Chapter 95

Chapter 95: A Beauty of the Realm "Father, I know I lack the skill. But which woman in this world can share her husband with another?" Princess Rongjia dared not argue any longer, wiping her tears with grievance. "I know I was wrong. If anything like this happens again, I will never act rashly. Please help me, Father." Prince Rong's face was ashen, but seeing his daughter cry, his heart ached for her. "It's good that you know you were wrong. You are of imperial blood—what right does the prefectural court have to interrogate you! Wipe your tears. Save them for crying before the Emperor." "We have to see the Emperor?" Princess Rongjia was somewhat afraid. "Do you think Xie Yunting is a vegetarian?" Prince Rong knew they could no longer distance themselves from this matter. "He managed to find leverage over Qian Jin. Now that Qian Jin is trying to save himself, do you think he'll still cover for you?" If he had only one daughter, Prince Rong would never have spoiled her to this extent. Now seeing that his daughter lacked cunning, he regretted ever marrying her into the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion. He should have chosen a household with simpler connections. But what was done was done. Now he could only clean up the mess. "When we see the Emperor, do as I say." Prince Rong whispered a few words to his daughter, then went to see Xie Yunting. When Xie Yunting saw Prince Rong, he offered a perfunctory salute, then said with a mocking tone, "Your Highness has truly raised a fine daughter. She insists on being an Equal Wife, and now she wants to harm the legitimate wife. Such a venomous woman—do you still intend to protect her?" "Xie Yunting, watch your words. No matter what Rongjia has done, she is still a Commandery Princess appointed by the Emperor, not someone you can insult at will!" Prince Rong wished he could skin Xie Yunting alive. Before Xie Yunting, Bianjing had never seen such a rogue. "The prefectural court has no authority to interrogate Rongjia. I will take them into the palace to face His Majesty!" Xie Yunting said that was fine. "Then let us argue before the Emperor." They proceeded into the palace together. Before arriving, Xie Yunting had already sent word to Cui Lingrong about the progress. Now he sent someone to update her on the latest developments. When Cui Lingrong learned that the Qian family had already confessed that Princess Rongjia had instigated the scheme, but that Prince Rong had brought Princess Rongjia and Madam Qian into the palace, she felt that things would not be resolved so simply. Cui Lingrong summoned Er Shun. "Spread the news now about Princess Rongjia framing Young Master Yu." Though it was said that even the Son of Heaven who breaks the law is subject to the same punishment as commoners, when it truly came down to it, how could it ever be the same? The Emperor governed with benevolence and valued his reputation above all. This was Cui Lingrong's chance to deal with Princess Rongjia. Only by making a big scene and letting everyone know how vicious Princess Rongjia's heart was would the Emperor be forced by public pressure to punish her. Just as Er Shun left, Nanny Qiu worried that the Old Madame would be displeased if she found out. "The Old Madame already holds great resentment toward you. If you stir up the whole city, she may punish you." "Whether it's kneeling in the ancestral hall or being confined to the house copying books, I'll accept it. But I don't want to miss this opportunity. And how can the Old Madame prove that I was the one who spread the news?" Cui Lingrong took a deep breath. "Nanny Qiu, I've endured them long enough. If I keep dealing with them peacefully, who knows when Princess Rongjia will harm me or those around me again." Nanny Qiu sighed. "What you say is also true." Cui Lingrong calmed her mind. She needed to be composed to think clearly. But what she hadn't expected was that the Emperor wanted to see her and Song Shulan. When the eunuch bearing the imperial summons arrived at the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion, both Cui Lingrong and Song Shulan were stunned. Especially Song Shulan—when he learned that Princess Rongjia and Prince Rong were also in the palace, his mind was in a whirl. After boarding the carriage, he couldn't help asking Cui Lingrong what was happening. "You're asking the wrong person, Marquis. How would I have the means to know what's happening in the palace?" Cui Lingrong was also wondering why the Emperor wanted to see the two of them. Was it about Princess Rongjia's matter? How had the Emperor's interrogation gone? Cui Lingrong was full of questions. Song Shulan was more afraid. He felt that this could not be good news. Each lost in their own thoughts, they followed the eunuch to the outside of the great hall. Inside, Princess Rongjia and Madam Qian were already kneeling. Princess Rongjia's forehead was red and swollen. "Imperial Uncle, Rongjia truly had no intention to harm anyone. I only thought about closing the cloth shop. As for what Minister Qian said, he misunderstood my meaning." Qian Jin was drenched in sweat. Hearing Princess Rongjia say this, he could only kowtow, for Prince Rong was staring at him the whole time. "Your Majesty, please see clearly. Your humble servant also had no intention to harm anyone. It was all the doing of those below me acting on their own." Qian Jin said. Xie Yunting sneered. "Minister Qian, saying such things—aren't you afraid of being struck by lightning on a rainy day?" Qian Jin frowned and glared at him. "You even poisoned your own son, yet now you claim you had no intention to harm anyone. Then what about all the suffering my brother endured in that prison?" Xie Yunting was furious just looking at Qian Jin. "Your Majesty, you are a benevolent ruler. I believe you will be fair and just. Minister Qian deserves his punishment, but Princess Rongjia is by no means kind-hearted! This venomous woman, out of jealousy, sought to take lives. Your Majesty should punish her severely!" Princess Rongjia's body trembled. She wished she could kill Xie Yunting, but since he held leverage over her, she could only use tears to show weakness. At that moment, a eunuch came to announce that the Marquis and Marchioness of Jiangyuan had arrived. "Let them in." The Emperor listened with a weary heart. Rongjia was a daughter of the imperial house—if word of her misdeeds spread, it would tarnish the reputation of the clan. But Xie Yunting's relentless pursuit was giving him a headache. He was curious: what kind of woman was this Cui, that she could make Rongjia so wary? After a moment, an attendant led in a man and a woman. His gaze swept briefly over Song Shulan before settling on the face of the woman beside him. Even the Emperor, seasoned and worldly as he was, had never seen such a beauty. Cui's appearance was indeed a delight to the eyes. "Your subject / Your subject's wife pays respects to the Emperor." This was Cui Lingrong's first audience with the sovereign. She was nervous and uneasy, for she did not know the exact situation—whether it favored her, or whether the Emperor intended to call her to account.