Chapter 417 – Be My Empress (2)
Mo Rongzhan moved his fingers, dismissing Wu Chong. He lowered his eyes deep in thought. This injury could have been an accident because the person they wanted to kill was A’Yi or Yaoyao. However, he believed that he could utilize this injury to solve some problems he hadn’t been able to before.
Weren’t there many people in the capital looking forward to his downfall? Today, he would give them the chance to revolt; give them a chance to force him off his throne.
No matter the person behind the hunting grounds incident, or the imperial branches, who had continually been moving in favor of revolting with the deposed emperor, he would be able to use this opporunity to quench their hopes.
Not long after Wu Chong retreated, Tang Zhen came.
“…Half a month ago, the eighth prince had someone capture a tiger deep in the mountains, and starved it for many days. Just a day before Little Prince went to the hunting grounds, he released the tiger into the forest and broke the fence in the hunting grounds. I have investigated those a.s.sa.s.sins. They are no ordinary soldiers; they are the former guards of the house of the Marquis Xinyang. Marquis Xinyang harbored resentment for the revokement of his t.i.tle, so he plotted with the eighth prince, and bribed a guard of Little Prince. It was that guard that gave him the information about Little Prince’s whereabouts,” Tang Zhen told Mo Rongzhan about the details of the investigation.
Mo Rongzhan’s face was like frost. “So, Prince Shun bore a grudge from losing in that polo match to A’Yi, and wanted to kill him?”
“The person he ordered to kill was the princess.” Tang Zhen tightened his fist. It didn’t matter if the emperor decided to kill Prince Shun or not, he wouldn’t let this person off.
“Take your evidence and arrest the people. Go to the empress dowager for her imperial edict.” Mo Rongzhan said coldly, “Keep the news that I have woken up from the public for now.”
Having received the order, Tang Zhen left. He needed to communicate with the empress dowager, in case she would spread the news of the emperor regaining consciousness.
Ye Zhen had already been waiting outside the door and knew Tang Zhen was inside. She didn’t go in. Seeing him come and go, she knew that it was by Mo Rongzhan’s orders. They probably had something important to talk about.
“Yaoyao—” Tang Zhen saw Ye Zhen as soon as he came out and immediately felt an ache in his heart, looking at her grievously.
“Brother Tang.” Ye Zhen smiled at him.
Tang Zhen opened his mouth. He had many things he wanted to say to her; things he should have said in the hunting grounds. But now, he didn’t know how to start.
“Yaoyao, I—” Tang Zhen looked at her constrainedly, clenching his teeth. He wanted to say that he was willing to leave the capital for her.
Ye Zhen seemed to know what he wanted to say. She lightly smiled. “I’ll first give this to the emperor. If there’s anything you need to say, you can do it the next time.”
Tang Zhen nodded stiffly. “All right.”
Ye Zhen walked past him with the medicated dishes.
He looked back at her, lowering his gaze to walk down the steps of the Palace of Heavenly Purity. Outside, the sun shone brilliantly, but couldn’t seem to reach his heart. A cold fog had already covered his heart.
“When were you and Tang Zhen… so close?” Mo Rongzhan watched Ye Zhen as she walked in. He heard her call Tang Zhen “Brother Tang”. This made him feel an unexplainable… displeasure.
Ye Zhen didn’t even look at him, lightly saying, “We have always been very close.”
Mo Rongzhan felt his chest was even more stuffy. “Call me Brother Zhan once?”
“——” Ye Zhen looked up at him speechlessly. “Your Majesty, is your wound on your back or your head?”
Why was it that after two days of unconsciousness, he had completely changed?
Mo Rongzhan’s handsome face looked unpleasant, and he coldly hummed, “As soon as I deal with all of those bothers, I will speak with the empress dowager to rid you of your t.i.tle as princess. I want to have your hand as Empress.”
Ye Zhen froze for a second, walking over with a bowl of meat congee, lightly placing it on the table beside the bed. “I don’t want to be Empress.”
“Why?” Mo Rongzhan looked at her with a frown. Did she still have doubts about his feelings for her?
“Mo Rongzhan—” She revealed a sorrowful smile. “In my heart, your Empress should be Ye Zhen.”
“She’s already dead!” He hadn’t expected that she would still care so much about this matter.
“You killed her!” Ye Zhen angrily shouted.
“I have never wanted for her to die. Though I didn’t want to make her Empress, I wouldn’t kill her. That day, I had ordered Lu Lingzhi to the Duke Qin’s Estate with the intent to send her to the traveling palace (vacation home for imperial family). She killed herself out of vexation,” Mo Rongzhan said.
“You liar! You clearly sent poisoned wine….” Ye Zhen shook her head. Impossible! She remembered it had been he who had ordered the poisoned wine. Lu Lingzhi had said so.
Mo Rongzhan frowned and said, “When did I order poisoned wine? Where did you hear this from?”