Qi Yu hurriedly crawled forward two steps and directly kowtowed to admit his mistake.
"Empress, please calm your anger, we servants do not know what we have done to make you so angry. My life is not worth sparing, but angering you is a serious matter." Qi Yu said sincerely and fearfully, his heart pounding loudly. He almost wished he could rip it out.
Xiao Yuehua glanced at Qi Yu on the ground; her chest heaving with emotion. If she hadn’t been unable to find this woman, she wouldn’t just be making empty threats; she would have dealt with her directly.
A courtesan?
It was absurd to think about. The esteed Crown Prince had fallen for a courtesan. If this were to get out, where would the face of the Crown Prince be, and where the dignity of the Royal Family?
She had always considered Fu Xun a sensible and steady child. She hadn’t expected that at such a critical ti, he would commit such a grave mistake. Seeing that the Emperor’s life was hanging by a thread, and there weren’t many days left, the Crown Prince should be preparing to inherit the throne and ascend to the emperorship. If at this ti, leverage was obtained by others, would Noble Consort Wen let it go, and what about Prince Duan and Prince Ling?
Nanny Zheng imdiately stepped forward. "Your Highness, don’t just focus on your anger, we need to attend to the pressing matters. Besides, the handle has not been grasped, right? Yue Ke wasn’t certain either."
Xiao Yuehua glanced at Qi Jin and Qi Yu on the ground. Qi Jin had consciously crawled two steps and kneeled next to Qi Yu, looking baffled. What had he just said?
Right, right, he said nothing.
"I’ll give you one chance, where is that person? Hand her over honestly, and I will not pursue this any further," Xiao Yuehua said coldly.
Qi Jin and Qi Yu felt their scalps tingle. Qi Yu felt as if he had a hamr; he might not kill Qi Jin with it but would hit himself first.
"Your Highness, I, I don’t understand what you an," Qi Yu struggled desperately. Did the Empress know?
No, no, how could the Empress know? Such a huge matter, they had handled it without a leak, the Crown Prince’s Mansion was guarded like a fortress. How could the Empress possibly know?
"Qi Jin, you tell . I give you another chance," Xiao Yuehua snorted coldly, asuring that they wouldn’t dare to speak, but without extorting sothing out of them, she wouldn’t know anything despite having seen it with her own eyes, "What is the background of that woman, explain it to fully."
Qi Jin’s mind went blank, his arms and legs trembling. They had anticipated this day, if not, they probably wouldn’t even have the energy to kneel right now.
"I really don’t know what Your Highness ans," Qi Jin dared not say. Having been with the Crown Prince for so many years, how could he not understand? Once these words left his mouth, it would define the character, pushing the Crown Prince towards disgrace for not understanding norms and ethics.
"Clang—clang—" Xiao Yuehua smashed a utensil towards them. Qi Yu closed his eyes, and the severe pain on his forehead instead brought him a kind of relief sensation. He thought, just smash to death, for they didn’t want to live anyway; it would be best if it ended with one blow.
"Fine, fine, none will speak, right? Nanny Zheng, get a needle. Since they won’t talk, what’s the use of their mouths, sew them up—" Xiao Yuehua clanged another cup, and fresh blood spattered together with ceramic shards from Qi Jin’s forehead.
Nanny Zheng panicked. These two were, after all, Wen Zhuu’s people, and they had been with the Crown Prince for so many years. What if the Crown Prince harbored resentnt against the Empress?
"Qi Jin, Qi Yu, hurry up, the Empress already knows. Even if you don’t say it, how can such a thing be concealed?" Nanny Zheng dared not avoid getting the needle and thread as Nanny Du also got anxious beside her.
Qi Jin and Qi Yu dared not open their eyes. It was over—since she knew, there was no hope for them anymore. Why ask anything else?
"What are you waiting for? Aren’t you going to get the needle and thread?" Xiao Yuehua shouted angrily, Nanny Zheng’s lips quivering with urgency.
"Empress, the girl’s status is low, but we can discreetly handle it without much impact on the Crown Prince. Qi Jin and Qi Yu, use your brains. Since the girl has followed the Crown Prince, we can quietly get her out of the Art House and hide her in the mansion without letting anyone know. As long as no one knows about her lowly status, what can’t be done..." Nanny Zheng patiently explained such a simple matter.
Alas, the Crown Prince was still too inexperienced, it was after all his first awakening of feelings, encountering such a situation...
Qi Jin and Qi Yu were startled upon hearing this, sowhat unable to grasp the idea, staring blankly without comprehending what else was required.
Nanny Zheng looked at the two boys, see, it had hit the mark, what else to hide? Could the Empress harm the Crown Prince? It was all for the good of the Crown Prince.
"Empress, we deserve to die, our cris rit death. Empress, to die at your hands, we have not a word to say," Qi Yu quickly said, feeling as though he might live again.
"Hmph, now you realize your mistake? Look at the ss you’ve created. Tell , where is she? Still able to accompany the Crown Prince to enjoy the music, she must be quite a charr," Xiao Yuehua said coldly.
Imdiately, Qi Jin and Qi Yu had an idea. That encounter with the Eldest Princess must be where things went awry, but the Eldest Princess absolutely wouldn’t know the origin of the Commandery Princess.
"Empress, she’s an inconsequential person, not worth sullying your ears," Qi Yu ventured, thinking about the Art House. When did the Crown Prince have a sweetheart from the Art House?
No matter, as long as it’s not the Commandery Princess, the Crown Prince must indeed have a sweetheart appear from the Art House.
Xiao Yuehua had rely intended to intimidate Qi Jin and Qi Yu, and besides, no word of this matter had leaked out. Qi Jin and Qi Yu had remained silent to this extent, showing how strictly Fu Xun usually disciplined them.
This reassured her sowhat, indicating that Fu Xun understood the gravity of the situation. With Fu Xun’s steadiness, Xiao Yuehua was not too worried.
The anger she had felt earlier was more because Fu Xun had kept it from her, and besides, this matter couldn’t be delayed. Only she could step in and resolve the issue, otherwise it would leave trouble for the future.
"Empress, calm your anger, your highness, calm your anger, this young lady’s character... is good..." Qi Yu hurriedly said, wondering what they would do when it was ti to hand soone over.
"Hmph— Good character, from that place?"
"This ti, I’ll spare you from death. Nanny Zheng, take them away, thirty strokes each, then send the person back to ," Xiao Yuehua waved her hand, also needing to pray to Buddha for blessings.
Qi Jin and Qi Yu instantly breathed a sigh of relief. Thirty strokes were not too many, Nanny Zheng had so asure after all. When the person was sent back, aside from a pale face and a crimson bottom, no bones were broken. Severe as it looked, a few days of rest and they could bounce back up lively.
Inside the study, Congyuan waited while Qi Ling imdiately reported all the details.
"Your Highness, it must have been the previous encounter with the Eldest Princess..." Qi Ling relayed Qi Yu’s speculation.
Congyuan did not respond.
"Keep a good watch on the people in the back yard." It had been so long since the encounter with Tianxin, and given mother’s nature to endure until today, fortunately, they had guessed wrong.
"Find another girl from the Art House," Qi Ling quickly accepted the order, preparing to leave.
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