Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne
Chapter 68: The Overbearing Noble Princess Consort Rong

Chapter 68: Chapter 68: The Overbearing Noble Princess Consort Rong

The celebration banquet in Qionglin Garden has already ended.

Liang Zhaoyi and Yu Meiren were on their way back to Kunde Hall.

"When the Empress left, her face was as dark as water, it was really frightening," Pan Cairen recalled the events at the banquet with horror in her eyes. "I was too scared to breathe."

"Me too," Yu Meiren was still quite shaken. "The Empress’s gaze was like she wanted to tear the Noble Princess Consort Rong to pieces."

The Fifth Princess had been so terrified by what happened at the banquet that she still hadn’t recovered.

"In the past, though the Empress and Noble Princess Consort Rong spoke with barbs, it wasn’t like just now..." Pan Cairen carefully chose her words, "Have they really torn their faces?"

Yu Meiren said, "Probably." She showed a peculiar expression on her face, "Though Noble Princess Consort Rong never respected the Empress and was always arrogant in front of her, she had never been so aggressive."

Pan Cairen added to Yu Meiren’s words, "Noble Princess Consort Rong’s expression seemed to..." She didn’t dare to finish, but Yu Meiren and Liang Zhaoyi understood her meaning.

Yu Meiren first looked around, seeing no one else but them, then lowered her voice, "The words Noble Princess Consort Rong spoke to the Empress seemed to imply that the Empress soon would no longer be the Empr..." Before she could finish her sentence, Liang Zhaoyi covered her mouth.

Liang Zhaoyi warned her, "Be careful, the walls have ears."

Yu Meiren quickly nodded, and only then did Liang Zhaoyi let go.

"Save your words for when we get back."

Pan Cairen and Yu Meiren nodded repeatedly, not daring to discuss the events of the banquet further.

"Gui Xing, go check on the celebration banquet at Chaoyang Palace," Liang Zhaoyi felt uneasy about Zhao Yao. "Call Tong Xi out and ask."

"Yes, I’ll go right now." Gui Xing curtsied and then headed toward Chaoyang Palace.

"I wonder how things are at Chaoyang Palace," Yu Meiren was also worried about Zhao Yao. "I wonder if Yao Yao was frightened?"

Pan Cairen said, "With so many ministers and royal relatives, Yao Yao must have been scared." The most important thing was that both the Crown Prince and Prince Dai were present.

"I’m not worried about him being frightened," she said, knowing her son had great courage. "I’m worried he’ll overeat." There were quite a few dishes at the banquet tonight that he loved, especially beef. He’s been thinking about eating beef, and she was afraid he would finish all the beef at the banquet tonight.

"Yao Yao keeps talking about eating beef, maybe he really will eat until he’s stuffed," Yu Meiren laughed. "I have some digestive medicine."

Liang Zhaoyi noticed the Fifth Princess hadn’t spoken and gave Yu Meiren a look, to which Yu Meiren nodded knowingly.

Before they returned to Kunde Hall, Gui Xing came back.

"Madam, the Emperor had long since left, and the celebration banquet at Chengguang Hall has also ended. His Highness should have returned by now."

Yu Meiren was surprised, "The celebration banquet at Chengguang Hall also ended? How could it be so quick?"

Pan Cairen was equally puzzled, "Wasn’t tonight’s banquet specially held for Prince Dai? The Emperor favors Prince Dai so much, why did he leave so early?"

Liang Zhaoyi speculated, "Perhaps the Emperor had something to attend to." Thinking that her son had already returned to Kunde Hall, she urged, "Let’s hurry back."

"Alright."

They quickened their pace. Soon, they reached Kunde Hall and discovered Zhao Yao had not returned.

"Where is Yao Yao?"

"Wasn’t it said that Yao Yao had returned?"

Gui Xing said, "The eunuchs at Chaoyang Palace told me, he left long ago."

"He probably went to Xingde Palace," Liang Zhaoyi guessed, "He should be back shortly."

She turned to Yu Meiren and the Fifth Princess, "You two should go rest."

"Sister, then we’ll head back."

Liang Zhaoyi added, "Remember to drink a bowl of calming soup before you sleep." Suddenly thinking of something, she said to Yu Meiren, "Little Five was really frightened tonight, put a pair of scissors under her pillow so she won’t have nightmares."

"Alright, I understand."

Gui Xing watched Yu Meiren lead the Fifth Princess away, an expression of concern crossing her face: "Madam, the Fifth Princess hasn’t said a word on the way back, she seems really scared."

The Fifth Princess usually was quiet in front of others but was lively and talkative with Liang Zhaoyi and her companions. However, from Qionglin Garden to now, she hadn’t spoken a word.

"It’s not just her, even we adults were scared," Liang Zhaoyi said with a slight sigh as she sat on the couch, "There are no longer peaceful days in this palace."

"Madam, does Noble Princess Consort Rong think that now Prince Dai is back, she can replace the Empress?"

"It is probably because the Emperor has betrothed the younger daughter of Kong Taichang to Prince Dai," everyone in the harem knew Noble Princess Consort Rong coveted the Empress’s position. Moreover, she never hid her ambition. Nevertheless, she had never been so overbearing as she was tonight.

"She believes that Prince Dai will soon replace the Crown Prince as the heir," everything Noble Princess Consort Rong did tonight suggested she believed she would soon become Empress.

"Madam, does the Emperor really intend for Prince Dai to become the Crown Prince?"

"It’s not something we should concern ourselves with."

"I think the Crown Prince is very good," Gui Xing preferred the Crown Prince over Prince Dai, "The Crown Prince has a gentle temperament and is kind to people. But Prince Dai..." She trailed off and didn’t continue.

Liang Zhaoyi shook her head, "Be it the Crown Prince or Prince Dai, it has nothing to do with us."

Gui Xing understood Liang Zhaoyi’s meaning and quickly nodded, "Madam, you’re right, I was being nosy."

"Go to Xingde Palace and see," Liang Zhaoyi was still worried about Zhao Yao, "Check if Yao Yao has overeaten and become uncomfortable."

"I’ll go right away."

Gui Xing went to Xingde Palace, only to find out Zhao Yao hadn’t gone there with the Eighth Prince. She quickly asked where Zhao Yao was, but the eunuch guarding the entrance said he didn’t know.

Not daring to delay, she hurried back to report to Liang Zhaoyi that Zhao Yao was not at Xingde Palace.

"Madam, could something have happened to His Highness?"

"No, he must have gone somewhere to play."

"Madam, should I go out to look for him?"

"No need, he should be back soon." Liang Zhaoyi wasn’t worried about her son’s safety, "I’m tired, assist me with bathing."

"Yes, Madam."

The Zhao Yao, who had been worrying Gui Xing, was at that moment by a well in a remote corner of the palace.

A eunuch lay kneeling on the ground, sobbing.

Tong Xi squatted in front of the eunuch, patting his back to comfort him, "If you have grievances, speak up, His Highness will stand up for you."

Zhao Yao said, "If I can help you, I surely will."

The eunuch shook his head while crying.

"What’s the matter that even His Highness cannot assist you with?" Tong Xi was anxious about the eunuch’s silence.

"What did the Third Brother do to force you into wanting to die?" The eunuch was the artistically talented one from beside the Third Prince they had met before.

Upon hearing Zhao Yao’s words, the eunuch’s body went stiff. He knelt in shock, even forgetting to cry.

"So it’s true, Third Brother did something to you."

"Did the Third Prince abuse you?"

The eunuch shook his head vigorously, "No... No... It’s just that this servant doesn’t want to live." He said, bowing deeply to Zhao Yao, "Thank you, Your Highness, for saving me earlier, but I can’t stay alive, I will only bring trouble upon you."

"Do you know the Third Brother’s secret?"

The eunuch bit his lips and remained silent.

Seeing his expression, Zhao Yao knew he had guessed correctly.

"If I don’t end my own life, the Third Prince will not spare me either." After saying that, the eunuch stood up abruptly and jumped into the well.

Everything happened too quickly for Zhao Yao and Tong Xi to react. By the time Tong Xi realized, the eunuch had already leaped into the well.