The next day, Zhongli Mingye went to court.
Song Jinyu was alone in the Liuyun Pavilion, deep in thought. "A coincidence?"
He didn't take her back to the capital with him just because he was worried about her. But at the same time, he was assassinated.
"Princess, someone from the palace has come to invite you."
"Concubine Xue said that you're highly skilled in medicine," Qingfeng reported. Song Jinyu helplessly looked up at the sky. Sure enough, it's coming!
Zhongli Mingye looked at Concubine Xue thoughtfully and heard her mention Song Jinyu with his own ears. He clenched his fists tightly. If it weren't in front of the emperor, he would surely kill Concubine Xue on the spot.
Song Jinyu was about to enter the palace when Rong Shuang'er came to visit. "Shuang'er, I'm going to the palace. We'll talk about it when I get back!"
Rong Shuang'er had lost a lot of weight. The Duke Rong's family was the maternal family of the queen. Now they could only maintain the face of the Duke's Mansion because of the queen.
"I'm just worried about the Prince of Zhongzhou..." She couldn't go on. Song Jinyu stepped forward and held her hand. "Wait for me to come back. We'll figure it out carefully."
Eunuch An was waiting at the palace gate. Only after he saw the Princess of Yu enter the palace did he step forward to pay his respects.
Seeing that there was no one around, he said, "Your Highness, the queen's injury won't heal."
Song Jinyu had known before that Eunuch An was Zhongli Mingye's man. Maybe this was what he meant. She said in a low voice, "I naturally know. Please tell the prince not to worry."
If the queen's injury couldn't heal, then it would never heal.
After entering the palace, she gave Zhongli Mingye a look. Song Jinyu stepped forward to pay her respects.
"Go and check on your mother," the emperor said with a gloomy face. "You also cured Heyi's illness before."
Hearing what the emperor said, she calmly replied, "Sister Heyi's illness happens to be one that I once had."
Then she made up a story, half true and half false. It made the emperor's face turn cold. "Don't be afraid. I won't take my anger out on you."
Zhongli Mingye said, "Father, Jinyu was just recuperating on Tianmen Mountain. She didn't receive the personal instruction of the sect leader."
Damn Concubine Xue! How dare she drag his princess into this! What on earth was she up to?
The palace hall fell silent for a moment. The emperor didn't say anything more and didn't insist on letting Song Jinyu check on the queen.
The crown prince entered the hall to attend to the sick. After the emperor told him to rise, he glared at Song Jinyu fiercely. The hatred in his eyes was seen by Zhongli Mingye, who calmly blocked in front of her.
He said leisurely, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, worrying about your mother's illness, you've lost a lot of weight these days."
Zhongli Mingye ordered someone to send Song Jinyu back. His eyes were cold. "Protect the princess well. Just wait for the news in the mansion these days."
He personally helped her into the carriage. "Don't worry. I'm fine." He also drew a few strokes on her palm, making Song Jinyu blush and her heart race.
"Niaoniao, has Yuan Liu returned to the capital?"
She asked while walking. Song Jinyu always felt that there was something strange about this matter. Why did Zhongli Mingye leave her in the mountain villa while he was assassinated on his way back? Was it such a coincidence?
Was it a play he directed and acted in himself?
What was his purpose? Why was the queen attacked? In the palace, she had no way to ask Zhongli Mingye. She couldn't help but feel extremely worried.
Zhongli Mingye looked at the Prince of Pingnan. "I heard that the Crown Princess is very harsh on the eldest daughter. Is that true?"
"If the Princess of the Prince has nothing to do, she should visit more often."
"After all, the Princess of the Prince had a very good relationship with the former Crown Princess." The Prince of Pingnan bowed. "I will surely do so!"
"However, is the Crown Prince really cornered? He keeps taking risks one after another."
Zhongli Mingye shook his head.
"Not necessarily. I'm afraid... he's lost his mind... that's why he assassinated the eldest son of the Prince of Cheng."
Chen Mingzhu looked at Zhongli Xianya coldly. "If you can't learn, then don't eat!"
"Mother, what are you doing..."
"Those who come out of the Eastern Palace must be outstanding. You're about to reach adulthood. You'd better learn more rules!"
Zhongli Xianya looked at the new Crown Princess indifferently. How ridiculous! Did she really think of herself as the future mother of the country?
Chen Mingzhu was very afraid of Zhongli Xianya. She had just tasted the sweetness of love and wanted to monopolize Zhongli Chengze every day. Unfortunately, the Crown Prince was a philanderer. How could he always dote on her?
He only treated Zhongli Xianya, the eldest daughter, differently because she was the eldest granddaughter of the emperor.
"Bang!"
The bowl on Zhongli Xianya's head fell off. The head maid stepped forward and slapped her palm.
This scene happened to fall into the eyes of the Princess of the Prince of Pingnan who came to visit the Crown Prince.
The child's eyes were filled with tears, but they didn't fall. "Don't cry. If you cry once, you'll be beaten once!"
The Crown Princess Chen Mingzhu looked at her triumphantly. Now the Crown Prince Zhongli Chengze was still counting on her to give birth to the legitimate eldest son. Naturally, he wouldn't punish her because of Zhongli Xianya.
Moreover, with the power of the Duke Fuguogong's Mansion, she had to teach Zhongli Xianya a good lesson today.
The Crown Prince Zhongli Chengze returned to the Eastern Palace and got the news.
He only thought that Zhongli Xianya hadn't learned the rules well, so he didn't pay much attention to this matter, which further emboldened Chen Mingzhu.
After the Princess of the Prince of Pingnan came, the Crown Princess didn't do anything more. She just told Zhongli Xianya to go down and practice hard.
"Xianya, remember to anger him at this time tomorrow. Then, there will surely be someone to support you!"
The Princess of the Prince of Pingnan comforted Zhongli Xianya and silently planned in her heart.
It was really hateful. The new Crown Princess was so overbearing and the daughter of the Duke Fuguogong's Mansion was so petty.
The next day, after the Crown Prince Zhongli Chengze visited the queen, he met the Prince of Pingnan. They returned to the Eastern Palace together.
Just then, they saw Chen Mingzhu slap Zhongli Xianya!
This scene greatly stimulated the Crown Prince. His daughter's face was swollen from the beating. In a fit of anger, he knocked Chen Mingzhu to the ground.
"How dare you abuse my daughter!"
After saying that, he continued to punch and kick her. After being continuously attacked, the Crown Prince had already accumulated countless angers in his heart.
The Prince of Pingnan saw that the Crown Prince was out of control and the Crown Princess was almost beaten to death. He quickly stepped forward to persuade him.
But it was already too late. Chen Mingzhu fell to the ground, and her life or death was unknown.
The Duke Fuguogong's Mansion got the news and rushed over overnight. Afraid that Chen Mingzhu would be beaten to death, they took her away.
After the news spread, the emperor looked at the useless Crown Prince and felt that his education had failed. But since the Crown Prince was protecting his daughter, it was understandable.
Zhongli Mingye advised, "Brother Crown Prince is just too eager to protect his daughter. Please forgive him, Father!"
The Prince of Cheng already hated the Crown Prince to the core. He had long known that the Crown Prince had been cruel to Yu Duanya and her son. But at this moment, he could only act as a good brother. "Father, I think it's natural for parents to love their children."
"A few days ago, Duanya and her son were attacked by villains. Fortunately, the Princess of Yu saved them."
"I think what Brother Crown Prince did is human nature."
The emperor's face was grim. "Is it also human nature that he almost beat someone to death?"
"What happened to Duanya and her son?" Then, the Prince of Cheng brought up the assassination that day. The emperor closed his eyes. All these things were inextricably linked to his good Crown Prince.
In the Duke Fuguogong's Mansion, Chen Mingzhu wanted to open her eyes, but she could only open them a little. Her face was swollen from the Crown Prince's beating.
If it weren't for the Prince of Pingnan, she might have been beaten to death. She always thought that the power of the Eastern Palace was overwhelming, second only to the emperor. But now, Chen Mingzhu finally understood.
She had kicked a hard rock. Her father said that she was stupid. No stepmother should target someone else's daughter right from the start. But Chen Mingzhu just didn't want to see Zhongli Xianya being favored.
Now, she was in so much pain all over her body that she could hardly speak.