Chapter 305 - There Was Poison in the Wine!

The Third Prince narrowed his eyes, and rays of indignant light flashed past. “I know. Even if Father Emperor doesn’t strip Baili Jinyi of his position as the Crown Prince, he will always be on guard against him, and no matter what he does from now on, others will be skeptical and doubtful. Before long, Father Emperor will lose his patience. But I’m dismayed…”

This was such a rare opportunity. If he missed it just like that, it would be the same as letting him spit out what was in his mouth.

Glancing at him, Prince An snorted silently in disdain, but his expression remained calm.

“Third Prince, you should know what the Crown Prince was like in the past. For so many years, the Crown Prince has been unassailable. Apart from the Zhao Family’s great power and Zhao Huiying being favored by His Majesty, his cautious personality is the key. Do you think the other princes never thought of ways to pull him down? But after such a long time, did they get any evidence against him?”

The Third Prince calmed down. Thinking of the Crown Prince’s appearance in the past, he squinted, and a trace of deep fear flashed through his eyes. “Indeed.”

In the past, the Crown Prince had a gentle personality and handled matters meticulously. Even if you kept an eye on him all day long, you would not be able to find any flaw.

“But it’s different now. His Majesty instinctively has a grudge against him. No matter how well he performs, His Majesty will not trust him as much as before. In this way, we will have greater benefits from this.”

“Benefits?” The Third Prince asked. “How big can it be?”

Hearing this, Prince An was full of contempt for the Third Prince. He had already pointed it out so clearly, but the latter still hadn’t figured it out. On second thought, a dimwitted person like the Third Prince was easier to control, so he swallowed his anger.

“In the future, if the Crown Prince makes any achievements, as long as you provoke him a little, the credit will be in vain. If he makes a mistake, the consequences… Do you think His Majesty will be very sad? If there is a prince who is particularly outstanding at this time, will the Emperor shift his attention to him?”

“You’re right! This is indeed a great opportunity.” The Third Prince’s eyes lit up, and he suddenly felt smug. “What should we do next?”

Prince An smiled coldly. “What we need to do next is to chase Baili Junyi out of the court!”

The Third Prince’s expression changed. “Baili Junyi?” Why did Prince An suddenly mention him?

“Yes. Isn’t Noble Consort Xian dead? He and Shen Ninghua are flaunting their filial piety. Since that’s the case, let them guard the Noble Consort Xian’s tomb.”

“Haha, good idea.” At this time, the Third Prince’s face was full of pride, and the indignant look earlier had long since disappeared. “Wonderful! When I succeed, you’re the first person I’ll thank, father-in-law.”

Prince An did not choose to support Baili Junyi. This way, things would be easy.

“You’re too polite. I’m happy as long as you treat Tinghe well.” A knowing smile appeared on Prince An’s face.

“Don’t worry. When my wishes come true, Tinghe will be the Imperial Noble Consort, second only to the Empress.”

“It’s settled then.”

The Third Prince was full of joy, waiting to show off his grand plan.

On the other hand, a piece of news quickly spread from the Imperial Palace to the entire imperial court.

His Majesty issued an imperial edict to announce the contributions that the Crown Prince had made in order to save the people and stabilize the capital. He exposed all of the Zhao Family’s misdeeds. For a time, the collapse of the Zhao Family, the Empress’ death, and the Crown Prince’s sacrifice put the rebellion to an end.

No matter how many people believed this result, the imperial edict from the Emperor himself proved that it was true.

In order to commend the Crown Prince, the Emperor held a banquet in Chengqian Palace. All the officials above the fifth rank and their families could participate.

In Royal Prince Yi Mansion, after listening to Hong Ling’s report, Shen Ninghua smiled gently. “Three days later, there will be a banquet. Hong Ling, let Bi Zhu prepare and pack up the things in the mansion. Three days later, all the shops will be closed. The things in the warehouse that are useful will be picked up and brought with us. The things that are not used will be sealed up. Label them clearly and do not miss anything.”

Hong Ling’s heart was filled with excitement. “Yes, Miss.”

Baili Junyi placed his chubby son on his lap and pressed his back with one hand to prevent him from falling down. The boy flailed his limbs wildly, making him look like a little turtle.

“In these three days, if you have anything to do, do it as soon as possible. We will be leaving in three days. When the time comes, don’t tell me that there are still things to be done.”

“Yes, Your Highness. Don’t worry. We will settle everything as soon as possible.”

Big Boy struggled for a long time, but he still could not move. Then, he groaned with dissatisfaction and aimed his mouth at Baili Junyi’s sleeve.

Baby Girl, who was sitting in Shen Ninghua’s arms, leaned her head against her mother’s fragrant chest in satisfaction. Seeing her brother acting silly, she clapped her little hands and smiled very happily.

However, Big Boy thought that his sister was encouraging him, so he bit Baili Junyi’s sleeve more happily.

Shaking her head in dismay, Shen Ninghua put Baby Girl in Baili Junyi’s arms and bent down to pick Big Boy up.

As soon as he was released from his father’s teasing, Big Boy curled his lips and looked extremely pitiful. Shen Ninghua helped him wipe the saliva on his lips after he chewed the sleeve and glared at Baili Junyi.

“He’s still so young. You can’t torment him like this in the future.”

Baili Junyi held the baby girl stiffly, afraid that he would hurt her. “He’s fine. He’s very tough.”

Shen Ninghua laughed in annoyance. “Your daughter is tougher than him. She can even crawl around on her own now. The other day, she almost fell off the bed. I slapped her twice, but she was safe and sound.”

“What?” Baili Junyi’s expression suddenly changed. “She almost fell off the bed? Where were the wet nurses and the maids? Weren’t they guarding by her side?”

Seeing that he wanted to punish the wet nurses right there and then, Shen Ninghua gave up on talking with him. “At that time, I was watching from the side.”

“Oh. Bai Ruo, is the lunch ready? If it’s done, bring it up. I’m getting hungry fast these two days. Baby Girl should be hungry too. Don’t starve her.”

Shen Ninghua was speechless.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. On this day, Shen Ninghua woke up early and settled the two children. She instructed Qing Que and Hong Ling to stay by their side before heading toward the Palace with Baili Junyi.

The inside of Chengqian Hall was brightly lit, and the officials and women, who came to attend the banquet, dressed to the nines. The main hall was bustling with laughter and chattery.

On the high throne, Baili Qingcang was wearing a bright yellow dragon robe. Listening to the praises of the ministers below, he had a relaxed smile on his face. “The Crown Prince is indeed the child I’m most satisfied with. We have wronged him this time.”

Shen Ninghua raised her head and looked at Baili Qingcang. He looked extremely happy as if he had finally gotten rid of something on his mind.

Zhao Huiying and Bu Yunqing were no longer by his side. Instead, there were Consort Li and a newly promoted Concubine Lan.

Shen Ninghua retracted her gaze and slightly narrowed her eyes, feeling a great sense of sorrow in her heart. There were always new people to replace the old ones. This was the rule of the Palace. It was just like how she had been killed by Shen Linghan back then. She had lost in this gorgeous battle.

Baili Junyi gently held her hand and looked at her with concern. They had arranged a lot of things in the past three days, and they had not rested well. She should be very tired now.

Shen Ninghua shook her head slightly, indicating that she was fine but felt emotional inside. Then, her gaze moved slightly and swept over the Crown Prince, who was surrounded by officials.

After being grounded for many days, the Crown Prince seemed to have become much thinner. However, his handsome eyes were still gentle and clear, carrying a sense of utmost composure.

However, who would have thought that the Crown Prince was the one who delivered Zhao Huiying’s poison? No wonder that day in Ningkun Palace, Old Lady Feng spoke in a particularly desolate tone, especially when she said, “How many people in this world can watch their mother die?”

Yes, there were not many people in this world who could bear to watch their mother die. The Crown Prince was one of them.

This was news that Bu Yunqing’s subordinates had risked their lives to send over two days ago. Baili Junyi had sent people to investigate carefully before figuring out why they hadn’t found a single clue after investigating for so long. It was because the person who had killed Zhao Huiying was the Crown Prince, and he was the one who had eradicated the Zhao Family!

Who would have thought that he would actually be able to get rid of his own mother and her entire family?

Baili Qingcang had helped the Crown Prince restore his reputation, so naturally, he would do something else to show his support for the Crown Prince. Not long after the banquet began, the chief eunuch announced the reward.

Baili Jinyi stood up and respectfully knelt in the middle of the hall. His gentle bearing was like the moonlight, attracting the yearning of many young ladies present.

The series of rewards took fifteen minutes to announce. After that, the Crown Prince respectfully kowtowed to the Emperor, raised his wine glass and expressed his thanks.

“Father Emperor, I have troubled you. Please consider this glass of wine as my apology.” As he spoke, he raised his head and gulped down the wine in his glass.

Shen Ninghua’s eyes trembled slightly. She felt Baili Junyi tighten his grip on her hand and nodded imperceptibly.

Baili Junyi stood up. “Crown Prince, don’t just thank Father Emperor. Back then, all the officials in the court said that you were guilty. Only I, your younger brother, strongly supported you.”

When these words came out, the officials’ faces turned extremely vivid. Now that the Crown Prince had regained his power, they tried to flatter him, but Royal Prince Yi exposed their secrets in one go. It was such an embarrassment.

Baili Qingcang frowned and glanced at Baili Junyi without saying anything.

Astounded for a moment, the Crown Prince quickly came to his senses and urged the palace maid behind him to pour another glass of wine.

“Fifth Younger Brother, I know that you intended to protect me, and I won’t forget it for the rest of my life. Here’s a toast to you. Thank you very much, Fifth Younger Brother.” His tone was extremely serious, and it sounded especially pleasant to the ears.

Baili Junyi’s eyes were cold. Who would have thought that such a gentleman like him would be so ruthless? “Okay, let’s drink together.”

With a wide smile, the Crown Prince raised his head and drank it all in one gulp. Regardless of whether Baili Junyi was trying to claim credit or show goodwill, he accepted it. Before he could finish thinking about it, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest and a bloody taste in his throat. In an instant, he spat out a mouthful of blood.

“Pu!”

“Oh my god, His Highness!”

“W-What’s going on?”

The abrupt incident shocked everyone present. Baili Qingcang suddenly stood up. “Dear Associate Chen, hurry! Go and take a look at the Crown Prince.”

Chen Yun quickly stood up and walked to the Crown Prince. After taking his pulse, he picked up his wine glass and sniffed. “Your Majesty, there is poison in the wine!”