Song Chaoyu stepped forward and looked at the Consort’s condition. “Mother Consort, how are you feeling now? Is there anything else that makes you uncomfortable?”
“Alas–”
The Consort sighed. “I know you all care about me. I’m fine. Go out and help Chang’er. I’m afraid now… the Emperor will show him displeasure.”
“It’s alright, Mother Consort, you must believe His Highness.”
Song Chaoyu smiled faintly. “Moreover… the current Emperor can’t do much to His Highness anymore. Mother Consort, just focus on taking care of yourself and don’t worry about us.”
“Alright, I know you all have it figured out.”
The Consort’s smile remained gentle. “You can rest assured too. Long before the capital changed hands, the Crown Prince and the Song family had already gone to the Prince’s manor. Little Monkey and Little Peach are not in the capital now, but in a place you know. You understand, that place is very safe.”
Actually, at first, Song Chaoyu was stunned and didn’t react to where the Consort was referring to.
But soon, she realized–
It was the manor in the suburbs of the capital!
That manor was already staffed by their people, unknown even to the Emperor. Sending Little Monkey and Little Peach to the manor in the suburbs was indeed the safest option!
Everyone in the entire manor would risk their lives to protect them.
Furthermore, Mu Hansu would definitely not think of that place.
Song Chaoyu’s heart, which had been constantly worried about Little Monkey and Little Peach, finally settled completely.
At the same time, the sound of the Emperor smashing a cup suddenly came from outside: “Scoundrels, all of you are scoundrels! Mu Hansu, I will kill you, I must kill you!”
“A’yu, go quickly and check on him!”
The Consort’s eyes also sharpened, and then she pushed Song Chaoyu. “Don’t worry, I’m fine. From now on, no matter what happens between you and Chang’er, and no matter what the Emperor does to me, I will face it all with peace of mind. Go, stand by Chang’er’s side. Chang’er probably needs you very much right now!”
Yes, how could Song Chaoyu not need Mu Changxi?
She hesitated no longer, turned, and walked towards Mu Changxi–
At this moment, in the main hall of Guande Hall, the Emperor was in a fit of rage.
It wasn’t for any other reason but that he had just learned that Mu Hansu had colluded with the Southern Kingdom and even the Northern Desert.
Especially with the Southern Kingdom, many people cultivated by Princess Tie Le in the Southern Kingdom were being used by Mu Hansu.
Furthermore, Mu Hansu told the Emperor that he had killed Prince Wen.
Although Prince Wen was not the Emperor’s most beloved child, he was the prince who had remained uninvolved with the world from beginning to end.
How could Mu Hansu be so brazen that the Emperor wouldn’t be angry?
Even the Crown Prince clenched his fists in anger and stared at Mu Hansu: “He is your brother! Can you truly be so heartless as to lay hands on him?”
“Tch–”
Mu Hansu dismissed it with disdain. “Brother? Am I not your brother? We are all after that position, who is nobler than whom? He was too much of a hindrance, so I killed him, nothing more.”
Nothing more?
“You unfilial son!”
The Emperor’s chest heaved with anger. “I will kill you!”
“Father Emperor, kill your son!”
Obviously, Mu Hansu had seen through his current situation and knew that the Emperor would not easily forgive him.
He simply put on an attitude of “a dead pig fears no boiling water.” “If you kill your son, your son will have found release!”
Something is wrong!
For some reason, Song Chaoyu felt a strange feeling in her heart.
She looked at Mu Changxi and indeed saw that Mu Changxi was also frowning at Mu Hansu, as if trying to discern something from his eyes.
But Mu Hansu appeared completely indifferent, prompting the Emperor to draw the sword beside him with a “swish” and move to stab Mu Hansu!
“Father Emperor, wait!”
Seeing that the Emperor was serious, it was Mu Changxi who stepped forward and slightly blocked the Emperor. “Father Emperor, something is wrong. Mu Hansu might be hiding other matters. This must be planned carefully.”
“Are you going to make decisions for me now?!”
As expected, after learning that Mu Changxi had deceived him, the Emperor’s eyes now seemed to hold a hint of killing intent as he looked at Mu Changxi. “Chang’er, is this how you treat me too? What, am I not the Emperor of this world, and there are so many things I cannot do?”
“Father Emperor, Prince Chang’er didn’t mean it that way.”
The Crown Prince also stepped forward, blocking the Emperor. “Mu Hansu’s desire to die is not something he would do. There must be something. Father Emperor, please reconsider.”
The Emperor’s hand gripping the sword tightened.
Mu Hansu suddenly laughed, “The Crown Prince and Prince Chang understand me best! Father Emperor, don’t you want to know the whereabouts of that woman?”
That woman?
Song Chaoyu looked at the Emperor in surprise, only to see the Emperor’s eyes darken. “What do you mean?”
Mu Hansu smiled. “Your son knows that when Father Emperor was the Crown Prince, he met a woman. That woman was called Jiao Niang, am I right?”
Jiao Niang? This name didn’t sound like it belonged to a daughter from a respectable family.
However, this name made the Emperor’s eyes widen, and he looked at Mu Hansu incredulously. “How did you know?!”
Mu Hansu’s smile deepened. “Everyone says the Crown Prince is a devoted person. Only the Crown Princess serves the Crown Prince daily in the Eastern Palace. The Crown Prince barely touches other concubines and maids. Now we see that Prince Chang is also a devoted soul, just like the Crown Prince. His backyard has no concubines, let alone maids or concubines. He lives only with his Prince Consort. Our lineage are all devoted people. Isn’t this inherited from Father Emperor? Father Emperor’s palace does not have many concubines, and Mother Consort has been favored by you for many years. You are a devoted person, and your son believes you will not forget Jiao Niang.”
Song Chaoyu didn’t know who Jiao Niang was, and the Crown Prince also frowned. “What happened in the past is just the past. Jiao Niang was an actress and could not be presented in formal occasions. Back then, Father Emperor was reprimanded many times by the late Emperor because of Jiao Niang, and almost lost his position as Crown Prince.”
“So!”
Mu Hansu picked up the Crown Prince’s words. “Our Father Emperor gave up Jiao Niang for the sake of the throne, didn’t he?”
“No, I didn’t!”
This past memory suddenly surfaced, making the Emperor’s hand tremble slightly, and his voice changed. “I didn’t abandon Jiao Niang! Jiao Niang abandoned me.”
“That’s because Father Emperor didn’t know that Jiao Niang was already pregnant at that time!”
Mu Hansu’s eyes held pride and wildness. “She left with Father Emperor’s child and went far away!”