Chapter 620: Ruined Virtue
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Auntie Ye smiled and persuaded, “Didn’t you arrange for Miss Linlang to befriend Eldest Miss Yu? When the two of them get closer, get Miss Linlang to tell Eldest Miss Yu more about Third Prince’s kindness. Eldest Miss Yu will then feel the generosity of the three palaces and your love for her. No matter how uncomfortable she feels at the start, it will slowly fade away.”
When the Noble Consort was determined to scheme against Eldest Miss Yu’s reputation, she had already considered all of this.
Only then did Consort Xu smile.
At this moment, there was a flurry of footsteps outside. Imperial Consort Xu perked up and immediately sat up straight, thinking that there was news from outside the palace.
An eunuch lowered his head and bent his back. He hurriedly entered the side hall and reported, “Noble Consort, bad news. The Third Prince fell into the water in Duke Rong’s Residence and received a shock. He has just returned to the Jingyang Palace.”
Imperial Consort Xu’s expression changed. “Go to Jingren Palace.”
Auntie Ye called a palace maid in to freshen Consort Xu up and change into luxurious clothes.
By the time she was done, two incense sticks had already passed.
Imperial Consort Xu quickly went to the Jingren Palace. The palace maids and eunuchs knelt on the ground.
At this moment, the Third Prince was leaning against the bed with a pale face. The imperial physician on duty in the palace was taking his pulse.
After taking his pulse, Noble Consort Xu couldn’t wait to ask, “Is Third Princes body injured?”
The imperial physician hurriedly bowed. ‘Your Highness, His Highness’s health is fine. He was just a little frightened. I’ll prescribe a calming medicine.
He’ll be fine after taking it for two days.”
Consort Xu heaved a sigh of relief.
Auntie Ye quickly followed the imperial physician outside to prescribe a prescription.
Imperial Consort Xu glanced at the palace maids and eunuchs kneeling on the ground. “All of you can leave!”
“Yes!” All the palace maids and eunuchs in the room had left.
Imperial Consort Xu sat on the side of the bed, and even her eyes turned red. “Child, are you trying to scare me to death? Why are you so careless? You’re already so old, but you suddenly fell into the water? Don’t you know how to swim? Why were you still frightened? Fortunately, it’s still between April and May. If it was winter, your body might have been injured…”
The Third Prince recalled that in the Duke Rong’s Residence, he had stood in front of the small building at the center of the lake to admire the scenery. Suddenly, a strong force pushed him into the lake.
He was shocked and splashed around in the lake, shouting in panic. He did not notice who had pushed him into the lake.
When he thought about how he knew how to swim, his legs tightened and he couldn’t exert any strength at all. The lake water poured into his nose and splashed into his eyes. After using all his strength, he kept sinking into the water…
Fortunately, the guards had heard the commotion and arrived in time to save him.
Thinking of the danger previously, Third Prince Yin Huairui still felt a little afraid and couldn’t help but shiver. “Mother, I was pushed into the lake…” Imperial Consort Xu’s expression darkened. “What happened?”
The Third Prince recounted everything that had happened after arriving at King Rong’s Residence.
Imperial Consort Xu’s expression gradually turned solemn. When the Third Prince was done, she asked, “You weren’t even able to see Eldest Miss Yu before you were pushed into the lake?”
The Third Prince nodded. “I-I was too afraid at that time. I was worried that someone from Duke Rong’s Residence wanted to harm me, so I rushed back to the palace.”
However, Consort Xu understood the crux of the matter.
Rui’er was alone in the crepe myrtle garden. If someone really wanted to harm him, they would have done it directly after pushing him into the lake. They wouldn’t have let Rui’er splash and shout in the lake at all.
This matter was strange from the beginning to the end.
At the thought of this, Imperial Consort Xu’s expression turned ugly. She quickly called out to Auntie Ye, “Send someone to investigate what happened at the Flower Festival in Duke Rong’s Residence.”
As soon as she finished speaking, a small palace maid entered the sleeping hall with a panicked expression. “Noble Consort, there’s news from outside the palace that Old Madam Yu has handed over a palace token to the palace and wants to see the Empress Dowager. Eldest Master Yu has joined forces with Eldest Master Qi and a group of censors from the Imperial Court to participate in a memorial. They said that the Flower Festival was used as an excuse to lure Eldest Miss Yu to meet an outsider in private. Someone wanted to ruin her reputation and their morals are corrupt. Second Master Yu has already entered the palace to meet the emperor…”
There was a string in Consort Xu’s mind that was almost broken.
At this point, what else did she not understand?
Eldest Miss Yu noticed that something was amiss and the Princess Consort of
Duke Rongs Residence had messed up this matter. As expected of Eldest Miss
Yu, who had been raised in front of Old Madam Yu. She was just like Old Madam Yu and was a ruthless person. Even if the other party was an imperial relative or a prince, she was unwilling to hold back her anger and personally planned Rui’er’s fall into the water. She used the fall to publicly execute the despicable tricks of the Duke Rong’s Residence in public!
The Third Prince looked panicked. “Mother, what should we do now? Once this matter blows up, I…”
Once this matter blew up, their conspiracy with the Duke Rong’s Residence could no longer be covered up. It was inevitable that he would lose his reputation.
Imperial Consort Xu gritted her teeth. “Yu Youyao, I’ve really underestimated you.”
Before she schemed against Yu Youyao, she did not take her seriously. Yu Youyao was the daughter of an external minister. Even if she was schemed against, she could only pinch her nose and admit it.
Although Old Madam Yu was a little stubborn, she couldn’t strangle her granddaughter to death with a white silk.
As long as her attitude was sincere, the Yu Residence would have some practical benefits to help the disciples of the Yu Clan who were officials in the court. It could also appease the Yu Clan.
She really did not expect that the daughter of an external minister would dare to go against the royal family and brazenly push the prince into the lake.
However, now that things had come to this, even his son might be implicated.
The Third Prince completely panicked. “Mother, what, what should I do?”
After being angry for a moment, Imperial Consort Xu had already thought of a countermeasure. She held her son’s hand and stared into his eyes. She explained word by word, “Rui’er, at this point, you can’t admit that you went to Duke Rong’s Residence to meet Eldest Miss Yu privately. No matter who asks you this question, just say that you have been focusing on your studies recently. It was only because Duke Rong’s Residence had invited you three times that you went to Duke Rong’s Residence to admire the flowers and relax. When you arrived at the crepe myrtle garden, there was no one else there. When you accidentally fell into the lake after admiring the scenery in the middle of the lake, you quickly returned to the palace. You don’t know anything else.”
Hearing his mother’s words, the Third Prince calmed down a little, but he was still a little uneasy. “But, the Duke Rong’s Residence…”
The matter of meeting Yu Youyao privately was arranged by the Duke Rong’s Residence.
Imperial Consort Xu sneered. “If the Duke Rong’s Residence is sensible, they will take the blame. If they’re not sensible and dare to accuse you, what kind of crime is it to frame a prince? What kind of crime is it to murder a prince? Let’s see if they can afford it..”
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