CHAPTER 240: CHAPTER 239: A BOMBSHELL RIGHT FROM THE START!

The next day, despite Consort Chen’s attempts to cover it up, the affair between Pei Yunzhi and Prince An Nan spread like wildfire.

Emperor Anqing was furious and immediately summoned the parties involved to the palace.

Mrs. Pei stormed into the palace, crying and making a scene, demanding the Emperor to stand up for Pei Yunzhi.

Initially, Yu Nianzhao had nothing to do with this matter, but Mrs. Pei, blind to the truth, targeted Yu Nianzhao, accusing her of being responsible for drugging Pei Yunzhi.

When Yu Nianzhao arrived at the main hall, there was a group of people kneeling on the floor, all from the Pei Family.

What a sight. The whole family gathered and knelt in Jinluan Hall.

"Zhaozhao, you are here!"

Upon seeing Yu Nianzhao, Emperor Anqing slightly relaxed his expression and gestured, "Give Princess Consort Su a seat."

Yu Nianzhao sat beside Xie Jiuxiao, and the contrast between sitting and standing indicated their vastly different statuses.

Mrs. Pei was dissatisfied, "Elders are speaking, and you are sitting? Yu Nianzhao, do you have any manners?"

Before Yu Nianzhao could speak, Emperor Anqing slammed the table, "It was I who granted the seat. Are you questioning my words?"

Mrs. Pei shrunk back, not daring to speak.

Pei Yuanzheng frowned deeply, speaking on his mother’s behalf, "Your Majesty, my mother rarely enters the palace and is unfamiliar with the palace etiquette, please forgive her."

"Humph, truly regressing with age! I recall that the late Marquis was excellent in all his dealings, I wonder how he ended up marrying such a wife,"

Emperor Anqing remarked bluntly, causing the faces of the Pei Family to change uniformly.

Mrs. Pei was overcome with sorrow and cried, "I too miss the late Marquis, if he were still here, how could outsiders bully our Marquis Household like this? A good young lady has been slandered like this? Your Majesty, I dare not blame Prince An Nan, but Yunzhi, such a careful girl, could not have climbed onto Prince An Nan’s bed without someone orchestrating it!"

Mr. Wang murmured, "Your Majesty, traces of an aphrodisiac were indeed found in that room."

Mrs. Pei became more fervent, "Your Majesty, please discern, isn’t this proof that Yunzhi was framed? It must have been Yu Nianzhao who did it; there was an argument between them, wasn’t there? It must be her trying to frame Yunzhi, truly despicable means."

Bam!

Xie Jiuxiao shattered the table beside him with a single slap, sternly saying, "Mrs. Pei, you can speak carelessly about food but not about people."

"Is Prince Su forcing a confession?" Mrs. Pei shrank back but, seeing Pei Yunzhi weakly kneeling in the hall, she gritted her teeth and persisted.

"Mr. Wang, continue."

Xie Jiuxiao scoffed coldly, looking at Mrs. Pei as if she were an ant.

Mr. Wang respectfully reported, "Not just that room, traces of an aphrodisiac were found in other rooms, including the one where the Princess Consort went to change clothes."

"What? Who is behind all this? Such wickedness, not only aiming to ruin me but also the Princess Consort Su?"

Prince An Nan could not remain silent, angrily declaring, "Are they trying to destroy the royal family’s reputation? It’s outrageous."

"Prince An Nan, you’d better hold your tongue."

Emperor Anqing glanced at him with exasperation, rubbing his temples, saying, "Regardless, the scene of you and Pei Yunzhi alone together has been witnessed, and a woman’s reputation is always more important than the notorious one of a prince."

Prince An Nan awkwardly said, "I have many women around me, but it’s not to the extent of the Emperor claiming I’m notorious, is it?"

"Heh..." Emperor Anqing sneered.

The Empress spoke timely, "Since that’s the case, a woman’s reputation must be preserved. How about letting Pei Yunzhi marry into the An Nan Royal Mansion?"

Marry into the An Nan Royal Mansion?

The Pei Family members collectively raised their eyes, shocked at heart.

Because they understood, the Empress’s words of ’marrying into the An Nan Royal Mansion’ meant.

The marriage was not to Xie Yunzhe, but to Prince An Nan.

Changing from marrying the son to marrying the father, this disparity made them dizzy and intolerable.

Ms. Lien bit her lip and timidly said, "Your Majesty, actually nothing happened between Yunzhi and the Prince; Yunzhi’s chastity mark is still there."

The Empress smiled and said, "Oh? What does this prove? Do you want Pei Yunzhi to show her chastity mark when facing rumors?"

Ms. Lien, "..."

She smiled bitterly, speechless.

"Your Majesty, you are merciful. Since Yunzhi remains pure, wouldn’t it be better for her to marry the Princely Heir of An Nan Royal Mansion? They’ve grown up together and are intended as a betrothed couple."

Mrs. Pei anxiously said.

The smile on the Empress’s lips gradually disappeared, she said dispassionately, "Are you instructing me on what to do?"

Mrs. Pei felt the Empress’s anger and pressure, her mouth quivering and her expression odd.

"Foolish actions come with responsibility; Pei Yunzhi is no child. Based on what Consort Chen and others present said, it was evident she went in thinking the Princely Heir was inside. She went in intentionally, not knowing the person there was Prince An Nan, Pei Yunzhi is culpable."

The Empress rebuked coldly, "Mrs. Pei is not the late Marquis’s first wife and can favor Pei Yunzhi so blatantly, while shifting blame to Zhaozhao? To pull her down? Absurd."

"Exactly, exactly!"

Emperor Anqing agreed wholeheartedly with the Empress’s words.

Seeing both the Emperor and Empress supporting Yu Nianzhao, Mrs. Pei quickly crawled to Yu Nianzhao’s feet, crying, "Zhaozhao, it’s my fault, but Yunzhi is still so young, she absolutely cannot become a concubine to Prince An Nan. Please speak kindly for Yunzhi. As Princess Consort Su, you wouldn’t want your sister to be mere concubine, right?"

Yu Nianzhao, eating an orange, countered, "Then what do you want?"

Mrs. Pei unceremoniously responded, "If not, then marry the Princely Heir of An Nan Royal Mansion or...become a secondary wife to Prince An Nan!"

"Mother!"

Ms. Lien interjected, helplessly saying, "The position of secondary wife to Prince An Nan is already filled; speaking like this, how is that fair to Zhaozhao?"

She did not even propose marrying Xie Yunzhe, indicating clearly it would not be agreed to.

Pei Yunqing could no longer hold back, "If Yunzhi does not wish to marry Prince An Nan as concubine, simply request to stay in the residence. Grandmother need not plead everywhere, that would be too greedy."

Pei Yunqing knew this situation was Pei Yunzhi’s fault and couldn’t listen to Mrs. Pei’s greedy words.

"Bah, none of you wish well for Yunzhi; staying in the residence, who in Shangjing will dare propose?" Mrs. Pei chastised, "You can’t all bear to help her because Yunzhi is not your own flesh and blood."

"Indeed, Pei Yunzhi is of your blood, naturally closest to you two."

Yu Nianzhao, silent until now, dropped a bombshell to shock everyone in Jinluan Hall.