allonlinenovel Chapter 143 The one who laughs last laughs best.
Chapter 143 The one who laughs last laughs best.
Consort Shu's features suddenly came to mind.
The emperor's heart trembled slightly.
Now, that's his only remaining thought...
He pressed his brow and said wearily, "Although she has committed a grave mistake, I will remember her years of respect and gentleness, and the difficulty she faced in raising Qing'er. Therefore, I will strip her of her title, demote her to the rank of Consort, and move her to Anhe Palace."
Anhe Palace is remote; sending her there would be tantamount to banishing her to the cold palace.
Consort Shu has held a high position for a long time. Once she steps down from her post, many concubines will surely cause her trouble.
With such punishment, she will surely learn her lesson.
Jun Ce's eyes were as black as ink, as if he had already anticipated his answer, and he said calmly, "Your Majesty's family affairs are naturally for Your Majesty to decide."
Seeing his cold expression, the emperor felt somewhat guilty for some reason.
Then, changing the subject, they brought up something else.
"The Imperial Household Department has already selected several auspicious dates. I thought that you and Yongning were in love and would want to get married as soon as possible, so I chose the nearest auspicious date."
"How about we let you get married next spring?"
With so many important events happening in the palace, it's time for a joyous occasion to celebrate.
A glint of light flashed in Jun Ce's indifferent eyes, and the resolute lines on his face softened in an instant.
When spring arrives and flowers bloom, Rong'er will surely be happy.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," he said, bowing.
The Emperor waved his hand, "Between you and me, saying thank you would make us seem distant."
“There is a distinction between ruler and subject, and your younger brother dares not overstep his bounds.” Jun Ce pursed his thin lips, his expression perfectly composed.
The Emperor sighed.
"You're always so flawless."
"Okay, let's go down."
"Your subject takes his leave." Jun Ce bowed and turned to leave the imperial study.
……
Xianning Palace.
After the eunuch finished reading the imperial decree of demotion, Consort Shu took it with trembling hands, her face pale as she collapsed to the ground.
Qiu Jin quickly caught her, "Your Majesty..."
The eunuch delivering the decree glanced at her and said calmly, "Qiu Jin, it's time to address her as 'Young Mistress' now. Don't break the rules."
Qiu Jin immediately lowered her eyes and said, "Yes."
The eunuch lifted his foot and left.
Qiu Jin and Chunlan helped Consort Kang into the room, one on each side. They were packing their bags and leaving Xianning Palace today.
As soon as she stepped into the palace, Consort Kang broke free from the two men and viciously swept the vases and furnishings on the floor.
He was throwing things and cursing at the same time.
"That Jun Yinghuai is dead and he's still bringing me bad luck!"
"What a born bastard!"
"Your Highness!" Qiu Jin was startled and quickly closed the palace door. "The fact that he was buried with the rites due to a crown prince shows that His Majesty still values him highly."
"Please don't say such things again, my lady!"
I wonder if that eunuch has gone far enough. If he hears the commotion, he might think that the young master is dissatisfied with the emperor!
What if His Majesty blames us?
Seeing her close the door, Consort Kang sneered and said, "What is there to be afraid of now?"
Her appearance has long made her the laughingstock of the entire palace!
What's the difference between that and being banished to the cold palace?!
Who knows how many people will come to kick me when I'm down tomorrow?
Thinking about her miserable state today, all thanks to Jun Yinghuai, she was filled with anger.
Enraged, he smashed another vase.
"Please don't upset yourself, my lady," Chunlan said, stepping forward to comfort her. "There's plenty of time in the future."
"Besides, Your Highness also has the Prince!"
Kang Cai Ren finally caught her breath, her eyes shining as if she had grasped a lifeline, and she murmured, "Yes... Qing'er, I still have Qing'er."
Encouraged, she clenched her fists, a fierce glint flashing in her eyes.
Affairs within the palace are fraught with unpredictability and treacherous schemes.
Many people fall from grace overnight, but many others rise again!
Only those who laugh last are the winners.
As long as Qing'er remains the prince favored by His Majesty, she has not lost!
Now that Jun Yinghuai is dead, Qing'er has one less obstacle. She'll only suffer a little humiliation, what does it matter? She won't lose out in this deal!
not to mention……
She loosened her fingers and raised her hand to touch her face.
With this face, the Emperor's heart will return sooner or later!
Kang Cai Ren finally calmed down.
After my mind cleared, I suddenly realized that what had happened today was quite strange.
She narrowed her eyes and said coldly, "Qiu Jin, who passed on the information about Jun Yinghuai's whereabouts?"
Qiu Jin was stunned for a moment, and her expression suddenly became serious.
"Does Your Highness suspect that someone is stalking the cicada while unaware of the oriole behind?"
Kang Cairen nodded and scraped the nail guards on her hands.
The more she thought about it, the more she felt something was wrong.
“Jun Yinghuai dug a secret room long ago. He is meticulous and this matter must be kept completely hidden.”
"But why did we have to find out about this news of all people?"
"And why were our men caught red-handed as soon as they arrived?"
She sat on the stool and slammed her fist on the table. "Someone must be using us as a pawn!"
"Where did the message come from?"
Qiu Jin bit her lip and pondered for a moment, then finally shook her head. "It's just ordinary gossip. We always find out about things this way. There's nothing unusual about it."
Consort Kang lowered her eyes and asked, "Then who arrested our people?"
Qiu Jin said, "All of our men have been captured and taken to the Dali Temple. They are keeping a tight grip on things and haven't leaked a single word."
Consort Kang's face darkened, and she frowned, saying, "Go and summon Qing'er to the palace."
She was determined to find out who had wronged her like this!
Upon receiving news of his mother's demotion, Jun Yiqing immediately rushed to the palace. As he entered, he caught a glimpse of Jun Ce's carriage leaving.
"Why would my uncle be in the palace at this hour?" he wondered.
Jun Yiqing was anxious and didn't think things through for a moment. He quickened his pace and rushed to the Imperial Study.
But they were stopped at the door.
He paced anxiously outside the Imperial Study.
The Emperor must have known that he wanted to plead for his mother, which is why he deliberately avoided seeing him.
At that moment, Qiu Jin happened to pass by.
"Your Highness! This servant has been looking for you!"
"Aunt Qiu Jin, how is Mother now?" he asked anxiously as he went to greet her.
"The young lady has suffered a blow and is currently throwing a tantrum in the palace. Your Highness, you should go and see her."
Jun Yiqing glanced back at the Imperial Study, then gritted his teeth and followed Qiu Jin to Xianning Palace.
"What does Mother want with me?" He then remembered what Qiu Jin had just said.
Qiu Jin looked around and, seeing that no one was around, lowered her voice and said, "Your Highness suspects that someone is using her to deal with the Crown Prince."
"I was just about to send this servant to inform you so that you could investigate this matter!"
Jun Yiqing stopped in his tracks, his expression suddenly turning serious.
The image of seeing Jun Ce's carriage suddenly flashed through my mind, and a sense of surprise swept over me.
Could it be... Uncle Wang?!
*
The following day, at the Minister's residence.
Zhai Muling leaned back on the couch, staring blankly at the potted flower on the windowsill.
Zhai Rongyu pushed open the door and came in.
"Sister, have something to eat." She placed the food plate on the table, walked to Zhai Muling's side, and sighed.
She knelt down and took Zhai Muling's hand.
“Sister, you haven’t eaten or drunk anything since yesterday. Father and brothers are very worried about you.”
Zhai Muling's eyes remained fixed on the potted plant. "I'm not hungry."
Zhai Rongyu followed her gaze and saw the pure white lilies, bathed in sunlight, suddenly unfurl their buds.
The layers of petals seemed to have a sheen, blooming like snow in the sunlight.
The red dots between the stamens are as vivid as blood.
As Zhai Muling gazed at the single red dot against the pristine white, her eyes suddenly welled up with tears.
She was deeply saddened.
Like a sharp blade cutting through, yet suddenly becoming resilient.
She grasped Zhai Rongyu's hand in return and said firmly, "Rong'er, I want to open a clinic."