CHAPTER 193: CHAPTER 11: STRIFE BETWEEN LEGITIMATE AND ILLEGITIMATE OFFSPRING (PART 11)

What kind of person is Duke Dingguo? In no time, the rebels within the Imperial Palace were captured.

The Crown Prince also rushed over, and seeing that the Emperor and Empress were unharmed, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Father, Mother, it’s good that you’re okay. Earlier, I was feeling somewhat unwell, so I sent Xiao Dezi to the Imperial Hospital to find the Imperial Physician. Unexpectedly, Xiao Dezi saw some unfamiliar people. When I brought guards out, I discovered that the inner palace seemed unsettled. Worrying about your safety, Father and Mother, I directly sought Duke Dingguo for help. I ask for your forgiveness, Father."

The Emperor looked at the Crown Prince, his expression unreadable.

Unexpectedly, Duke Dingguo knelt down: "Your Majesty, this time I deployed troops without permission, a crime deserving death. I beg Your Majesty to take back the Commander’s Seal."

The Emperor suddenly laughed: "Crown Prince, you did it for me and the Empress, and Duke Dingguo also saved me; what crime is there?"

"I must thank you both, but Duke Dingguo did indeed make a mistake by deploying troops without permission. Someone, reward Duke Dingguo with one hundred taels of gold and ten thousand acres of fertile land. Since Duke Dingguo recognizes his mistake, I will take back the Commander’s Seal, and I hope Duke Dingguo will remember this lesson."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will definitely remember."

The Crown Prince hung his head, a bit unwilling. He had thought about taking advantage of the situation but was persuaded otherwise by Shaohua.

They were originally there to save the Emperor. If the Emperor was killed by rebels during the rescue, it was possible, but Shaohua said it was inappropriate, and if the Emperor had some trump card, everything would be over then.

Indeed, he never expected Li Gui to still have a Secret Army in hand. Who knows what else the Emperor might have? It was Shaohua who was thorough.

But after saving the Emperor, the military power in Shaohua’s hands was taken away, which was really hateful.

Prince Fu and Prince Rui were caught on the spot, and the Imperial Concubine came to plead for mercy but was ordered by the Emperor to be confined in the Cold Palace.

The Imperial Concubine is Prince Rui’s mother, and this time, it was the Prime Minister supporting Prince Rui from behind.

The next morning at court, the Emperor directly announced the abolition of Prince Fu and Prince Rui’s titles, demoting them to commoners, not allowed to take any money, and forever banned from entering Xuanjing.

The Prime Minister, involved in the rebellion, was directly captured and executed at three in the afternoon, with his entire clan eliminated.

The line of the Imperial Concubine was completely destroyed.

However, the mother of Prince Fu did not participate and was only demoted two ranks.

Seeing Duke Dingguo return safely, Li Shuning breathed a sigh of relief.

Duke Dingguo laughed and said, "Shuning, from now on, I will be idle at home. Will you dislike it?"

Li Shuning laughed, "If you can stay at home to educate the young master and accompany me and my mother, I couldn’t be happier."

Duke Dingguo grabbed Li Shuning’s hand: "With such a wife, what more could a husband ask for?"

When Li Shumeng and others received the news, they were stunned. Everything was different; where did it go wrong?

Yes, it was different from the plot. Li Gui didn’t die, and neither did the Empress and Duke Dingguo.

Although the Emperor remained deeply suspicious, the Crown Prince served sincerely by his side every day, and the Emperor was somewhat moved.

In the plot, Prince Rong was summoned back to the capital, but this time, the Emperor didn’t even mention Prince Rong.

On the Emperor’s sixtieth birthday, several princes also returned to Xuanjing with their families.

Princess Kang had married into the Royal Family and had no children for nine years. Although the Emperor greatly valued Li Gui, he still granted a few noble ladies to Prince Kang a few years ago. Now Prince Kang had three concubines, completely different from the plot where he only favored Li Shumeng.

When Li Shuning saw Li Shumeng again, Li Shumeng had aged considerably and no longer had the vivacity of the past.

But Li Shuning remained as beautiful as ever.

The Crown Prince was no longer young, and the Grand Prince was already sixteen. However, in front of the Emperor, the Crown Prince was always respectful, forming no factions or engaging in private gain.

The Emperor’s health was not as frail as in the plot, despite having suffered several blows; his health deteriorated.

After his sixtieth birthday, the Emperor announced his abdication.

The Emperor became the Supreme Emperor, the Crown Prince ascended the throne, and the Grand Prince became the Crown Prince.

Other princes, if they already had territories, continued to return there, not to be summoned or allowed to re-enter the capital.

Even after ascending the throne, the Crown Prince would still consult the Supreme Emperor on major matters.

Whatever the Supreme Emperor said, the Crown Prince would listen.

When the Supreme Emperor turned sixty-one, he took the Empress on a journey out of the capital.

The Emperor’s most trusted person was still Duke Dingguo, but Duke Dingguo no longer wished to hold office. After some thought, the Emperor handed his Hidden Guard over to Duke Dingguo, just as the late Emperor had once given the Hidden Guard to Li Gui.

Li Shuning led a leisurely and carefree life in Xuanjing, yet no noble dared to look down on her.

However, Li Shuning mostly stayed in the hovercar, leaving a puppet in the Marquis Mansion.

The Crown Prince’s coronation was witnessed by Prince Kang and others. Due to various reasons, including the Supreme Emperor’s travels, they left Xuanjing only a year later.

Before leaving, Li Shumeng saw Li Shuning, and upon seeing her radiant face, Li Shumeng’s eyes held unwillingness and resentment.

Prince Kang looked at Li Shuning with some regret in his eyes.

If only he had married Li Shuning back then, he might not be in such a state today?

He and Li Shumeng were like enemies.

Upon arriving in the north back then, Li Shumeng spent every day in complaints, which he found tiresome.

The Emperor granted him concubines, one of whom became pregnant, but Li Shumeng caused her to miscarry.

Those concubines were of considerable status, gradually turning the inner court into chaos.

Recalling the words of the Seventh Imperial Sister back then, Prince Kang was filled with regret.

From then on, his affection for Li Shumeng waned.

It was said that Duke Dingguo and the Marchioness were in harmonious union, the Duke greatly valued the Marchioness, and they had a son and a daughter, forming a very happy family.

And he? He only had one illegitimate daughter and not even a son.

If he had married Li Shuning back then, perhaps he wouldn’t be in such a predicament now.

The Supreme Emperor passed away at the age of sixty-five, and Prince Kang and others came to mourn.

That year, Li Shumeng was divorced, the divorce letter glaringly stating: childlessness, jealousy.

Indeed, Prince Kang still had no son.

The marriage between Prince Kang and Li Shumeng was a union bestowed by the late Emperor, and seeing his brother without children for so many years, the new Emperor pitied Prince Kang and agreed to his divorcing Li Shumeng, directly granting him a new Princess Kang.

Though the new Princess was young, she was skilled in managing the household, and in the second year of marriage, she bore a son for Prince Kang, and a concubine also gave birth to an illegitimate son.

Meanwhile, Li Shumeng was shut away in the family temple by the Li Family.

Li Shumeng never expected, after wandering in circles, she would still end up living alongside an ancient Buddha with a single lamp. She was unwilling to accept this fate.

When she heard Prince Kang had a son and was living sweetly with his new Princess, she smashed everything in the family temple.

In the hovercar, Li Shuning sneered; if she was unwilling to live quietly like this, naturally, she would fulfill her wish.

After all, in the plot, Li Shumeng had ensured that even in death, Li Shuning was not at peace.

PS: Many thanks to "How will the future be" for catching bugs. Sometimes when writing quickly, I mix up Shumeng and Shuning; I’ve already rectified this. Xiao Qing usually reviews after writing; if anything escapes notice, feel free to remind me in the comments. Thank you all, mwa~