Chapter 25, Father Emperor, are you from Mars?
The Empress Dowager seemed to think that someone had deliberately made Huangfu Chang'an look foolish. Although she disliked this imperial grandson who had brought shame to the royal family, but for the Emperor's sake, she couldn't be too excessive. She scolded the servants a few times, then comforted Huangfu Chang'an a bit, before clearing her throat to move on to the main topic.
"Chang'an, do you know why Grandmother has summoned you here today?"
... Could she be a little more direct? She still wanted to ask what the fuss was all about, making it seem like a grand inquisition.
However, these words could only be muttered in her heart. While Huangfu Chang'an was displeased, she had to bow her head, as the Emperor was present, she couldn't make things difficult for him.
"Chang'an does not know, I hope the Empress Dowager will enlighten me."
"Hmm..." Seeing her attitude was good, not as willful and defiant as before, the Empress Dowager nodded slightly, thinking that the Crown Prince's brain had improved after getting soaked. "Come to think of it, it's not entirely your fault, after all, it wasn't intentional. However, at the end of the day, it was still your doing. As a royal scion, you must dare to take responsibility for your actions, isn't that the right principle?"
After rambling on, Huangfu Chang'an still couldn't figure out what she was pointing at, where the key point was, but still obediently echoed, "The Empress Dowager's teachings are insightful, Chang'an will heed the instructions."
Since hearing that Huangfu Chang'an had bedridden Huangfu Fengling for three days, the imperial consorts had assumed she had become even more rebellious and brutal. But to their surprise, the chubby little thing before them was now so compliant and well-behaved, much less obnoxious than before.
The Empress Dowager did not show much care for her, having only heard various slanders and defamation, so her impression of Huangfu Chang'an had always been poor. Now, seeing her submissive demeanor, she couldn't help but be a bit surprised, glancing back at the Empress.
The Empress's eyes held a cold, mocking smile. No matter how Huangfu Chang'an changed, she would always be a thorn in her side, a burr in her flesh. Even if she pleaded with a beseeching gaze to the Empress Dowager, begging her to uphold justice.
The Empress Dowager and the Empress were from the same clan. Although the Empress was not the birth mother of the Crown Prince Huangfu Wujie, she had raised him from childhood. If the Emperor had not stubbornly appointed Huangfu Chang'an as the Crown Prince, the capable and well-rounded Huangfu Wujie would have been the best heir - on this point, the Empress Dowager firmly stood on the Empress' side!
As for the person being discussed today, the quasi-imperial concubine candidate Shangguan Jingyao, she was the Empress' own niece. Relying on this relationship, it would not be difficult for her to rally the Empress Dowager to intervene.
Shifting her gaze back to the standing Huangfu Chang'an, the Empress Dowager spoke in a cold and uncompromising tone.
"On that day, you injured Shangguan Jingyao, causing a scar on Jingyao's face that has not healed till now. You must know that appearance is the thing women cherish the most. Just because of your careless act back then, such a calamity was left behind, causing Jingyao immense shame and nearly driving her to despair, attempting suicide several times... Previously, the Marquis had covered this up, so Grandmother did not know it had escalated to such a degree, until Wujie went to the Marquis' estate and barely managed to save the suicidal Jingyao, that's when Grandmother learned of this matter."
Pausing here, the Empress Dowager fixed her gaze steadily on Huangfu Chang'an, as if waiting for her response.
Huangfu Chang'an inwardly let out a cold laugh - oh my, her response could be summed up in four words: complete fabrication!
Though she had indeed slapped that little b*tch's face that day, and quite forcefully at that, it was at most just a bruise, far from disfigurement. Furthermore, if one truly wanted to commit suicide, it wouldn't be that difficult, how could one try it multiple times without succeeding? It was clearly just an act! This matter had happened so long ago, why bring it up only now, after the Emperor's return, if not out of a guilty conscience?
That little b*tch was quite skillful, going back and forth, truly embodying the "evil person accuses first" principle.
Pretending to be wronged, huh? Putting on the pure white lotus act? Thinking she would get angry and accept the role of the villain?
How dare they underestimate her magnanimity, she too could play the pure white lotus, even sweeter than the spring water!
As the Empress Dowager finished speaking, Huangfu Chang'an immediately expressed deep concern and remorse.
"Ah? Is this true? How could Jingyao be so foolish... Is she better now? Has someone been keeping her company? She mustn't do anything reckless again, otherwise I will never forgive myself..."
Hearing this, the people present were immediately struck dumb, completely unprepared for Huangfu Chang'an's reaction.
Shouldn't she be rushing to argue that it had nothing to do with her, that it was Shangguan Jingyao, that crazy woman, making unreasonable demands? Or angrily denouncing that the culprit who had pushed her into the water that day had not been found, and she would never let it go?
Only Huangfu Fengling narrowed his eyes at her, his peach blossom eyes glinting, inwardly sneering - what a convincing act!
After a moment, the Empress Dowager recovered, responding.
"You don't need to worry about that, these past few days Wujie has been keeping Jingyao company at the Marquis' estate, there won't be any issues. It's just that the Marquis' side needs to be given an explanation. This matter should not have involved Grandmother and the Emperor, you're not a child anymore, Chang'an, it can't be that your father the Emperor has to clean up your messes every time..."
Hearing this, Huangfu Chang'an realized that the Emperor was not present. Apparently, he had accompanied his fiancée... Disfigurement, pfft! Could they come up with a more creative excuse!
While inwardly disdainful, Huangfu Chang'an's expression betrayed no cracks, sighing with apparent remorse, "The Empress Dowager's teachings are right... it's all my fault, I accidentally injured Sister Jingyao. A girl's appearance ruined, how can this be? I will definitely find the best ointments to help Sister Jingyao's recovery. This is my fault, tomorrow morning I will go to the Marquis' estate to apologize to the Marquis and Sister Jingyao!"
Huangfu Chang'an spoke firmly and sincerely.
Seeing her take the initiative to admit her mistake and promise to apologize, completely disrupting the Empress Dowager and Empress' original plan, they momentarily did not know how to respond.
Seizing the opportunity while the Empress Dowager was hesitating, Huangfu Yinhua chuckled a few times, seemingly filled with the sentiments of a father who had painstakingly raised his child over the past decade.
"Chang'an, the fact that you have this insight brings comfort to the Emperor. Since you're willing to apologize, the Marquis, even with his resentment, should let it go. Mother, what do you think?"
Knowing the Emperor was helping Huangfu Chang'an speak up, and given the current situation, the Empress Dowager indeed had no good reason to say more, waving her hand.
"Then let's handle it this way, Grandmother is tired, everyone can return to the palace to rest."
"Son (Daughter) bids farewell to the Empress Dowager."
Watching Huangfu Yinhua leave the palace with Huangfu Chang'an, the Empress was so angry her face turned green.
They just let it go like that? That brat got off too easy! What about house arrest? The confinement? Sending her to the ancestral temple for reflection and reform? Suddenly becoming so obedient, what's the point? It would have been better if she had remained defiant and caused a bigger ruckus, as before!
Not until they had left the Empress Dowager's Yongshou Palace did Huangfu Yinhua approach Huangfu Chang'an, looking at her seriously and curiously.
"Chang'an... are you really willing to apologize in person? You won't take the chance to demolish the Marquis' estate, will you?"
Huangfu Chang'an's eye twitched sharply: "Was I really that tyrannical in the past?"
Huangfu Yinhua nodded firmly: "The year you turned twelve, the Zichen Kingdom sent a princess to propose an arranged marriage. In your panic, you ended up burning down the princess's temporary residence, making the poor girl cry and run back home. That infuriated the old man from Zichen, who almost sent an army of 200,000 to attack us."
Huangfu Chang’an couldn't help but gape, feeling like she was listening to a fantastic tale.
Ah, this had gone far beyond the realm of mere unreasonableness! It was practically ruining the country and harming the people! No wonder those ministers were so eager to twist her neck and bury her in the ground! Father, by pampering that silly, deranged little flower, aren't you basically digging your own grave?!
Wait, wait... there seems to be another important point, the information is too much for me to process all at once...
Ah, right!
"Father, you... know that, me, your humble servant used to... like... my elder brother?!"
"Used to?" Huangfu Yinhua furrowed his brow, even looking a little disappointed. "Don't you like him anymore? Why?"
Because—
"He is my brother..." Ugh!
Huangfu Yinhua suddenly laughed, patting her head with a meaningful expression: "Between siblings, they should love each other. It's alright to like him even more."
Huangfu Chang'an: "..."
Damn, is he from Mars or something? This way of thinking, this logic, it's truly absurd!
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