Hearing what Consort Qi said, Qiao Jinniang finally figured out why Prince Huai wanted Lu Chen to take a concubine.
No matter how widely the rumor was circulated, no one in the imperial palace talked about the rumor.
No matter how bold Li Lingling was, she didn’t dare to say this to Emperor Huilin when Emperor Huilin had not yet acknowledged Zhou Shihui’s identity.
Prince Huai asked Li Lingling to ask the Empress Dowager to give Zhou Shihui to the Crown Prince as a concubine. If Zhou Shihui was really Emperor Huilin’s daughter, he would definitely tell the truth and admit that Zhou Shihui was his own daughter.
Then the Empress and her sister would inevitably fight against each other.
In the Empress Dowager’s palace.
After listening to Li Lingling’s proposal, the Empress Dowager said, “The Empress has never respected me. Now she will have her retribution, which will be brought to her by her own sister. Okay, I’ll talk about this to His Majesty.”
Li Lingling smiled smugly.
The Empress Dowager arrived at the Hanliang Palace and waited for about half an hour before His Majesty returned from the Xuanzheng Palace.
The Empress Dowager said with a frown, “I heard that the Crown Princess’s hand was scalded by the joss stick ashes when she was offering joss sticks to the ancestors of the Lu family today?”
Emperor Huilin said, “The joss stick burner was full of joss sticks, and the Crown Princess was not the only one who was scalded.”
The Empress Dowager picked a cup of tea and said, “This is not a trivial matter. What Prince Huai said is right. It’s inappropriate that the Crown Prince doesn’t have any concubines.
“Zhou Qinghe is now famous all over the world, and her daughter County Mistress Yuquan inherited her talent. I think it’s very suitable for County Mistress Yuquan to be the Crown Prince’s concubine.”
Emperor Huilin frowned and said, “Mother, you don’t have to worry about that. County Mistress Yuquan will not marry into the East Palace.”
The Empress Dowager put the teacup on the wooden table angrily. “Chen’er is my grandson. How can I have no say in this matter?”
“Really?” said Emperor Huilin, “Which grandmother in the world would try to kill her own grandson over and over again?”
“I never mention it because I think it was not easy for you to bring me up alone. The Crown Prince is also filial to you and has always been tolerant of what you have done, but as for his private affairs, don’t even think about meddling in them.”
With her real intentions exposed, the Empress Dowager could only leave the Hanliang Palace huffily.
Waiting outside the Hanliang Palace, Li Lingling came up and asked the Empress Dowager, “Grandmother, what did Father say? Has he agreed?”
The Empress Dowager said, “No, don’t bother me with the Crown Prince’s private affairs anymore!”
Li Lingling stood on the spot and pondered. The Emperor refused? Maybe Zhou Shihui was really his daughter?
The Empress fined her to be grounded and copy the Book of Rites a hundred times, and her fingers were about to break.
Now it seemed that it wouldn’t take long for the Empress to fall from favor, and then she would make the Empress do the same!
However, she didn’t expect Zhou Shihui really to be the Emperor’s daughter.
Li Lingling thought that since Zhou Shihui hated Fulu and the Crown Princess so much that if she befriended Zhou Shihui, she would be able to use Zhou Shihui against Qiao Jinniang and Fulu.
Besides, Zhou Qinghe only had a daughter and was already unable to have another child at her age.
If she got on good terms with Zhou Shihui, the Emperor would probably look at Prince Huai in a different light because of Zhou Qinghe.
Receiving an invitation from Li Lingling, Zhou Shihui didn’t quite want to go to Prince Huai Mansion, but thinking that Li Lingling didn’t get along with Fulu, she went to Prince Huai Mansion in the end.
At the door of the Prince Huai Mansion, Li Lingling greeted Zhou Shihui enthusiastically. “Sister.”
Zhou Shihui saluted. “Consort Huai.”
Li Lingling patted Zhou Shihui’s hand and said, “Sister, you’re so beautiful, much more beautiful than Fulu. Young Master Qiao must be blind.”
Zhou Shihui’s eyes were slightly sad.
Li Lingling said purposely, “But Qiao Lu has no choice. After all, the Empress Dowager doesn’t like the Crown Prince, and Fulu is the Empress Dowager’s favorite granddaughter.
“The Crown Prince must want to win over the Empress Dowager via Princess Shou’an. Qiao Lu definitely married Fulu just to win over Princess Shou’an and the Empress Dowager!”
Zhou Shihui felt what Li Lingling said made sense. “The Crown Princess actually sacrificed her own brother’s happiness in order to strengthen the Crown Prince’s power. That’s too selfish.”
Li Lingling chuckled. “But the Crown Princess doesn’t know that she mistakenly mistook a fisheye for a pearl and a pearl for a fisheye. She doesn’t know that you’re His Majesty’s most beloved biological daughter. How can his niece be as important as his daughter?”
Zhou Shihui said, “Consort Huai, don’t kid. Pretending to be a royal family member will only result in you being beheaded.”
Li Lingling smiled. “Since I call you Sister, it means that I’ve already confirmed your identity.”
Emperor Huilin had already said on the altar that what Prince Huai said made sense, but when the Empress Dowager wanted to give Zhou Shihui to the Crown Prince as a concubine, he refused.
And given the fact that no one from the imperial palace had ever tried to stop the rumor, it was no doubt that Zhou Shihui was the Emperor’s daughter.
Zhou Shihui said in shock, “So I’m really His Majesty’s daughter? Then my mother…”
Li Lingling said, “Your mother and His Majesty’s love can be sensed from her poems, which moved a lot of people.
“But the Empress stole what was supposed to belong to your mother and threw the Zhou family aside. Zhou Sisi is about to be executed but she hasn’t tried to save her at all. If I were you, I would definitely have done something for my mother.
“Your parents were separated, and a substitute occupied the position of empress that should have belonged to your mother. You should be the only direct descendant of the Emperor, not the Crown Prince!
“If it were me, I would never endure it! ”
The more Zhou Shihui listened, the more annoyed she became. Li Lingling was absolutely right. If her mother could become the empress, she would be a princess.
Then, Fulu would have to salute her whenever she saw her.
Zhou Shihui held Li Lingling’s hand and said,
“Sister-in-law, can you help me? If you help me, when my mother becomes the empress, I will definitely persuade my mother to help the eldest brother.”
Li Lingling smiled and said, “You are my sister, so Prince Huai and I will surely help you. Besides, I can’t bear to see a pair of lovers be separated.”
Getting Li Lingling’s guarantee, Zhou Shihui left Prince Huai Mansion satisfied.
Li Lingling went to the front yard, only to see that Prince Huai was holding his “adopted son” in his arms, and she became furious.
“Your Highness, I’m working hard for you, but you are fondling this bastard child?”
Prince Huai really loved this child and didn’t even allow her to touch him. He must be a bastard child born by some little slut for him.
Prince Huai gave the child to the wet nurse and said, “Have you discussed it with Zhou Shihui?”
Li Lingling nodded and said, “Not only that, Zhou Shihui also promised me that once her mother became the empress, she would help you become the crown prince.
“Lu Chen is so favored by the Emperor all because of the Empress. Once the Empress is evicted to the cold palace, he can’t be the Crown Prince anymore.”
Prince Huai smiled.
Lu Chen took advantage of his absence to demote his woman, Mu Qianqian, to an official prostitute. He didn’t expect Lu Chen’s retribution to come so quickly!
