Chapter 411

Lin Feiran, who understood the Emperor’s meaning, could not help but be shocked. She had to clench her fists tightly in order not to lose her composure on the spot. She thought that she was the focus of the banquet today, but in the end, she became a joke. The Emperor wanted to strengthen the diplomatic relationship between the Da’an Kingdom and the Great Yue Kingdom through marriage, and certainly, Bu Yonghan alone was ten times better than her. Moreover, Noble Consort Li’s loss of power had become inevitable. If Noble Consort Li fell, the Lin Family would probably not be able to last long. What could the impulsive and arrogant Third Prince, who was the last one standing, do?

Thinking of this, Lin Feiran couldn’t help but feel a tightness in her chest and a bitter taste in her mouth. She almost couldn’t breathe and wanted to faint. If she had known this was the outcome today, she would have dissuaded Noble Consort Li to stop attacking Baili Junyi. Perhaps, this would not have happened. Unfortunately, the matter had already been concluded. It was useless to regret it now.

In the end, the atmosphere of the banquet was quite good. At least, it was bustling until the end. However, after Baili Qingcang announced the end of the banquet and left, everyone quickly left the imperial palace, as if there was a ferocious beast lurking behind them.

Baili Junyi and Shen Ninghua waited patiently. Only after everyone had left did they slowly get up and walk out.

“Princess Zhaohua!” Bu Yonghan took two steps forward and looked at Shen Ninghua with a smile. “May I have a word with you in private?”

Shen Ninghua looked at Baili Junyi at the side and nodded slightly. Baili Junyi raised his hand to help Shen Ninghua tidy up the pearl hairpin on her head. He carefully pulled out a golden hairpin and held it in his palm. “I’ll wait for you at the side.” With that, he walked and stood in front of a pillar and casually played with the golden hairpin in his hand.

Bu Yonghan understood his actions and smiled faintly. “The Fifth Prince really cares about you, Your Highness. I’m really jealous. The golden pin will certainly pierce through my throat if I am a little disrespectful to you, I’m afraid.”

“Is this all you want to say to me?” Shen Ninghua looked at her calmly.

“Of course, not. Someone once told me that you are intelligent and sensible. You should make your name out there instead of trapping yourself in a prince’s backyard.”

Shen Ninghua smiled gently, not wanting to waste another second having such a meaningless conversation with Bu Yonghan. She would prefer to take the time to rest at home. Lately, she was particularly tired. “Is there anything else? If there is nothing else, I will leave. Junyi is still waiting for me.”

“Princess Zhaohua, are you really happy? Are you really happy to live such a stressful life in a prince’s backyard? Think about your life: you have to be careful around others; you can’t even decide your own life. From time to time, you will be suppressed and reprimanded. You even have to live every day in fear in case someone tries to harm you. Do you not get tired and frustrated of living such a miserable life every day?” Bu Yonghan quickly finished speaking, and a glimmer of light flashed in her eyes when she saw Shen Ninghua stop in her tracks.

“Your Highness, you are a smart person. You should know what kind of choice is best for you. I think that we will soon become sisters-in-law. At that time, we should help each other, don’t you think?”

Shen Ninghua turned to look at her. Her dark eyes were profound and bottomless. “Princess Yonghan, I think you should know who will become your future husband. Judging from your expression, I think you have fulfilled your wish. But I would like to advise you that the most important thing is to live your own good life. Please don’t stick your nose into someone else’s business when you can’t even manage your own. You may waste all your time and effort on a wild-goose chase.”

“It seems that I can’t knock some senses into your head. Since that is the case, I won’t take up your time.”

When Shen Ninghua heard this, she directly turned around and left. Baili Junyi walked over and held her hand. The two of them slowly walked back. The smile on Bu Yonghan’s face disappeared bit by bit. A slender figure walked out from the shadows. There was a mocking smile on the figure’s face. He was the Sixth Prince, Bu Jinglan. “See? You shouldn’t waste your time. I told you so, but you just won’t listen! How do you feel now?”

Bu Yonghan suddenly turned her head and snorted coldly. “Brother, you are willing to admit defeat because you’re not capable, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t do it. Hmph, just wait and see!” After saying that, she strode away.

Bu Jinglan sneered. Back then, he wanted to take Shen Ninghua back to the Great Yue Kingdom with him so badly. With her intelligence and ability to scheme, she would have a great life in his country, but she directly refused his offer and married Baili Junyi. Because of this, she had to constantly deal with others in the palace. He had never known what was playing in her mind. After trying his luck over and over again, he gave up. Now, he kindly warned Bu Yonghan for her own good, but she didn’t believe him at all. The Empress had spoiled her rotten. Since that was the case, he could only hope that she did not collapse too miserably in the end…

Today was destined to be a sleepless night. After Noble Consort Li returned to Changqiu Palace, she quickly summoned the Third Prince. The Third Prince was on pins and needles at this moment. When he received the summon, he rushed to Changqiu Palace and grunted, “Mother, what should we do now? Father Emperor seems to have already determined that we were the culprits.”

Noble Consort Li’s face turned pale, but she warned him coldly, “Hey, don’t panic. The matter has not come to an end yet.”

“Mother, how can I not panic?! That reckless Qingyu has already been taken away. Father Emperor ordered the Ministry of Justice to interrogate her overnight. I’m afraid that the results of the interrogation will be sent to Father Emperor’s desk tomorrow morning. By then, everything will be too late!”

Noble Consort Li took a deep breath, and her gaze slowly calmed down. “I’m the one who planned all this. You have nothing to do with it. Do you understand?”

Stunned, the Third Prince stood there foolishly. “W-What? No… Y-You can’t do that…”

“Why not?!” Noble Consort Li’s gaze was resolute. “There is nothing else I can do about it. Someone must take the blame. If we’re not decisive enough, I’m afraid that even your maternal grandparents’ family will be implicated. At that time, you and the Fourth Prince’s situation will become even worse.”

Thinking that he did not need to be implicated, the Third Prince felt relieved. But looking at Noble Consort Li in front of him, he could not help but feel sad. He knelt down with a thump. “Mother, if that’s the case, Father Emperor…”

“I’ve been married with him for many years. He won’t execute me by death. At most, he will denounce me. I don’t mind as long as you and the Fourth Prince are fine. You’ll have a chance to take me out of the palace in the future. It’s okay to suffer for the time being. We will always be able to take revenge in the future. But if we let the matter fester, I’m worried that even you and your brother will be implicated.”

“Mother…” The Third Prince hugged Noble Consort Li’s leg, his eyes full of tears. “Mother, I’m useless. I’m sorry for letting you suffer. Don’t worry, I will definitely set you free.”

Noble Consort Li nodded. “Alright, don’t cry. I will personally go to the Emperor later to plead guilty. You have your people in the Ministry of Justice, don’t you? Tell them to kill Qingyu as soon as possible, lest she spills too many beans. After the Emperor punishes me, you and the Fourth Prince will go to the palace and plea for leniency. No matter if the Emperor scolds you or slashes you with a sword, you must kneel outside the palace to show the officials and people your filial piety. Tell your grandfather to lay low for a while and wait for the right time to strike again.”

“Yes, Mother. I have remembered everything.”

After the Third Prince left, Noble Consort Li put on Noble Consort’s palace dress and a full set of hairpins and jewelry. After carefully applying the makeup and adjusting the accessories, she was in a daze as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. This was probably the last time she was wearing like this. After a while, she got up and slowly walked toward Chengqian Hall.

As soon as she went out, Noble Consort Qi received a message. “Your Grace, I saw the Third Prince leave with a frightened expression. It seemed that he had suffered a blow. Then, I saw Noble Consort Li walking toward Chengqian Hall, where the Emperor is.”

Noble Consort Qi nodded and then sneered. “Noble Consort Li wants to take all the blame by herself.”

“Your Grace, do you want to send someone to stop her?” It was easy to stop a noble consort who had lost power to see the Emperor.

“No. Why should I stop her? She’s jumping into the grave she dug, so we just wait and see.” Noble Consort Qi took a sip of tea and asked the palace maid to massage her knees. She had been kneeling for a long time today, and her knees had bruised. “Does she really think that she has such a great ability to bear all the crime…”

“You are right, Your Grace.”

Not long after Baili Junyi and Shen Ninghua returned to the mansion, Hong Ling entered and reported, “Master, Miss, Noble Consort Li confessed to the Emperor and said that she was the sole mastermind behind all this. The Emperor was furious and ordered his men to move Noble Consort Li into Cold Palace.”

Shen Ninghua nodded slightly. “Noted. Bu Jinglan and Lin Feiran will leave tomorrow. I guess the imperial edict about Noble Consort Li’s deposition will be released after they leave. Any news from the Ministry of Justice?”

“The Third Prince sent people to make a contact. Everything is as you expected. Qingyu will not survive tonight.”

“The Third Prince and the Fourth Prince are Father Emperor’s biological sons. Even if he is angry with them, he won’t really do anything to them. Besides, in the future, the court needs them to check and balance, so he won’t pursue it too much.”

Baili Junyi held Shen Ninghua’s hand and rubbed it carefully. “I’m afraid that tonight will be a chaotic night. Don’t think too much about it. Go and have a good rest. Our daughter should be sleepy.”

Shen Ninghua rubbed her belly. “Okay, got it.”

The next day, when Baili Junyi went to court, Bu Jinglan and Lin Feiran bid farewell to Baili Qingcang in the court and left the capital with generous dowry and rewards.

As soon as the procession left the capital, an imperial edict about Noble Consort Li’s deposition was released. By the time Baili Junyi returned from court, everyone in the capital had already known about the news.

The Third Prince and the Fourth Prince wanted to plead for leniency, but they were harshly reprimanded by the Emperor. The two of them knelt outside the palace hall, begging the Emperor to spare Noble Consort Li. The two of them were willing to bear the blame for their mother. Baili Qingcang ignored them, and they continued to kneel.

This time, Baili Qingcang was furious. Qingyu suddenly died in the Ministry of Justice’s prison last night, and they didn’t manage to get any useful testimony from her. However, the stealthy guards had thoroughly investigated the ins and outs of the matter. Knowing that Noble Consort Li had taken the initiative to bear the blame alone and even told the Third Prince and Fourth Prince to kneel and plead for leniency, Baili Qingcang felt a great sense of betrayal and deception. He became more and more disgusted with the character of the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince. Noble Consort Li was their birth mother, yet they had the heart to push their mother out to take the blame. What else would they not do in the future?!