Too high to reach

Chapter 381 Weakness breeds suspicion
The Emperor's gifts and condolences arrived at the Prince Qi's residence.

Mo Yi lay on the bed, with a screen separating her from the view, not even getting out of bed. She thanked the emperor in a soft voice...

Whether they were eunuchs or the emperor's confidants, they all understood how terrible it would be for a pregnant woman whose husband had disappeared to go through all this.

Granny Zhao greeted them and even took Steward Liu for a walk around the courtyard.

The garden was still somewhat messy, with some areas untouched and large puddles of water used to wash away bloodstains. This gave a glimpse into the harrowing events of the previous night.

After leaving the Wang residence, Wang went directly to the Xu family and told Mo Wen the news with lingering fear.

Mo Wenguo was unaware of this and was quite surprised, exclaiming, "How could such a thing happen?"

"That's right! Your father burst into tears as soon as he heard the news."

After a moment of stunned silence, Mo Wen shook his head and sighed, "I knew it, high branches aren't so easy to climb. There's glamour, but the danger is even greater."

The feeling that I had things to do, and you had plenty of things to do as well, made her feel much more at ease.

"Sigh, it's only because she's a girl. If it were me, I would have been paralyzed with fear on the spot..." This time, Madam Wang truly admired Mo Yi from the bottom of her heart.

"Is the baby in your belly alright?" Mo Wen asked.

"Granny Zhao said she's fine... Wenwen, how have you been these days?"

"The doctor said I'm much better, and I can go out for a walk while the weather is nice."

"No! Don't move. You can't be careless at this time! Your brother is about to enter, and with Mo Yi's accident, things are in chaos at home and outside. You have to be careful. We'll talk about everything after the baby is born."

"Ah."

……

When the Emperor arrived at the Empress Dowager's palace, he also summoned the Empress and the Imperial Concubine.

First, regarding the incident at Prince Qi's residence, the Empress Dowager sighed: "When the Empress told me about it, I couldn't believe it. In the capital, at the residence of a prince, such a thing could happen? Your Majesty, the person behind this should be caught, their family confiscated, and their clan exterminated. They must not be let off lightly."

The Empress also asked, "Your Majesty, is there any new news?"

Consort Dong remained silent. She knew about this matter, and she didn't approve of it...

Why bother with Mo Yi if you have nothing better to do? That girl is quite clever, always has novel ideas, and has given me many things. She is the most outstanding among all the princesses and the one I talk to the most.

He vented his anger on Li Jing, asking why she was making things difficult for a pregnant woman!

She had another argument with that man over this. Lately, he's been increasingly disobedient to me!

Hearing the Empress Dowager's harsh words, he kept a sullen face and remained silent.

After chatting for a while, the Emperor spoke again, "I called you all here today to discuss Li Chen's marriage."

Consort Dong raised her beautiful eyes to look at the Emperor; she already knew what he was going to say.

The Empress looked quite surprised. "Little Fifteen? Oh dear, I always thought he was still too young! It turns out he's reached the age where he should be set up for marriage. Your Majesty, which girl have you taken a fancy to?" she asked with a smile.

"It's Qian Xiangqing, who serves the Empress Dowager."

"It's Miss Xiang Qing! Oh, very good, Your Majesty has a good eye. Congratulations to the Empress Dowager, congratulations to Sister Dong..." The Empress spoke with genuine emotion.

Consort Dong looked at the Empress, forced a smile, then turned her face away and her expression darkened.

Despite the Empress Dowager's usual pretentiousness and thick skin, she had a weakness: Qian Xiangqing.

Judging from Consort Dong's behavior, she clearly looked down on her and was unwilling!

The Empress Dowager was filled with intense hatred, and her smile almost vanished.

The Empress chuckled inwardly and nodded to the Emperor: "I always saw Xiao Shiwu and Xiang Qing in front of the Empress Dowager; they were just two little children. Who would have thought that they'd reach engagement age so quickly? Childhood sweethearts are the strongest bond. Oh dear, this was the Empress Dowager's suggestion, wasn't it? Your Majesty, you don't know, but the Empress Dowager has facilitated quite a few marriages recently! All of them are exceptionally good matches..."

Because of these events, the Empress Dowager won over many people.

The Empress Dowager sighed, "The Emperor is kind and filial. He knows that I miss Xiang Qing the most. So he gave her a good place to settle down..." She even pulled out a handkerchief to wipe her eyelids.

The Empress scoffed inwardly, "Little Dong, you're still a young girl yourself, yet you're about to have a daughter-in-law."

Consort Dong did not like this marriage.

Although Yong'an repeatedly advised her and explained the benefits to her, she also knew that this was only a temporary measure, and if she really didn't like it in the future, there would be other ways.

But she just wasn't willing.

"Your Majesty, Empress Dowager. I've watched Xiangqing grow up, and I feel quite close to her," Consort Dong said calmly. "But truly treating her as a daughter, a younger sister… that's different from treating her as a daughter-in-law. Your Majesty personally proposed it, and the Empress Dowager is also pleased; this is to give Chen'er and me face. However… Your Majesty…" she said coquettishly, "I'm not a very good-natured person. I rarely consider others in my words and actions. The Empress Dowager cherishes Xiangqing dearly, so… please don't find fault with me later."

The Emperor shook his head and smiled: "Once you become a mother-in-law, things can no longer be the same as they are now."

The Empress Dowager smiled and said, "Xiang Qing has been kind and righteous since she was a child, and she is always thorough in her work. She would never offend you! Finding a good husband for Xiang Qing is my last wish. As for temperament, even the Emperor cannot act entirely according to his own nature!"

Consort Dong forced another smile, "Then we'll do as the Empress Dowager says."

Seeing that Consort Dong was unhappy, the Emperor got up and took her away, intending to secretly reward her with some nice things to appease her.

Inside the room, only the Empress Dowager and the Empress remained.

They didn't have much contact on a regular basis to avoid any trouble.

Once the goal was achieved: the Empress Dowager pretended to be stupid, and the Empress took charge of her palace affairs.

The Empress Dowager did not interfere in the Empress's affairs. The Empress treated the Empress Dowager with all-around preferential treatment.

Each gets what they need, and there is no conflict.

Now, things are different.

"Your Majesty, the fifteenth prince is still young, his studies are not yet finished, and he has not yet started working as a consul. Aren't you... a little too hasty?" the Empress asked meaningfully.

The Empress Dowager nodded: "It is a bit early. However, as you know, Xiang Qing has nothing... She only has me, but I am an old woman who is almost buried, powerless and without any family to rely on. What can I possibly give her?"

The fifteenth prince is gentle and good-looking. The young Dong is simple-minded; though he may seem a bit pretentious, he's not difficult to get along with. With this settled, I feel at ease. Not having a leadership position has its advantages; it keeps me out of the way. I hope that under the Crown Prince's patronage and care, we can live a life of leisure and wealth.”

The old woman didn't respond, so the empress didn't say anything more.

The marriage was granted the next day, without causing much of a stir.

On the contrary, at the Qi Prince's residence, Mo Yi said to Granny Zhao, "In the end, it really is like this... It's clear that the Emperor wants to promote the Fifteenth Prince, but why not find him a more reliable family?"

"They may not genuinely want to help him; they're just putting on an act," Zhao Mama said dismissively.

"Then the crown prince might be coming out soon."

"It's possible."

"However... I have a feeling that the Emperor is a bit impatient. What good will confining the Crown Prince for a few days do? Once he's released, he'll be facing a marriage proposal that's very obvious. What will the Crown Prince think? How will the Empress handle it? We can't just ignore that mother and son, can we?"

Aunt Zhao nodded.

"Could this be preparation for deposing the crown prince? Deposing him immediately would cause turmoil in the court. Let's sound the alarm first, and then..." Mo Yi suddenly asked.

"Also a possibility."

"If that's the case, then in last year's grand martial arts competition, the Emperor was at the mercy of the Prince! I wonder what the Empress will do next? Why haven't we heard from the Prince yet? We're almost at the crucial moment."

"No news may not necessarily be bad news!" Granny Zhao remained calm.

The crown prince handed over a heartfelt letter, resembling a confession, and the emperor, as a minor punishment, released the prince to continue his duties.

After the court session ended, the Empress summoned the Crown Prince.

The mother and son sat in silence for a while. "Is there any news from Shunan?"

"Not yet. But that person has arrived and is going to take the exam the day after tomorrow. We've checked all his belongings, including his person, and the item isn't there!"

The Empress, her face grim, asked in a low voice, "Do you have any major offenses that haven't been uncovered yet?"

The crown prince hesitated.

"Why are you hiding this from me?"

"To be honest, but... what do you mean?"

"Could it be that the Emperor already has some things in his hands, but he's releasing them in batches? First, he's giving you a small punishment as a warning, and if anything else happens... he'll depose you!"

"Ah?" The Crown Prince was shocked. "Is that really his plan? What, he wants to support the Fifteenth Prince?"

"Ha, before he closed his eyes, he didn't trust anyone. The reason for lifting Xiao Shiwu was only because he couldn't stand up yet. But you and Li Jing are different. When both of you were there, there was a balance of power. Now that Li Jing is in trouble, you stand out too much. His illness has been dragging on and hasn't gotten better. When people are weak, they are especially sensitive and suspicious."

The Queen's arguments were straightforward, like a casual chat.

"Then what should we do?" the crown prince asked softly.