Chapter 473: She’s Not Dead
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The Crown Prince didn’t hear the Empress and Noble Consort Ji’s previous conversation, so he didn’t know how Noble Consort Ji knew about this secret. However, he already instinctively thought that Noble Consort Ji was doing this to fight for favor.
“I really underestimated you in the past!”
He put the Empress down and suddenly pulled out a flexible sword from his waist.
“Unfortunately, you’re still too naive.”
“If I kill you, who will know all this?”
“I will tell everyone that you had evil intentions after seeing the Yan Family lose their power and hit Mother when she was down.
“You want to replace Mother? I want to see if you have the destiny to do so!”
Very good. Noble Consort Ji had already confirmed that the Empress didn’t tell the Crown Prince about Yan’er’s background. In that case, it was worth it even if she had to exchange her life for the Empress’s.
With this thought in mind, she was already prepared to accept all her fate. Unfortunately, she still could not hug Yan’er properly before she died.
The sword gleam flashed, but Noble Consort Ji didn’t feel the pain she deserved. Instead, she heard the Crown Prince cry out in pain—
“Where did this beast come from?”
Walnut widened its eyes in anger and slapped the Crown Prince’s wrist.
Now, the dog pounced on the Crown Prince’s chest, pressing down on him until he could not breathe. Its claws were also very powerful. In the end, the Crown Prince could not hold the sword and let go.
Walnut didn’t continue fighting. It held his sword in his mouth and threw it into the distance. Then, it stood in front of Noble Consort Ji like a guard.
“His Majesty has arrived!”
The Crown Prince turned around in panic—how could he be so fast?
Xiaoxiao, who was still hiding in the space, pinched her nose. Of course, she did it. She couldn’t rush out to save him, nor could she let Walnut bite the Crown Prince to death. She could only get reinforcements.
The Emperor looked at the ridiculous scene in front of him with an ugly expression.
“Crown Prince, Noble Consort Ji, I need an explanation.”
Noble Consort Ji was already prepared to die, so she hadn’t thought it through. The Crown Prince was different. He couldn’t give Noble Consort Ji a chance to speak! Otherwise, wouldn’t the Yan Family, which was already in a difficult situation, have no hope?
Hence, he spoke first. “Father! Noble Consort Ji has ulterior motives. In order to seize the position of the Empress, she actually attacked Mother! Father, even if the outsiders haven’t had the chance to clear their own names and the Yan Family’s injustice, Mother is still the mother of the country!”
“Noble Consort Ji’s actions are intolerable by the country’s laws! Your Majesty, please immediately order her execution! Avenge Mother!”
The Emperor’s first reaction was that the Crown Prince was spouting nonsense. Could Noble Consort Ji be interested in the position of Empress? She wasn’t even interested in him, the Emperor!
However, the Empress was indeed lying on the ground and didn’t look like she was fine. Noble Consort Ji actually didn’t explain.
Could it really be…
At this moment, someone walked out from behind the Emperor. Without waiting for his order, he walked straight towards the Empress.
Other than Gongsun Zhongjing, Xiaoxiao could not think of anyone else who could think of treating the patient in front of the Emperor and not wait for an order.
Unexpectedly, Gongsun Zhongjing said as soon as he turned the Empress’s head over, “She’s not dead. She’s just unconscious.”
At this moment, the person who was the most shocked was actually Noble Consort Ji—she had clearly placed the poison that could kill the Empress in her teacup, right?
Gongsun Zhongjing said, “The Empress should have just been drugged.”
The Crown Prince was still worried. “But the blood on Mother’s face…”
Gongsun Zhongjing told him with certainty, “The blood was from a wound caused when she fell. It looks like she hit her nose face-first.”
The Crown Prince did not understand. “She’s already hit so hard, why isn’t Mother moving at all? Moreover, look at Mother’s limbs and neck. They’re all hanging down powerlessly!”
He glanced at Noble Consort Ji. “Perhaps the person who drugged her is inexperienced and has overdosed.”
He pressed on the Empress’s pulse for a while. “From the looks of it, the Empress won’t wake up in three days.”
Noble Consort Ji:…
The Emperor:…
The Crown Prince reacted for a while before looking at Noble Consort Ji indignantly. “You lied to me!”
Noble Consort Ji thought to herself, I didn’t, but there were too many surprises. She didn’t know where to focus for a moment.
It was at this moment that a “palace maid” rushed in. “Your Majesty, I was outside just now and heard Her Majesty accuse Noble Consort Ji of seducing Your Majesty behind her back because she coveted the position of Empress. S-she even scolded Noble Consort Ji and the child in her stomach!”
Noble Consort Ji looked over in surprise. Why didn’t she remember that there was such a smart person in her palace?
The Emperor’s facial features were twisted. “C-child?”
Noble Consort Ji was annoyed. “I just ate too much!”
What did he mean? Did he want the entire palace to know that she had gained weight?
The Emperor had been called over from the morning court assembly. When he found out that something had happened to Noble Consort Ji, Rong Yan followed over. Seeing that the crowd was bustling, he “disappeared” for a while.
In the eyes of others, this period of time was only a few breaths, so no one noticed it. However, when he appeared again, he already knew what had happened to the other party like the back of his hand.
The Emperor felt that his mind was in a mess. “What exactly happened just now?”
Noble Consort Ji also felt that it was a mess. At this moment, her emotions were in a mess. Just as she was about to confirm the Empress’s crime, she saw Rong Yan give her a look.
Although it was just a glance, she immediately understood what her son meant.
Hence, she stepped forward. “Your Majesty…”
She fainted.
When she didn’t know what to say, fainting was a wonderful procrastination tactic.
However, this move could allow her to find an opportunity to fill in the gaps, but… didn’t it also give the Crown Prince a chance to set up a trap?
Moreover, wouldn’t everything be exposed when the Empress woke up?
Despite her worry and nervousness, Noble Consort Ji still followed Rong Yan’s hint and made up her mind before collapsing.
She did not fall to the ground as expected. Instead, she was hurriedly carried.
She had been in this embrace not long ago.
Why?
Why did he let him grow up safely even though he knew that Yan’er was not his child?
Why did he keep her secret even though he knew that she had done something treasonous? Why did he keep her in the harem and pamper her for so many years?
Why… did he have to treat her so well?
Seeing this, the Crown Prince was furious. “Even if she didn’t hurt Mother’s life and drugged her, shouldn’t she be punished?”
The Emperor asked him while carrying Noble Consort Ji, “Shouldn’t your mother be grounded?”
“Did Noble Consort Ji run to the Phoenix Palace to cause trouble for the Empress?”
When the Crown Prince heard that, he knew that the Emperor planned to protect Noble Consort Ji. He was instantly furious. It seemed that his mother was right about at least one thing. His father’s heart was extremely biased.
Fortunately, Noble Consort Ji had never liked Rong Yan. Otherwise, would he still have a chance to be the Crown Prince?
With an indignant heart, he turned around to look for Prime Minister Yan. The Heavenly Prison was known as an iron bucket. Without a written order, no one was allowed to enter. However, that was only for ordinary people. After controlling the court for many years, it was not difficult for the Crown Prince to see Prime Minister Yan, who had not been convicted.
After hearing what had happened from the Crown Prince, Prime Minister Yan, who had taken off his official uniform but still had his aura, only asked one question.
“Noble Consort Ji knows the truth about His Majesty not having any children for many years?”
