What Bad Intentions can the Yandere Crown Prince have?-Chapter 400 - 396: Enemies

Cheng Zi was responsible for serving the ink and documents and often stood in attendance in Lizheng Hall, but this was the first time she was questioned.

She was stunned for quite a while before panicking back to her senses: "I, I think... Every nation has its laws, every family has its rules, and Mr. Lv did nothing much wrong—"

Deng Liao interrupted her with a chuckle: "The female officer is still too naive; offending a concubine and misconduct at the imperial court are both serious offenses."

"Ignorance is not a crime," Cheng Zi said.

"Whether one knows or not is not up to him," Deng Liao dismissed her notion.

"That may not be the case," Tang Xiaobai suddenly spoke up, having already made a decision in her mind, "In this matter, since we have the upper hand, we need not spare them—"

"Instruct the Imperial Censor to impeach, saying that peculiar favoritism in Liluo Palace suppresses virtuous people, which is not the image of a wise ruler during prosperous times!"

"And the old affair in Jinchang Village?"

Tang Xiaobai smiled: "As long as the moral high ground is maintained, no one will dare mention those behind-the-scenes matters."

Is it not observed that even the Emperor only dared to imprison Lv Xia under the pretense of offending the imperial consorts?

...

In a narrow path encounter, the bold win.

Many times, it’s a matter of courage or lack thereof.

Right and wrong have their own justice, not even the Son of Heaven can cover the sky with his hand.

Tang Xiaobai always believed this was an unchanging consensus on this land for thousands of years.

Even in the age she lived in, there was much injustice; if one gets afraid and backs down, they will keep ceding their own space to survive.

Therefore, one must dare.

Even the Emperor’s rage is not a dead end.

Because Lv Xia was not wrong.

Under Tang Xiaobai’s sign, the impeachment and direct remonstration came pouring in.

Taking preemptive action, directly attacking the Emperor.

Favoring concubines and distancing himself from the capable was fundamentally untenable, especially now when Lv Xia’s life story was spreading in the streets.

The arena of public opinion must also be seized.

Colleagues of the Prime Minister have not been bestowed with any benefit.

Drought in Hedong, military disaster in Yunzhou, reclamation beyond the borders, few officials have been promoted, yet he has always charged into the most difficult and challenging places, practically worthy of the local people’s worship!

If no one mentioned it, Lv Xia would be just an ant the Emperor could squash at will.

But once the matter grew, many people could no longer, and would not, remain silent.

On the 14th of July, Empress Yuan dressed in court attire to remonstrate.

On the 15th of July, Prime Minister Zheng Shidao remonstrated.

On the 16th of July, Lv Xia was pardoned, bestowed gold, appointed as Chief Historian of Fengzhou, and ordered to take office immediately.

After safely escorting Lv Xia out of the Capital City, Tang Xiaobai finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She had always resented the matter of Pei Xuan back then.

Talented people withering in power struggles is the most heart-wrenching.

Pei Xuan at least had some vested interests, while Lv Xia had none at all, being purely a good person.

Unable to protect Pei Xuan, at least Lv Xia wasn’t lost.

...

"For the sake of Lv Xia, is it worth offending the Emperor’s cherished beauty?" Empress Yuan had a faint smile on her face.

Tang Xiaobai chuckled: "Whether I offend or not seems to make no difference?"

She had been merciless in dealing with Zhen Su.

The more she dealt with Zhen Su, the more the Emperor would feel sorry for his unsupported beauty.

As for what the Emperor thought of her, it mattered even less—she didn’t need to win the Emperor’s favor.

But Empress Yuan seemed somewhat displeased: "The Emperor hasn’t set foot in Lizheng Hall for seven days."

Tang Xiaobai glanced at her: "Didn’t he not come often in the past either?"

Empress Yuan’s gaze shifted, but she said nothing.

Tang Xiaobai knew that although Empress Yuan’s remonstration in court attire seemed grand, it was done against the Emperor’s wishes, and she wasn’t entirely willing.

"If what Your Highness seeks is the Emperor’s favor—" Tang Xiaobai smiled, "I’m not skilled in that; Your Highness might as well consult Consort Zheng or Beauty Shu?"

The hand Empress Yuan had placed on the supportive pillow tightened and then relaxed, her expression unchanged.

"If what Your Highness seeks is power, then after remonstrating in court attire, whether or not the Emperor steps into Lizheng Hall will not harm your esteemed reputation in both the front court and the harem."

Empress Yuan glanced at her: "What use is a good reputation? The Zheng Family doesn’t have this good reputation, yet they still assist in managing the harem. The Shu Family was implicated in endangering Wang Zhaoji and was criticized by court ministers, but they still reside comfortably in Liluo Palace. If they give birth to a prince, they might be ennobled as a concubine and also assist in managing the harem."

Tang Xiaobai laughed upon hearing this: "If Your Highness thinks a good reputation is useless, you wouldn’t have agreed to my suggestion to remonstrate in court attire."

When she initially advised Empress Yuan to remonstrate, they had gone over the pros and cons, now bringing up the discussion again was just wanting more.

After hearing her words, Empress Yuan did not speak further.

"There must be a process of ebb and flow." After saying this, Tang Xiaobai bowed and took her leave.

Leaving Lizheng Hall, she turned westward, heading to Zhaoqing Palace, the residence of the Empress Dowager.

This was the route she had to walk almost every day as the Crown Princess Consort: first paying respects to the Empress, then to the Empress Dowager.

Zhaoqing Palace was in the northwest of Taiji Palace. Returning to the Eastern Palace from Zhaoqing Palace involved crossing almost the entire rear palace.

A short distance from Zhaoqing Palace, Tang Xiaobai "accidentally" encountered Beauty Shu, who was apparently out for a leisurely walk.

"Thank you..." she said in a lowered voice.

"Do you know who revealed the matters from back then?" Tang Xiaobai asked.

The incident of Lv Xia saving Zhen Su was years past, it wouldn’t resurface without reason; it was likely in someone’s hands all along.

Zhen Su shook her head.

Tang Xiaobai thought so too; if the intelligence network of the Eastern Palace hadn’t captured it, how could Zhen Su, trapped in the rear palace, know?

"What’s the matter?" Tang Xiaobai asked.

Going out of one’s way to encounter someone, surely it wasn’t just to say thanks.

"Back then, it was the Zheng Family who goaded the Emperor to grant the poisoned wine..." she whispered.

Tang Xiaobai hadn’t known this; now that she did, it made no difference to her, as the instigator and the executor were the same kind of people.

"Do you want revenge?" Tang Xiaobai asked.

"Raise them up and then kill them."

"How?"

"Let the Empress yield power, for the Zheng Family to temporarily manage the six palaces."

Tang Xiaobai found it a bit amusing.

The Empress had just hinted at wanting to seize the power of the consort, and now Zhen Su came asking her to help seize the power of the Empress.

If she agreed to Zhen Su, the Yuan Empress might hate her terribly?

"And after elevating them? How to kill?" Tang Xiaobai asked.

Zhen Su glanced at her: "Why? The Eastern Palace doesn’t want to kill?"

Tang Xiaobai fell silent for a moment, then said, "Let me think about it."

As they passed by each other, Tang Xiaobai suddenly stopped: "How do you know it was the consort who incited it?"

Zhen Su was silent for a moment, then said: "I have my ways."

Immediately, Tang Xiaobai felt a strange suspicion.

Logically, Zhen Su, as a commoner, wouldn’t know palace affairs, yet this matter wasn’t hidden in secrecy.

But she hadn’t said she learned of it through palace sources, as if there was some special channel...

Tang Xiaobai suddenly remembered the strange events surrounding her appearance at the hunting grounds and turned back sharply: "Xue, who is it?"

The death of Xue Shaoqin had never had clear evidence pointing towards anyone, after a scapegoat was identified, the trail went cold.

Yet Zhen Su seemed to have a clear target.

"It was the Wang Family!" Her eyes lifted, turning crimson like blood, and those three words seemed to be torn from her throat.

Tang Xiaobai was silent for a moment before asking softly: "So... Wang Zhaoji—"

"I killed her!" She unhesitatingly confessed, "The Wang Family still has remnants. They seek revenge for Wang Maozhao, targeting the Eastern Palace, but he...what did he do wrong..."

Her hatred was like a knife, yet mixed with soft whimpering.

"You know too...you know how good of a person he is..."