Chapter 143

Chapter 143 The Princess Consort said to Nanny Li, "Times have changed." The Princess Consort thought to herself that she had no desire to play the role of a virtuous woman. But who could blame Prince Jing for wanting to maintain brotherly harmony? She had no choice but to go along with the act. If Prince Jing wasn't afraid of being implicated, why should she be? Princess Consort Su was ushered in, accompanied by three children, the eldest of whom was already thirteen years old. The moment she saw Princess Consort Jing, Princess Consort Su pulled the three children down to their knees, her usual haughty demeanor completely gone. "I beg you, A-Jin, for the sake of our past friendship, save these three children's lives!" Princess Consort Jing's given name was Jinse, though few ever called her by it. Princess Consort Su's use of "A-Jin" was a deliberate attempt to invoke familiarity. The Princess Consort immediately stepped forward to help her up. "Sister-in-law, why such a heavy courtesy? Whatever the matter, speak slowly!" "Why the cries for help all of a sudden?" "With the Prince away from the residence, I'm just a woman—I simply cannot hold things together on my own." Though Prince Jing had said he would help the Su estate, how and when to help was still for the Princess Consort to weigh and decide. Princess Consort Su gritted her teeth, refusing to rise. "I won't hide it from you—the Su estate has met with grave misfortune. I don't fear death, but I cannot bear to part with my children." "My husband and Prince Jing are brothers after all—severed bones still connected by sinews. I only ask that he extend his protection to his nephews. If that comes to pass... even beneath the Nine Springs, I can rest in peace." Since marrying into the Jing estate, the Princess Consort had never seen Princess Consort Su speak with such humility. Yet she felt not a shred of pity. Now she brings up brotherhood with Prince Jing? When she reached into the Jing estate's inner quarters, trying to ensure the Prince would have no heirs—why didn't she speak of brotherhood then? The Princess Consort wore a look of confusion and alarm. "What matter is so grave?" Princess Consort Su slowly closed her eyes and sighed. "The Prince has led troops into the palace—I fear he has already failed..." The Princess Consort was startled, rising to her feet. "Raising troops in rebellion?!" "How dare Prince Su?!" With that, she stepped back several paces, clearly showing her fear of being associated with Princess Consort Su. Princess Consort Su's heart ached. "A-Jin, Prince Jing left the capital early this time—he knows nothing of what's happened here, so he won't be implicated!" "I dare not ask for much, only that he look after my legitimate sons and keep them alive... so that my husband's bloodline may carry on!" Princess Consort Su wept bitterly, adding, "They carry the same blood as Prince Jing!" "The Emperor himself is ruthless, yet he fears the ruthless most of all." "If Prince Jing abandons his own brother's blood to their fate today, when word spreads, how will the Emperor see him? How will the court officials and the people see him?!" Princess Consort Su did not believe Prince Jing had no ambition! As long as Prince Jing had ambition, he could not abandon his own nephews! The Princess Consort sneered inwardly. Princess Consort Su was still the same Princess Consort Su she had always known. Even at death's door, begging for help, she still resorted to veiled threats. The Princess Consort calmed herself. "What Sister-in-law says is not wrong." "Prince Su and Prince Jing are full brothers. An elder brother may be unkind, but a younger brother must not be disrespectful." At the word "unkind," Princess Consort Su's expression turned visibly sour. She was also filled with deep regret at this moment. Why had she been so impatient back then, striking at the Jing estate so hastily?! The Princess Consort continued, "But what Prince Su has done is an act of treason. If I recklessly take in the children, and it implicates the Prince in the future, the Jing estate will not escape unscathed either." Princess Consort Su's eyes reddened. "A-Jin, in the past I held myself in high regard and offended you greatly. For those grievances, I am willing to kowtow and admit my wrongs!" "Only beg you, A-Jin, do not take your anger out on the children..." The Princess Consort wore a troubled expression. "The children cannot possibly stay at the Jing estate." "If the Imperial Father were to learn of it, he might think Prince Jing had long been colluding with the Su estate." Hearing this, Princess Consort Su's eyes nearly split with desperation. She hastily pulled the three children down to kowtow to Princess Consort Jing. "A-Jin... the lives of these three children are in your hands!" The Princess Consort thought, she truly did dislike Princess Consort Su. Even at a time like this, Princess Consort Su's words were still so grating. Tying the children's lives to her, trying to force her into saving them? The Princess Consort shifted her tone. "The residence cannot take them in, but the Prince has a manor on the outskirts of the capital—it can temporarily shelter the young masters." Princess Consort Su's eyes lit up. "Thank you, A-Jin!" With that, she pushed the three children forward and turned to leave without looking back. The eldest was thirteen, but the youngest was only five, and he began to wail. The Princess Consort did not have anyone stop her, watching Princess Consort Su's retreating figure disappear from sight. After a moment, she turned to Nanny Li. "Have the gatekeeper ready the carriage and send the three young masters to the manor to stay for a while." The thirteen-year-old Su Heir Apparent bowed respectfully to the Princess Consort. "Your Grace's life-saving grace, this young one shall never forget. In days to come, I would serve you even to the point of grinding my bones to dust." The Princess Consort smiled faintly. "We are family—no need for such formalities between us. Take good care of your two younger brothers." "I only hope this storm passes quickly and does not implicate you all." That was what she said, but the Princess Consort knew that Prince Su's fate would inevitably be tragic. The other two were less of a concern. As for the future of Prince Su's Heir Apparent... it was worrisome. After all the commotion, the Princess Consort found it hard to fall asleep, so she lay in bed with her eyes open, watching the sky gradually brighten. At the end of the Yin hour (around 5 AM), someone came to report. "Prince Su has committed treason, intending to stage a palace coup. Fortunately, Prince An arrived in time with his troops and successfully rescued the Emperor." "The Emperor has ordered that Prince Su be stripped of his title and reduced to a commoner. All those who participated in the rebellion are to have their three clans exterminated!" Another message arrived. "Reporting to the Princess Consort, the Jiang and Lu families have been raided, and Princess Consort Su has hanged herself!" The three clans referred to the father's clan, the mother's clan, and the wife's clan. Prince Su's father's clan was the imperial family, so they naturally could not be implicated. But his mother's clan, the Lu family, and his wife's clan, the Jiang family, all suffered the calamity of clan extermination. Before a moment had passed, another person reported: "News from the palace—the Emperor is furious. He has demoted Noble Consort Rou to Lady of Beauty and ordered her immediate removal from Rouyi Palace." A series of messages came in, and the Princess Consort finally heard some good news. "Mother Consort was only demoted to Lady of Beauty—that's unexpected." Whether the Emperor still harbored some affection for Noble Consort Rou, or whether he was sparing Prince Jing's dignity, this was a good thing. If Noble Consort Rou had been reduced to a commoner, and Prince Jing's birth mother had fallen from Noble Consort to commoner, then the Princess Consort would have had reason to weep. When the Son of Heaven is enraged, corpses litter the ground for a hundred li. Prince Su's rebellion caused upheaval throughout the court and the realm. The Emperor also took the opportunity to purge many court officials' factions, seeking to consolidate all power into his own hands. Yet the Prince Jing's mansion maintained an atmosphere of peace. The Emperor had vented his wrath on many ministers and nobles, but he had not mentioned Prince Jing even once. At this point, no one could quite gauge the Emperor's intentions. Soon after, it was discovered that the Eighth Prince's death was connected to Prince Su and the Empress. Before Prince Su's rebellion had even been fully investigated, the Emperor and Empress began to clash. From his youth to now, the Emperor had favored countless women, but never the Empress. This couple, whose feelings for each other had never been deep, were now on the verge of becoming mortal enemies. The court and the palace were filled with quarrels every day, and it was said that the Emperor was even considering deposing the Empress.