The Prime Minister's Darling novel Chapter 969

Chapter 969: 450 Water Recedes, Stones Emerge (First Update)

The consort of Prince Rui did not know what had happened in the East Palace, and why the Empress had summoned her.

Moreover, she was summoned to the East Palace, not the Empress’s Kunning Palace.

As it happened, Prince Rui was not at home, and the consort of Prince Rui had no one to make decisions on her behalf, so she had no choice but to ride in the carriage sent by Eunuch Su.

When the consort of Prince Rui arrived at the East Palace, Empress Xiao, following the leads of Ning Wang and Wo Linlang, had finally traced the cause of Wo Yang’s death.

The matter of Wo Yang’s death had been dealt with cleanly, to the point that even Empress Xiao could not find any flaws.

But sometimes, the absence of flaws is the biggest flaw of all.

Since the consort of Prince Rui was a prince’s consort, Empress Xiao would not use torture on her, let alone the fact that she was pregnant; Empress Xiao simply got straight to the point and questioned her about the Crown Princess and Ning Wang.

The consort of Prince Rui was utterly confused, "My elder brother? What’s the matter with her and my elder brother? The man behind the rockery was her maternal brother, Wo Yang."

Sometimes, a woman’s intuition is terrifyingly accurate. Even though Empress Xiao did not clarify what the matter between the two was, the consort of Prince Rui instinctively connected it to the scene behind the rockery.

She had a feeling that the Empress was referring to something unsightly.

Empress Xiao looked at her with a dignified and gentle expression, "Qianqian, recount the whole incident from the beginning."

Before the consort of Prince Rui could speak, Empress Xiao added, "Including your friend."

The consort of Prince Rui: "..."

As expected of the Empress, she knew everything with just one move.

The consort of Prince Rui dared not conceal anything and spoke of the noises she had heard behind the rockery: "... At first, I thought it was the hostage son from Chen Country, because I saw injuries on his face. My elder brother said not to act rashly and that he would look for evidence. Later, when the evidence was found, it turned out that the hostage son from Chen Country was innocent, and the man meeting the Crown Princess in private was Wo Yang. Wo Yang tried to blackmail the Crown Princess and also acted inappropriately towards Chun Yin, so he knocked Chun Yin out."

Chun Yin had already confessed to this matter.

It was Ning Wang who had knocked her out.

The testimonies matched.

Chun Yin did not lie, and neither did the consort of Prince Rui; the consort of Prince Rui was just unaware of the entire truth.

"Mother, could it be that day..." After the consort of Prince Rui finished her account, a bold speculation suddenly surged in her heart.

Empress Xiao smiled faintly and said in an unhurried manner, "You’re about to give birth, right? Don’t overexert yourself, I am quite fond of you and the third child. Do visit Kunning Palace when you have time."

This was a sign of extending an olive branch to the Prince Rui couple.

In terms of capability, the Prince Rui couple didn’t have much to speak of, but if we talk about maternal relatives, Du Qianqian’s maternal grandfather was a Duke from Luo, and even if her mother was just a concubine of the Duke, this still amounted to a connection.

Moreover, Empress Xiao was very puzzled about one thing: the young couple seemed to have good luck, accidentally saving lives in a bridge collapse, and again accidentally gaining face in front of the emissaries from Liang Country.

If Ning Wang really got into trouble, the Prince Rui couple, who were close to Ning Wang, would inevitably be implicated. At this point, Empress Xiao stepping in to protect the couple was akin to sending charcoal in snowy weather.

It all depended on whether the Prince Rui couple were willing to side with Empress Xiao.

Empress Xiao continued her investigation until midnight before she gathered all the evidence, after which she went to Huaqing Palace.

Noble Consort Zhuang received the news later than Empress Xiao and encountered Empress Xiao upon her arrival at Huaqing Palace.

"Empress..." Noble Consort Zhuang intended to inquire about the matter concerning the Crown Prince and Ning Wang.

Before she could finish, Empress Xiao raised her hand and slapped her across the face!

Noble Consort Zhuang was stunned on the spot!

The two consorts had always been at odds. Although Empress Xiao was the empress, Noble Consort Zhuang, backed by the Empress Dowager, did not show any weakness in the Imperial Harem.

Neither could prevail over the other.

For Empress Xiao to disrespect Noble Consort Zhuang in such a way was a first.

The palace maids nearby were all terrified and knelt down together.

Noble Consort Zhuang covered her swollen cheek, looking at Empress Xiao in shock and anger.

Empress Xiao gave her a cold glance, showing no apprehension or fear after hitting her: "Such a fine son you have raised!"

With that, she left Noble Consort Zhuang behind and strode into Huaqing Palace.

Empress Xiao handed over both the witness and evidence to the emperor, the witness being Chun Yin: "... This is a matter of great importance, lest it be solely based on the word of this servant. Your Majesty may also wish to inquire the consort of Prince Rui and the Sixth Prince of Chen Country, as they are also crucial witnesses."

The emperor did not expect the matter to be so extensive, involving even the Sixth Prince of Chen Country.

The emperor naturally intended to inquire.

As for the consort of Prince Rui, the emperor did not summon her; instead, he called for Prince Rui.

The prince from Chen Country was unrepentant about drugging Ning Wang and the Crown Princess this time, but it implied that past events were not necessarily so.

"He tried to have me killed first; I just fought back a little, and I didn’t really do much to him..." Yuan Tang muttered.