Chapter 110 Madam Sun Causes Trouble

Chapter 110 Madam Sun Causes Trouble

The emperor gazed at the room full of women, his brows furrowed, thinking that where there are so many women, there are bound to be many troubles.

If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have come!

That's really annoying!

Even for such a trivial matter, they went to great lengths to lure him here and let him make a decision.

"Tell me, what exactly did you do wrong?"

Before Consort Wei could speak, Shen Nanzi knelt down next to her and took the blame.

"Your Majesty, it is not the Imperial Concubine's fault. It is precisely the Imperial Concubine's kindness that saved my reputation."

Reputation?

The Emperor frowned even deeper; this was no small matter. "Tell me what happened."

"Your subject went to the Imperial Household Department to deliver a manuscript that needed to be copied, and on the way back, he was suddenly caught in a downpour."

"Just when I thought my reputation was in jeopardy, the Imperial Concubine's maid appeared."

"They sent me clothes to cover me and an umbrella to shield me from the rain."

The women in the hall, seeing that what she said was true, did not raise any questions.

Only Lady Sun, standing beside the Emperor, said, "The Imperial Concubine is not confused; she conceals herself with her rosy robe."

"Your Majesty, I believe this was not done by the Noble Consort. There must be another reason behind it. I hope Your Majesty will investigate thoroughly."

"Someone must have deliberately plotted to harm the Imperial Concubine."

Lady Sun looked worried, as if she was speaking out for Consort Wei.

The Emperor loved watching the loving scenes in the harem, so he immediately said sternly, "Investigate! Investigate immediately and see who is trying to harm Consort Wei."

"The rosy silk robe is the favorite of the Imperial Concubine, and I am certain that it could not have been made by Imperial Concubine Wei."

The Emperor's order to conduct a thorough investigation greatly pleased Lady Sun.

Xue Qingning watched this scene calmly, just like the other women, listening quietly.

Consort Wei's forehead was covered in sweat. "Your Majesty, there was no one else. It was just my maid who took this garment. It's no one's fault."

Lady Sun could not grant her wish, and pretended to strongly persuade her: "How can that be? Your Highness, this matter is of utmost importance. This robe is one of a kind in the world, representing the Emperor's feelings for my sister."

"Sister, admitting it is to disrespect the Emperor's good intentions and destroy the sacred artifact bestowed upon you by the Emperor; it is a great disrespect!"

"Your Majesty, I confess my guilt!" Consort Wei knelt on the ground.

"Sister, are you insisting on taking the blame to protect someone?"

“Lying is a crime of deceiving the emperor. Both crimes will be punished together. How can my sister bear it?” Madam Sun added fuel to the fire from the side.

The Emperor had already noticed something amiss between the two; the only person who could take Consort Wei's clothes was...

At this moment, Lady Sun rose and stood beside the Emperor, suppressing the shock in her eyes:

"Your Majesty, I seem to have guessed something, but I don't know whether I should say it or not?"

The Emperor's expression darkened slightly: "Speak!"

"Your Majesty!" Consort Wei pleaded.

Lady Sun reported, "The only one who could make Consort Wei willingly confess her crimes is His Highness the Sixth Prince."

Upon hearing this, a low, suppressed gasp rippled through the hall.

The women who were unaware of the matter before now all understood.

Especially Li Wanxi, the prime minister's daughter who was sitting at the lower left, turned pale instantly and could hardly believe her ears.

The Sixth Prince and Princess Jing?!

Then there's Tu Xinya, her fingers gripping her sleeves, not daring to even lift her eyes.

Princess Jing?

How could someone so good be like that?

Xue Qingning and the Fourth Imperial Concubine exchanged a glance, their expressions intriguing.

Shen Nanzi stared at Madam Sun in astonishment and shock. Her brother was trying to win over the Fourth Prince.

That's clearly not a valid point!

This Lady Sun is treacherous and clearly harbors an irreconcilable grudge against Consort Wei.

To make such a fuss that it alarmed the Emperor shows that she had no intention of showing mercy and had absolutely no affection for Consort Wei.

How can such a relationship lead to a united front?

It seems that this matter should be put aside for now, and we should first resolve the current predicament.

Then, in a deep voice, he said to the Emperor, "Your Majesty, how should the crime of false accusation be punished?"

The Emperor glanced at her and said, “Act according to the severity of the offense. For minor offenses, the punishment will be thirty strokes of the cane; for serious offenses, exile or death.”

Madam Sun asked with a stern face, "Does the Princess Consort of Jing think I have falsely accused you?"

“Yes,” Shen Nanzi replied, “The robe that Consort Wei gave to me is not the ‘Radiant Robe’ you speak of.”

“Nonsense,” the Fourth Imperial Concubine suddenly stood up, walked to the Emperor, and knelt down on the ground.

"Your Majesty, I saw with my own eyes that Princess Jing was wearing Consort Wei's Radiant Silk Robe."

“All the women in the main hall can testify to what I said.”

The emperor looked down and the women below nodded in agreement.

Seeing this, the Emperor's face turned cold. "Princess Consort Jing, do you have anything else to say?"

Shen Nanzi said, "Your subject has seen the Imperial Concubine's radiant robes, so naturally I dare not wear them."

Upon hearing this, some people couldn't help but scoff.

It's as if they're saying she's lying through her teeth.

"Your Majesty, I am not wearing the Radiant Silk Robe. If you don't believe me, just take a look."

After speaking, Qinghe presented the purple silk robe with both hands.

The Emperor glanced at it and flew into a rage: "Princess Jing, are you mocking me?"

He grabbed the purple robe from Qinghe's hand and threw it at her.

Few can withstand the wrath of an emperor.

Even breathing stopped inside the hall.

Consort Wei raised her head and looked at the purple silk robe on the ground, her eyes filled with shock.

Shen Nanzi said, "Your Majesty, I would never dare to lie, no matter how bold I am. The best proof that the radiant robe shines in the sunlight is that it sparkles."

As she spoke, Shen Nanzi picked up the purple silk robe, got up, walked past Consort Wei, went outside the palace, stood in the sunlight, and opened the robe.

To everyone's surprise, the robe did not emit any light.

"Won't it get wet and lose its shine?" someone guessed.

“No, even a wet silk robe glows,” Consort Wei explained.

Shen Nanzi gathered her robes and walked into the hall. "This is not the Radiant Robe at all. Therefore, Consort Wei did not damage the imperial gift, nor did she commit any serious disrespect."

Shen Nanzi knelt before Consort Wei, "Look, these are the clothes you gave to your son."

"In my opinion, this is a two-fold silk robe, not a six-fold one."

Consort Wei looked on thoughtfully.

Shen Nanzi felt very apologetic: "Your subject never expected that your small act of kindness would cause you such great trouble."

Consort Wei glanced at the purple silk robe, then looked away and said, "Your Majesty, I was afraid that the sacred object bestowed by the Emperor would be deliberately damaged, so I used a fake to confuse the public."

"It suddenly started raining, so I had the palace maids fetch clothes for Princess Jing herself."

“Princess Jing is right, this is not the real Radiant Robe.”

Madam Sun: "Since it wasn't a radiant robe, why was you so eager to confess just now, sister?"

Consort Wei said to the Emperor, "This dress is a replica, just like the Xia Guang Luo Yi, and Madam Sun's words are quite convincing."

I thought the maid had taken the wrong item and that it was the real one, so I was terrified and hurriedly apologized.

“Father, Mother’s radiant robe is here.”

A clear, pleasant male voice came from behind, and everyone's eyes turned to look.

Xie Yu was holding a tray with a purple silk robe neatly folded on it.

Light streamed in through the back window, hitting the clothes and instantly creating shimmering specks of light.

Seeing this sudden reversal, Xue Qingning's calm was shattered, and she lowered her eyelids to hide her emotions.

The Fourth Imperial Concubine also clenched her fingers and whispered to Xue Qingning:

"It seems my mother was used as a tool by others, and now she has not only failed to gain anything, but is also being punished."

"Don't let me find out who this person is!"

Xue Qingning remained silent, sensing that there was something fishy about the matter.

When the Emperor realized it was a misunderstanding, he said to Lady Sun, "You are not well, so you should not come out."

"You made such a fuss that you almost wronged Consort Wei."

"You also..." The Emperor pointed at Madam Sun, "You almost slandered Princess Jing and Yu'er, what do you say to yourself?"

Looking at Lady Sun's frail figure, the Emperor felt a sense of powerlessness, as if she were indestructible and could not be killed by beatings or scoldings.

"I will be confined to my quarters for three months to recuperate in your palace."

The Emperor and Lady Sun were already related by marriage, and the Emperor saved face for her.

She was in poor health; she couldn't possibly take a beating.

Madam Sun hadn't expected things to turn out this way, and she had no intention of making a scene any longer, so she had to be helped away.

The women in the main hall each had their own thoughts.