CHAPTER 451: REVISED: CHAPTER 451 - LESSON

Su Jin left Wutong Garden satisfied.

The Old Prince looked helpless.

Manager Li previously thought that the Young Master was protective enough of the Heir’s wife.

He hadn’t expected the Old Prince to be even more so.

However, handling it this way wasn’t necessarily bad.

Without some pain, lessons wouldn’t be remembered.

If this branch isn’t set straight, the big tree of Prince Zhenbei Mansion would eventually grow crooked.

It’s just that while Su Jin was happy, those paying the money weren’t as pleased.

Especially the Old Madam, who thought she’d handed the mess to the Old Prince, only to end up footing the bill herself.

In the Imperial Study.

The Emperor returned after the morning court session.

As soon as he entered the study, the little eunuch approached and said, "Your Majesty, the Heir of Prince Zhenbei has returned the chess manual."

"Let me see it quickly," the Emperor said.

"It’s placed on the Dragon Desk for Your Majesty," the little eunuch replied.

The Emperor sat on the Dragon Chair and picked up the chess manual to examine it.

After a few glances, his brow furrowed tightly.

He tossed the chess manual onto the Dragon Desk.

Eunuch Fu was startled.

"Your Majesty, what’s wrong?" Eunuch Fu hurriedly asked.

"He only made one move!" the Emperor said angrily.

"He forced me to barely tie with Marquis Dongxiang!"

The Emperor glanced at the little eunuch, "I asked you to convey my message, didn’t you?"

The little eunuch quickly replied, "I conveyed every word, fearing that the Heir of Prince Zhenbei didn’t understand Your Majesty’s meaning, so I even said it twice, emphasizing the need to completely defeat Marquis Dongxiang."

It’s the Heir of Prince Zhenbei who treated Your Majesty’s instructions like the wind past his ears.

It wasn’t my fault for being inept.

Eunuch Fu served tea to the Emperor, saying, "Your Majesty, have a cup of tea to calm down. It’s already rare for the Heir of Prince Zhenbei to help you turn the tide."

"If he helps too much, even the Heir’s wife won’t agree."

"Who else in the Capital City can compare to the Heir of Prince Zhenbei?" the Emperor asked.

"The eldest young master of Duke Chong’s Mansion?" Eunuch Fu queried.

The Emperor’s face darkened.

"Anyone but him!"

Sons can’t compare to Marquis Dongxiang’s son.

Daughters can’t compare to Marquis Dongxiang’s daughter.

The Emperor planned to regain ground with his son-in-law.

However—

The Emperor had never eyed Su Chong.

But Marquis Dongxiang nipped that idea in the bud with a glance.

They didn’t think much of his daughter.

Understandably so.

When faced with Marquis Dongxiang’s daughter, his daughter lost miserably and was utterly helpless.

Yet, the Emperor couldn’t find anyone comparable to Xie Jingchen even after racking his brains.

Those who look remotely satisfactory were Xie Jingchen’s followers.

The only one who wasn’t was Marquis Dongxiang’s son.

The Emperor was very angry.

Why did all the good things belong to Marquis Dongxiang?

While the Emperor calmed down with tea, another little eunuch came in and said, "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has summoned Prince Zhenbei to Yongning Palace."

The Emperor’s eyebrows slightly furrowed.

The Empress Dowager needs rest due to the summer heat, yet this summons for Prince Zhenbei...

Could it be for the sake of Princess Nanzhang?

The Emperor put down his teacup and moved to Yongning Palace.

Inside Yongning Palace.

The Empress Dowager was reprimanding the Prince, "Nanzhang was brought up in the palm of my hand, married to you, bore your children, and served the Old Madam when you went to fight at the border—despite lack of merit, she had her efforts. How have you treated her?!"

"She, a dignified Commandery Princess, was made a concubine by your request for imperial decree!"

"Are you slapping her face or mine?!"

The Emperor walked in right during the Empress Dowager’s scolding, "Prince Zhenbei requested the decree, and the Emperor agreed!"

"Nanzhang is your cousin, a Royal Family daughter; does the Emperor not care about the Royal Family’s reputation at all?!"

The Emperor’s brows furrowed.

Back then, when Prince Zhenbei refused to marry Princess Nanzhang, saying his heart only had room for one, the Empress Dowager and Princess Nanzhang insisted on the marriage.

Their current predicament is their own doing.

"If the Empress Dowager had considered the Royal Family’s reputation back then, this matter wouldn’t be happening today," the Emperor said indifferently.

The Empress Dowager’s face stiffened.

Nanny Li quickly advised the Empress Dowager to calm her anger, raising the Imperial Physician’s words about the need for rest to suppress the Emperor.

The Empress Dowager coldly said, "Immediately confer Princess Nanzhang as the main wife!"

"This is my edict!"

Prince Zhenbei looked at the Empress Dowager and said, "Forgive me, but I can’t do that."

The Empress Dowager stared at him, "Are you defying the edict?!"

Prince Zhenbei looked at the Empress Dowager and said, "Allow me to address two matters; if the Empress Dowager still insists on conferring Princess Nanzhang as the main wife, then I will divorce her."

The Empress Dowager’s face instantly turned purple.

Eunuch Fu looked at Prince Zhenbei, curious about the two matters he wanted to discuss.

This time, Prince Zhenbei’s stance was unprecedentedly firm.

"I would like to hear these two matters," the Empress Dowager’s voice was icy.

Prince Zhenbei looked at the Empress Dowager and said, "The first matter is that Princess Nanzhang requested an imperial decree for a marriage, allowing Chenchen to marry Marquis Dongxiang’s daughter for good fortune, yet on the day of serving tea, had someone bring a bowl of sterility medicine to the Heir’s wife."

The Empress Dowager’s face froze.

"The second matter is, during the family banquet when the Old Prince and I returned to the Capital, she ordered a maid to poison my son, nearly costing his life."

The Empress Dowager’s face was barely holding, as if she’d been slapped.

"I didn’t divorce her already, for the Empress Dowager’s sake, but her actions do not warrant the role of main wife!"

These two matters made Eunuch Fu’s heart tremble with fear.

If it weren’t for the Heir’s wife’s medical skill, who knows how many times she would have suffered at the hands of Princess Nanzhang.

The Empress Dowager looked at Prince Zhenbei and said, "Nanzhang was raised single-handedly by me, I don’t believe she would serve sterility medicine to the Heir’s wife!"

"No one in Prince Zhenbei Mansion could falsely accuse her," the Prince said.

The Empress Dowager let out a cold laugh.

The Prince frowned slightly.

"If the Empress Dowager thinks I wronged Princess Nanzhang, then I’ll summon Mrs. Zhao and invite Marquis Dongxiang to question them face to face," the Prince said.

The Empress Dowager opened her mouth, unable to utter a single word.

The Emperor, watching the entertainment, said, "Then call them."

"If you truly wronged my cousin, just conferring her as the main wife won’t suffice; I will not let it go!"

The Empress Dowager’s temples pulsed with anger.

The Empress Dowager, of all people, knows well what kind of person Princess Nanzhang is.

If she were truly wronged, she’d have sought death, causing an uproar known to all; she wouldn’t be so quiet.

Prince Zhenbei Mansion doesn’t want family scandals exposed, hence appointing a concubine to caution Princess Nanzhang.

If the matter reaches the palace and blows up—

Princess Nanzhang’s reputation would be destroyed.

She could never hope to be conferred as the main wife in this life.

She forced with threats, and Prince Zhenbei already agreed to request her appointment as the main wife in half a year.

Half a year passes in a blink.

Besides, there’s also Marquis Dongxiang to consider.

Once the situation escalates, he certainly wouldn’t let it rest.

Requesting a marriage decree and serving sterility medicine to his daughter is domestic strife at best, defying the edict at worst.

The more the Empress Dowager thought, the more her head ached.

Why do problems arise at critical times?

From requesting the County Princess title to requesting the Princess Consort position—

The ducks in hand keep flying away one by one.

Nanny Li hurriedly offered an excuse to de-escalate for the Empress Dowager, saying, "Imperial Physician! Quickly summon the Imperial Physician!"

The little eunuch hurriedly went to summon the Imperial Physician.

The Empress Dowager, with a headache, leaned against the large pillow, her breath weak.

Who would dare intentionally provoke the Empress Dowager?

This matter thus faded without resolution.