Rage and grief filled Lu Siming's eyes.
With just a single statement, he had convicted Cheng Simian.
Threatening a concubine and speaking recklessly were serious charges for a woman on the verge of becoming the Crown Princess.
Although the Queen ostensibly stayed out of court affairs, she was far from being oblivious to what was going on.
She had noticed Lu Siming's restlessness and his ambition to seize the crown prince's position.
By convicting Cheng Simian, his real target was actually the Crown Prince.
After all, the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess were a united front.
The Emperor's expression was inscrutable, his eyes deep and unfathomable.
No one dared to claim they could fathom the thoughts of this sovereign.
Concubine Lan clung to the Emperor, sobbing softly, looking weak and pitiful.
It seemed as if she had truly been terrified.
Tears glistened in Lu Siming's eyes as he knelt before the Emperor, looking like a man bearing humiliation without the power to resist.
He bowed his head solemnly. "Father, eldest brother has always suspected that I harbor disloyal intentions. He has been constantly on guard against me. I am at a loss as to how to prove my innocence. I beseech Father to grant me permission to accompany my maternal grandfather to the northern border. To dispel eldest brother's doubts, I am willing to stay in the northern border for the rest of my life to defend the territory of our Great Zhou!"
The Emperor lowered his eyes, a shadow seeming to fall over his brows.
In such a situation, it was inappropriate for the Queen to intervene.
However, she had already seen through the scheme. Concubine Lan and her son had staged this play to label the Crown Prince as overly suspicious and intolerant of his brothers, lacking in magnanimity and narrow - minded.
Their aim was to get the Emperor to agree to let the Second Prince go to the northern border with the army.
Lu Siming's maternal grandfather, Gao Tianyu, was old, and his uncle, Gao Zhao, was good - for - nothing. The Emperor would never hand over 50,000 troops to a second - generation playboy with no military experience.
If Lu Siming went to the northern border with the army, the command of these 50,000 troops would eventually fall into his hands.
This would pose a great threat to the Crown Prince.
Seeing that the Emperor remained silent for a long time, Lu Siming's attitude became even more firm and earnest.
"Please, Father, grant my request. Otherwise, how can I and my mother - concubine live with ourselves?"
Concubine Lan wept even more bitterly.
The Emperor pondered for a moment. "Summon the Crown Prince and the young lady from the Cheng family to the palace."
Concubine Lan's tear - filled eyes flickered.
Was the Emperor going to let her confront Cheng Simian?
Although Cheng Simian was dignified and reserved, Concubine Lan had experienced the sharpness of her tongue.
If they really confronted each other, she wasn't confident that she could out - argue that girl.
But then she thought that at that time, Cheng Simian was in her palace, and when they were talking, there was no one else around.
Daiying, the Queen's attendant, was waiting outside the door and might not have heard the whole conversation.
It would be difficult for Cheng Simian to prove her innocence.
Moreover, she was a beloved concubine in the Emperor's eyes, and the Emperor had seen her illness with his own eyes.
Surely the Emperor would believe her rather than Cheng Simian, who hadn't even married into the royal family yet?
Concubine Lan felt confident of victory.
As soon as the Crown Prince received the news, he picked up Cheng Simian and they entered the palace together.
"Your Highness, this is a trap aimed at you. The Second Prince wants the Emperor to think that you are overly suspicious, unable to tolerate your brothers, lacking in generosity and narrow - minded."
Cheng Simian had long suspected that things were not simple, but she hadn't expected the storm to come so quickly.
The one who came to deliver the imperial edict was Li Luxiang. The Crown Prince asked him in detail about the current situation in the palace.
"The Emperor, the Queen, and the Second Prince are all in Concubine Lan's palace. The imperial physician has given Concubine Lan an acupuncture treatment. She has woken up but is still in a state of shock. The imperial physician is writing a prescription now."
The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes slightly. "Which imperial physician is treating Concubine Lan?"
Li Luxiang replied, "Your Highness, it's Lord Cui Zhining."
"So it's him."
Cheng Simian detected the hidden meaning in the Crown Prince's words.
"Is there something fishy about this imperial physician?"
In the night, the Crown Prince's face was deep and mysterious. He sneered.
"His son, Cui Xianrong, was once an imperial physician in the Eastern Palace. He accompanied me on a southern inspection. To curry favor with me, he tampered with Liang Yuzhou's medicine, intending to make Liang Yuzhou blind permanently. I dismissed him from office but didn't implicate his family. I didn't expect Cui Zhining to still hold a grudge against me!"
Cheng Simian quickly realized the trick.
A healthy person wouldn't suddenly suffer from shock and illness.
Unless they had taken some medicine in advance to create the illusion for the Emperor that they had fainted from shock.
"Your Highness, we need to investigate the Imperial Hospital carefully."
The Crown Prince took Cheng Simian's hand. "You and I think alike."
He ordered the carriage to stop, called Xiao Anzi over, and whispered a few words in his ear.
Xiao Anzi received the order, took a fast horse from a guard, and rushed towards the palace ahead of them.
The Crown Prince stared at Cheng Simian. She looked calm, without a trace of panic, but he felt full of guilt.
"Mianmian, I'm sorry. We haven't even had our wedding yet, but the intrigues of the court and the harem have already fallen upon you. It's my fault that I haven't protected you well."
Cheng Simian held his hand back and leaned towards him. The small gap between them was eliminated by her gentle movement.
"Your Highness, there's no need to blame yourself. Since I've agreed to be the Crown Princess, I've already anticipated all kinds of troubles."
Her body was soft and fragrant, like a piece of mutton - fat jade, soothing his anxious heart.
On this hot summer night, he could hear his heart pounding like a drum.
"Mianmian..." His voice was hoarse.
He originally wanted to say that in the few meetings recently, Mianmian had taken the initiative to be intimate with him.
But he was afraid that if he said such words, the rare ambiguous atmosphere would disappear instantly.
He suppressed his trembling breath and put his arm around her slender waist.
"Mianmian, with you by my side, I feel at ease."
Cheng Simian also felt at ease.
She gently closed her eyes, temporarily putting the scenery of the south of the Yangtze River out of her mind.
In the main hall of the Fragrant Jewel Pavilion, the atmosphere was far from pleasant.
Concubine Lan had changed her clothes and got out of bed, but she still leaned weakly on the Emperor's shoulder.
The Queen sat on the Emperor's right - hand side, looking dignified and serene.
Lu Siming stood respectfully beside the Emperor, silent.
Qi Zhu brought a bowl of medicine. "Your Highness, Imperial Physician Cui has instructed that you must drink it while it's hot."
Concubine Lan took the bowl and sipped the medicine slowly.
The Emperor looked at her tenderly. "Take your time."
He then ordered the maids, "Bring some preserved fruits."
After drinking the bowl of medicine, Concubine Lan's face gradually turned rosy.
"Your Majesty, Imperial Physician Cui's medical skills are truly remarkable. I feel much better now. My heart is no longer flustered, and my body has stopped shaking. Your Majesty, you must reward Imperial Physician Cui handsomely."
Cui Zhining quickly knelt down to express his gratitude. "This is just my duty. I dare not ask for rewards."
As Concubine Lan's complexion improved, the Emperor's mood also lightened, and the gloom on his face faded a little.
"Imperial Physician Cui should indeed be handsomely rewarded."
Cui Zhining couldn't hide the joy in his eyes. "Your Majesty, I don't want any rewards. I only have one wish. I hope Your Majesty can fulfill it."
"What wish? Tell me."
Cui Zhining's tone suddenly became solemn, and his voice choked with sobs. "Your Majesty, my son, Cui Xianrong, was once an imperial physician in the Eastern Palace. He accompanied the Crown Prince on a southern inspection. He was diligent and cautious. But he accidentally failed to serve the Crown Prince well and was dismissed from office.
The Crown Prince forbade him from practicing medicine again. My son was extremely pained. He had excellent medical skills but had no way to use them. He grew thinner day by day. I watched this with a heavy heart. I only hope that Your Majesty can grant my son permission to practice medicine again, even if it's just to treat ordinary people in the fields."
Saying this, he covered his face and wept.
The Emperor's brows, which had just relaxed, furrowed again.
"Did the Crown Prince really do such a thing?"
Cui Zhining's move was perfectly timed.
The Crown Prince had always had an image of being kind and gentle. For a minor mistake of an accompanying imperial physician, to punish him by banning him from practicing medicine for life didn't seem like the act of a kind and magnanimous sovereign.
"Father, I request that Cui Zhining be severely punished!"
The main door of the hall opened, and the Crown Prince and Cheng Simian walked in.
Their steps were steady and powerful, and there was not a trace of guilt or panic on their faces.