Chapter 116: When Have I Ever Not Played You, You Little Bastard?

Ming Ze watched Xia Jiujiang’s earnest expression, realizing she was not joking. Then, seeing Emperor Zongkang’s angry reaction, he looked at the disheveled figures on the bed, then back at Xia Jiujiang, his mind lagging a beat behind.

Xia Jiujiang, unabashed, continued to cling to Jun Buwen’s arm, tossing her head at Ming Ze with a smug, provocative look. If she were truly just Jun Buwen’s little mistress, how could she dare to be so intimate in front of Emperor Zongkang?

Ming Ze suddenly realized the truth. Pointing from Xia Jiujiang to Princess Anya on the bed, he shouted, "You... you... you damn well played me again!"

Only now did he grasp that she was not Princess Anya at all. From the very beginning at the auxiliary courtyard of the Dali State Temple, she had never told him her true identity, and he had been foolish enough to believe her. No wonder Emperor Zongkang had been so furious when he declared he had never agreed to a marriage between Ming Ze and Xia Jiujiang—because she was not Princess Anya, but the Princess Consort of Jin.

Xia Jiujiang chuckled, "When have I ever not played you?"

Ming Ze’s face turned leaden, his teeth grinding. "You are... the Princess Consort of Jin."

Xia Jiujiang whispered to him, "I am your grandmother, my dear grandson."

Ming Ze turned pale; he was an idiot... he finally understood. Everything had been clear all along. He had seen Jun Buwen holding Xia Jiujiang at the Dali State Temple, and he had seen them strolling together at the Tongsi Square. Such obvious facts had been ignored by him. Feeling completely played, he seethed with frustration.

Xia Jiujiang caught sight of Nanny Chun kneeling by the bedside, her face deathly pale. Nanny Chun had followed them into the room, but when the Third Prince of the Southern Kingdom and Xia Jiujiang were arguing, she had looked at Princess Anya and Xia Mingxuan on the bed and collapsed, her legs giving way. A feeling of being plunged into an ice cellar washed over her. Although she knew the plan had failed the moment Xia Jiujiang and Jun Buwen appeared, she had held onto a sliver of hope that perhaps the Princess was just resting alone, and that Jun Buwen was elsewhere. Instead, she found her with Xia Mingxuan. She shook the Princess frantically, trying to wake her.

Xia Jiujiang noticed Nanny Chun’s movements. She abruptly pushed aside the Third Prince, Ming Ze, and walked over. "Nanny Chun is truly loyal to her mistress. It is indeed time to wake the Princess."

The mere mention of Princess Anya infuriated Emperor Zongkang. He had pampered her because her mother had once saved his life, and she was a woman without support in the palace. Yet, she had committed such a shameful act. He glanced at Eunuch An, who instantly understood and splashed a bucket of cold water over the pair.

Soaked to the bone, Princess Anya and Xia Mingxuan jolted awake and sat up. "What happened?!"

They moved in perfect sync, and upon seeing each other exposed side-by-side, they both let out ear-splitting shrieks. The sound was so loud that anyone outside would know that not only was the Princess in the room, but there was also a man—the door locked, a man and a woman together; the situation was clear.

Princess Anya was terrified and confused. She remembered clearly that the person on the bed was supposed to be Jun Buwen. Why had it become Xia Mingxuan? Turning her head, she saw Jun Buwen standing nearby, his expression cold and gloomy. She was mortified, feeling both enraged and humiliated. She had been caught in such a state in front of him!

Waking fully from the cold water, she erupted in a furious roar. She slapped Xia Mingxuan across the face and bellowed, "Get lost! How is it you, you piece of trash!"

The slap left Xia Mingxuan seeing stars, a five-fingered print blooming on his face. Princess Anya then grabbed her clothes from the floor and bolted behind the screen.

As she dressed, Emperor Zongkang stared at Xia Mingxuan and sneered, "Xia Wentao has truly raised a fine son and daughter. A brother and sister, each committing such shameful acts—one with the Seventh Prince, the other with Princess Anya. Good! Truly good."

Xia Mingxuan’s face changed drastically at these words. He knew he must have been schemed against by Xia Jiujiang, but his mind was a blank. He only remembered Xia Jiujiang waving her hand, then collapsing. Before passing out, he recalled Xia Yue’er promising to work with her. The implication was clear: Xia Yue’er had sacrificed her own brother to be with Jun Qianye.

Xia Mingxuan scrambled off the bed and knelt, sweating profusely. "Your Majesty, spare me! Your subject has no idea what happened. I beg Your Majesty to investigate." He could not admit to being involved with the Princess.

Emperor Zongkang said with disdain, "Legitimate is legitimate, and common is common. Look at the Princess Consort of Jin, then look at yourself. You have truly disgraced the Prime Minister."

Earlier, the Emperor had pitied Xia Yue’er. If it had only been her affair with Jun Qianye, he might not have thought much of it. But now, with the Xia siblings both involved in such scandals, the shift in their circumstances was too suspicious to ignore.

Princess Anya emerged from behind the screen. Having overheard Xia Mingxuan, she realized she had been set up—she had targeted Jun Buwen, and Xia Mingxuan had been a pawn for Jun Qianye. Someone had framed them!

She decided to play the victim, rushing out to kneel. "Imperial Uncle, you must seek justice for me! I was framed. I have no memory of what happened. Someone must have conspired against me and the young general. I beg you to investigate."

Xia Jiujiang sneered. The two were clever, singing from the same hymn sheet to shift the blame for their lost purity onto a "conspiracy." It not only saved their reputations but allowed them to turn the tables. In her eyes, they were quite a match; they might as well become a family.

Emperor Zongkang was skeptical. If Xia Mingxuan had designs on the Princess to use as a stepping stone, would he not be trying to convince the Emperor of their mutual affection rather than trying to clear his name? Was there truly a hidden conspiracy?