesty is willing, she can live anywhere. Little Seven is only eight years old now, and there are still seven years until she comes of age and can establish her own household. If they want to live in the royal villa for a long time, that's not impossible either."
Zhang Chengxian carefully chose his words, "What about the Crown Princess? Your Highness, who knows how many more incidents like this will happen in the future? Although we escaped unscathed this time, those conspiracies and schemes are impossible to guard against..."
This incident even implicated her aunt. Even with the Crown Prince's backing, her situation is truly worrying.
Pei Siyan raised an eyebrow slightly, his tone firm and resolute, "Rest assured, anyone who dares to touch her will have to step over my dead body first!"
"Your Highness, she's actually had a tough time. Apart from her grandmother, the rest of the Dou family aren't truly sincere towards her. Please be more understanding of her..."
"Do you even need to remind me?"
After Zhang Chengxian finished speaking, he belatedly realized that what he said was inappropriate, after all, he was not her brother!
He touched his nose and smiled憨厚ly, "It's my fault, I talked too much. My master always told me to talk less and do more, it's true that too much talk leads to mistakes!"
Pei Siyan didn't mind at all. He always felt that although Zhang Chengxian's feelings for her were intense, they didn't necessarily mean love. After all, Dou Wenyi had always treated him as just a friend.
Zhang Chengxian understood this better than he did.
Therefore, he and Shen Yanzhou are fundamentally different.
"Alright, stop pretending. I know you too well. Lianyi'er is a blessed person. Not only did she save your Zhang family from dire straits, but marrying her is my blessing as well. No, to be precise, she is a blessing for the Great Zhou and for all living beings."
Zhang Chengxian suddenly realized that Dou Wenyi was special, and it seemed that she had already confided in the Crown Prince.
He breathed a sigh of relief for no apparent reason. He used to feel like he had a responsibility to save her, but Pei Siyan treated her sincerely and was considerate in every way, so he had nothing to worry about.
Pei Siyan twitched the corner of his lips, then changed the subject, "As for you, what do you think? Are you planning to observe three years of mourning for your father before getting married? If you have no feelings for someone else, don't delay them. Call off the engagement as soon as possible."
"There are quite a few people eyeing her, and some have already come to me asking for a marriage decree. Don't blame me for not warning you, if you don't hurry up, you might end up a bachelor for life!"
Zhang Chengxian's face flushed slightly, and his earlobes turned bright red. "Who begged you for help?"
Pei Siyan said jokingly, "Who's not going to fight you? Don't you know your own limitations?"
Zhang Chengxian cursed inwardly, "These bastards dare to try and steal my men! This time, even if the Emperor himself comes, I won't let them!"
——
Dou Wenyi stayed by Consort Zhang's side almost all night, and it wasn't until nearly dawn that she dragged her tired body out of the bedchamber.
As soon as they stepped out of the Jingkun Palace gate, they saw a sedan chair. Eunuch Anxi greeted them with a smile, "Your Highness, I was worried that you might be too tired, so I specially instructed you to wait here."
Where is His Highness?
Eunuch Anxi hesitated before speaking, "There's been some unusual activity from the Northern Barbarians. His Highness and the court officials argued all night."
His Highness the Crown Prince wants to personally lead the expedition, but the ministers all say the national treasury is empty and strongly oppose it. It is likely that the Crown Princess is unaware of this matter. He hopes that she can persuade him, but he dares not reveal too much.
Back at the East Palace, Dou Wenyi quickly washed up and collapsed onto the bed. A short while later, Pei Siyan returned.
He tiptoed away, lifted the curtain, pulled back the covers, and lay down with practiced ease. Then he pulled her into his arms. "You've had a hard time, Yi'er. I'm so sorry for making you suffer."
Dou Wenyi opened her eyes. "It's Sheng Xiyue's malicious intentions, how can you be blamed?"
In the dim light, Pei Siyan's eyes were deep and unfathomable. If she hadn't married him, she wouldn't have gotten into so much trouble.
The position of empress may seem glamorous, but it is actually a position of extremes.
What happened today may only be the beginning. Those powerful figures who are plotting behind the scenes will never give up, and who knows how many more layers of intrigue they have up their sleeves.
He was afraid that he hadn't done enough, and even more worried that he had wronged her. "Yi'er, you must be careful in everything you do."
Dou Wenyi was well aware of his concerns. Jingkun Palace had already undergone several major purges, yet spies planted by aristocratic families still remained, demonstrating the formidable power of those behind it.
Her tone was teasing, "Sanlang, don't worry, I'll protect myself. After all, I've died once, so this time, I have to live well. Besides, I haven't seen the Great Zhou Dynasty in peace and prosperity yet."
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