Tuoba Hong's mood that day was the best in years. After being busy with the ceremony until midnight, he was still so excited that he couldn't sleep, and summoned an empress, two consorts, and several trusted officials to the golden tent for a late-night banquet to celebrate the victory.
But something else happened that night.
Lin Wan had been thinking that although Mu Wu Wang was resolved, the poor Crown Prince was lost in the chaos. How could Tuoba Hong be happy? However, when Lin Wan entered the tent and sat down on her seat, she looked forward and saw a six or seven-year-old little boy sitting on the right side of Tuoba Hong's seat. On the right side of the little boy was Shen Zhaoyuan with a gentle smile on his face.
Lin Yan was completely at a loss about what was going on.
The young King Zhao and Shen Yun Rong's expressions were still okay, they looked a bit thin, but there were no scars on their bodies, so they shouldn't have suffered much.
Xiao Huanghou's face began to contort uncontrollably.
Tuoba Hong smiled and explained to everyone: "A few days ago, the Northern Palace was in chaos. The treacherous officials actually kidnapped my eldest son... Fortunately, Prince Zhao returned safely, and I am very relieved..."
As soon as the Emperor finished speaking, the Right Chancellor hastily stood up to congratulate King Zhao on his safety. Xu, a scholar of the Hanlin Academy, stood up and severely rebuked Mu Wu Wang, who had already been executed. The golden tent was in an uproar. Alas, poor Mu Wu Wang's rebellion had failed, causing him to lose both his life and reputation, and now he had also incurred the crime of holding the imperial son hostage.
There was even a minister who came forward to advise the emperor that Tuoba Gui (the original Mu Wu Wang) was guilty of heinous crimes, and had even plotted against the young King Zhao, so it would be better to dig up his corpse and flog it.
Of course, the Emperor rebuked him with righteous words: "Tuoba Yan is after all a descendant of the Holy Ancestor, how can he be humiliated? I am not that kind of ruthless and heartless tyrant."
"Your Majesty is truly a wise and benevolent ruler! So kind and generous..." A chorus of flattering words arose from below.
The minister who made the suggestion said: "Your Majesty is benevolent, but the prince who broke the law should be punished equally with the common people. The crime of rebelling against the common people is so great that it cannot be atoned for by one death! Moreover, Zhao Wang was almost killed in this incident, how can the murderer be easily forgiven? In my humble opinion, these two heinous crimes of treason and attempted murder of Zhao Wang should be punished severely!"
"Well said." Tuoba Hong nodded: "Then issue an edict, expel the children and wives of Tuoba Yan from the imperial clan, give the males poisonous wine, and make the females slaves."
The people below were stunned. The emperor's three words and two sentences had already blood-washed the entire Mu Wu Wang Fu, and yet he was still being praised for his "benevolence"... The Mu Wu Wang Fu was truly miserable!
The struggle for the throne has always been this way. Today, everyone present is a close minister of the emperor, and there are not a few people like Lin Yu who know the inside story, knowing that Zhao Wang's disappearance has nothing to do with Tuoba Yan, but it's easy for the emperor to pin a few more crimes on him.
"The imperial concubines and consorts offer congratulations to the Emperor on the joy of pacifying the rebellion, and congratulations to Prince Zhao on his safe return." Amidst the joyful atmosphere of the celebratory banquet, Lin Yu raised her cup and approached the Emperor with a bright smile, offering him a toast.
Her eyes glanced over Xiao Huang's pale face.
Heaven knows how devastated Xiao Huanghou was at this moment. It wasn't because Zhao Wang and Shen Yunrong had returned, but because they were brought back by the Emperor... The reason for Zhao Wang's disappearance was still pinned on the rebellious commoner!
Originally, the plan was a military strategy that risked everything by targeting the emperor's only son. If it failed, it could have led to severe consequences, including the abolition of her position as empress dowager. However, Empress Xiao did not expect immediate success; she was taking a gamble, using the chaos caused by Mu Wu Wang's rebellion to muddy the waters and create an opportunity for herself. Even if Zhao Wang managed to escape, the chaotic situation would provide countless excuses, and it would be easy to shift the blame onto the rebel army or even claim that Zhao Wang had gotten lost himself. Moreover, with the emperor preoccupied with responding to the war, his attention was divided, making him easier to deal with than before. Empress Xiao believed this was a rare opportunity that might not come again in a thousand years.
The current situation has completely gotten out of her control, the Emperor personally brought back Prince Zhao, so how did the Emperor find him? And how much inside information did he know? Will he suspect her?
Xiao Huanghou felt that she had never been afraid of anyone in her life, having committed numerous heinous crimes such as murder and arson. However, when it came to Shang Tuo Ba Hong, she was completely intimidated.
She held the golden cup with her slightly pale finger bones, and when she looked up, she felt that the wise and noble lady in front of her had a somewhat heavy shadow. She lowered her head and pressed her temples, forcing herself not to reveal her horse's hoof.
By her side, Shen Zhaoyuan's eyes had been fixed on the empress for a long time. She tilted her head and said to the empress in a gentle tone: "These past few days, the Crown Prince has caused trouble, Your Majesty must have been worried sick, now you look rather haggard."
The Empress was too preoccupied to respond to Shen's sarcasm. A few months ago, she had used "Yi Cun Si" to harm Xiang Fei and frame Shen Yun Rong, but now her plan to kill Prince Zhao had also failed. She was increasingly worried that the Emperor would discover her - or already had! At least with Yi Cun Si's affair, the Emperor must have had some suspicions, and as for Prince Zhao's case, she feared it had also been exposed.
The queen is now nervous and resentful.
Shen Zhaoyuan said, with a warm and gentle smile, but with a sharp gaze like a knife that swept across Lin Yuen's body: "I heard that Hui Guiyi also got lost in the chaos of the army, and we are in the same situation. Hui Guiyi, how are you?"
Misery loves company... Lin Yuan muttered this phrase to herself.
Shen Yunrong has been pulling her in, especially now!
Lin Wan's hands slowly clenched into fists. For the Empress, who treated her as a pawn, she would never let her off. Although she didn't have a good impression of Shen Yunrong either, if possible, it would be better to join forces now and bring down the Empress...
The thought had just occurred when the empress on one side coughed lightly: "Guiyi is not as blessed as Zhao Wang, after being sent back by a female official of Mongolia, she was ill for many days."
Lin Wan held her breath and forced herself to continue. She carefully glanced at the emperor, then smiled and said: "Your Majesty, Empress, and Prince Zhao must have a lot to discuss, I'll withdraw first."
Tuoba Hong nodded slightly.
Lin Yanxu returned to her seat in a state of anxiety and disorder, that annoying feeling came again - she couldn't control her own destiny, but was being strangled by others. The queen's threat was like a knife hanging over her head, making her dare not move recklessly, and could take her life at any time.
Being rescued by the Mongolian army and sent back to the Qin military camp is a big deal for a concubine. If it's said that she was saved by a female official, there won't be any problem; but if people find out that she was personally rescued by the Khan himself and ordered the female officials to escort her... this kind of rumor would be terrifying once it spreads.
The king's favor towards her was a lifesaver, a heroic rescue of a beauty, and the next step would inevitably lead to speculation about dedicating herself to him. What's worse is that this happened on the battlefield, where everything was chaotic and confusing, and the young girl being taken away by the enemy army as a comfort woman was a common occurrence even in modern times. If you think about it further, King Hwan was known for his brutal reputation, so who would believe that he suddenly had a change of heart and rescued an unrelated woman on the battlefield? He probably did it because of her beautiful face...
Therefore, anyone who knows about this matter will mostly lead the answer in that most crooked direction. If Lin Yan's husband Tuoba Hong knew about it, I don't know what he would think.
Lin Wan was also helpless at first, and in order to save her life, she had to beg the Mongolian Khan. The female official of Mongolia did not want to get involved in this muddy water and did not want to prove her innocence. Now... only the empress knows the inside story of this matter, as long as the empress is willing, this matter will be spread throughout the palace. We must think of a way to solve this trouble quickly.
Lin Yu's heart was filled with anxiety, and the Empress's mind was also hard to settle, but Shen Zhao's eyes shone with a spirit that was vastly different from others.
For Shen Yun Rong, the terrifying experience of narrowly escaping death a few days ago had no impact on her current excitement. Years of repression made her extremely eager for that highest position, and when she was holding her son, covered in mud, running through the dense forest, and saw Qin Jun coming to rescue her, at that moment she realized that this time the Empress would fall.
Because of the exposure of privately storing poisonous substances in the palace, she lost the heart of the emperor and was demoted? Humph, how could these things overwhelm her! She and Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei had been husband and wife for over a decade. She knew that this emperor would not have too much affection for anyone. He treated someone well or gave someone a high position simply because they were suitable, rather than because the person was truly a loyal minister or a virtuous and talented imperial consort.
Having a bad reputation, not being able to be an empress is fine... what if there isn't even an empress in the palace? The harem needs someone in power, so there must be a leading consort who, although not an empress, is almost as good.
Shen Yunrong thought about these and almost laughed out loud.
A grand banquet with music and dance, Tuoba Hong was overjoyed, but the others all had their own thoughts.
Everyone feasted and drank until the third watch before gradually dispersing.
Tuoba Hongwei was slightly drunk, he stretched out his hand and hooked it towards Lin Yu's direction.
Lin Yan's heart rose to her throat. These days have been chaotic outside, and Tuoba Hong has been busy until late at night, sleeping alone every day. Is he here to invite her to bed tonight? Or is it about the Mongolian Khan affair...
She stepped forward with trepidation.
She knew that the Mongolian Khan king had stayed in Northern Sai and never returned. In a few days, he held diplomatic ceremonies with the Qin state and accepted the large amount of wealth bestowed by Tuoba Hong. It is unknown whether he said anything detrimental to himself... As long as he claimed that he was ordered by the female official to rescue himself, Tuoba Hong would not have any complaints. The fear is that someone with ulterior motives will add fuel to the fire.
This is really a headache. A young woman, alone in the wilderness, was rescued by a man from another country. Not to mention a palace lady, even an ordinary girl would be damaged in her reputation. In this era, starving to death is a small matter, losing one's chastity is a big matter. If it were a well-educated ancient girl who encountered such a thing, she would rather die than ask for help from a strange man. Lin Yu had been impulsive at the time and didn't care about so much just to survive.
When she walked up to the Emperor, he reached out with one hand and pulled her over, pointing into the curtain of the side hall: "I have something to discuss with you... what do you think about temporarily placing this child in your quarters? It's really not convenient on the Empress's side..."
Lin Wan patted her chest and calmed down, then listened carefully to what the emperor was saying.
Then came an even greater shock. She hastily walked three steps into the side hall, staring at the thin figure that flashed out from behind the screen, and turned her head to look at the emperor: "This... this child..."
"Yes, she is the child who was raised outside the palace. She said that she met you while escaping and walked with you for a day, but they got separated later. She asked me to let her live with you." Taohong also instructed the two palace maids beside him: "Move all of Princess Di's belongings to Guiyi's tent."
