789 Brother-in-law (2)
The empress’s heart skipped a beat. After being husband and wife with Emperor Wen Hui for so many years, she naturally knew what kind of person Emperor Wen Hui was. She immediately softened her tone. She said gently, “I know Your Majesty is frustrated, but I didn’t mean to put pressure on you just now. I’m just worried about the crown prince… I remember that when the crown prince was young, he wasn’t good at mathematics. The grand tutor couldn’t teach him no matter what. It was you who taught the crown prince personally… In the crown prince’s heart, Your Majesty is the wisest and most powerful. Your Majesty and I both know that this matter definitely has nothing to do with the crown prince. The crown prince is kind and honest, so why would he kill someone? Even if he really wants to kill someone, he definitely won’t do it in broad daylight. Your Majesty, the crown prince is innocent. You’re the crown prince’s father. Do you want to watch the crown prince be infamous because of groundless accusation?”
Emperor Wen Hui’s expression softened. Among the nine princes, he wanted to support the crown prince the most, so he naturally did not want the crown prince to die at this moment for nothing. Just as he was about to speak, he heard a palace maid report from outside, “Your Majesty, Consort Xu is here.”
The empress’s expression was calm, but her hands that were hidden in her sleeves were clenched tightly. Among the consorts in the palace, Consort Xu was the most arrogant, because she gave birth to two princes, Prince Zhou and Prince Jing. She was pampered and beautiful and was able to make Emperor Wen Hui infatuated with her.
As for Prince Zhou and Prince Jing, the empress knew their ambitions very well. Consort Xu naturally hoped that her sons could sit on the throne, so if the crown prince was in trouble, Consort Xu would not let go of this opportunity to kick him when he was down.
Consort Xu walked in gracefully. Even though she had already given birth to two sons, her appearance did not age at all. It was said that she bathed in goat milk every day, and her skin was smooth and tight. Compared to the innocent look of a young girl, she had the mature charm of a woman. No wonder Emperor Wen Hui, who knew that Consort Xu was domineering, still doted on her.
As soon as Consort Xu entered, she greeted Emperor Wen Hui and the empress. Then, she smiled and said, “Your Majesty, you’ve been in a bad mood recently. I asked the pastry chef in the imperial kitchen to make some bird’s nest for you to nourish your body. I didn’t expect the empress to be here either.”
The empress smiled faintly but it was obvious that she did not want to talk to her. However, how could Consort Xu let go of this opportunity? She looked at the empress and said, “Sister, are you here to look for His Majesty for the crown prince today?”
Before Emperor Wen Hui could say anything, the empress raised her eyebrows and said angrily, “Sister, you’re being a busybody!”
Consort Xu covered her mouth and smiled. She looked at Emperor Wen Hui, who was silent, and then at the empress. Then, she said unhurriedly, “Originally, I didn’t want to ask. However, His Majesty is already worried about it day in and day out. Why don’t you show some consideration for His Majesty? Instead, you came to disturb his rest?” As she asked the palace maid to put down the basket in her hand, she said, “The matter of the crown prince is associated with the future of Ming Qi. The crown prince of the State of Qin died here. That day, only the crown prince and the crown prince of the State of Qin were together. I naturally believe that the crown prince won’t do such a crazy thing. However, we have no evidence.”
“If we don’t have evidence, how can we convince the State of Qin? Besides, the people in the State of Qin are watching us closely. If His Majesty softens his heart and releases the crown prince, who knows how much chaos it will cause? Sister, you can’t just think about yourself and the crown prince. You have to think for the people of the world.” Consort Xu’s thoughtful words made the empress’s expression change.
“Shut up!” The empress said angrily.
Consort Xu pretended to be frightened and retreated a little. She looked at Emperor Wen Hui aggrievedly and said, “Your Majesty, I kindly advised Sister, but she didn’t appreciate it. It hurts me!”
