Chapter 441: Lie
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The enraged Crown Prince summoned Su Bin, but Su Bin’s response remained consistent with what both he and the Third Prince had affirmed. There were no apparent loopholes in his account. Su Bin went the extra mile to corroborate his story, even locating the uncle who had directed him to the restroom, providing further evidence of his truthfulness.
In the face of this, the Crown Prince found no grounds to fault Su Bin and reluctantly abandoned his investigation. Continuing to probe would only suggest a deliberate agenda.
Nevertheless, the Crown Prince was left perplexed. If this situation was orchestrated by Su Bin, then he possessed extraordinary power. Even with Qin Zhenzhen’s support, it was improbable that one or two individuals could execute a plan involving bringing in a courtesan, bribing Fifth Sister’s maids, handling her guards, and secretly relocating her behind the rockery.
This complex operation necessitated a well-coordinated team, making it almost impossible for Su Bin to act alone. Something didn’t add up. There had to be someone behind Su Bin!
The Crown Prince’s suspicions quickly focused on the Third Prince, who had coincidentally arrived in the backyard with Su Bin and the others. It was too much of a coincidence to dismiss; they must have been conspiring.
The Crown Prince felt a growing frustration. He was certain that the Third Prince was the mastermind behind all this, with the aim of uncovering his vulnerabilities and bringing him down from his position as the Crown Prince.
Even when the Crown Prince failed to find any evidence against the Third Prince, the latter ruthlessly tarnished his own sister’s reputation, spreading the scandal that she was involved in the matter.
If anything befell his fifth sister, the implications would undoubtedly reach him. Even if he managed to distance himself from the situation, the Third Prince would have successfully exacted his revenge. After all, Fifth Sister was his only full sibling, sharing the same mother.
The destruction of Fifth Sister’s reputation also dealt a severe blow to his mother. Despite the Empress’s stable position in the harem, her relationship with their father had deteriorated significantly. In essence, the Empress had long been leading the life of a widow, despite her t.i.tle as the head of the six palaces.
Their father’s harem was not lacking in beautiful women, and Fifth Sister’s scandal would undoubtedly enrage their father, leading him to vent his anger on the Empress tor tailing to properly raise her daughter.
With all these considerations, the Crown Prince wished he could confront the Third Prince and Su Bin immediately. The Third Prince couldn’t simply stand by; the person who had exposed the scandal was none other than his own imperial sister, the fifth princess, who had brought disgrace upon the entire royal family.
In addition to a.s.sisting the Crown Prince in pursuing the fifth princess’ personal maid, the Third Prince had even arranged for an escort to bring the fifth princess back to the palace. He personally reported the entire incident to their father, further fueling the Emperor’s fury.
The Emperor, in his anger, summoned the Crown Prince, the Third Prince, and the fifth princess for questioning overnight. Prior to this, the Crown Prince had already consulted with the Empress and the fifth princess to devise a strategy.
In the presence of their mother, they presented a distorted version of the truth, with the fifth princess a.s.suming the role of a grieving victim, weeping incessantly. Her heartache at that moment was genuine. Despite the Empress’s two slaps, the fifth princess remained silent, continuing to weep.
The Crown Prince had cautioned her not to say anything in front of their father and mother, a.s.suring her that he would handle everything and minimize the damage to her reputation.
With the situation having escalated to this point, the fifth princess had no choice but to heed her elder brother, the Crown Prince, despite her intense resentment towards him.
She harbored a deep loathing for the Crown Prince because, had he not tempted her with Su Bin’s portrait, she wouldn’t have found herself in this unfortunate predicament.
The Crown Prince proceeded to convey a fabricated account to the Empress, stating, “Fifth Sister had a bit to drink due to her joyous mood. Overwhelmed by the alcohol, she retired to her chambers to rest.”
“However, I could never have antic.i.p.ated that someone would bribe her maid and the guards to administer a concoction to her, subsequently leading her to the cave near the rockery..”