The emperor was pondering how to discipline the third prince when he heard the queen deny covering up for the third prince. He thought the queen was just joking with him and personally picked up a shrimp dumpling for her. "It's just the two of us in the hall. Why be so evasive?"
"It's not that I don't protect Xuyang. It's just that this time he offended someone he shouldn't have. The immortal guarding beside Baozhu is quite partial..."
Seeing that the emperor didn't believe her, the queen frowned and couldn't help interrupting the emperor. She emphasized, "Your Majesty, I really didn't do it. How could I possibly indulge Xuyang in bullying others, especially Su Su?"
Since the queen lost her eldest princess, she had doted on little girls and always bestowed many gifts on them. Among them, Yin Susu was the one who received the most rewards.
Thinking of Yin Susu, the emperor finally realized that the queen wasn't lying to him. A sense of unease welled up in his heart, as if something had slipped out of his control.
The queen also felt an uneasiness in her heart. She randomly came up with a possibility. "Could it be that Caixing secretly sent a message to the Yin family to suppress the news about the third prince's bullying?"
As soon as this thought came up, the queen immediately dismissed it. "No, Caixing doesn't have that ability."
Fortunately, after the commotion last night, Caixing hadn't been sent out of the palace yet. The queen ordered someone to bring Caixing over.
Caixing looked listless with swollen eyes, obviously having cried all night. When she was brought into the hall, she seemed a bit dazed, staring straight ahead. After being reminded by Zhuyue, she knelt on the ground and only cried to the queen, "Miss, Caixing knows she's wrong. Please don't abandon Caixing. I've been with you since childhood. If I leave you, I don't know how to live..."
The emperor and the queen exchanged a look. The queen softened her tone. "Caixing, how did you send the message to the Yin family to suppress the news about the third prince's bullying?"
Caixing was stunned. She kowtowed desperately and explained, "Without your order, I wouldn't dare to send the message on my own initiative. I don't even know how to send a message to Uncle. I only concealed the matter about the third prince because of his order."
Yesterday, the queen was too angry to listen to Caixing's explanation. It was only now that she learned the whole story.
At first, when the third prince injured someone, Caixing wanted to report it to the queen, but was stopped by the third prince. The third prince lied that he would confess on his own to avoid disappointing the queen. Caixing believed him and even helped the third prince deal with the palace servants around him so that the queen wouldn't find out.
Caixing was the chief maid in the Fengyi Palace and was brought into the palace by the queen. Her status was even higher than that of the head maid. With her help to stop them, the palace servants around the third prince didn't dare to tell the queen.
Later, when the third prince injured someone again, Caixing was caught by the third prince because of her first concealment. She somehow believed the third prince's words and finally made a big mistake.
The queen didn't expect this. She couldn't hide her anger. "Yesterday, you kept saying that the third prince would be the future emperor. You didn't seem to be under his control. Even now, you still won't tell the truth. I'm so disappointed in you!"
Caixing trembled and didn't dare to hide it anymore. "It was, it was Concubine Li. She told me that this matter couldn't be publicized. If it got out, His Majesty would be angry with you. I was just confused and made a big mistake."
After two rounds of interrogation, the queen was extremely disappointed in Caixing.
Zhuyue was even more indignant for her mistress. "You knew that Concubine Li was a trouble - maker and caused discord between the mistress and the prince, but you still believed her. What were you thinking!"
"Quickly tell me, what else did you do?"
Caixing kowtowed desperately to explain herself. "No, no. At that time, the prince hadn't gotten close to Concubine Li yet, so I believed her."
The emperor had been listening quietly. Suddenly, he remembered that at first, Concubine Li had disliked the third prince. More than a year ago, Concubine Li had changed her attitude. From then on, the third prince had also changed. He often quarreled with the queen and stood on Concubine Li's side.
Calculating like this, the time when the third prince got close to Concubine Li was exactly when he first injured someone.
Could it be that after the third prince injured someone, afraid of being punished by the queen, Concubine Li came up with an idea to help him suppress the matter, and the two became close from then on?
Disgust flashed in the emperor's eyes. He was convinced that Concubine Li had deliberately led the third prince astray. He ordered someone to drag Caixing down, demoted Concubine Li to a noble lady, confined her for five years, and破格 allowed her to raise the fourth prince.
In just one day, Concubine Li had gone from a concubine to a noble lady.
If it weren't for the fourth prince, the emperor would have wanted to send Concubine Li to the cold palace.
The queen had a similar thought to the emperor. If Concubine Li hadn't led the third prince astray, the third prince wouldn't have offended Shen Baozhu, and he definitely wouldn't have lost his position as the crown prince. If she had known this earlier, she shouldn't have been soft - hearted and let Concubine Li get close to the third prince.
Thinking that Noble Lady Li still had a "protective talisman", the queen lowered her eyes and counted the concubines in the palace who could raise the fourth prince.
Without the "protective talisman", Noble Lady Li should be sent to the cold palace, right?
...
The Yong'an Marquis Mansion.
As soon as Shen Baozhu entered the main courtyard, she saw Qiuqiu sitting alone in the courtyard. Holding the treasure - hunting rat in one hand and the little phoenix in the other, she ran towards Qiuqiu. "Qiuqiu! Look at my new friends!"
The treasure - hunting rat was still wearing the hat given by the emperor, so its figure was not clearly visible.
Qiuqiu was attracted by the little phoenix. She exclaimed, "What a beautiful little bird! Baozhu, what's the little bird's name?"
Reminded by Qiuqiu, Shen Baozhu just remembered that it should have a name. She looked up at the sky. "Dragon King, what's the little phoenix's name?"
Since the little phoenix had parents, it should have its own name.
Dragon King: [Does it even have a name? Little cutie can just give it a name casually.]
Shen Baozhu said seriously, "The little phoenix's parents must have given it a name. Baozhu can't just give it a random one."
Dragon King: [Then little cutie can ask the little phoenix. It should be able to understand you.]
Shen Baozhu lowered her head and poked the little phoenix's soft head. "What's your name?"
Qiuqiu also imitated Shen Baozhu and stared at the little phoenix.
Under the two intense gazes, the little phoenix felt a bit uncomfortable and spread its wings. "Prince Phoenix, or you can call me Feng Wu."
"Baozhu, it can talk! It's a talking little bird. How amazing!" It was the first time Qiuqiu had seen a talking bird, so she was a bit excited.
Shen Baozhu thought the name "Prince Phoenix" sounded like a bad guy, so she chose the latter one. "Then I'll call you Wuwu from now on!"
Qiuqiu thought the name was so cute and called it several times in a row. The little phoenix felt a bit depressed. It covered its head with its wings, thinking that the name wasn't majestic at all.
After introducing the little phoenix, Shen Baozhu pulled Qiuqiu to look at the treasure - hunting rat.
It was Yan Mingli who accompanied Shen Baozhu to the marquis mansion today. He lifted the hat off the treasure - hunting rat's head and took the opportunity to rub the treasure - hunting rat's belly when it wasn't paying attention. "Ta - da, a treasure - hunting rat as tall as a person."
Afraid that Qiuqiu would be scared, Yan Mingli kindly added, "This isn't an ordinary rat. It's a treasure - hunting rat, a special kind of rat."
Qiuqiu didn't even get a clear look at the treasure - hunting rat before she pulled Shen Baozhu into the house. A special kind of rat was still a rat, and she was scared.