Qiao Jinniang looked puzzled.

  Zhou Shihui continued righteously, “Crown Princess, as a woman and the future manager of the imperial palace, can’t you have some sympathy for women? Why are male criminals only banished to the border, while females have to become prostitutes to serve men?”


  Several women among the people applauded.

  Lu Chen frowned and was about to punish Zhou Shihui when Qiao Jinniang held his hand.

  Qiao Jinniang said, “This is the first time I saw someone who pleads for murderers. If Mu Qianqian were punished for her family’s illicite salt dealing today, I would definitely plead for her, but she wasn’t.

  “This vicious woman wanted to murder my sister. If the people of Chang’an weren’t smart enough, what would have happened to my sister? It’s already merciful enough to spare her life!

  “Don’t emphasize that they are women. No ordinary women would try to murder a baby. But they worked out such a vicious plan to murder an innocent baby!”


  “That’s right, what the Crown Princess said makes sense. Such vicious women deserve to be executed!”


  Zhou Shihui frowned, but she couldn’t refute it……

  After returning to the East Palace.

  Qiao Jinniang and Lu Chen were listening to the reporting of a secret guard in the study.

  “Your Royal Highness, I found out that Mu Qianqian had seen Prince Huai who sneaked out of the imperial tomb when she was still in the Southwest, and Prince Huai went to the Southwest back then to discuss important matters with the regent of Xiliang.

  “The people behind the illicit trafficking of salt seemed to be Prince Mediocre and the Right Prime Minister, but in fact half of the income went to the Mu family, which was even more than what Prince Mediocre, Right Prime Minister, and Earl Cheng’en Mansion received.

  “A maid of the Mu family who was sold into a brothel in Chang’an testified that Mu Qianqian’s position in the Mu family was exceptionally high. Master Mu seemed to trust Miss Mu very much, and would even take her along when talking about business.”


  Qiao Jinniang listened and said, “No wonder Right Prime Minister even risked his own life to protect Prince Mediocre. What he actually wanted was not to protect Prince Mediocre, but to make him a scapegoat for Prince Huai!

  “Prince Huai and Mu Qianqian were really well-hidden. Maybe the child born by Mu Qianqian is also Prince Huai’s?”


  Lu Chen chuckled and said, “My eldest brother has been holding back since I was a child. Now his fox tail is finally exposed.”


  Qiao Jinniang was a little worried. “Then why did Mother plead for him back then?”


  Lu Chen said, “Firstly, he hid very well, and secondly, my disappearance really had nothing to do with Prince Huai. Maybe he had played a part in it, but the culprit was Prince Mediocre.

  “Besides, his mother, Imperial Concubine Li was willing to exchange her own life for his. She and my father grew up together. Before my mother appeared, Father favored her the most.

  “Imperial Concubine Li married my father at the age of fifteen, and accompanied my father to the throne. Even if Father didn’t love her, they were cousins who had grown up together.

  “After my mother married into the imperial palace, Imperial Concubine Li didn’t do anything against her and even helped her manage the imperial palace. She was also very kind to me and was never jealous of my mother.

  “To my father, she was his younger sister and a confidant.

  “Although there was no love between men and women between Imperial Concubine Li and my father, my father still had very deep affections for her. Therefore, my mother had to fulfill Imperial Concubine Li’s last wish.”


  Qiao Jinniang frowned and asked, “Just like you to Zhou Sisi?

  “At her wedding, I heard from Fulu and Consort Qi that when you took Zhou Sisi out to play when you were young, you always carried Zhou Sisi on your back. Aren’t you the so-called childhood sweethearts…”


  Lu Chen motioned for the secret guard to leave, and after the door of the study was closed, he held Qiao Jinniang on his lap. “Come on, I was not the only boy who carried Zhou Sisi on the back. I just took her as a younger sister. You even slept with Xie Yun on the same bed when you were young!”


  Qiao Jinniang said, “How old was I then?”


  “I was a kid too when I carried Zhou Sisi on my back.” Lu Chen said, “And my father is my father, and I am me.”


  “I didn’t take my cousins ??into the East Palace as my concubines.”


  Qiao Jinniang snorted. “If you want to do that, I won’t stop you. I’ll just leave the East Palace.”


  Lu Chen clasped her waist tightly and said, “Stop talking nonsense. I don’t like to listen to it. I think my father knows the ambition of my eldest brother, but he still feels guilty for Imperial Concubine Li. Let’s see what Prince Huai can do. He can’t threaten my status anyway.”


  Qiao Jinniang said, “I heard that because of the matters of Duke Wu and your teacher, many officials in the East Palace have already handed in their resignations…”


  Lu Chen smiled and said, “It doesn’t matter. I was sixteen when I was missing. At that time, many of the courtiers in the East Palace had left, and most of those who remained were from two parties, the Duke Wu Mansion and my teacher.

  “One year after I returned, the people of the Duke Wu Mansion occupied a lot of high positions in the East Palace, and I couldn’t fire them because they didn’t leave although I was missing for three years, but they are mostly incompetent in their jobs.

  “These incompetent people left because I refused to marry Zhou Sisi, which is exactly what I want. You don’t have to feel guilty…”


  Qiao Jinniang leaned on Lu Chen’s shoulder. She knew what Lu Chen said was true, but not entirely true.

  Originally, these people were absolutely loyal to Lu Chen, but because Lu Chen refused to take Zhou Sisi as his concubine for the sake of her, everyone said he was so fatuous as to choose her over the support of the Duke Wu Mansion.

  Lu Chen said casually, “Besides, Father is still healthy and strong, so I don’t need to keep expanding my power. It’s not a problem if there are fewer officials in the East Palace.”


  Knowing that he was comforting her, Qiao Jinniang said, “By the way, do you need silver? The Jewelry Pavilion has made a lot of silver taels recently!”


  Lu Chen laughed. “Just keep the money for yourself. I don’t lack silver taels, nor people. Just feel at ease.”


  Qiao Jinniang said, “But according to the novels I read, most of the crown princes who are favored by the emperors won’t end good, while the princes who have been forbearing for a long time are often able to counterattack and succeed as the emperors…”


  Lu Chen: “…Don’t read so many novels, okay?”


  Qiao Jinniang said, “You even gifted me novels before marriage. Now that we are married, you don’t allow me to read it? Hmph, that’s what men do.”


  Lu Chen said helplessly, “Alright, if you want to read novels, just read them. If you are tired of reading the novels sold in Chang’an, have someone buy some novels outside Chang’an.”
……

  Two tigers couldn’t live on the same mountain. In Prince Huai Mansion, the two Consorts Huai were having a silent war.

  Li Lingling knew that Zhou Sisi was pretending to be retarded, but she couldn’t get any proof. The maids of Zhou Sisi quickly helped her seize the managing power of Prince Huai Mansion, which almost drove Li Lingling to crazy.

  And Fourth Miss Qin also got pregnant quietly. No one expected it to be so quick. It seemed that she got pregnant as soon as she married Prince Huai.

  But at this moment, the butler of Prince Huai Mansion brought back an infant child, saying that it was the son adopted by Prince Huai.

  Hell with the bullshit! Li Lingling knew it must be Prince Huai’s illegitimate son!

  Li Lingling was really mad but she had nowhere to vent her grievances, so she went to make trouble for Zhou Sisi every day. The Prince Huai Mansion was like a battlefield without smoke.

  Fourth Miss Qin, who had been keeping out of their battle, sat in the yard casually and asked her maid, “Did Master and my brother send a letter back?”


  “Yes, Madam.”


  Fourth Miss Qin opened the envelope and said, “It’s time to get rid of Qiao Ruoyun forever.”


  “But Madam, I’m afraid Young Master will not agree. He loves Young Madam very much.”


  Consort Qin sneered coldly. “Love her very much? I don’t think so!”