Eastern Palace
Emperor Jinyuan frowned slightly when he saw the Crown Prince, Consort Wan, Consort De, the Worthy Consort, and the others gathered together.
He glanced at the woman beside him, a hint of accusation in his voice. "Consort Liu, what exactly did you intend by summoning me here?"
"Please be patient, Your Majesty. Allow me to explain everything in detail."
Consort Liu looked as delicate as a willow swaying in the breeze, fragile and pitiable.
She gazed at Emperor Jinyuan with tender affection. "I recently heard a secret, Your Majesty. Unwilling to let anyone deceive you, I came to report it..."
Consort Liu had chosen to make a scene in the Eastern Palace-
Precisely so the Crown Prince would witness how his birth mother behaved without restraint or shame.
She wanted him to despise her and feel ashamed of her.
Ideally, he would never recover from the blow and voluntarily relinquish his title as Crown Prince.
Click-
Qinggeng wheeled Xiao Yu inside.
Seeing the room full of people and Consort Liu standing arrogantly to one side, Xiao Yu immediately understood. His eyes flickered.
Here we go! Sure enough, once Consort Liu heard that the foolish emperor was making my imperial sister-in-law empress, she couldn't sit still. Now she's sharpening her knives for her...
I'm not too late, am I?
Seeing his excited expression, both Consort Wan and the Crown Prince felt a flicker of helplessness, but their hearts settled at the same time.
The Crown Prince thought, My youngest imperial uncle is here. Now I wouldn't be afraid even if the sky fell.
Consort Wan thought, Qi'an is here. Whatever trap Consort Liu springs on me later, at least I'll have someone to fall back on.
Emperor Jinyuan glanced at Xiao Yu, snorted, and quietly sat down beside Consort Wan.
Only then did he answer Consort Liu. "Since you've already called it a secret rumor, how credible could it possibly be?"
"I have no interest in listening to rumors invented by bored palace servants!"
The corner of Consort Liu's mouth twitched.
She paid Xiao Yu no mind. To her, one more or one fewer spectator made little difference.
But hearing Emperor Jinyuan's words, she still could not help feeling jealous.
His Majesty really is biased!
I haven't even said anything yet, and he's already dismissed what I'm about to say.
It doesn't matter. I knew he wouldn't believe me easily.
That's why I came prepared.
No one will be able to protect Consort Wan today, not even His Majesty.
"Your Majesty, I thought the same at first, but I never imagined..."
Consort Liu hesitated, looking at Consort Wan. Anyone watching could guess whom she was about to accuse.
She withdrew her gaze and spoke as though reluctant to reveal the truth. "Sister Wan actually committed such... such..."
She did not spell it out, but everyone present was clever. How could they fail to understand her implication?
Seeing that no one interrupted her,
Consort Liu continued, "Your Majesty dotes on Sister Wan so much. It would be one thing if she merely failed to appreciate it...
"But she actually gave her heart to another man and exchanged tokens with him in secret. She has utterly betrayed Your Majesty's deep affection..."
Consort Liu gritted her teeth. "I truly feel that Your Majesty deserves better!"
Emperor Jinyuan's expression changed.
A cold glint flashed in his eyes as he looked at Consort Liu. "Consort Liu, do you know the penalty for slandering the reigning empress?"
Consort Liu stiffened.
When she lifted her eyes, they brimmed with tears. "Of course I know..."
"Sister Wan and I are as close as sisters. I don't want to accuse her unjustly either, but with the evidence right before my eyes, what else could I do?"
"I simply didn't want Your Majesty to be deceived-"
Consort Liu signaled the captain of the guards with a glance, and he immediately went to bring the man in.
The moment the man saw Consort Wan, he gazed at her with deep affection. Everyone present could immediately tell that something was amiss.
Seeing how brazen he was, Emperor Jinyuan's gaze abruptly turned icy.
He silently shifted to block the man's view.
Consort Wan rolled her eyes at him.
She had never intended to exchange looks with that man anyway.
Childish.
Consort Liu said, "Your Majesty, this man's name is Sun Wenxun. He grew up with Sister Wan and me. He and Sister Wan were innocent childhood companions, sweethearts from a young age..."
Sun Wenxun did indeed have feelings for Consort Wan. Even after she entered the palace, he had never given up on her. To this day, he had neither married nor had children.
He had agreed to enter the palace today solely to see Consort Wan and ease the torment of years of longing.
Besides, someone had told him that Consort Wan had always held him in her heart, but her lowly position left her powerless to resist...
Sun Wenxun? So this is my imperial sister-in-law's pretty-boy childhood sweetheart? He's quite handsome!
Emperor Jinyuan's face immediately darkened.
The Crown Prince was speechless. Luckily, Father can't hear him. Otherwise, Mother would have an even harder time clearing her name.
Sun Wenxun looked bewildered.
Consort Liu added fuel to the fire. "I originally thought that after Sister Wan married Your Majesty, she must have severed her former ties. I never imagined she would still be unable to forget Sun Wenxun."
"Insolence!"
"Please calm your anger, Your Majesty..."
Consort De, the Worthy Consort, and the others hurriedly knelt.
They were beginning to regret coming to watch the spectacle.
Consort Wan was different in His Majesty's eyes, after all. They owed their consort ranks entirely to the support of their powerful families.
They had only received His Majesty's favor and borne sons because Consort Wan had been indifferent to him all these years.
If Consort Liu truly had solid evidence that could bring Consort Wan down, that would be fine.
But if she had fabricated everything to frame Consort Wan, they would also be implicated when His Majesty flew into a rage.
Seeing Consort Liu malign his Wanwan like this, Emperor Jinyuan turned livid with fury.
He looked at Consort Liu with undisguised murderous intent. "Consort Liu, you should know that nothing disgusts me more than consorts who sow discord and stir up trouble!"
Consort Liu lowered her head, unable to suppress the hatred in her eyes.
After everything I've said, His Majesty only thinks I'm sowing discord?
He hasn't doubted Consort Wan at all?
His Majesty is far too biased!
She concealed the hatred in her eyes and raised her head to answer. "I'm not stirring up trouble. I have evidence!"
Emperor Jinyuan stiffened slightly.
His eyes lowered.
He turned toward Consort Wan, a questioning look flashing in his eyes.
She had been so calm that he had assumed she had everything under control.
And this is all she's got?
Consort Wan's gaze flickered.
In truth... she was somewhat uncertain herself.
Back then, she had genuinely treated Consort Liu like her own younger sister and shared everything with her.
It was possible that Consort Liu had kept something in which she had carelessly expressed her feelings.
Seeing her evasive gaze, Emperor Jinyuan felt his heart chill.
Could she really have...
Judging by my imperial brother and sister-in-law's expressions... this doesn't look good!
Could my imperial sister-in-law really have left some evidence behind?
We're doomed! With that foolish emperor's suspicious nature, a seed of doubt will take root in no time.
Consort Wan's eyes dimmed.
"Please look, Your Majesty. This was found in Sister Wan's room."
Consort Liu produced the evidence she had prepared and presented it to Emperor Jinyuan. "Your Majesty must still recognize Sister Wan's handwriting."
"These are all love poems Sister Wan wrote to Sun Wenxun!"
Emperor Jinyuan took them and looked.
The pages were filled with lines such as, "We long for each other and gaze from afar, yet cannot be together; for whom does heaven bring spring..."
And, "...There is no way to banish this love; it has barely left my brow before it rises in my heart"!
At the end, she had even written, "In heaven, may we be birds flying wing to wing; on earth, may we be branches intertwined"...
Emperor Jinyuan pressed his lips together.
He felt as though he had plunged into a vat of aged vinegar.
He was consumed with jealousy.
But he said nothing.
He looked at Consort Wan, his eyes full of reproach.
We've been married for so many years, and she's never written me a single love poem...
With a trace of jealousy he thought he had concealed perfectly, he asked, "What do you have to say for yourself?"
Consort Wan took the pages. Seeing that it really was her handwriting, she quietly put them away.
She answered, "I have nothing to say."
When Sun Wenxun saw that she did not deny it, he assumed she was acknowledging her feelings for him. His eyes filled with delighted surprise.
His gaze grew even more tender as he looked at her.
Wanwan.
Wanwan really did have feelings for him.
They loved each other!
His love wasn't one-sided!
Before you continue