Chapter 1094 Who Was the Secret Troublemaker?

“Do you know when Prince Chen will return to the capital city?” After calming down, Rui’an Great Elder Princess paused and asked with a serious look. She wanted to say something but stopped on second thought. “I heard from Ruiping that Prince Chen couldn’t come back before the Empress Dowager’s birthday. So, no one in your mansion can go to inquire about the news before the Emperor, even in this critical situation…”

There was no male master in the mansion, and the female master was injured. It was inconvenient for others in the mansion to ask for information from others. Rui’an Great Elder Princess had wanted to ask around, but Shao Wanru told her not to act rashly at this time.

If this condition continued, the Prince Chen’s Mansion couldn’t get any new messages and might not rise to the emergency. Therefore, Rui’an Great Elder Princess had been very worried.

In fact, Rui’an Great Elder Princess kept a few words to herself. The words from Ruiping Great Elder Princess had some hidden meanings: Prince Chen had been wandering about to enjoy the landscape with Princess Yutao from the Xu State, and that was why he returned so slowly. In addition, it was said that Princess Yutao was the most beautiful woman in her country.

Rui’an Great Elder Princess didn’t like her implications, which terribly worried her. Yet, it was not the right time to talk about it with Shao Wanru. She feared these words would disturb the balance of her granddaughter’s mind.

“Grandma, rest assured. Chu Liuchen will return to the capital city soon!” Shao Wanru said softly.

If it had been her plan, she wouldn’t have done such a violent and tragic thing. The chief supervisor then secretly told her about Chu Liuchen’s plan, so she did that to cooperate with Chu Liuchen’s plot. Of course, Chu Liuchen had never asked her to stab herself. Thinking of this, Shao Wanru felt inexplicably guilty.

When Shao Wanru recalled the chief supervisor’s deathly pale face, she felt sorry for him.

The chief supervisor meant to let a servant girl get injured. Never had he asked Shao Wanru to hurt herself.

However, at that time, Shao Wanru felt that their plan could work better only when she was wounded for real. Moreover, as she was proficient in medical skills, she knew the best place to stab herself. As a result, though her wound looked terrible, she wasn’t seriously hurt.

“I heard the woman from the Xu State, Princess Yutao… She is outstanding…” Rui’an Great Elder Princess frowned tightly. At the sight of her granddaughter’s colorless face, she couldn’t bear to keep the news from her. What could she do if Princess Yutao insisted on marrying into the Prince Chen’s Mansion?

Recently, Rui’an Great Elder Princess had frequently received the news about Princess Yutao from outside, which terribly upset her.

At first, she was never suspicious of Chu Liuchen, who had expressed his intention to marry Shao Wanru three years ago. Chu Liuchen told her his health was not as bad as the rumors said. If he were well nourished, he would get better. In the past, he abandoned himself, so he didn’t recuperate well. After that, as Chu Liuchen had promised, he was getting better.

Though he still looked as sickly as before, he was good in other aspects. Even the Empress Dowager had said happily that even his incompletely cured illness seemed to be eliminated, and he only needed to nourish himself well.

Only then did Rui’an Great Elder Princess feel relieved. However, there were a great many rumors about Princess Yutao, which reached her ears from time to time.

Princess Yutao seemed to have determined to marry Chu Liuchen. But what about her granddaughter? As a princess of a country, Princess Yutao would never be Chu Liuchen’s consort.

But if so, would her granddaughter become a consort instead?

Impossible. Rui’an Great Elder Princess had already made up her mind. If the Emperor had such an intention, she would smash herself to death in his audience hall before all the officials. After this tragedy, the Emperor wouldn’t dare to make her granddaughter a consort or a secondary legal wife.

Although she had gotten ready to do it, Rui’an Great Elder Princess was reluctant to see her granddaughter be heartbroken, especially when her granddaughter had suffered so much.

Rui’an Great Elder Princess had wanted to keep something from her granddaughter. But she felt that she couldn’t hide it. So, Rui’an Great Elder Princess thought she might as well tell her granddaughter the truth so that she could prepare for future changes.

“Don’t worry, Grandma. Everything will be fine.” Hearing her words, Shao Wanru instantly knew what she meant, so she comforted her grandma with a smile at once.

“Princess Yutao from the Xu State…” Rui’an Great Elder Princess thought that Shao Wanru did not understand, so after coughing in a low voice, she explained in detail, “She has been going back to the capital city with Prince Chen. Something might happen on this trip. The Xu State is a small country. Since it is too remote, it is inconvenient for our state to send troops there. Thus, the imperial court mainly takes the policy of conciliation to deal with them.”

Depriving Shao Wanru of her position as Princess Chen to appease the Xu State and its princess was not a big deal for the royal family because it could ensure the peace of the two countries.

Rui’an Great Elder Princess didn’t think it mattered, but it was related to her only granddaughter, so she was very unwilling to give in.

“Grandma, don’t worry. Nothing bad will happen. Even if Princess Yutao accepts this marriage, Prince Chen will make an excuse and refuse it. Besides, Princess Yutao won’t marry into our country. It’s Princess Yuyan, Second Princess of the Xu State, that will enter the capital city and get married.” Shao Wanru comforted Rui’an Great Elder Princess in a soft voice. She did not want her grandma to worry about her.

Seeing that Rui’an Great Elder Princess held back the words which sprang to her lips, Shao Wanru knew some people must have deliberately delivered the rumors to her.

With her grandma’s character, how could she believe it? Shao Wanru guessed that the rumor must have been mentioned before her many times.

“It’s not Princess Yutao. Instead, the Second Princess of the Xu State will get married?” Rui’an Great Elder Princess was stunned and asked in astonishment. She had never heard of such a thing.

“That’s right. Please be at ease, Grandma. Princess Yuyan and Commandery Prince Qing have been in a close relationship for a long time. She will marry Commandery Prince Qing when she comes to the capital city. Princess Yutao is just going to send her off, and it has nothing to do with Prince Chen,” Shao Wanru smiled and explained.

“That’s great!” Rui’an Great Elder Princess was overjoyed, feeling freed from a grievous burden. Her solemn face broke into a wide grin.

“Prince Chen has promised to treat my sister well.” At first, Shao Yuanhao didn’t understand, but now he knew what they were talking about. Immediately, he responded with dissatisfaction, “Grandma, Prince Chen promised me that on the day my sister got married! If he dares to marry any princess of the Xu State, I will not spare him!”

Hearing his childish words, Rui’an Great Elder Princess and Shao Wanru burst out laughing.

“Grandma, who told you that Princess Yutao of the Xu State was going to marry Prince Chen?” Shao Wanru asked after laughing.

“Ruiping liked talking about it when she visited me with Yuan’an. Also… Madam of Prime Minister Zhang occasionally came to see me with her daughter, and she had mentioned it.”

Rui’an Great Elder Princess said.

“Madam of Prime Minister Zhang and Zhang Qilan?” Shao Wanru was slightly stunned.

“Yes, but Ruiping and Yuan’an talked about it the most. As for Madam of Prime Minister Zhang and Zhang Qilan, they casually brought up this matter only once when Ruiping was around.”

Rui’an Great Elder Princess thought for a moment and nodded.

“Are you close to Madam of Prime Minister Zhang?” Shao Wanru asked curiously. She had never heard Zhang Qilan mention this before.

“Well, not exactly. We have occasional contact but don’t see each other often. Recently, because Prince Yue paid me visits sometimes, people from Prime Minister Zhang’s Mansion met me a few more times,” Rui’an Great Elder Princess said.

Chu Liuyue was very nice to Rui’an Great Elder Princess but not sincere. For so many years, he often came to see Rui’an Great Elder Princess, who had been living in widowhood. Zhang Qilan would marry into the Prince Yue’s Mansion, so she need to please Prince Yue’s elders by going to the Rui’an Great Elder Princess’s Mansion with Madam of Prime Minister Zhang.

It was not strange for them to do that.

However, Shao Wanru just had a strange feeling. She couldn’t tell it clearly or explain it. It was an uncomfortable intuition.

There were no elders in the Prince Chen’s Mansion, and Princess Chen was sick, so Rui’an Great Elder Princess moved into the Prince Chen’s Mansion to take care of the injured Shao Wanru as an elder.

Shao Yuanhao also stayed at the Prince Chen’s Mansion as a guest. Also, he invited his tutor over and let him live temporarily in the guest room of Prince Chen’s Mansion.

The courtyard, which had been messed up by those men in black, was restored. Rui’an Great Elder Princess managed the affairs while Shao Wanru rested quietly to recuperate.

The rewards from the Palace kept coming like flowing water. First, the Empress Dowager sent some good items. Then there came things from the Empress. Besides Consort of Virtue and Consort Ming, some other consorts also sent gifts to the Prince Chen’s Mansion. Shao Wanru had only heard of the titles of most of them but didn’t know who they were.

For a moment, the Prince Chen’s Mansion became lively.

Guards cordoned off the gate of Prince Chen’s Mansion and would closely question anyone who came there for fear that anything horrifying would happen again.

In this case, many aristocratic families who wanted to make a special trip to call on Princess Chen remained quiet. If they went to the Prince Chen’s Mansion at this time, it would be easy for them to have some accidents. Thus, many people decided to wait and see.

Prince Yue, Prince Zhou, and Prince Cheng were all punished by forbidding them from leaving their mansions.

From time to time, soldiers from the Five-district Military Department could be seen investigating others in the capital city. They would arrest anyone who was furtive in movements. All of this happened on the surface. It was unknown how many more people were surveying this matter in the dark. For a time, all the people in the capital city were in a state of extreme suspicion and fear.

In her Phoenix Palace, the Empress knelt before the Emperor and said with tears in her eyes, “Your Majesty, Zhou’er didn’t do it. He has always been reckless. Among the princes, he is the least scheming one. This time, Princess Chen was hurt, but why would he hurt Princess Chen for nothing?”

A few days had passed since the accident. This was the first time the Emperor stepped into her Phoenix Palace after the incident. As soon as she saw the Emperor, the Empress shed tears of grievance.

The Emperor looked down coldly at the Empress with a gloomy face full of disappointment.

“At first, I thought you were capable and let you manage the entire imperial harem. I didn’t expect that… you couldn’t tolerate Prince Chen.”

“Your Majesty, what are you talking about? I can’t understand it.” The Empress asked anxiously, her heart throbbing.

“How could you not understand what I said?” The Emperor asked coldly with a gloomy look in her eyes. He had just come back from Consort Lan’s place. Now, feeling angry and annoyed, he didn’t know how he could give vent to his pent-up feelings. A few things that happened recently, for instance, the maple-leaf painting sent to the Empress Dowager and the sneak attack targeted Princess Chen, were like a fishbone getting stuck in his throat, and he could not bear it any longer.

“I have thought it over. Among all the people in this Palace, you knew best the tableware used by the deceased emperor. Am I right? The Empress?”

The painting vividly showed the medicine bowl used by the deceased emperor and the scene when the Empress Dowager fed the medicine to him. How could the painter have described the scene that day in detail if no one had revealed it to the painter?

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