Shang Dongyang remained silent.
He knew his mother was right, and that everything she did was for his sake.
But that was his mother's maternal family, her closest relatives; it was also his greatest support, the maternal family that had helped him rise to prominence.
Now that Chen Ziying is dead, the Chen family mansion is truly extinct!
Shang Dongyang felt incredibly grief-stricken, but the frustration and depression he felt were also making him feel terrible.
When the Empress saw that Shang Dongyang remained silent, she knew that he had accepted the truth.
There was a moment of silence.
The Empress said coldly, "Don't contact those people in the local areas for now, lest the Ninth Prince's men find any clues and cause even greater losses. As for the money, I've already asked Mei Zi to find a way to help you in this emergency. In the time before the Di envoy arrives in the capital, you only need to do one thing."
"Your Majesty, I thank you." Shang Dongyang breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that the matter of the money had been settled, but then asked suspiciously, "Your Majesty, what do you want me to do?"
"Use any means necessary to seduce and please that bandit; if necessary, offer him the position of Crown Prince," the Empress said through gritted teeth, her hand stabbing forward sharply with each needle she pierced. It was as if her needle was not piercing the fabric, but the flesh of the person she hated most.
Shang Dongyang was shocked, dropping his teacup in shock: "What! You want me, the dignified Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, to seduce a bandit? She... she's a whore! By title and seniority, she's my imperial aunt, there's a generation difference between us!"
"Foolish!" The Empress stopped her needlework again, looked up and sternly said, "She is not a simple bandit, she is a divine physician who can bring the dead back to life! Princess Zhaoping was poisoned by the saliva of the Ghost King Spider and was already practically dead, yet she saved Princess Zhaoping in front of everyone. Can't you see any of this?!"
Shang Dongyang still refused to believe or accept such a thing: "Isn't Doctor Xiao at the Ninth Prince's residence? Perhaps the medicine she gave to Princess Zhaoping was given to her by Doctor Xiao?"
"The medicine might have been given by someone else, but after I came back and thought about it carefully, her acupuncture and poison-sealing techniques were firm and precise, which could not have been learned overnight. It is more likely that Doctor Xiao is just a decoy, and the one who cured the Ninth Prince was this bandit." The Empress became more and more certain as she spoke, and a cold light flashed in her eyes: "Otherwise, given the Ninth Prince's past unapproachable nature, how could he have allowed a bandit to get close to him and even take him to heart!"
Upon hearing this, Shang Dongyang suddenly realized: "No wonder the Ninth Prince cared so much about that bandit, even secretly taking her with him to the battlefield. It turns out that protecting that bandit was the same as protecting his own life!"
Everyone cherishes their life. If I had such a divine physician by my side to assist me…
"It's good that you understand," the Empress said with a cold smile.
"Son, I'll go back and prepare now," Shang Dongyang said excitedly as he stood up.
Honestly, that bandit's looks were truly captivating; calling her the most beautiful woman in the Great Zhao Dynasty wouldn't be an exaggeration. If she weren't a bandit, but a divine healer with the power to bring the dead back to life, a woman with both beauty and strength would be irresistible.
Such a woman is absolutely qualified to be the Crown Princess of the Eastern Palace.
The Empress reached out and grabbed her, warning her ominously, "Seduction is fine, but never fall in love with her."
"Why is that?" Shang Dongyang felt uneasy under the Empress's ghostly gaze and avoided her eyes. "If she becomes the Crown Princess, she will definitely be the future Empress when I ascend the throne. We love each other, and we can be a harmonious couple. Wouldn't that be better?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
