It turns out that Prince Jing, Long Yisi, and Prince Hui were ready to make their move, and their primary target was her. Unfortunately for them, she never left her residence, leaving them helpless. They then turned their dark hands towards her family members, but luckily, the Yang family was well-prepared and did not let their conspiracy succeed. Now there were several groups of people watching the two houses, no wonder Long Xuanmo and the others disagreed with spreading this news.
Seeing Yang Mengchen’s furrowed brows, Hai Tang softly said, "Crown Princess Consort, the Crown Prince is concerned for your safety, you should follow the Crown Prince’s wishes."
"Do you think, if I never leave the residence, those rebels will cease their efforts?" Yang Mengchen asked Hai Tang.
She didn’t think she was that important, but with her in their grasp, they could force Wende’s hand and also threaten Brother Jingqi and the others. If she were in their shoes, she too would stop at nothing to snatch this bargaining chip, especially since Prince Jing harbored dirty thoughts towards her.
Hai Tang thought for a moment, "Those rebels are bent on usurping the throne; even if they cannot capture the Crown Princess Consort, they likely won’t easily give up on this plan."
Looking up at the clear blue sky, Yang Mengchen’s expression grew solemn, her dark eyes were unfathomably deep.
A storm was brewing!
She hoped it was just her overthinking, but a foreboding feeling lingered in her heart. She always felt that something big was about to happen, and it was related to her.
Yang Mengchen’s premonition was indeed not wrong. That day, after having breakfast, she was preparing to go to the Commandery Princess Mansion next door, when a bird suddenly landed on her right shoulder, chirped for a while, and then flew away. Yang Mengchen’s expression remained unchanged as she instructed Sister Jin to tell Shen Qiulan and the others that she was a bit tired and would not be going over today. Then, she ordered Mo Mei and the seven others to guard the door and not allow anyone in, leaving only Hai Tang with her.
"Crown Princess Consort, what happened?" Since coming to Yang Mengchen’s side, Hai Tang had never seen such a gloomy look on her face.
Leaning lightly on the soft couch, Yang Mengchen said coldly, "Prince Hui has taken control of Prince Jing and Long Yisi’s forces, and in their names, has openly rebelled in Monan. They are waving the ’Purge the Side of the Monarch, Expel the Evil Spirits’ banner, claiming that there is an evil spirit in the country that must be expelled, or the nation will perish. And that so-called evil spirit is me!"
Prince Hui had originally wanted to attack the Emperor and Long Xuanmo, but unfortunately, found no cause for attack. When the Emperor ascended the throne, there was the late emperor’s edict and his accession was witnessed by the officials and the Imperial Clan, making his claim legitimate. The Emperor had also been diligent and loved the people, especially in recent years as Dong Chu gradually prospered and grew strong. Long Xuanmo, being the legitimate son, was accomplished both in the civil and military fields and had outstanding military merits. Attacking the Emperor and Long Xuanmo would surely lead to resistance from the people of Dong Chu.
Therefore, Prince Hui shifted his attack towards Yang Mengchen. First, because the Emperor and Long Xuanmo were very fond of her, and second, Prince Hui had confirmed that it was she who had caused him to lose a huge amount of wealth and power, and he hated her to the bone.
To prove that Yang Mengchen was an evil spirit, Prince Hui even found the godly monk Wu Yazi, who calculated that Yang Mengchen had actually died at the age of ten, and now her body was occupied by an evil spirit, and he listed some facts to support this claim.
He explicitly said that Yang Mengchen was originally a poor farmer’s girl, dull and witless before the age of ten, barely literate. One day, she fell from a tree and became unconscious. When she woke up, she suddenly knew Medical Skill, understood business, agriculture, and was proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and the six arts. Prince Hui intentionally didn’t mention Old Man Wuwei and Doctor Luo, and how she had become the unmatched genius and God of Chess across the land. A person who was supposed to be dead was now alive and well; if that’s not an evil spirit, what is?
"What nonsense!" Hai Tang was so angry that she was fuming.
Slowly twirling the jade bracelet around her wrist, Yang Mengchen’s expression was calm and indifferent, her eyes and brows tinted with fierceness, "In no more than two days, this news will spread throughout The Capital. Just watch, by then, there might even be people petitioning the Emperor to issue a decree to execute me, the ’evil spirit’."
"Crown Princess Consort, rest assured, with the Crown Prince here, no one dares to cause trouble!" Hai Tang said gravely, "We will also swear to protect the Crown Princess Consort to the death!"
Turning to look at the picturesque scenery outside the window, Yang Mengchen’s lips were slightly pursed, and she remained silent for a long while, her dark eyes hiding self-mockery and worry.
What others thought of her didn’t matter at all; what she worried about was how her family members would see her upon hearing the news?
In her previous life, she did not receive the care and love of relatives. Finally, in this life, she had met the Yang family, who genuinely spoiled and cared for her, allowing her to enjoy the warmth of a family. If they knew the real Yang Mengchen was long gone, would they think it was her fault? How would she face them?
For the entire morning, Yang Mengchen leaned on the soft couch, staring out the window without moving an inch, much to the worry of Sister Jin and the rest.
Suddenly spotting the briskly approaching Long Xuanmo, Mo Mei exclaimed in delight, "The Crown Prince is back."
The others secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
