jdhmnovel Chapter 186 Grounded
Chapter 186 Grounded
Song Yining's expression froze instantly, and she asked in a daze, "You...you were really there?"
"I don't need you to apologize in front of everyone in the Hall of Grace. Consort Ning, please apologize to Yan'er right here. Yan'er is kind and generous, and I'm sure she will forgive you."
"Your Highness, I have already shown leniency by not blaming Princess Danhua for pushing me to the ground. How can you now expect me to apologize to her?"
"Ha!" Xuan Yuan suddenly snorted coldly, "I saw it with my own eyes. You turned around, grabbed Yan'er's hand, and while winking at the maid, you shouted for Yan'er to let you go. Do you admit it?"
She swallowed nervously, her face drained of color. "Nonsense! Your Highness, you cannot utter such absurd words because of Princess Danhua's seductive tricks. I have no grudge against the princess, how could I disregard the safety of my unborn child and frame her? All the ministers in the hall witnessed it; it was Xin Moyan who pushed me!"
Upon hearing the slanderous words against Xin Moyan, Xuan Yuan's eyes turned icy, and his tone grew increasingly chilling, "It's witnessed by all? Since you're unwilling to apologize or admit it, then I'll have another witness testify..."
After saying that, he turned back and glanced at Qin Shuang indifferently, "Your Highness Consort Yun, don't you agree?"
Qin Shuang's breath hitched, her gentle and beautiful face filled with disbelief. How could he have found out?
Yuan Huaijun frowned, noticing Qin Shuang's unusual expression, and couldn't help but ask, "Consort Yun, what's going on?"
"Your Majesty, I..." She hesitated for a moment, biting her lower lip, looking very indecisive.
“Your Majesty, when Consort Ning fell, my sister and I were chatting by the Imperial Garden. We both saw it clearly; it was indeed Consort Ning who pulled the Princess by the hand and pretended to fall. I originally thought that there weren't many sisters in the harem, and I didn't want Your Majesty to be disappointed in Consort Ning. Who knew that she would so relentlessly pressure the Princess…”
"boom!"
Enraged, Xin Mingwan slammed her teacup on the table and shouted, "Fine! Consort Ning, how dare you use my grandson to frame Yan'er! Yan'er has no grudge against you, how can you be so heartless? Could it be that Yan'er has been bullied and framed by people like you all in the past, which is why she is so distant from me?"
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager~"
She knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly to the Emperor and Empress Dowager, tears streaming down her face.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, I know I was wrong. I... I argued with Princess Danhua because she was having an affair, and in a moment of confusion, I thought I should make things bigger so Your Majesty could decide the matter. Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, the child in my womb is my own flesh and blood. I would never disregard the safety of my child!"
Seeing this, Xin Mingwan sighed heavily, looked up at her niece's blank and ignorant expression, and said sadly, "Although there are only a few of you concubines in the harem, your maternal families are quite prosperous and illustrious. Unlike me, my brother and sister-in-law died early, leaving behind only these two orphaned children. The late emperor was kind enough to let me take them in and raise them until now. But what about you? Which of you cares about my Yan'er? And which of you isn't always thinking of making things difficult for them?"
"Yan'er has survived countless near-death experiences. I was quite relieved to see the close relationship between her cousins. But who would have thought that such a despicable master and servant would appear in the harem? My Yan'er is so well-behaved and sensible, why do you treat her like this?"
As she spoke, Xin Mingwan suddenly felt a lump in her throat, and tears welled up in her eyes.
Yuan Huaijun gently patted his mother's hand. He knew that his mother was thinking of his uncle and aunt and was inevitably feeling very sad.
"Consort Ning, how dare you use my imperial offspring as a pretext!"
Song Yining trembled all over and dared not look up at the emperor in front of her. She quickly knelt down and cried as she explained, "Your Majesty! I know I was wrong. I only... I only wanted to teach Princess Danhua a lesson. I never intended to harm my son!"
He glanced at Qin Shuang, noticing her thoughtful expression, then turned to Song Yining and said coldly, "I have no children of my own yet. Your pregnancy was the wish of the entire court and harem. A mother's heart should cherish it as if it were her own life. I... despise those who exploit their own children the most."
"Your Majesty, I am my concubine..."
She tried to explain something, but Yuan Huaijun interrupted her with a gesture.
"Guards, convey the imperial decree: Consort Ning has disregarded the Emperor's grace and framed Princess Danhua. For the sake of the imperial heir in her womb, she shall be confined to Ninglu Palace from this day forward until she gives birth to the 'prince'."
"Your Majesty, please spare me!" Song Yining cried out. Being confined to her quarters until after childbirth was clearly a way of turning her into a cold palace!
He gestured to Wang Si, signaling him to send a palace maid to take Song Yining away.
"Your Majesty~"
The pleading voices faded into the distance. After a moment, once the entire hall had quieted down, Yuan Huaijun calmly said, "Listen, everyone. Tonight's events were deliberately instigated by Consort Ning, while Princess Danhua is truly innocent. She is also cousin of Prince Lie and Prince Xuan. No one is allowed to speak ill of her. If I hear anything, I will surely cut off that person's head."
"I obey the decree!"
"The slave obeys the order!"
He deliberately emphasized the cousin relationship that Xin Moyan had mentioned, while ignoring Xuan Yuan's statement about mutual affection. In his view, things seemed to be getting more and more interesting.
Xuan Yuan understood his intentions, but there was no need to delve deeper at this moment. He simply wanted to speak with Yan'er alone...
Xin Mingwan's voice was still choked with sobs as she said with red eyes, "Yan'er! You've been wronged."
“Aunt, Yan’er is not wronged. It is Yan’er who does not know the rules and has caused His Majesty and Aunt trouble.”
Xin Moyan was not only moved, but also felt a little guilty. Although at the beginning, the evidence of her plotting to harm the imperial heir was conclusive, and her aunt believed her from the beginning, even shedding tears of heartache. It was one thing for her to be an incompetent niece, but she also kept causing her aunt worry...
"Yan'er, if anyone bullies you in the future, you must tell your aunt, and your aunt will let Jun'er stand up for you."
"Yes, yes! With Auntie here, Yan'er won't be bullied." She stepped forward, reached out and hugged Xin Mingwan's arm, nuzzled her head affectionately, and smiled brightly and lively, seemingly forgetting the embarrassment of being pointed at by everyone just now.
"It's getting late, and the banquet at Chaoen Palace is over. Your Majesty, you've worked hard for a long time, so please go back to Yongning Palace to rest. There's a grand ceremony to worship Heaven tomorrow!"
Xin Mingwan nodded slightly and said gently to her, "Yan'er, you haven't lived in the palace for a long time. Come with your aunt to Yongning Palace for the night!"
Xin Moyan was about to agree when a chill suddenly ran down her spine. She had to admit, someone's gaze was indeed very lethal...
“Aunt, Buyu didn’t go to the palace tonight. Yan’er wants to go back to see her early. Can I bring Buyu with me to watch the sacrificial ceremony tomorrow?”
"Of course, Auntie also wants to remain silent!"