readytorunbook Chapter 310 Killing Two Birds with One Stone (Part 2)
Chapter 310 Killing Two Birds with One Stone (Part 2)
The crown prince had only been in the palace for a short time when he saw the head maid of the empress's palace running up to him, panting.
"Your Highness, something terrible has happened..." Lianpeng stopped the Crown Prince and said.
"What's the matter?"
"His Majesty is currently in the Empress's palace in a fit of rage. Her Majesty has ordered me to invite you to come over."
The crown prince looked up at the sky, "Then the morning court..."
"His Majesty has already ordered the cancellation of today's court assembly. You'd better go there as soon as possible."
Her eagerness only fueled the Crown Prince's confidence; it seemed things were going well, otherwise his father wouldn't have even cancelled the court assembly.
"Let's go to the harem."
The crown prince led his men to the inner palace, where they encountered ministers leaving the palace, all of whom inquired about what had happened.
The crown prince declined to comment, but the expression on his face did not suggest anything bad had happened; rather, it seemed like he was celebrating.
This left everyone scratching their heads.
The Crown Prince rushed to Kunning Palace, and was nearly hit by a vase as soon as he entered.
The vase shattered at his feet, and shards cut his ankle.
He was so frightened that he knelt down and kowtowed to the emperor, saying, "Father, please calm your anger!"
He had never seen an emperor in a fit of rage, and one could imagine how severe the consequences would be.
"You unfilial son! You've come at the perfect time." The emperor walked over to the crown prince and kicked him to the ground.
The crown prince was stunned and stared blankly at him.
The Empress cried out, "Your Majesty, what are you doing? He is your son!"
"Does a son ever steal his elderly parent's wife? This is incest! This is deceiving the emperor!"
The crown prince scanned the hall with his eyes and spotted Li Ge standing silently in the corner. He desperately tried to wink at him.
Unfortunately, Li Ge kept his head down, pretending not to exist, and did not respond to him.
The crown prince had no idea what had happened. How did he suddenly become the one who stole his father's woman?
"Father, please calm your anger. I do not know what your accusation is. Even if I had the greatest courage, I would not dare to commit incest in the harem. Please investigate thoroughly, Father!"
The emperor gave him a cold glance.
At this moment, he was not like a loving father, but a cold-blooded emperor.
The crown prince had never seen his father treat him like this before.
His heart sank, and his mind raced. Whoever accused him today, he had to find a way to exonerate himself.
"Zhao Qing, tell the Crown Prince, what exactly did he do wrong?"
Commander Zhao walked in, followed by two imperial guards, who dragged in a concubine.
The concubine was only wearing her undergarments, her lower body was covered in blood, her hair was disheveled, and her eyes were unfocused; she had clearly suffered a great shock.
The Crown Prince recognized her at a glance, "Consort Xie?"
It was Consort Xie! The Crown Prince's eyes flickered.
Upon hearing the Crown Prince's voice, Consort Xie slowly raised her head, and a maniacal laugh gradually spread through her, "Haha...hahaha..."
"You vile woman, you've slandered me!" The Crown Prince was furious.
Consort Xie acted as if she had heard a joke, "Who would dare to slander His Highness the Crown Prince? I don't have that kind of guts."
If any other concubine in the harem had an affair with the crown prince, the emperor would not be so angry, but it was Consort Xie.
This woman was of great use to the emperor, and in order to preserve her virginity, the emperor never touched her.
But now, she's pregnant.
Although the fetus has been aborted, the blood in her body can no longer be used.
The emperor was furious. His own pet had betrayed him, and the betrayer was none other than his own son.
He couldn't help but suspect that the Crown Prince had deliberately used this method to ruin his medicinal ingredients and destroy the efficacy of the elixir he was taking.
No wonder his health is getting worse.
It turns out it was all the son's doing.
Li Ge's lips curled up uncontrollably.
See? Where is there any father-son affection in an imperial family? Just the slightest hint is enough for the emperor to make many connections.
"Father, I truly did not touch Consort Xie. I am innocent! Someone must have framed me!"
In his desperation, the crown prince pointed at Li Ge and exclaimed, "It was him! It must have been Li Ge who harmed me!"
Li Ge looked over innocently, then knelt down with a thud, without arguing.
Commander Zhao calmly stated, "According to the investigation by the Imperial City Guard, Consort Xie had a secret rendezvous with the Crown Prince in the garden last Mid-Autumn Festival, and someone witnessed the Crown Prince giving Consort Xie a hairpin."
A member of the Imperial Guards carried in a wooden box, opened it, and inside was a magnolia hairpin.
The Crown Prince's eyes flickered as he explained, "Your Majesty, this hairpin... this hairpin was given to me by Consort Xie's brother. I thought it was a trivial matter and didn't report it to you."
The emperor snorted coldly, clearly showing his disbelief.
Commander Zhao continued, "On New Year's Eve, the Crown Prince drank too much and on his way to Kunning Palace, he ran into Consort Xie. The two met secretly behind the rockery for half an hour. No one knows what they did, and I dare not speculate."
"You're talking nonsense!" the crown prince roared.
“The Crown Prince’s personal eunuch can testify to this matter.”
This time, it was Eunuch Chen who was brought in. His left cheek was swollen high, and he was slurring his words.
"This servant didn't say anything, Your Majesty, spare my life!" Eunuch Chen kowtowed repeatedly, and soon blood appeared on his forehead.
"How many times have the Crown Prince and Consort Xie met privately?" the Emperor asked coldly.
"You servant..."
"To be honest, otherwise it wouldn't just be a matter of your head."
Eunuch Chen raised his head shakily, met the Crown Prince's gaze, and revealed a desperate expression.
"This servant has only met him once, but His Highness the Crown Prince and Consort Xie have no private relationship. Please, Your Majesty, have mercy!"
The Crown Prince's eyes flashed with a fierce light. He had met with Consort Xie in private, and Eunuch Chen was not wrong, but the Emperor would not believe him.
"Take him away!" The emperor waved his hand, glaring at the crown prince. "Do you have anything else to say?"
The prince's head was throbbing; things had taken too far beyond his expectations.
How could all the evidence suddenly point to him?
“Father, I would never do such a thing. My relationship with Consort Xie is completely innocent.”
"Oh? Then whose baby is she carrying?"
"Your subject... Your subject does not know."
Very few men could freely enter and leave the palace, and it was even less likely that Consort Xie would leave.
The emperor's first suspicion fell on the palace guards, but the palace guards had to enter the inner palace in groups and could not be alone.
The imperial physicians were also the most likely to come into contact with the imperial concubines, but they were all quite old and didn't dare to touch the concubines in the harem.
When Commander Zhao found evidence pointing to the Crown Prince, the Emperor believed it almost immediately.
"Father, you're determined to frame me! I truly did nothing wrong! I've been framed!"
The emperor looked disappointed. "You are the crown prince. If you dared to act and take responsibility, I would have thought more highly of you. But you have really disappointed me."
The Crown Prince lunged at Consort Xie, shaking her and saying, "Xie Kenian, say something! There's nothing between us, say something!"
Consort Xie rolled her eyes. "Doesn't Your Highness understand? We've been tricked. It's too late to say anything now."
"Whose child is this bastard in your belly?" the crown prince roared.
Consort Xie lowered her eyes and shook her head, saying, "This concubine does not know."