What Bad Intentions can the Yandere Crown Prince have?-Chapter 406 - 402: An Inexperienced Guess
Tang Xiaobai wanted Princess Runan to stir up the situation, but she didn’t expect it to escalate this much.
That night, news about Princess Runan was delivered to the Eastern Palace.
Tang Xiaobai had not yet recovered from the shock when a messenger from the neighboring Taiji Palace anxiously knocked on the Eastern Palace gates under the night sky—
...
Taiji Palace was in chaos for three whole days.
Three days later, Tang Xiaobai visited Taiji Palace.
Liangyi Palace is the inner court of Taiji Palace, where the Emperor often met with trusted ministers; hence, the foundation of Liangyi Palace was slightly higher than other palaces except the front and middle courts.
From twenty or thirty steps away, Tang Xiaobai gazed at Liangyi Palace from afar.
Below the steps in front of the palace, a figure in purple robes with a jade belt stood silently, appearing both quiet and desolate.
An Eunuch exited Liangyi Palace, approached the figure, seemed to say a few words, then bowed and retreated.
The figure remained unmoved.
Tang Xiaobai watched quietly for a moment, then slowly walked closer with a sedate pace.
As she approached, that person turned to look, and upon seeing it was her, their brows furrowed, eyes darkening, revealing vigilance.
Tang Xiaobai smiled sweetly: "Why is Prince Jin standing outside instead of going in? This—" She glanced at the sky.
The sky was clear and bright with autumn hues.
It was a splendid day indeed!
Weather not cooperating at all!
Generally, such plea occasions require storms to add a touch of sadness, don’t they? After all, side characters are not meant to have such privileges.
Tang Xiaobai withdrew her gaze: "—A perfectly sunny day, standing outside must be tiring!"
Li Shu: ...
At that moment, a gentle breeze swept in, lifting the fabric draped over her elbow.
Just... quite a comfortable weather indeed...
"Did the Crown Princess come to see me make a fool of myself?" Li Shu asked coldly.
Tang Xiaobai certainly did not admit so: "Prince Jin thinks too much, I came to visit Beauty Shu."
At the mention of "Beauty Shu," darkness flickered within Li Shu’s eyes.
And Tang Xiaobai suddenly lost interest too, and said lightly: "In June, she lost her child, Beauty Shu nearly lost her life—"
On the same night that Princess Runan had an incident, Zhen Su also met with an accident.
Six months pregnant, lost it.
It was a fully formed male fetus.
This miscarriage nearly claimed Zhen Su’s life, and the Emperor moved the entire Imperial Hospital into Liluo Palace for three days and nights, even ignoring suspicion and sent someone to the Eastern Palace to borrow Feng Hua.
A close brush with death led to the Emperor’s furious wrath.
No need for extensive investigation, all suspicions pointed towards Consort Zheng, who temporarily managed the six palaces.
This was why Li Shu was denied an audience with the Emperor outside Liangyi Palace.
Indeed, Tang Xiaobai wanted to meet Zhen Su, but didn’t get to, and was about to leave when she heard that Li Shu was waiting bitterly outside Liangyi Palace, so she came to have a look.
This glance made her feel that her villainous supporting role could come into play once more.
"With neither wind nor rain now, having no pretext for a sympathy plea, wouldn’t it be better to kneel at the gate of Liluo Palace, maybe Beauty Shu will soften, and His Majesty’s anger will dissipate!" Tang Xiaobai smirked.
A competent evil supporting role never misses an opportunity to take advantage.
But Li Shu only gave her a cold glance, remaining silent.
The Crown Princess Consort Tang did not retreat, rather gaining momentum: "However, it wouldn’t be convenient for Prince Jin to enter and exit the harem, even going to Liluo Palace might displease His Majesty," she chuckled, "perhaps... seeking forgiveness at the Yan Family?"
Using the words "beg for forgiveness" was not purely to shame Li Shu.
Three days prior, on the night of Zhen Su’s miscarriage, Princess Runan personally killed Prince Consort Yan Bo.
Tang Xiaobai deliberately provoked Princess Runan to stir up the matter of Yan Bo, but didn’t expect it to get this big.
The day after Yan Bo’s death, Grand Tutor Yan, retired by his sixties, knelt tremblingly before the Emperor, leaning on his court-bestowed cane, tears streaming: "The Yan Family failed to serve the master well and has failed the heavenly grace, please, Your Majesty, pass judgment!"
The Emperor took a long time to soothe the old tutor out of the palace, and now it was Yan Bo’s father locked in Liangyi Palace with the Emperor, while Princess Runan’s brother was kept outside.
How could this matter possibly resolve peacefully?
Yet Li Shu still said nothing, not even sparing her a glance.
So not everyone is as easily swayed as Princess Runan.
Tang Xiaobai, feeling slightly defeated, refused to waste her prepared speech.
"Anyone you beg from is the same; no matter how we pride ourselves, life and death, honor, and disgrace are just thoughts of the Emperor," she stood tall, offering Li Shu a faint smile, hinting at disdain: "Hence, only Li Mu can sit on the Eastern Palace’s throne."
Li Shu finally turned to look her way again, his gaze profoundly dreadful.
After a silent confrontation, he slowly spoke: "Are you trying to incite me to rebel?"
Tang Xiaobai froze.
Is it that obvious?
"Was this how you incited Runan at the Wenren Bookstore?"
Tang Xiaobai remained silent.
Perhaps she should leave?
It was, after all, a male supporting character with a significant role in the original book, and while the little ancestor could handle it, she, a supporting character without even a name, might not be worthy.
Li Shu withdrew his gaze, murmuring: "I don’t have the face to blame you, that day she cried her way into the palace, saying I didn’t care about her... How could I possibly not care? It was just that I was too late..."
To her surprise, Tang Xiaobai found his atypical non-villainous words rather awkward, and quietly stepped back a couple of steps.
Should she just leave?
For some reason, Li Shu seemed particularly willing to confide in her today and continued in a low voice: "At this point, I must protect them..."
He lifted the hem of his robe, knelt before Liangyi Palace, his gaze determined and unwavering.
The eunuch outside the palace saw this and hurriedly entered the palace again.
Tang Xiaobai hesitated as she stepped back, uncertainty stopping her.
Her gaze flickered several times, and she stepped closer again.
"As long as Yan Bo’s crime is great enough, Princess Runan’s mistake won’t be worth mentioning..." she whispered.
Li Shu lifted his head, casting a deep look at her.
...
The long-handled Yue Sheng case made a sudden breakthrough.
A former friend of Yue Sheng came forward, accusing Yan Bo of forcibly taking Yue Sheng, while Yan Bo’s personal attendant changed his statement, confirming Yan Bo’s imprisonment and abuse of Yue Sheng leading to death.
The case remained under review, but Yan Bo’s charges were cemented by word of mouth.
Meanwhile, Princess Runan, who murdered her consort, stayed shut within the Princess Mansion, and nobody brought it up again.
At least the Yan Family didn’t dare mention it now, for fear of rekindling memories of Yan Bo.
...
"Never thought there would be a day we’d cooperate with Li Shu!" Tang Xiaobai mused, a little uneasy, sneaking a glimpse at Qin Xiao.
Qin Xiao laughed: "There are no eternal enemies."
Indeed.
Tang Xiaobai felt reassured.
"However, even if Li Shu supplements the evidence, Yan Bo may not face conviction, seeing Taiji Palace’s stance, it might just drag on indefinitely," Tang Xiaobai said regretfully.
It’s not that she’s pessimistic.
Yan Bo can’t be revived, and the Emperor can’t kill Princess Runan to compensate the Yan family.
Thus, to appease the Yan Family, the Emperor did something remarkably conciliatory—
He brought the widowed daughter of Grand Tutor Yan into the palace, bestowing her the title of Consort.
Previously it seemed the Emperor trusted the Zheng Family deeply, yet unexpectedly amid the Zheng and Yan families’ conflict, the Emperor decisively sided with the Yan Family, which greatly surprised the onlookers of the Eastern Palace.
Even Qin Xiao expressed confusion: "The Emperor supporting the Yan Family like this, could it be out of respect for teachers and virtue? Or perhaps there’s some unspeakable leverage the Yan Family holds?"
Tang Xiaobai immediately gave him an appreciative look.
"What leverage?" Qin Xiao quickly asked.
Tang Xiaobai shook her head: "Still uncertain," she said that Zhen Su was hiding it, "but I have an immature guess—"
As she spoke, she lowered her head, spreading paper and selecting a brush.
"What guess?"
Tang Xiaobai didn’t respond, quietly beginning to write a letter.
This immature guess could only be shared with her Crown Prince in private!
