Chapter 162 - Reorganized Truth (1/2)

Prince Rui knit his brows and responded, ”Well...We were all together, for the most part. I was mainly focusing on monitoring my sister, while others lingered at stalls of their interest as we moved along, occasionally coming together to chat...That was until the Emperor arrived to pick up Noble consort Lei...and Prince Yi also left after them.” Prince Rui finished with a seemingly perplexed expression over the interest in their movements.

”I was feeling unwell so I decided to return home to rest at that point. I also apologize for my absence this morning, I was away getting some fresh air in the forest to aid my recovery. It was only when I returned to my manor that I was informed by the servants that you were looking for me...How may I be of service, Your Majesty?” Prince Yi finished with a curt bow in the Empress dowager's direction.

The Empress dowager frowned at him and was quiet for a bit, her disappointment and anger were clear on her face. She then narrowed her eyes at Princess Nalan and pointed at her, ”What do you have to say?”

Princess Nalan flinched a bit, startled at being singled out. She really did not like this woman but she kept her reservations aside, bowed her head and quickly confirmed, ”The night went along as my brother explained...” She then glanced up at the Empress dowager and asked with doe-eyed innocence, ”Is there anything, in particular, you would like to know?”

The Empress dowager's frown turned into a scowl at the question.

{...Useless!...}

Her gaze flew to Chen You, who felt it piercing the top of her head and she began cold sweating. While Lei Xing glanced at the Emperor and then lowered her eyes as she let out a silent sigh of relief.

{...Of course, he took care of it. I worried for nothing...But he could have told me about it though. Luckily my responses were vague enough...What if I had said something outlandish in my story? Wouldn't that have ruined everything?... Or was he gambling? I f my stupidity ruined things then I wasn't worth saving?... I can see he's been unhappy all morning, understandably...I guess he might harbor some resentment for me despite knowing it all? Seriously? Did he just want to watch me squirm? But - ...*sigh* I don't know what to think anymore  -_-)'...}

”Thank you both for coming, that is all. You may leave now.” The Emperor finally spoke up after a while of the Empress dowager not speaking.

Prince Yi gave another curt bow, cast a cold glance at the Emperor and then turned and made for the doors. Prince Rui smiled politely as he bowed and left with the somewhat confused Princess Nalan, glancing at Lei Xing as they swept out of the room.

Prince Rui had grabbed her and Molin this morning and quietly narrated to them how the events of last night ”truly” went. Apparently, one of the Emperor's men had secretly come to talk to him.

But it was either that her brother did not want to divulge the reason or that the Emperor's messenger did not tell him the details. All Prince Rui told them was that Lei Xing's life depended on this story. Then a while later, someone from the palace came to summon them and so they came with the story ready. Princess Nalan quietly followed her brother out but made a mental note to ask Lei Xing for an explanation later on.

After the trio exited, the Emperor turned to the Empress dowager and calmly began, ”Now that you have verified and cast away your doubts, there is the matter of the repercussions. Since you have all conspired and successfully raised a fuss, it cannot simply be buried or cast aside. There will be questions and for those, there should be answers in response...Mother, while I understand and appreciate your zeal to seek out justice in this matter, you let yourself be provoked into impatient action which is unbecoming of your position in this nation. Y-”

”Chen You!” The Empress dowager barked, annoyed with being scolded. Thanks to Chen You she had been made a fool on two different fronts in one morning. First, with this issue and secondly because of the stupid monk she brought to her, who apparently saw her, the Empress dowager as nothing. With the Empress dowager's bark, the Emperor relaxed back and let her carry on. Chen You and Lei Xing both flinched at the shout. Even though Lei Xing was now in the clear, she still felt on edge as that could have very well been directed at her a few moments ago.

Chen You jumped up and immediately slapped Chun Hua, and then pushed her down to knees. The other two maids did not wait to receive their slaps and quickly knelt down and kowtowed. Chun Hua kowtowed as a deep scowl spread on her face as she hit her head on the ground to show her ”sincerity” as she followed along with the other two maids and pleaded for her life to be spared.

”Be quiet!” Chen You barked at the maid and then quickly bowed to the Empress dowager, ”I apologize for my oversight...I never expected them to be so malicious as to want to sow discord in the palace and to come up with such a devious tale - I will make sure that the three of them are properly punished and use them as an example to dissuade any others who harbor such evil thoughts and ensure that the palace remains in peace.” Chen You finished and kept her head bowed in waiting.

The Emperor frowned, ”Oversight is fine. But the consequences must still be borne. Letting yourself be led by the nose to disruptive action is unacceptable and unbecoming of someone in your position...Your foolishness led to further complications. Therefore, you should be the one setting the example...”

Chen You immediately panicked and got on her knees and pleaded, ”It will never happen again...It-It was because I was worried, so my judgment was clouded and so I-...Please spare me this once. It will never happened again!” Chen You finished kowtowing with the maids, who chorused pleas for pardon.

The Emperor's ears were deaf to the pleas, he looked at the Empress dowager and then advised, ”Since you took the lead on this issue, it will be best if you resolve it, for your sake...”

The Empress dowager cast an angry glance at the Emperor and then looked at the four heads on the ground below her. She was fuming, her morning had gone incredibly wrong. She understood the Emperor's words. Her actions this morning definitely did not go unnoticed. She had Imperial guards storm into Prince Yi's residence, not to mention she had sent them roaming around the city in search for all to see.

The officials will definitely have questions and the Emperor is clearly not planning to defend her actions. Therefore, her realizing her ”mistake” and punishing the miscreants who stirred up trouble is the best way to reduce the criticisms that will be hurled her way.