Upon hearing this, Lady Xue was utterly shocked. Prince Yunqian of the tenth rank, that mute madman? Lady Xue asked in a hurry, "What do you mean by that? Explain it clearly!"
Wei Dongling replied unhurriedly, "Oh, this princess forgot that you're unaware of this. My father fell ill due to the incident involving the fourth elder brother. Fortunately, the imperial grandmother brought the tenth prince, who suddenly started to speak, to attend to him. That's what cheered up the emperor."
Hearing that the emperor had fallen ill overnight because of the death of her son, Lady Xue couldn't help but feel a multitude of emotions. Then, upon hearing that the emperor was in high spirits after the tenth prince's visit, she hurriedly asked, "The tenth prince is just a mute imbecile. How could he suddenly start to talk?"
Wei Dongling spread her hands and said, "Who knows? It's really strange. Everyone says the tenth prince is a deranged madman, but when this princess saw him last time, he seemed no different from an ordinary person! Not only was he impeccable in etiquette, but he was also resourceful and brave! I heard that it was Nanny Gao beside Queen Zhao who had been secretly teaching him all along!"
So, was the tenth prince actually being secretly cultivated by Queen Zhao all this time? Was she just waiting for the competition for the crown prince and then presenting him when everyone was off - guard?
Lady Xue was so enraged that she started pounding her chest and gasped for breath, "Impossible! This is impossible!"
Wei Dongling glanced at the skeptical Lady Xue and sighed, "I also thought it was impossible, but that's the truth! The emperor not only let the tenth brother move into the Xing Sheng Palace but also asked the grand tutor to teach him whole - heartedly. Even the grand tutor praised the tenth brother for his extraordinary intelligence!"
Upon hearing this, Lady Xue was so angry that she almost spat out blood. Her body, which had been lying in bed for days without eating, was even more feeble. She gasped like a flickering candle in the wind.
Could it be true, as Princess Wu said, that the tenth prince would be the one who reaped the benefits? Zhao Ji! You really have some extraordinary tricks!
The Xing Sheng Palace was the place where her son, Murong Jingyu, had lived before he was crowned the crown prince! Now, that underage madman was living there? She was filled with hatred! She was so unwilling! Why did her son die? And why did Queen Zhao's son, who had been pretending to be an imbecile, become the most likely one to have the last laugh? She was so scheming!
Wei Dongling sat cross - legged on the ground and whispered, "I wonder if the fourth elder brother ever told you that all those from the Zhao family who were exiled and sent to the army were rescued. Moreover, the Zhao family has always been in collusion with the prince of Xiliang."
Lady Xue knew about the collective disappearance of the exiled Zhao family members, but she never thought that the Zhao family had been colluding with Xiliang! If so, the Zhao family was guilty of treason! Lady Xue asked in a hurry, "Do you have any evidence for their collusion with Xiliang?"
Wei Dongling sighed, "I once saw with my own eyes that the Zhao family had an iron - ore deal with the prince of Xiliang in Liaocheng. At that time, I even got the ledger and gave it to the fourth elder brother. Unfortunately, we alerted the enemy, and they changed the ledger in time and cut off the connection. It was only because of the unjust case of Prime Minister Su that the Zhao family was exiled. Now, I can't very well go to the emperor and tell him that I really saw the Zhao family colluding with Xiliang, can I?" Now that the tenth prince had recovered from his madness, even if she tried to hint at it to the emperor, he would probably think it was slander.
Lady Xue vaguely remembered her son mentioning something about the ledger. Since they couldn't bring down the Zhao family in the end, they had to let it go.
Wei Dongling sighed, "You know that I've always disliked Queen Zhao. It was because she set fire to the Jingyang Palace back then, which led to the tragic death of my pregnant mother. I've been eager to avenge my mother, but I've been frustrated because I have no evidence..."
Lady Xue gritted her teeth and said nothing.
Wei Dongling pretended to wipe away her tears and said, "Just like the death of the fourth elder brother, I know it's very likely that the Zhao family was behind it, but without evidence, even if I say it, no one will believe me!"
Lady Xue clenched her fists tightly and gritted her teeth, "There's no evidence for the Zhao family's collusion with Xiliang, and there's no evidence for my son's death, but I witnessed with my own eyes that she set fire to the Jingyang Palace back then!"
And she had also fanned the flames! Both of them knew this well, but they both automatically ignored it and kept silent about it.
Wei Dongling said hesitantly, "Even if you're willing to testify that Queen Zhao set the fire back then, will the emperor believe you?"
Lady Xue said sadly, "Now that my son has died a tragic death, and I'm trapped in the cold palace with no hope of turning things around. I'm afraid I'll have to take a desperate chance tomorrow! I'll die if I have to, but I'll make sure she gets the punishment she deserves!" As Lady Xue spoke, she trembled as she got up to pick up the dry bun she had thrown far away just now. She patted the dust off it and stuffed it into her mouth desperately.
She had to save some strength. She still had to see her beloved son off for the last time tomorrow.
"Since it's about my mother, I naturally won't stand by and do nothing!" Seeing Lady Xue in such a sorry state and having used her, Wei Dongling felt a bit guilty. But then she thought about what the deposed crown prince had done in Xingshan, and she felt that what she was doing was not excessive at all.
After the two of them had a private discussion, Wei Dongling got up and left.
It was all or nothing. After avenging Concubine Chen tomorrow, she would have no more regrets. Then she would find a suitable opportunity to leave the palace! The undercurrents in the palace were really unbearable. It was much more comfortable and at ease to live at home.
Moreover, there was that dark - bellied and scumbag man waiting for her in her boudoir! She couldn't wait to hug him.
In the Yaoguang Pavilion, a group of servants, led by the head maid, Plum Blossom, were panicking and searching everywhere. When they saw Wei Dongling climbing back over the wall, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
"The servants pay their respects to the princess!" Everyone bowed. Since the fifth princess didn't answer for a long time, they looked at each other and didn't dare to step forward to speak.
Plum Blossom was indignant. She stepped forward and bowed, "Where did the fifth princess go? Why didn't you even bring a servant with you! If something had happened to you, what would we servants do?"
Wei Dongling glanced at Plum Blossom without saying a word. She directly opened the door, went into the bedroom, took off her clothes, and went to sleep.
Plum Blossom was a servant of Noble Consort Rong. She was sent here to keep an eye on the fifth princess's behavior! But this princess didn't care about the rules at all. She climbed over the wall whenever she wanted and left without even telling the servants! Where was there any trace of a princess in her?
Plum Blossom was seething with anger. She stepped forward and rambled on to Wei Dongling under the quilt, "The fifth princess is so unruly! Maybe the previous tutoring nannies didn't teach you well, right? Should Noble Consort Rong replace them with other nannies to teach you all over again?"
Wei Dongling lifted the quilt and kicked Plum Blossom. Plum Blossom was kicked into the wall and then fell to the ground. She covered her stomach and let out a pitiful scream.
A group of palace maids outside were afraid that something had happened to the princess. They rushed in in a hurry.
Wei Dongling sat on the edge of the bed in her underclothes and snorted, "All of you listen up! This princess has always had sleep - walking problems. When it happens, I'm completely unconscious and don't like to be disturbed or woken up! If any of you come up and bother me rashly, you may get seriously injured at the least, or even be killed! Do you all understand?"
Sleep - walking problems? Everyone looked at each other in surprise and quickly lowered their heads and agreed.
Plum Blossom was so angry that her face turned as white as a sheet. She couldn't say a word.