Selling wife for fame? Kick out the scumbag and marry the new emperor to enjoy the harem of favors

Chapter 274

When Lingyi came out of Chengming Palace, the tear stains on her face were still wet.

Zhao Xingjin didn't do anything to her. His daughter was too young to be scolded. It was Princess Lingyi who felt wronged and cried because she thought her mother had been plotted against and framed.

Zhaoqing held her younger sister's hand, her delicate brows furrowed.

"Don't cry anymore, crying won't help. The things Grandpa taught us are probably useless now."

"What should we do then?" Princess Lingyi sobbed. "Sister, I miss Mother. I haven't seen Mother in so long."

Zhaoqing sighed, "I miss Mother too, but Father is still angry and Grandfather has done something wrong. I'm afraid Mother won't be leaving Weiyang Palace this year for the New Year."

Seeing Zhao Xingjin so angry today, yet holding back from lashing out at the two sisters, Zhaoqing suddenly realized that she and her sister had been used as pawns by their maternal grandfather's family.

Children raised in the palace are mostly precocious, especially Zhaoqing, who has been sharp-minded since childhood and has been deliberately trained by the Empress because of her status as the eldest daughter. So she has now realized that her good intentions may have backfired.

However, Princess Lingyi did not understand these things; she was only saddened.

"Alright." Zhaoqing turned around and raised her hand to wipe away her sister's tears. "With you here, we'll definitely find a way. Mother must have done something to disappoint and hurt Father, but he only confined her to Weiyang Palace and told the public that she was ill. That means he wasn't really that heartless and had forgotten his affection for Mother."

Princess Lingyi asked, puzzled, "When will Mother Empress come out?"

"I don't know either, but I'm afraid it won't happen anytime soon, maybe after the New Year," Zhaoqing said.

She also wanted to rescue the Empress, but now her father was clearly enraged. Originally, she could have tried to appeal to his emotions, but now she had messed things up because her maternal grandfather's family had misled her.

Therefore, it's better to do nothing than to act now.

Or, after the nanny, she would push all the blame onto her maternal grandfather's family.

Princess Zhaoqing couldn't do such a thing. Her maternal grandparents loved her and her sister very much, and she felt that even if she did, her mother wouldn't be happy to be freed.

One's maternal family is one's source of strength; Zhaoqing often heard the Empress mention this principle.

However, Zhaoqing then thought of Xie Jiu.

She simply couldn't understand why Consort Jin was so bold as to personally expose her father's crimes and severely diminish her family's influence.

Of course, she was still young and didn't understand that for Xie Jiu and the entire Xie family, this meant removing the rotten flesh that hadn't yet damaged their hearts and lungs, and being reborn.

In short, the sisters' pleas for mercy were unsuccessful, and they had no choice but to return to Ruiyu Palace.

Meanwhile, in Jingming Palace, Qingfang stomped her feet in anger.

"How could such unrealistic rumors spread? How could the child in Her Majesty's womb be related to that criminal? That night, if Her Majesty hadn't been quick-witted and dodged, she would probably have been killed long ago. In that situation, the assassin didn't think about taking a life quickly, but instead had the mind to torment the victim. Isn't this nonsense?"

Yes, it was something the maids could have figured out with a little thought, yet the Zhou family released such rumors.

He really was too concerned about the Empress, which made him lose his composure.

Xie Jiu ate her snacks calmly. "Alright, as long as the Emperor knows that the child is innocent, there will be no problem."

“Yes, anyone with a brain wouldn’t believe that.” Chunrong smiled.

Qingfang pouted, thinking to herself that it made sense, but she just wasn't happy about it.

After all, it was a rumor that was spread.

As they were talking, Zhao Xingjin arrived at Jingming Palace.

There was no need for Xie Jiu to bow; he took the man's hand and sat down.

"Are you feeling alright today? Did the baby not bother you?" "My appetite is getting better every day, but I still eat less oily and fatty food, preferring vegetarian dishes. Oh right, lately I don't know why, I've also been craving sweets." Xie Jiu smiled gently.

He pointed to several plates of freshly baked pastries on the table, which had just been delivered by the imperial kitchen.

Zhao Xingjin took a bite, and it wasn't very sweet; it tasted like a normal pastry, which reassured him.

"Eating too many sweets can cause internal heat, so please restrain yourself a little. I'll have someone send some more fresh fruit."

"Alright." Xie Jiu nodded. "What brings Your Majesty here? Have you finally found some free time these past few days?"

Her question made it difficult for Zhao Xingjin to answer.

He worried that Xie Jiu might not know about the rumors circulating outside.

“Yes, there’s not much to do lately. The New Year is coming soon, so things have calmed down.” Zhao Xingjin said, glancing out the window again. “It’s cold, and it just snowed. The roads are very slippery. You should go out less to avoid falling or catching a cold.”

Xie Jiu smiled and said, "Your Majesty doesn't need to remind me of this. Chunrong and Qingfang talk about it every day. When I feel bored, I just take a walk in the courtyard. Wenxi comes to keep me company every day, and Consort Liu and Consort Guo also come often. With them around, I'm not bored at all."

Hearing this, Zhao Xingjin breathed a sigh of relief.

After thinking about it, she told Xie Jiu about the rumors circulating outside regarding the imperial heir.

"There have been some unpleasant rumors circulating recently about the child in your womb. I have ordered people to investigate the source of these rumors and to severely punish those who spread them. If you have heard them, do not take them to heart. I know the truth of the matter and will not be misled by these few words."

Upon hearing this, Xie Jiu's smile slowly froze, and then she blinked rapidly twice, her eyes reddening.

"What's wrong?" Zhao Xingjin was a little flustered and immediately became concerned.

Xie Jiu lowered her head, tears streaming down her face. "Actually, I had already heard about it. I was afraid that Your Majesty wouldn't know, that Your Majesty would be angry and suspicious of me, so I didn't dare to mention it just now. But I never expected Your Majesty to trust me so much."

Pregnant women are most easily swayed by emotions, making acting twice as effective with half the effort.

At this moment, Zhao Xing saw that she looked extremely aggrieved, without a doubt.

With a sigh, Zhao Xingjin pulled her into his arms. "Alright, I was there myself and know the whole story. I won't let those people smear you. Don't worry about this. Just focus on your pregnancy. I'll take care of everything else."

Xie Jiu nodded, leaned against him, and said nothing more.

Zhao Xingjin did indeed keep his word and thoroughly investigated the source of the rumor.

As expected, the investigation eventually led to the Duke of Anguo.

It wasn't Duke Anguo who did it; it was the Empress's uncle, Duke Anguo's younger brother.

This person is not very bright. He was easily instigated and thought of helping the Empress's niece, but in the end, he harmed her instead.

Whether it was Duke Anguo or not makes no difference. As long as the Zhou family started it, it was the Zhou family's doing, and Duke Anguo's mansion cannot escape responsibility.

Zhao Xingjin's face darkened. He hadn't expected the Empress to be so confused, and that everyone in the Duke of Anguo's mansion was confused as well.

Indeed, once a person's identity and status change, and they have more things to possess and may possess in the future, they will become different from before.

The Zhou family needs to be taught a lesson.

After considering all this, Zhao Xingjin finally made up his mind.

As a result, the Empress was still "ill" and unable to attend this year's Lunar New Year's Eve banquet.

And we don't know when this illness will get better.

(End of this chapter)