E - T - T

Chapter Ninety-Three: Layers of Conspiracy

While Hua Xi Wan knew of the affair between the Emperor and the Crown Princess, she only showed slight sorrow in her expression. She used her handkerchief to wipe at her slightly reddened eyes and said sadly, "Then, thank you for your trouble, Ma gonggong. The Crown Princess's passing really makes the heart hurt."

"Please, Wang Fei, do not grieve so much. If the Crown Princess knew how sad you are, she would not be able to rest in peace." Ma gonggong also had a regretful face, but in front of the grieving Hua Xi Wan, he still tried to appear comforting.

"You are right." Hua Xi Wan gave a forced smile. "Then you will be busy in the next while."

"This servant doesn't dare." Ma gonggong was still respectful on the surface but was surprised inside. He had originally thought that Xian Wang Fei would be of a simple mind since she had been spoiled from birth by her father and brothers, and then cared for by Xian Wang after she married. But who knew that her speech and conduct was perfect?

As expected of a woman who had managed to establish herself as Xian Wang Fei and made it so that there wasn't a concubine in the entire fu. How could she not have any skill at all at scheming? It was just that other people only looked at her appearance when they saw her.

Princess Rui He who had been ignored in the corner and was silent all this time looked on coldly at Ma gonggong and Hua Xi Wan's attitude as they talked. Her brow creased slightly. There were many womenfolk present, and Hua Xi Wan was not the only qinwang fei. Then why did Ma gonggong go to greet her?

The more she thought, the uglier Princess Rui He's expression was. She couldn't help but turn back to look at Min Huai Junzhu in the other corner. She touched the white flower in her hair and calculation flashed through her mind.

The Empress had been deposed, and the Empress Dowager had passed away, so there wasn't anyone in charge of the inner palace. The other imperial consorts had status but no children, so they were not able to stand up to arrange the inner palace. Therefore, after the Crown Princess died, some of the palace attendants who did not have brains started to have all kinds of thoughts, and the rumors that came out were unable to be stopped and were extremely lowly. Someone even said that the Crown Princess and the Emperor had had an affair. This enraged the Emperor and he had many people beaten to death.

Before the Crown Princess was even buried, rumors filled the world, and even passed among the common people. There was a daring person who had constructed a story about the Emperor and the Crown Princess called "Everlonging Song" that many people applauded.

The Guard Office wanted to investigate, but it was not easy to do so. These common novels had always existed, and this story was written to be extremely romantic as well as expressing love for the country and loyalty to the monarch. What reason could they use to stop the spreading of the story? Say that this story was parodying the Imperial Family? Or that it was not a good influence?

Wasn't that confessing to its veracity?

Some rumors were ones that no one would take as the truth, but if one went to stop them, the rumor would spread even faster in private, and even those who did not believe the rumor before would believe it.

It was a pity that Qilong Emperor, who had such a good reputation for most of his life, ended up with such a name in his later years. Qilong Emperor also knew that he could not openly stop the spreading of the rumors among the people and, in the end, did not do anything. He turned and decided to marry the daughter of the famed scholarly Zhang Family's cadet branch as empress.