frightfiction Chapter 230 Standoff in the Palace
Chapter 230 Standoff in the Palace
"What is Mother afraid of! Our main branch has already lost power! Father is ill and shows no signs of improvement, and now the old lady doesn't care about us anymore. If Xiao Zhijie really becomes a prince in the future, won't we be in even more trouble? If we don't plan ahead for ourselves, won't we be trampled on and looked down upon in the future!"
Although Madam Xing was moved, she was still extremely worried.
"It's not that easy. Xiao Zhijie is still around. If he's discovered, he'll be beheaded. Besides, the old lady and the imperial concubine know about it. You can't possibly impersonate him!"
Xiao Chengyan's eyes gleamed with a strange light. If he won this round, he would have endless riches and honors, and even the entire Southern Zhao Kingdom would be his. They would no longer have to worry about not receiving the old lady's care, and they would no longer care about the title waiting to be inherited.
This game was risky, but the temptation was incredibly great!
The light in Xiao Chengyan's eyes was almost green, like that of a starving wolf!
But Princess Yongxian, who was crying and on her way back to the palace, overheard these words in the garden!
She stood there speechless for a long time, and was still in a daze even after Xiao Chengyan and Madam Xing had walked away.
Slowly coming to her senses, Princess Yongxian returned to the palace almost without the slightest hesitation.
When Madam Xing saw the princess return to the palace, she couldn't help but go up to her and ask about her well-being. After all, her own brother had died, so it was only right that she returned to the palace.
Yongxian had always been very respectful to her mother-in-law, and had even given her many precious pieces of jewelry in an effort to please her. Now, however, she felt only disgust.
She looked at Madam Xing with disdain.
"Do I need you to remind me?"
The respect that once filled their voices was gone; instead, it sounded contemptuous and disgusted.
Although Madam Xing was displeased, she couldn't say anything and just smiled and saw the person out.
After returning to the house, he also scolded Xiao Chengyan a few times.
"Look how heartbroken your princess wife is. What does her brother's death have to do with me? Why is she giving me attitude?"
Xiao Chengyan scoffed, looking utterly helpless.
"After all, her own brother died, so it's normal for her to be a little upset."
Madam Xing pursed her lips and then added,
"Don't provoke her these days, and don't let her take it out on you."
Xiao Chengyan curled his lips.
"Me, provoke her? I wouldn't dare. Your son is less than a turtle in front of her! This is the good wife you married for me."
Seeing that her son was also angry, Madam Xing naturally stopped talking, and the two continued their conversation by bringing up the topic they had just discussed.
Two-room courtyard
Qiao Qingshu was not surprised at all when she heard the news that the Crown Prince had been shot and killed, just like in her previous life.
She sat at the table and continued drinking her tea, while Xiao Zhijie paced back and forth.
"As a result, Nanzhao may be in turmoil for a while. Now that the crown prince has passed away, it is still unknown who will succeed to the throne?"
Qiao Qingshu simply smiled at Xiao Zhijie's face without replying.
Regardless of who sits on the throne afterward, it will definitely not be Xiao Chengyan.
After entering the palace, Yongxian went straight to the Empress's palace and heard that the Empress was burning paper money for the Crown Prince in the Imperial Palace.
Yongxian headed towards the Imperial Palace. Before she even got close, she saw a vast expanse of white. Her nose stung with tears, and images of her brother's voice and smile floated into her mind. Before she even got there, large tears began to fall from her eyes.
Upon entering the hall, one sees the Empress kneeling before the mourning hall, weeping so bitterly that her heart is breaking. The eunuchs and maids beside her try to comfort her, but to no avail.
Yongxian rushed into the Empress's arms and knelt down to burn paper money for her brother with the Empress.
Such a noble person, who would soon become the new emperor of the Southern Zhao Kingdom, died by an arrow, his heart pierced by a bullet.
The Empress had clearly cried several times already; her eyes were swollen like peaches, and she couldn't even open them properly, her gaze was unfocused.
He remained unmoved even when he saw Princess Yongxian arrive.
The palace maid who served the Empress closely wiped away her tears and said to Princess Yongxian...
"Princess, you've finally arrived! The Empress hasn't slept a wink all night and hasn't eaten a single grain of rice. Please try to persuade her to stop."
Holding her mother, whose face was blank, Yongxian felt a surge of despair. Her brother was dead, and her husband was even thinking of usurping the throne!
She dismissed the servants and palace attendants, leaving only the Empress and Yongxian in the vast palace.
Yongxian shook her mother's shoulder and told the Empress everything she had heard in the Xiao family garden.
The empress's blank expression gradually eased, and she slowly regained her vitality.
The Empress grabbed Yongxian's arm and said sternly,
"Yongxian, you can't say things like that."
Yongxian, however, raised her finger and swore to the heavens,
"Mother, may I be struck by lightning if I have uttered even half a lie! This is all a conversation between Xiao Chengyan and his mother, and I will tell you every single word of it."
The Empress frowned deeply; she was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information and found it difficult to process.
This means that Consort Xiande replaced a prince with a baby girl from outside the family. This prince was Xiao Zhijie, the illegitimate son of the second wife. When the eldest branch of the Xiao family learned of this truth, they wanted to take Xiao Zhijie's place and become the prince.
She couldn't help but sneer twice, a murderous glint flashing in her eyes. She said coldly,
"It must have been that bitch Xiao Caiwei and the Xiao family who were behind this. Crown Prince Xu was also killed by them so that the Xiao family could inherit the throne. I will never let that bitch succeed!"
Since entering the palace as a lady-in-waiting, Xiao Caiwei has risen through the ranks almost step by step. After giving birth to her child, she was promoted to Consort Xiande, and the emperor also favored her greatly.
The Empress was already jealous of Consort Xiande, and now, after hearing these words, she was even more determined to kill her. She got up and rushed towards Consort Xiande's palace on her own.
Seeing that her mother's expression was not right, Yongxian tried to step forward to stop her, but the Empress pushed her away.
"Get out of the way!"
Seeing that she couldn't stop her mother, and fearing that her mother might have done something wrong, Yongxian hurriedly lifted her skirt and went to find her father, the Emperor.
The door was kicked open, and Consort Xiande was kneeling in front of the Bodhisattva statue, chanting Buddhist prayers for the Crown Prince's salvation.
Seeing the Empress storm in angrily, he was somewhat confused, so he stood up, bowed, and explained that he was performing a ritual to help the Crown Prince pass on to the afterlife.
The Empress paced around the vast palace, a cold smile appearing on her face.
"How could you be so kind as to perform a ritual for my son's soul?"
Consort Xiande lowered her eyes and said...
"I watched the Crown Prince grow up, and I was heartbroken to hear this tragic news. Therefore, I am performing a ritual to help the Crown Prince pass on to the afterlife."
The Empress approached the Consort, grabbed her chin, and said fiercely,
"Xiao Caiwei, stop pretending in front of me! You're the one who killed my son, aren't you?! You want the Xiao family to seize power, don't you?! You actually gave birth to a boy, didn't you!"