Lord Gu's words were also a reminder to the King of Jin that over the years, the Gu family had served him. Even if they didn't have great merits, they had endured hardships. He shouldn't severely punish the princess consort in his rage.
The King of Jin looked at the princess consort. His tone was calm, but only he knew how turbulent his emotions were beneath this calm.
The Princess Consort of Jin still said the same thing, "I'm really innocent."
"The evidence is right here. What's there to be innocent about?!"
At this moment, the King of Jin was extremely angry and disappointed.
What he was angry about was not only that the princess consort had used such a despicable means to harm the concubine and his child but also that after six years of marriage, he didn't know that she was actually a venomous woman with a false appearance!
She had deceived him for six whole years.
How could he not be angry?!
The evidence was right in front of him, yet she and the Gu family were still arguing. When had they ever respected him as her husband and as the prince?!
Looking at Concubine Song's frail appearance, for a moment, he even wanted to ignore the Gu family and severely punish the princess consort.
But he couldn't.
So, he was even angrier at his own impotence.
He couldn't even get justice for his woman and child.
"From today on, the princess consort shall be confined to her courtyard to reflect on her mistakes. You no longer need to take care of the affairs of the mansion. Just stay inside and copy Buddhist scriptures to pray and atone for the concubine and her lost child!"
"My lord..." The Princess Consort of Jin's face turned ashen, and her heart was as dead as ashes. Her hatred for Concubine Song reached its peak.
Over the years of marriage, the prince had never spoken harshly to her. She thought they had a harmonious relationship, but once something happened, he didn't believe her at all!
The affection between them over the years had all become a joke.
Such a good family banquet had turned out like this. It definitely couldn't continue. The King of Jin picked up Concubine Song horizontally and left without looking back.
The others looked at each other. They didn't dare to stay and watch the princess consort's joke, so they all left on their own.
Fortunately, besides the people in the King of Jin's Mansion at the family banquet, there were only some close ministers. They wouldn't talk nonsense about things they shouldn't.
Xu He quietly watched the whole show and witnessed Concubine Song's fighting ability. His teeth even ached.
Although this play was planned by them together, Concubine Song's acting skills had brought the eight - point plan to a ten - point effect. The prince might even start to suspect the entire Gu family.
As the sages said, only women and villains are difficult to raise. What the sages said was true.
However, their plan didn't end here.
Tonight was just the beginning.
Just thinking about what was to come, Xu He felt excited.
On the other side, the King of Jin carried Concubine Song, who was almost unconscious, into the Listening to the Rain Pavilion.
The medicine prescribed by the mansion doctor was also boiled.
The King of Jin laid Concubine Song on the bed, picked up the medicine bowl, scooped up the medicine with a spoon, blew on it to cool it down, and brought it to Concubine Song's lips. "The child is gone. I'm sad too, but no matter what, you can't neglect your own body. Come, drink the medicine first."
Concubine Song leaned against the head of the bed blank - eyed and didn't say a word. She just quietly let him feed her, which made the King of Jin even more heart - broken.
Seeing this, the waiting maid, who originally wanted to take the medicine bowl from the King of Jin, didn't dare to step forward.
After she drank most of the bowl, the King of Jin put down the medicine bowl, heaved a heavy sigh, and held Concubine Song's cold hand. "Don't worry. I'll definitely find a doctor to cure you. We'll have more children."
"After you've recovered, I'll hand over the management of the mansion to you."
"As for the princess consort, it's a troubled time now, so I can't deal with her for the time being. You... you have to understand me."
Concubine Song's expression remained unchanged on the surface, but there was a sneer in her heart.
She understood his helplessness, but who would understand her pain of losing her child?
The princess consort was indeed the murderer, but he knew she was the murderer and didn't punish her. He was an accomplice!
She had never exposed what happened back then. One reason was that she couldn't find conclusive evidence, and the other was that she knew that even if the prince knew it was the princess consort who did it, he wouldn't severely punish the princess consort for her sake. He would only give some mild punishments like today.
No, perhaps it couldn't even be considered mild. Losing the power to manage the mansion would be more painful for the princess consort than death.
But the power to manage the mansion was nothing compared to her child.
Concubine Song said weakly, "I can understand you, my lord... But my lord, I have an impertinent request."
"Speak."
"I'd like to offer incense to my unborn children. It's their mother who doesn't have the fortune to bring them into this world..."
Children...
The King of Jin immediately thought of their first child.
When that incident happened back then, Concubine Song had told him that she was pushed and then hit by a crazy horse. He had someone investigate the entire mansion but found nothing, so in the end, it had to be left unresolved.
But now that she suddenly brought it up, he suddenly realized a problem. Back then, he had investigated everyone in the mansion but missed the princess consort.
If it was the princess consort who did it...
The King of Jin was startled by the thought that suddenly popped up in his mind. If it was really the princess consort...
If it was before, he definitely wouldn't have suspected the princess consort. Even if someone told him in front of him that it was the princess consort who did it, he wouldn't have believed it. Instead, he would have punished that person.
But now... he thought it was not impossible.
The King of Jin felt a chill run down his back. He was now eager to do something.
He said gently to Concubine Song on the bed, "Even if you want to offer incense, you have to wait until you're better."
"I still have something to deal with. I'll come to see you tomorrow."
The King of Jin carefully tucked in the quilt for Concubine Song, told the maids to take good care of her, and then quickly left.
As soon as the King of Jin left, Concubine Song put away her sickly and tearful appearance and turned over expressionlessly.
Her confidant maid, Yuhe, sent the others away. "The situation is just right now. Why didn't you ask the prince to reinvestigate what happened back then, my lady? We've already set up the situation. As long as the prince investigates, he will definitely find some clues..."
Concubine Song interrupted her calmly, "Who said I didn't?"
Yuhe was stunned. But the prince didn't show any reaction!
Concubine Song said, "The prince is a suspicious person. Before, the image of the princess consort in his heart was too perfect. He wouldn't and didn't want to destroy it. But now that her image has been damaged, even if I don't say it clearly, he will take the initiative to investigate."
"Moreover, if I said so, wouldn't I be telling the prince that I'm scheming against the princess consort?"
"I understand, my lady," Yuhe suddenly realized, her tone full of relief. "It's so hard to gain our prince's trust. I've been on tenterhooks about today's matter, afraid that something might go wrong."
After all, they had indeed used the snow velvet grass and the green Ling flower.
Concubine Song smiled. "What are you afraid of? We have nothing. At most, we'll just go back to our previous situation. But the princess consort is different. She's much more afraid than we are."
Moreover, Miss Shen had told her that sometimes, the distinction between truth and falsehood wasn't that important.
As long as she acted well enough, the false could become the truth.