Chapter 1170 - Chapter 1170 All Kinds of Plots Are in Vain
Chapter 1170 All Kinds of Plots Are in Vain
When Princess Yuyan pushed Infanta Yuan’an, no one expected Infanta Yuan’an to b.u.mp her head.
Princess Yuyan was also fl.u.s.tered. Her hands and feet trembled as she muttered, “No, not like that. I didn’t use much strength. I didn’t push her.”
“Go and find a doctor!” Princess Yutao appeared at the door, looked at the scene inside, and ordered a palace maid beside her. The palace maid turned around and ran out.
Behind the bed curtain, Shao Wanru looked at the scene before her calmly. In Shao Wanru’s previous life, Infanta Yuan’an managed to stay alive after an awful disaster happened to Prince Zhou. The past matched the reality. From this scene, she could tell that Infanta Yuan’an was a formidable opponent.
When pushed, Infanta Yuan’an rushed out and hit herself heavily. Shao Wanru, lying on the bed, could even hear the thud clearly. It could be seen that Shao Wanru had exerted much strength. Infanta Yuan’an was not afraid that she would get seriously injured for real.
In this case, Infanta Yuan’an couldn’t come out of this incident without a scratch. She exposed Princess Yuyan’s secrets, argued with her, and banged her head when pushed by Princess Yuyan. Princess Yuyan couldn’t escape from the punishment, no matter what.
Unexpectedly, Princess Yuyan took a fancy to Chu Liuyue. No wonder she even planned to drag Zhang Qilan down. When Shao Wanru thought of this, the corners of her mouth slightly raised, and she revealed a faint smile.
Every one of the people before her harbored malice toward her. She was not surprised to see them turn against each other.
Whether it was Zhang Qilan, Infanta Yuan’an, or even Princess Yuyan, they were not easy to deal with. So, she might as well let them fall out and become enemies first!
The doctor came quickly. After checking Infanta Yuan’an’s injury, he applied medicine on her wound and bandaged it.
They could not make it clear when things had gone this far. Thus, they went out together. Some rode the horses, and some got on the carriages. All of them headed for the imperial Palace.
When they arrived at the Palace gate, the three brothers went to the Emperor’s Imperial Study, and the few women went to the imperial harem.
Concubine Ming and Consort of Virtue met with a group of people.
The Empress was not in charge of the affairs now, and the Empress Dowager was not feeling well. These people did not dare to disturb the Empress Dowager, so they went into the Palace to see Consort of Virtue and Consort Ming.
Consort Ming was delighted that Chu Liuxin was not involved in this mess. At this time, she comforted everyone with a smile. In contrast, Consort of Virtue’s face darkened a lot. Zhang Qilan was the daughter-in-law she chose. Judging from the information she had learned, Princess Yuyan from the Xu State seemed to have taken a fancy to her son.
In normal times, Consort of Virtue would not mind if Chu Liuyue took her into his mansion as his consort. She was a princess of the Xu State, but the Xu State was just a small country. Although her state supported her, she could not be of much help after marrying into the Kingdom of Dongcang unless her Eldest Brother became the Xu State’s emperor in the future.
She was much less helpful than Zhang Qilan.
After Zhang Qilan sobbed out the whole story, Consort of Virtue looked at Princess Yuyan unfriendly. “She is merely a princess from a small country marrying into our country, but even until now, she has no idea of her humble ident.i.ty. She doesn’t want to marry Chu Qing, that good-for-nothing. Then she is determined to marry my son and audacious enough to plot against the daughter-in-law I chose for my son.
“I’m amazed she had the cheek to scramble for a much higher position.”
Everyone understood what had happened. Infanta Yuan’an and Princess Yuyan had worked together to plot against Princess Chen and Zhang Qilan.
Although Infanta Yuan’an had come, she was still lying unconscious in the side hall. The imperial physicians in the Palace had come to see her, all of whom said she was seriously injured. Things would go from bad to worse if she didn’t wake up.
Shao Wanru didn’t make a complaint in tears. She just briefly answered a few questions when Zhang Qilan mentioned her. She was the most guiltless, much more innocent than Zhang Qilan. If Zhang Qilan was smart, she would avoid saying anything that would implicate her further. After all, Shao Wanru held the evidence of Zhang Qilan framing her.
Shao Wanru lowered her head and looked down at the ground before her, fluttering her long eyelashes twice. She hid all the emotions in her eyes and listened quietly, waiting to see how things would go.
“Princess Yuyan, what’s your purpose?” After Zhang Qilan finished speaking, Consort of Virtue pulled her to sit down on one side and eyed Princess Yuyan unkindly with a sharp look.
Everyone here had gone through ups and downs in the Palace, so how could they not know that Princess Yuyan hatched this plot? Of course, Infanta Yuan’an could not get away.
In Consort of Virtue’s heart, Princess Yuyan was not a decent woman, even worse than Infanta Yuan’an. Thinking that she was a skittish woman, she was filled with nausea.
“Your Grace, I didn’t know things would end like this. Since I had just come to the capital city, I listened to all the arrangements Infanta Yuan’an made for me. I always thought that she did everything for me wholeheartedly.” Princess Yuyan cried. On the way here, Princess Yutao told her she would be doomed if she couldn’t drag Infanta Yuan’an into the mire with her.
Princess Yutao wanted to watch her sink, but after all, she was her younger sister. Besides, she was responsible for accompanying Princess Yutao and ensuring she married smoothly. If Princess Yuyan was no longer qualified to get married, her country might ask her to stay and marry into the Kingdom of Dongcang.
“Your Grace, my sister has just arrived in the capital city of the Kingdom of Dongcang. She is ignorant of everything. My Second Sister said Infanta Yuan’an was nice. They always hung out and had a good time together. If I had known they would cause such serious trouble, I wouldn’t have let my Second Sister go with Infanta Yuan’an.”
Princess Yutao stepped forward and bowed to Consort of Virtue.
Her words were very impartial. She did not say Princess Yuyan was not responsible for it, but her ingenious remarks placed a large part of the responsibility on Infanta Yuan’an. Compared with Princess Yuyan, Infanta Yuan’an knew many more things. Even if she wanted to plot against others, it was easier for her to fall into traps. Moreover, their relations.h.i.+ps with Prince Chen’s Mansion and Prince Yue’s Mansion were complicated.
Princess Yutao didn’t try to sidestep responsibility. Hearing her words, Consort of Virtue’s face softened a little. “Princess Yutao, since your sister is going to marry Commandery Prince Qing, she should have more contact with Commandery Prince Qing. She should often visit the Commandery Prince Qing’s Mansion if she is at leisure. If she wants to go somewhere and have fun, Commandery Prince Qing should accompany her. How could she ask the future Princess Zhou to come along with her? Infanta Yuan’an will marry Prince Zhou, so she doesn’t have time and energy to keep her accompany!”
What Consort of Virtue said almost confirmed that Princess Yuyan was going to marry Chu Qing.
Princess Yuyan was very unconvinced because she had spent a lot of effort avoiding marrying Chu Qing. She was going to marry Chu Liuyue. How could she marry Chu Qing, a useless good-for-nothing?
When she was about to speak, she saw Princess Yutao glaring at her and had to lower her head in silence.
At this time, she didn’t dare to argue with Princess Yutao.
“Of course, when we were still in the Xu State, my father confirmed the marriage between my Second Sister and Commandery Prince Qing. But when we arrived in the Kingdom of Dongcang, she hadn’t received the Emperor’s imperial edict about her marriage. My Second Sister thought His Majesty must have other ideas about her marriage.” Princess Yutao explained.
Consort of Virtue took a deep breath. Although she despised Princess Yuyan, she knew Princess Yuyan was related to the national affairs of the two countries. Thus, it was not a matter of the inner court. “Since it is a dispute between Infanta Yuan’an and Princess Yuyan, I can’t do anything about it. Wait for the Emperor’s order!”
Princess Yuyan, without powerful background, was also a troublemaker. She would not let Princess Yuyan marry into the Prince Yue’s Mansion of her son.
“Princess Chen, what do you think of this?” Consort of Virtue thought for a moment and asked softly, looking at Shao Wanru, who was sitting aside.
Shao Wanru was the most innocent one among them.
“It is for you to decide, Your Grace!” Shao Wanru raised her delicate little face, curved her red lips, and replied softly.
“Speaking of this, both you and Qilan are innocent. Princess Chen, you are the first daughter-in-law of the royal family. You can’t be wronged,” Consort of Virtue said.
Although Zhang Qilan and Infanta Yuan’an would be in the same high position, they had not married yet.
Consort of Virtue intended to dump this problem on Shao Wanru. No matter how Shao Wanru dealt with it, she would offend someone.
“Your Grace, His Majesty has known about it. Let’s wait for his decision!” Shao Wanru said calmly, glancing at Zhang Qilan with deep eyes.
“Mother, let’s wait for His Majesty’s decision!” Meeting Shao Wanru’s eyes, Zhang Qilan had to say something to support her. She didn’t dare to go against her will. Shao Wanru knew all the ins and outs of this matter.
Consort of Virtue frowned, measuring Zhang Qilan and Shao Wanru with the eye. She had heard that they were on good terms with each other, but little did she know their relations.h.i.+p was so good. She was very displeased about this.
Zhang Qilan was going to marry her son, so she should fully consider the interests of the Prince Yue’s Mansion before doing anything. If she couldn’t work for her son’s interests heart and soul, what was the use of having such a daughter-in-law?
“Consort of Virtue, Consort Ming, His Majesty has issued an imperial edict!” A high-pitched voice of a eunuch came in. Then they saw a chief eunuch coming over with a few young eunuchs.
Everyone hurriedly stood up and knelt to accept the imperial edict.
There were two imperial edicts. One was for the marriage between Princess Yuyan and Chu Qing. It said she and the daughter of the Mo Family would marry Chu Qing. However, His Majesty didn’t choose a legal wife for Chu Qing. Therefore, one should be the legal wife, and the other be the secondary legal wife or even a consort. Even if Princess Yuyan became a secondary legal wife, her status was inferior to that of the legal wife.
Hearing this, Consort of Virtue breathed a sigh of relief in her heart. She had worried that the Emperor would think that Princess Yuyan had an affair with her son. If Princess Yuyan were allowed to marry into the Prince Yue’s Mansion, how could it remain peaceful?
She would marry into the Commandery Prince Qing’s Mansion. It meant she would have nothing to do with Consort of Virtue. Since such a troublemaker had not even gotten the position of a legal wife, no one knew what tremendous uproars she would create. For Consort of Virtue, Princess Yuyan could feel free to throw the Chu Qing’s mansion into turmoil. Anyway, she was not in the Prince Yue’s Mansion.
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With Princess Yuyan’s status, she should be Chu Qing’s legal wife, but now the imperial edict didn’t say it. It only said that she would marry Chu Qing. Instead of becoming a secondary legal wife, she might even be a consort. As for her final position, everyone had to wait and see. Anyway, it could be seen that the Emperor was annoyed with Princess Yuyan.
Considering the diplomatic relations between the two countries, the Emperor would not kill Princess Yuyan. However, such an imperial edict was enough to make her suffer a lot.
Since she didn’t like Chu Qing and wanted to find another husband, the Emperor wouldn’t even grant her the position of a legal wife. Since she had an excess of energy, she could fight for a higher place in Chu Qing’s family. This way, she would not instigate incidents and stir up unnecessary trouble in the mansions of the other princes.
The wedding date was set very close. It was in a month.
The marriages of Prince Yue and Prince Zhou were also during this period, but they had started preparing for their weddings long ago. Only Princess Yuyan’s marriage was decided on the spur of the moment, and it was extremely hasty to make the preparations.
As soon as Princess Yuyan heard the imperial edict, she knew the situation was beyond salvation. She would have to marry Chu Qing, whom she despised the most, and try her best to become his legal wife. She was so angry and anxious that she rolled her eyes and fainted directly!