Chapter 173 Taken advantage of
The prince looked a little unhappy. Asking him to ask his father to marry Wen Ruqing?
This would help quell the rumors outside and preserve Wen Ruqing's reputation, but he, the prince, would have to be the scapegoat.
Moreover, Shen Linchuan couldn't explain why he did all this just to get close to the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion and become the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion's son-in-law.
After Xiaotao's disturbance, his beautiful dream was completely shattered.
It was obvious that the Duke of Zhenguo wanted to use this incident to break off the engagement and clear himself of all blame, and finally put the entire mess on him.
The prince was upset, but he was also afraid that the Duke of Zhenguo would go all out and defect to Prince Ling, which would be counterproductive.
He took a deep breath and agreed: "Okay, Duke, rest assured, I will do as you say."
The Duke of Zhenguo warned: "After we get married, I want you to treat Qing'er well. You don't have to love her but you must respect her and not let her suffer any injustice. The position of Queen can only be hers."
The prince felt as sick as if he had eaten a fly after hearing these words. After all the twists and turns, he still decided to marry Wen Ruqing as his crown princess.
If he had known this would happen, why would he have given the girl to Shen Linchuan and made himself cuckolded for no reason?
He secretly convinced himself to be patient, and when he reached a high position and held the power of life and death, he would be able to avenge today's shame.
"Your Highness, someone from the palace has come to tell you that His Majesty is summoning you to the palace."
Wei Yin's voice came from outside the door.
The prince's heart sank and his expression became visibly tense. It seemed that Xiao Tao's matter had reached his father's ears.
He still has a tough battle to fight.
……
Royal study room.
Empress Sun knelt on the ground and was pleading for the Crown Prince. She said, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince must have been wrongly accused, and the allegation that Miss Wen was having a secret meeting with another man is completely false.
Miss Wen and the Crown Prince have always had a good relationship. I don't know who made up such a lie. It is simply despicable. Your Majesty, please make a decision for the Crown Prince."
Emperor Hui glanced at her and said, "The Queen is well-informed. You came just as I received the news."
Empress Sun was startled. She said hurriedly, "This matter has become so serious that it is difficult for me not to know."
Emperor Hui said: "The Queen is still too impatient. I have already sent someone to summon the Crown Prince. Why not listen to what he has to say?"
As he said this, he picked up the memorial and began to read it, but he had no intention of asking Empress Sun to stand up.
Empress Sun knew that His Majesty did it on purpose. Ever since Prince Ling returned to the capital, His Majesty had become increasingly dissatisfied with her as the Empress and the Crown Prince.
The reason why they did not destroy the mother and son was probably because they still remembered the loyalty of her father and brother who sacrificed their lives for the country.
I just don’t know how long their father and brother’s lives can protect them and their son?
Her son is also disappointing. He was already seriously injured because of being involved in a scientific examination cheating case, and now more than 30 people have died, which is also a cause for concern.
After waiting anxiously for a long time, the prince finally arrived.
Seeing his mother kneeling on the ground, the prince was shocked.
He quickly calmed down and knelt beside his mother, saying, "Your Highness greets your father."
Emperor Hui was intimidating without being angry, and said in a cold voice: "Tell me, what's going on?"
The prince hurriedly said, "I am innocent."
"Injustice?"
Emperor Hui slammed the memorial in his hand on the table and said, "That maid ran to the Dali Temple covered in blood to report the case, and in the end she lost her life. You say you are wronged?
Why would a maid like her accuse you? Do you want me to put the evidence in front of you before you admit it?"
Emperor Hui said, throwing the memorial on the table at the prince and saying, "Tell me, what did you do after taking leave from the morning court today? Where were you last night?"
The prince knelt on the ground, trembling all over, and said, "Father, please calm down. I was at the Wen family's villa in Xishan last night.
It’s just that the man who had a secret meeting with Miss Wen was not another man, but your son.
I, your son, and Miss Wen often meet in private, but last night we forgot ourselves and crossed the line.
After I woke up, I realized I had done something wrong and dared not hide it, so I sent someone to invite the Duke of Zhenguo to discuss the marriage with him.
Perhaps someone wanted to sow discord and did not want my son to marry Miss Wen, so they set up such a vicious plot. First, they slandered Miss Wen for having an affair with someone, and then they put the blame on my son for murder and arson.
But the person who reported the case is dead, and none of the servants in the Wen family's villa are alive. I have no way to defend myself, so I can only testify myself!"
Emperor Hui raised his eyebrows and asked expressionlessly: "How do you want to prove yourself?"
The prince said, "I plan to marry Miss Wen to prove my innocence and dispel the rumors."
"Ah."
Emperor Hui sneered, "You are really willing to do anything to get away with this. You are willing to wear such a big hat on your head. It seems that I really underestimated you."
The prince was terrified when he heard this. It was obvious that his father did not believe his innocence at all.
Empress Sun saw this and hurriedly explained, "Your Majesty, if Miss Wen really had an affair with someone, how could the Crown Prince be willing to marry her?
I believe there is no man in this world who is so generous, right? "
Emperor Hui said: “Yes, there is no man in the world who is so magnanimous.
Even if he is willing to marry a woman who has been used by others, unless that means he is not a man. "
The words "unless then he is not a man" deeply hurt the prince's heart.
He clenched his hands that were hanging on the ground, and the humiliation in his heart had reached its peak.
He secretly told himself that those who achieve great things do not care about trivial matters, as everything is for the supreme position.
"That's all."
Emperor Hui knew that he would not be able to get any more information today, so he said, "Since the Crown Prince is so eager to marry Miss Wen, I will grant your wish and let you get married in three days."
Empress Sun frowned and said, "Isn't it too hasty to get married in three days?"
After all, it is the prince's wedding. If we deal with it so hastily, won't we be ridiculed?
Emperor Hui snorted, "Don't you want to prove your innocence, Prince? If you don't hurry up and get married, how can you stop the gossips?
Or is the prince's proposal just a delaying tactic, and he wants to find an excuse to cancel the engagement after the rumors have died down?"
Upon hearing this, the prince's face changed and he said hurriedly, "Father, please calm down. I have absolutely no such intention.
Although three days is a short time, I believe the Ministry of Rites will be able to arrange the wedding perfectly. Thank you, Father, for your support."
He bowed and agreed to the marriage in three days.
Emperor Hui waved his hand and said, "Alright, everyone leave now."
The Crown Prince helped Queen Sun up, and the mother and son left the imperial study.
After returning to Fengyi Palace, Empress Sun ordered the palace maids and eunuchs to leave.
She sat down on the chaise longue and questioned the prince sternly, "What exactly is going on? Is what the maid said true or false?"
At first she didn't believe it was true, because she knew Wen Ruqing very well what kind of person she was.
She doesn't even like his son, so how could she like Shen Linchuan?
But the prince's eager proposal made her feel that the matter was not simple.
The prince knelt on the ground with a plop, and cried out with a sad face, "Mother!"