After Tang Mingfan and Prince of Jin parted ways, Tang Mingfan immediately sent someone to summon Tang Baixin, and he himself rushed over.
The father and son met at the entrance of the Prince's mansion and went inside together.
Tang Zhuyun didn't hide anything from her father and brothers and told them the whole story.
Tang Baixin asked anxiously, "A-Yun, did you miscarry?"
"No." Tang Zhuyun waved her hand, her older brother's concern always touching. "It's fake."
Tang Mingfan, recovering from his initial shock, said in a deep voice, "It must be true."
The father-in-law and son-in-law surprisingly agreed on the same thing.
"Your Highness acted too impulsively in this matter," Tang Mingfan, frowning deeply.
Tang Baixin said, "Father, A-Yun did nothing wrong, yet she suffered such humiliation. If Your Highness doesn't stand up for her, how can you face A-Yun?"
Tang Zhuyun: Sure enough, in my elder brother's eyes, I am the best.
Tang Mingfan said, "Father isn't blaming him, he just feels that this matter shouldn't have given anyone such leverage."
Now it will be very difficult to end things.
"Father," Tang Zhuyun finally asked the question she had wanted to ask for a long time, "Do you know about what happened to Xiao Wu back then?"
Now that things have come to this, she's too lazy to use any honorifics and just calls him by his first name.
Tang Mingfan sighed and shook his head, saying, "Father doesn't know. Not to mention Father, even the Emperor doesn't know."
Tang Zhuyun: Huh?
The Emperor even had a son with her; how could she say she didn't know?
Are you suggesting we just have our fun and leave without a second thought?
Is he also a scumbag who only cares about looks?
"Father suspected back then that Xiao Wu had ulterior motives in approaching the Emperor, but he had no evidence... Later, a series of events occurred, ultimately leading to this tragedy," Tang Mingfan said. "Do you think even the Emperor knew the truth?"
If the Emperor truly knew everything, why was the handling of the Xiao Family's affairs so protracted back then, leading to such chaos now?
Tang Zhuyun was completely bewildered.
Did the Xiao Family actually plot a rebellion back then?
"Father believes that even His Majesty is not certain now," Tang Mingfan said, "But in any case, the verdict is final, and this is the only way to tell outsiders."
"So, back then, was evidence not needed to determine that the Xiao Family was plotting a rebellion?"
"The evidence is irrefutable," Tang Mingfan said.
"The evidence is irrefutable, so what is Your Majesty hesitating about?"
"Regarding Noble Consort Jia," Tang Mingfan said, "Even now, His Majesty is still unclear about what role Noble Consort Jia played in this matter."
Was he a spy taking advantage of the situation to get close to the emperor and plot something treacherous?
Or was she transformed by love, a devoted woman who betrayed her family for the emperor?
Tang Zhuyun: You must be joking!
Xiao Wu was infatuated?
She's probably only infatuated with herself!
"The events of that year are too complex to explain in just a few words," Tang Mingfan said. "Besides, the Xiao Family is practically extinct. The Emperor probably felt that Noble Consort Jia had been with him and given birth to Prince of Jin, so he..."
To be honest, Tang Zhuyun didn't completely trust Tang Mingfan in this matter.
Her father and the emperor had an emotional connection to each other, which is not objective.
Tang Baixin himself, "No matter what happened in the past, what does it have to do with A-Yun? Father, Noble Consort Jia is no good person!"
Xiu'er secretly gave a thumbs up from behind.
--An old man is always an old man, that's right!
"A-Yun, do you want to lie down and rest for a while?" Tang Baixin asked again. "I'll have your sister-in-law come over to keep you company in a bit."
"No need," Tang Zhuyun quickly said. "Brother, I'm fine. I'm just a little worried about the Prince... Father, with your many years of experience in the Court of Judicial Review, how do you think this matter will ultimately turn out?"
Tang Mingfan stroked his beard. "His life isn't in danger..."
Tang Zhuyun breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as I don't die, I can be happy as long as I'm alive!
Life is both short and long; living is just a pointless struggle, so what's the point of going through its ups and downs?
"I'm just afraid of ending up like the Seventh Prince, or even being demoted to a commoner."
There is precedent for this. The thirteenth son of Emperor Gaozu committed adultery with his mother's maid. After being discovered, he attempted to kill his mother but failed. He was then demoted to a commoner.
Tang Zhuyun breathed a sigh of relief.
Alright, our situation is much less serious than his; we didn't force any women!
Moreover, since she had been wronged first, she felt relieved.
After all, at this point in time, it would be utter nonsense to say that she wants to remain a widow.
As long as I can come back, I'd rather not be this wretched prince anymore.
Prince of Jin was strong and healthy; he could support his whole family by carrying bricks. Moreover, she had a skill that allowed Prince of Jin to live off her.
He deserves it!
Tang Baixin replied, "Being demoted to a commoner is fine; we must find a way to stay in the capital so that we can take care of you."
Tang Mingfan said, "If they are demoted to commoners, they will most likely be banished from the capital as well."
Tang Zhuyun then realized that the Prince of Prince of Jin was not well-liked!
If he were demoted to a commoner, how many people would come to trample on him?
But then I thought again, nothing is perfect, let's just take it one step at a time.
Tang Mingfan said, "This is just my guess. I'm afraid the outcome might be worse. His Majesty is getting old, and sometimes he may not be able to think things through..."
Tang Zhuyun: Is it still possible for him to die?
"Father," she couldn't help but say, "That letter you gave me before the wedding..."
Tang Mingfan was greatly alarmed. "A-Yun, although it's said that husband and wife are like birds in the same forest, flying away separately when disaster strikes, this isn't good. The Prince is still doing this for you, and besides, there might be a chance for a comeback in the future..."
So, let's give him another chance, and not get a divorce yet?
Tang Zhuyun was both amused and exasperated. "Father, what are you thinking? I certainly don't want to leave the Prince; I was just wondering if it could be used to save him?"
Since it was the Emperor's affection for Tang Mingfan, he naturally wouldn't want his daughter to be a widow.
Tang Mingfan was stunned, and after a long while, he sighed and said, "Very well."
Tang Baixin sorry for his younger sister and said, "No matter what happens, remember that your father and your older brother are still here. You should rest first. Your older brother will go find people now to jointly petition the prince to exonerate him."
"Brother, you don't need to do this, let me think of another way..."
For love, she could be a moth drawn to a flame, even die without a burial place, but not at the cost of her family.
She was slow-witted and didn't know how far this matter would escalate, but subconsciously she didn't want to implicate her father and brothers.
Or rather, let's minimize their involvement.
Having a daughter (sister) like this is truly unfortunate for the father and brothers.
Tang Baixin solemnly said, "Father is not suitable to step forward, but I can!"
After seeing her father and brothers off, Tang Zhuyun sat on the couch, resting her chin on her hand, lost in thought.
Xiu'er returned after changing her clothes and, seeing this, whispered, "Your Highness, are you worried about the Prince?"
Tang Zhuyun shook her head. "Nothing matters more than life and death."
Fame and fortune are all fleeting; she'll just stay by his side.
She just felt that she had done something wrong.
"What's wrong with you?"
"I made a mistake," Tang Zhuyun said. "That letter was my father's way out for me, it was meant for me. But I only thought about how sorry for the prince, and instead, I made my father worry."