novelaction Chapter 711 The Crown Princess's Trouble!
Chapter 711 The Crown Princess's Trouble!
As soon as she got into the carriage, Mu Xin Nuan couldn't hold back her tears, which streamed down her face.
Duanmu Chuze felt sorry for her and hugged her, saying, "Don't cry, it's alright. Didn't Father say that it's best for a child to stay with their biological parents?"
"Aze, let's go back to Yanzhou. There's really no need to stay in the capital any longer. Anyway, Mid-Autumn Festival is over. I can't stand dealing with someone like the Crown Princess anymore. She's too terrifying."
"Anuan, it's alright. Don't worry, I just told my brother, the Crown Prince, that if it happens again, I won't tolerate it."
Mu Xin Nuan cried as she looked up at him, "A Ze, we only have Zong Hua as our child. I'm worried that if the Crown Princess fails this time, she might have other methods. I really don't understand, what have we done to offend her that she would scheme against us like this?"
"Alright, the child is still here. Don't let the child think that I bullied you."
Mu Xin Nuan's crying subsided a little, and when she looked again, Zong Hua was in Aunt Fang's arms, staring at her with his big eyes.
"Zonghua, it's all my fault. I only wanted to make your grandparents happy, but I never imagined that I would almost let you stay in the palace."
This was the first time Aunt Fang had ever seen the Princess cry like this. She advised, "Princess, don't panic. Things aren't as bad as you think. Besides, the Emperor and Empress are both reasonable people. Although they are old, they are not senile. I'm afraid the Empress is overthinking what happened tonight."
Duanmu Chuze took the handkerchief from her hand and wiped her face. "Anuan, some things aren't as bad as you think. Since I'm your husband and Xiao Zonghua's father, I'll naturally protect you. With me here, no one can bully you."
"Aze, when are we leaving the capital?"
"We still need to wait for Father's decree. Don't worry, I'll sound out Father's opinion tomorrow. If it goes well, we'll leave as soon as possible."
"Hmm." Mu Xin Nuan finally smiled a little. "I'll take the child to the Mu residence again tomorrow. I'll stay there for a day. No, I won't be coming back tonight either."
Hearing her slightly petulant tone, Duanmu Chuze chuckled softly, "Fine, whatever you say! At worst, I'll stay with you at the Mu residence tomorrow night too."
Mu Xin Nuan finally smiled and even reached out to pinch Xiao Zong Hua's cheek.
When they returned to the Prince's Mansion, Xiao Zonghua had actually fallen asleep in Aunt Fang's arms.
Royal Palace, Kunning Palace.
What are your thoughts on tonight's palace banquet?
The Empress was helping the Emperor undress when she heard his question, and she couldn't help but feel a little anxious.
After many years of marriage, they could naturally sense that the emperor was somewhat unhappy.
"Your Majesty, what happened today might just be a misunderstanding. That concubine may not have done it on purpose."
The Emperor snorted coldly. "Not on purpose?"
On such an important occasion, if a mere concubine were not well-considered, would she dare to speak recklessly about a prince's heir?
"Are you protecting her?"
The Empress removed the Emperor's outer robe and looked at his weathered face, saying with some emotion, "Your Majesty, we have been husband and wife for many years. When have you ever seen me defend someone who doesn't understand reason? But you still value Prince An, don't you?"
"This time, she's been too audacious. Your Majesty, have you considered that our Fourth Prince has always been reluctant to reveal his talents precisely because he fears this situation? Yet, things have still progressed in a direction he didn't want. Tell me, if you were the Fourth Prince, what would you do?"
The Empress paused for a moment, then roughly understood what the Emperor meant. "Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince is a good boy, talented in both literature and martial arts, and indeed delightful. But his ambitions do not lie in the world, Your Majesty understands that."
The Emperor had already vaguely understood the Empress's meaning. She was worried that he might have the idea of re-establishing the Crown Prince because of the trouble caused by the Crown Princess.
Ultimately, the Empress still did not want to see the scene of bloodshed in the palace.
"The Crown Prince is steady and has always acted in a very proper manner, which puts my mind at ease. His temperament is certainly suitable for maintaining the country. However, I am worried because he has a Crown Princess who is constantly causing trouble for him."
"Your Majesty, rest assured, I know what to do. Now that Prince An is grown up, at most, I can simply ask the Crown Prince not to take a principal wife for the time being."
This means that the news of the Crown Princess's death has already been confirmed.
The Emperor frowned. To be honest, he was very pleased with Duanmu Chuze's remarkable achievements in Yanzhou over the past two years.
It is truly rare for someone of royal lineage to possess such vision and ambition.
Yanzhou was a poor and impoverished place, yet Duanmu Chuze regarded it as the foundation for his future, governing it carefully and managing it meticulously. This is the attitude a prince should have.
Looking at the other princes now, the emperor was indeed somewhat unhappy.
"Very well. Without this Crown Princess, perhaps the Crown Prince's life will be a bit more peaceful."
The Crown Princess probably never imagined that what she did on a whim today, with someone saying such a thing, would bring her such a terrible disaster.
The following day, the concubine who made the startling remark at the banquet was immediately demoted to Zhaorong.
That evening, the Crown Princess suddenly fell into bed, looking haggard. Several imperial physicians examined her, but none of them could find a cure.
Upon learning the news, Prince An personally went to the Eastern Palace to visit his mother. Seeing her pale face, Prince An naturally felt a pang of pity.
Prince An is a smart man. Just last night, someone from the Eastern Palace displeased the Chang Le Prince's Mansion, and today, his own mother fell ill. He himself would not believe that all of this had nothing to do with his mother.
"Mother, the imperial physician said there's nothing to worry about. As long as I rest quietly and take two more doses of medicine, I'll feel better."
"Yes, I'm very happy that Chen'er could come to see his mother. How many months pregnant is your princess now? Is everything stable?"
"Your Majesty, please rest assured, everything is fine. Come, let me help you up to take your medicine."
After administering the medicine, he stuffed a plum into the Crown Princess's mouth to soothe the bitter taste.
“Mother, you were far too hasty in what happened last night. Now that you have displeased Father, you have no one to blame but yourself.”
After carefully questioning the imperial physician he had brought, Duanmu Chen confirmed that the Crown Princess was only slightly weak and showed no signs of poisoning. Only then did Duanmu Chen feel comfortable chatting with the Crown Princess about everyday matters.
"Does Chen'er also think that Mother Consort did something wrong?"
The Crown Princess looked displeased. All she did was for the sake of her father and son.
With just this one sentence, Duanmu Chen understood that his mother's thoughts were probably still focused on the Chang Le Prince's residence.