095. Something Is Amiss
Yuan Tianci chuckled, “I want to go too. This is truly a once-in-a-thousand-years event.”
“You don’t seem the gossiping type,” Le Qianxue said with a humph, but she sat down and didn’t move. “I’m not going into the palace. This has nothing to do with me. It’s better that Le Linglong is married off; the General’s residence will be much quieter.”
Yuan Tianci pouted. He knew Le Qianxue’s character well and gave up trying to persuade her.
Still, he genuinely wanted to see what progress was being made...
Just then, Hua Tao arrived carrying some pastries and remarked, “Yeah, the master hasn’t been paying much attention to the second miss, so she’s been acting all sweet. But she’s still his daughter, so the master can’t help but soften. Now that she’s married off, the General’s residence will be much more peaceful.”
The servants in the General’s residence all disliked Le Linglong, finding her particularly difficult to serve.
Le Qianxue rolled her eyes and took a piece of pastry. She hadn’t eaten in three days; her stomach was empty.
She said, “Becoming the Fourth Prince’s consort isn’t bad. It’ll bring honor to the General’s residence.”
Yuan Tianci wasn’t sure if she was sincere or sarcastic but thought Le Linglong had really worked hard to marry into the royal family.
Le Qianxue didn’t want to dwell on the matter, and no one could force her.
A palace maid arrived—someone from Consort Xian’s entourage.
Hua Tao saw her and reported, “There’s quite a commotion in the palace now. The Fourth Prince claims that the second miss drugged herself, which caused her defilement. But the palace physicians couldn’t find anything, so Consort Xian thought of calling Yuan the Divine Doctor to come and take a look.”
Yuan Tianci was a bit displeased. “So I’ve become a servant of the royal family now. Looks like I won’t be staying in the capital much longer.”
The Yuan family had always been wary of such things. Even the emperor might face palace coups, so none of them relied on the throne. The Yuan family disliked wealth and glory, so it was no big deal to them.
Le Qianxue was still eating pastries and slurred slightly, “So, are you going or not?”
Though Yuan Tianci had said otherwise, he was quite interested and replied, “I’ll make an exception this time.”
She gave him a sidelong glance. “An exception? You just like gossiping, don’t you?”
“So what? I’ll tell you everything when I get back,” Yuan Tianci said.
Le Qianxue waved her hand. “Wait, I’m coming with you.”
Yuan Tianci raised an eyebrow. “You’re supposed to be resting properly.”
“The palace is dangerous now. I’m not comfortable with you going alone,” Le Qianxue said, then paused before heading to the dressing table. After some preparation, when she came out, she startled Yuan Tianci and Hua Tao.
Yuan Tianci steadied himself on the table, surprised. “My goodness, you scared me to death. You look like a ghost with that pale face.”
Le Qianxue’s complexion was indeed pale, truly like someone just recovering from a serious illness.
Hua Tao was stunned, only saying, “Miss, what have you done? Let me help you.”
Le Qianxue’s voice was strong, “I just applied a bit of powder. It looks quite realistic.”
This was normal; Le Qianxue was skilled with masks and disguises. A little makeup to feign illness was nothing.
She grabbed a plate of pastries and said, “Let’s go.”
Yuan Tianci was nearly blinded but thought it might be good to have Le Qianxue accompany him into the palace.
---
The palace maid was naturally pleased to see Yuan Tianci arrive, as Consort Xian was nearly in tears over the matter.
Empress Yang and Consort Xian were already at odds. If the Fourth Prince really did something like this, Consort Xian would likely face punishment.
They entered the palace together, with Le Qianxue leisurely eating pastries along the way.
Yuan Tianci nibbled a bit, but Le Qianxue shot him several glares, as if he had stolen a precious treasure.
At the palace gates, they were about to enter on foot when Eunuch Chen happened to be waiting at a side gate.
“I wonder if Miss Le came along?” Chen asked.
Yuan Tianci replied, “She’s here. Why?”
Chen said, “His Majesty specially instructed me to inform you that Miss Le is allowed to enter the palace by carriage as an exception. Miss Le is weak and shouldn’t walk too much.”
Le Qianxue raised an eyebrow—so the emperor could be considerate after all.
This was good. Yuan Tianci acknowledged, and the coachman drove the carriage into the palace.
Meanwhile, Le Linglong and her party were in the Imperial Study. Though spacious, the large commotion meant many people were gathered.
Upon entering, they saw many familiar faces.
Hua Tao supported Le Qianxue, who truly looked frail, barely able to walk.
The emperor, upon seeing Le Qianxue before she could even bow, said, “No need to bow. Please take a seat.”
Everyone was slightly stunned. In the Imperial Study, only the emperor and Zhan Lianjing could sit—Zhan Lianjing because of his leg ailment. What status did Le Qianxue have? She was merely a general’s daughter!
At this, Chancellor Yang and the two princes darkened their faces, thinking the emperor must be out of his mind.
Le Qianxue said, “I will stand. My father did not sit; it would be unfilial for me to do so.”
The emperor frowned. “Given your state, it’s better to sit.”
Le Qianxue hesitated, but the emperor insisted, and others sat as well, forcing eunuchs to bring many stools.
Only then did Le Qianxue sit down, lifting her eyes to find Zhan Lianjing looking at her.
His gaze was indifferent but somewhat gentle.
Le Qianxue ignored him, turning slightly away.
Zhan Lianjing frowned. What was she doing?
Consort Xian lost patience and said, “Divine Doctor Yuan, please examine the tea to see if there’s anything wrong.”
Before Yuan Tianci could speak, Empress Yang interrupted, “Consort Xian, even the imperial physicians found nothing wrong. Why persist? The Fourth Prince committed this act and refuses to admit fault. This shows poor upbringing on your part!”
Consort Xian was furious. She knew Yu Nanfeng had developed feelings for Le Qianxue. How could he have defiled Le Linglong?
Yu Nanfeng knelt, anxious. “Father, I am truly innocent.”
Le Linglong nearby sobbed louder, her eyes swollen.
---
“Fourth Prince, what of my innocence? Would I risk everything just to frame you?” Le Linglong wept.
Madam Xu defended her daughter, “Though Linglong is a concubine’s daughter, she is always well-mannered. Everyone knows this. Fourth Prince, your words unjustly wrong Linglong.”
Many in the Imperial Study watched the spectacle.
Suddenly, Fu Xiao laughed sharply, “Not necessarily. The Fourth Prince is noble; the position of primary consort must be filled by a legitimate daughter. If a concubine’s daughter wants to become the prince’s main consort, she must have some means.”
Madam Xu turned pale. “Chancellor Zuo, your words are insulting!”
The emperor could no longer tolerate the chaos. “Divine Doctor Yuan, please examine.”
Yuan Tianci stood. The tea was placed before him; all eyes watched.
The palace maid had already recounted the events.
Yu Nanfeng had happened to dine at the newly renovated Noble Ladies’ Hall today. The private rooms were full, so he was about to leave when Le Linglong appeared.
Though Yu Nanfeng disliked Le Linglong, she was clever and mentioned Le Qianxue’s matters, so he stayed to dine with her.
After drinking some tea, Yu Nanfeng lost control, ruining Le Linglong’s innocence.
Two princes dining at the Noble Ladies’ Hall heard Le Linglong’s cries, had the doors opened, learned of the incident, and raised the matter to the palace.
On the way, Yuan Tianci discussed with Le Qianxue, who believed Le Linglong was scheming and the tea was likely tampered with. But why did the imperial physicians fail to detect anything? This intrigued Le Qianxue.
Yuan Tianci sniffed the tea, frowned slightly, poured another cup, and sipped.
He glanced at Le Qianxue and subtly shook his head.
Then he said, “This tea is indeed fine. Did the Fourth Prince only drink tea? Was there any incense or other substances in the private room?”
Yu Nanfeng’s face was pale. He shook his head blankly. “No... nothing...”
This was bad; his reputation was now tarnished for life!
Suddenly, he looked at Le Qianxue. “Qianxue, I am truly innocent! I did not consent. You must believe me. I was confused and didn’t know what I was doing...”
Le Qianxue’s heart tightened.
Empress Yang sneered, “Fourth Prince, even Divine Doctor Yuan says the tea is fine. What innocence do you claim now? Your Majesty, how shall we resolve this?”
The emperor’s face darkened. If a prince committed a crime, harsh punishment was necessary.
The solution was for Yu Nanfeng to marry Le Linglong and then be punished.
The emperor pondered, then declared, “Since this is so... Feng’er, you have erred. I will withhold your salary for one year. One month from now, you shall marry Le Linglong. No mistakes! Le family, I will confer upon your daughter the title of primary consort. Do you agree?”
Le Yongcheng’s face was grim. His daughter had been defiled, and he felt deeply troubled.