bookcurios Chapter 260 Consort Fucha
Chapter 260 Consort Fucha
Big Fat Orange snorted coldly, his face full of anger, his voice revealing a hint of authority and dissatisfaction.
"Hongli's actions are truly unbecoming!"
He slammed his hand on the table.
"Once Su Peisheng has investigated the matter thoroughly, I will punish him severely and teach him a lesson!"
Seeing this, Fucha Peiyun quickly said softly:
"Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince may have made such a mistake due to a moment of confusion."
I implore Your Majesty to consider that he is your son and show leniency.
Big Fat Orange suddenly turned its head and glared at Fucha Peiyun, its eyes blazing with anger.
"To be lenient? Your Majesty, you are far too lenient!"
It's because of your indulgence that this beast has become so lawless!
His voice rose eight octaves, making the palace seem to tremble slightly.
Seeing that the situation was not going well, Feng Ruozhao quickly interjected:
"Your Majesty, please calm down. The Empress is only acting out of a loving mother's heart."
The Fourth Prince is still young, and he may have been blinded by greed, which is why he made such a mistake.
Give him a chance to reform; perhaps he will truly change his ways.
After hearing Feng Ruozhao's words, Big Fat Orange was not calmed down, but became even angrier.
He laughed in his anger, his laughter filled with sarcasm and disdain.
"A mother's heart? If he truly had any remorse, he wouldn't have done such a thing after I reprimanded him yesterday!"
You are just being womanly and soft-hearted.
Not long after, Zhen Huan, supported by Cui Jinxi, hurriedly arrived at the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Her steps were somewhat hurried, making her already pale face even paler.
She still didn't know what had happened here.
As she walked, she kept wondering what had happened.
That's why the emperor was so angry.
The moment Zhen Huan stepped into the Hall of Mental Cultivation, a heavy atmosphere swept over her like a chilling current.
It sent a chill down her spine.
She looked closely and saw that everyone in the hall was silent.
They all had their heads down, as if they were deliberately avoiding something.
Big Fat Orange's face was even more frighteningly gloomy.
Like the sky before a storm, it was covered with dark clouds, as if they could drip water.
Seeing this, Zhen Huan exchanged a glance with Cui Jinxi beside her.
Fucha Peiyun and Feng Ruozhao stood to the side, their heads bowed.
They seemed to be holding their breath, and the entire Hall of Mental Cultivation was so quiet that only Zhen Huan's footsteps could be heard.
Zhen Huan's heart sank suddenly, and her ominous premonition grew stronger.
She felt that things were probably more serious than she had imagined.
Zhen Huan quickly stepped forward and bowed to Da Pang Ju, Fucha Peiyun, and Feng Ruozhao.
Upon seeing this, Fucha Peiyun quickly told Zhen Huan to stand up, while Feng Ruozhao hurriedly returned the greeting.
Zhen Huan composed herself slightly, then asked softly:
"Your Majesty, I really don't know what happened that could make Your Majesty so furious."
No matter what happens, Your Majesty should still take care of your health.
Her tone was gentle, tinged with concern and worry.
They seemed completely unaware of the storm that was about to break.
The chubby orange cat, who was originally engulfed in anger, heard Zhen Huan's question...
He suddenly raised his head, his eyes blazing as he glared fiercely at Zhen Huan.
His eyes were filled with anger and disappointment; he was now unconsciously inclined to take his anger out on others.
He roared, "You raised such a fine son! How dare he have a secret rendezvous with a palace maid in the palace!"
Zhen Huan's expression changed instantly; her eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief.
She never imagined that her adopted son, Hongli, would do such a thing.
This Hongli not only brought her no benefits, but also deliberately caused her trouble.
She couldn't help but wonder if this Hongli was her nemesis.
Despite her inner turmoil, Zhen Huan quickly regained her composure.
She immediately knelt down, straightened her back, and bowed her head, saying:
"Your Majesty, please calm down. It is my fault for failing to properly guide Hongli, which led him to commit such a grave mistake. Please punish me, Your Majesty."
Her voice trembled slightly, but remained firm and clear.
She knew that at this moment, any explanation would only anger the emperor further; the only way was to take responsibility.
Perhaps this can somewhat appease the Emperor's anger.
The fat, orange-faced man stared at Zhen Huan, whose face was ashen.
She knelt on both knees, her body trembling slightly, but this time he did not feel pity as he had in the past.
"Consort Wan, now that Hongli has been registered under your name..."
Then he is your son, and you naturally have the responsibility to educate him.
Big Fat Orange's voice was icy cold, filled with undisguised anger.
His anger did not subside with Zhen Huan's kneeling; on the contrary, it surged even more fiercely.
"Just look at all the good things he's done!"
I just reprimanded him yesterday, and he actually turned around and had a secret rendezvous with a palace maid. What kind of behavior is this!
How could I have such a lustful son? He has utterly disgraced me!
Zhen Huan's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and she inwardly groaned in despair.
She cursed Hongli inwardly as a good-for-nothing who was more trouble than he was worth, not only getting himself into trouble but also dragging her down with him.
As a prince who takes a fancy to a palace maid, why doesn't he openly and honestly take her to his side?
Why did he have to do such a thing in the palace?
In the midst of this tense and suffocating atmosphere, Su Peisheng rushed over and broke the deadlock.
"Your Majesty, this servant has investigated and confirmed that the Fourth Prince is indeed quite close to a palace maid named Qingying."
As soon as Su Peisheng finished speaking, Zhen Huan's expression changed drastically again.
The name Qingying was not unfamiliar to her.
She subconsciously looked at Fucha Peiyun.
Isn't Qingying the palace maid that Yu Rao planned to use to scheme against Hongchang, the sixth prince of Fucha Peiyun?
Unexpectedly, the Sixth Prince was not outmaneuvered and instead became entangled with Hongli.
It seems that the Empress is likely involved in this matter as well.
Zhen Huan's hands and feet were ice-cold. What exactly was the Empress planning to do?
After all this is over, will the Empress let Yu Rao go?
Su Peisheng glanced nervously at the chubby orange cat, and seeing that its expression was still gloomy, he cautiously continued:
"Your Majesty, this Qingying is a second-class palace maid of Consort Zhao of Yanxi Palace."
This servant has brought the Fourth Prince, Consort Zhao, and that maid Qingying along with them.
They are currently waiting outside the hall.
Upon hearing this, the chubby orange cat was immediately enraged and said:
"Bring them in! I want to see what they have to say!"
With a furious shout from the chubby orange cat, the palace doors were slowly pushed open.
Hongli, Zhen Yurao, and Qingying lowered their heads and slowly walked into the main hall.
Hongli never dared to look directly at the fat orange cat; his heart was filled with fear and unease.
Zhen Yurao's face was also extremely pale; she never expected this.
Originally, she thought that by releasing Qingying, she could cleverly outmaneuver the Sixth Prince.
However, to everyone's surprise, this move not only failed to achieve its intended purpose,
Instead, he kept himself constantly under Empress Fucha's watchful eye.
Not only did he fail to accomplish this, but he was also poisoned and reprimanded by Empress Fucha.
She has been busy with detoxification and recuperation lately and has not had time to take care of Qingying's condition.
So much so that they never expected it would bring them such trouble.
Just as she was feeling troubled, her gaze involuntarily fell on Zhen Huan, who was kneeling beside her.
Zhen Huan appeared remarkably composed. She nodded slightly and gave Zhen Yu Rao a reassuring look.
The calm and composure in his eyes seemed to be telling Zhen Yurao not to panic.
There's a solution to everything.
Zhen Huan's action was like a clear spring flowing through Zhen Yu Rao's heart.
This slightly relieved her initial anxiety.
Qingying felt uneasy, but she still tried her best to straighten her back and glanced at the fat orange-haired girl in what she thought was a subtle way.
If anyone was the most flustered here, it was Hongli. He hadn't expected that his displeasure would cause him such a commotion.
He had arranged to meet Qingying to comfort him, but he never expected to be so unlucky as to be discovered.
I was just reprimanded by my father yesterday, and today I was caught having a secret rendezvous.
I wonder how Father Emperor will punish him this time.
Hongli was filled with regret and fear. He raised his head and looked at the fat orange cat with almost pleading eyes.
His lips trembled slightly, but no sound came out.
The chubby orange cat looked at Hongli, his eyes filled with disappointment and anger. He slammed his hand on the table and said:
"Hongli!"
The big, fat orange cat roared, its voice deafening.
What else do you have to say?
I had high hopes for you, and I thought you would become a responsible and capable prince.
But you've done something so absurd! What kind of behavior is this?!
Upon seeing this, Qingying hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed, saying:
"Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince and I are mutually in love, and our feelings are irresistible. We are deeply in love, and we beg Your Majesty to grant us your blessing."
Upon hearing Qingying's words, the chubby orange's face darkened even further.
His chest heaved violently, clearly indicating that he was extremely angry.
If he had a beard, he'd probably be so angry his beard would be practically standing on end by now.
"Uncontrollable feelings? Mutual affection?"
The fat orange cat, enraged, laughed instead, its laughter filled with mockery and disdain.
"You, a mere palace maid, dare to flirt with my son? You are utterly ignorant and arrogant!"
Seeing that the fat orange cat was so angry, Hongli immediately knelt down and kowtowed, saying in fear:
"Father, please calm down. It was I who was bewitched by Qingying and did such a ridiculous thing."
Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. Please forgive me.
As he spoke, he suddenly knelt on the ground with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly.
"Please, Father, consider that I know my mistakes and am willing to correct them, and punish me leniently."
Seeing how Hongli treated her, Qingying was immediately filled with disappointment.
She never expected that the young man she longed for would treat her so coldly.
"We stand atop the wall and on horseback, seemingly separated by distance; a single glance at you breaks my heart."
Qingying murmured to herself, as if the poem perfectly reflected her current state of mind.
She originally thought she had a special connection with Hongli.
But now it seems that all of this was just wishful thinking on her part.
As Zhen Huan listened to Hongli blaming Qingying for all the mistakes, her resentment towards him grew stronger.
In her view, a man who always shifts the blame to a woman is undoubtedly the most useless person.
Hongli, this adopted son, was not only useless, but also extremely foolish.
Zhen Yurao's temperament was even more fiery than Zhen Huan's, and she naturally harbored no goodwill towards Hongli. Upon hearing Hongli's words,
She couldn't help but sneer, mercilessly mocking:
"Fourth Prince, you are mistaken!"
Qingying was nothing more than a lowly palace maid.
How could she possess such great charm to bewitch the Fourth Prince's mind?
As a prince, the Fourth Prince should possess the ability to distinguish right from wrong.
How could she be so easily bewitched by a palace maid?
This is clearly because Fourth Prince, you yourself have wicked intentions.
That's why they would do such an absurd thing.
Now they're shifting all the blame onto Qingying; it's utterly despicable!
Zhen Huan didn't expect Yu Rao to speak so rashly at this moment, but
It's too late to stop it now.
She could only say, "Your Majesty, it is all my fault for failing to properly educate my son, which has led the Fourth Prince to commit such a grave mistake."
We beg Your Majesty to punish him.
Fucha Peiyun and Feng Ruozhao were both women.
Naturally, he was very disgusted by Hongli's behavior of blaming Qingying for all the mistakes.
They felt that Hongli was not only irresponsible, but also extremely shameless.
Upon hearing Zhen Yurao's words, the chubby orange tree frowned deeply.
His gaze swept across the faces of the crowd, though he was also annoyed by Hongli's attempt to shirk responsibility.
But at this moment he was even more furious about the scandal that had occurred in the harem.
"Enough! Stop arguing!"
Suddenly, the big, fat orange cat slammed its hand on the table, making a loud noise that silenced the entire palace.
He gazed at the crowd with an air of authority, then slowly said:
"Hongli, as a prince, you have acted so absurdly, which is truly unbecoming."
I have decided to confine you to your quarters for three months, so that you may reflect on your mistakes during this time.
Let's also relinquish our duties at the Ministry of Rites.
Then, the chubby orange turned its gaze to Qingying and said sternly:
"As for you, a mere palace maid, you actually dared to attempt to have an affair with a prince. You are simply ignorant of your own limitations."
You will be sent to the Xin Zhe Ku (a place for slaves) and never be released.
Upon hearing the verdict, Qingying was struck dumb, and she closed her eyes in despair.
Tears streamed down her cheeks like a burst dam.
She looked at Hongli, hoping he could protect her.
Hongli avoided Qingying's gaze, though he felt a pang of reluctance to part with her.
But he was now in dire straits himself, so he dared not plead for her anymore and could only silently lower his head.
He still blamed Qingying for dragging him down, and resented Zhen Huan, his adoptive mother, for not pleading for him.
Hongli will remember all of this today.
Zhen Huan watched all this from the side, sighing inwardly.
She felt that Hongli was truly an incapable ruler.
He was punished so easily by the fat orange cat, and couldn't even protect the woman he liked.
The chubby orange cat's gaze finally settled on Zhen Huan and Zhen Yu Rao.
This Qingying came from Yu Rao Palace, and Hongli was Zhen Huan's adopted son.
He was silent for a moment, then slowly said:
"In this matter, although Hongli and Qingying were at fault, you also bear responsibility for failing to properly discipline them."
Consort Zhao, you have not been strict with the rules in the palace. You are hereby confined to your quarters for one month to reflect on your actions.
Consort Wan, you have failed to properly educate your adopted son; you are hereby fined three months' salary.
"Empress, Consort Jing, what do you think?"
Feng Ruozhao remained silent, while Fucha Peiyun spoke.
"Your Majesty is wise, and I have no objection. However, there is one thing I wish to say..."