My Liege And I

Forgiveness

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Chapter 37

Yuwen Hong
Bai Shen Hong
Emperor Huizhong

"Have you been following the Noble Consort Qi like I asked?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Li Jie was quick to answer. "We think your suspicions towards her might be true."

Yuwen Hong ran his hand over the scrolls on the table of his Dragon Studying Room. "Prepare to catch her in the act," he instructed.

"Yes, Your Majesty." This time it was Li Jun who responded.

"Is that all?"

Li Jie huffed, the same way Cai Wenjin did when she could not figure out something.

"What is wrong?"

"Your Majesty, this servant has wondered."

"About?"

"His Majesty was close to the Noble Consort Qi."

He was until he could not trust her after the attack on the palace. How did she survive? Where was she? Even Li Lian was taken away.

"Yet, His Majesty did not seek to have her as the mother of royal children," Li Jie continued.

Noble Consort Qi did not want to sleep with him, and though that was the case, he could insist otherwise. It was her duty, however, he didn't.

He could have elevated the wing of the Qi and pulled down the wing of the Wang by having a child with her. Even in that way, he would achieve a balance in the court. Both of them had similar advantages and disadvantages.

Li Jie's question was why did he choose Consort Wang over Noble Consort Qi. He was calculating with everything, Li Jie understood that.

Not willing to have servants pick on his mind, he dismissed them without an answer. "Leave and attend to my orders. Such matters are not for you to ponder over."

Truth in it was that he was cunning. Noble consort Qi was soft. Children with her possibly could result in an heir that was as passive as her, with no will and backbone like him. Such a son would ruin the empire.

Consort Wang, though not the perfect person, was calculative, greedy, selfish. All those attributes would serve a good heir, he had thought then. Cai Wenjin, for example, had she been an heir and not a princess, she would have survived the ugliness of sitting on the throne.

However, in the end, Li Lian was the perfect fit for him. She had not only Consort Wang's attributes, but also what he and Consort Wang did not carry, a sense of justice, fairness, integrity, emotion, and right standing. He wanted his heir to have a heart for his people and rule in equity, though his hand could still be guileful and sly.

Right after, Yuwen Hong gave his audience to Zhi Peng, his advisor.

"Your Majesty, we became suspicious when Court Lady Nam confessed that Her Highness Wei went out for a breath of air after she had arrived at the Dragon palace. Thus, to be safe, we investigated further and also found out from the palace maid that offered the prisoner food that she found the chains of the door not tied in the specific manner we always leave them."

Yuwen Hong sighed, so that was why. "Go on," he instructed Zhi Peng.

"It is circumstantial evidence, Your Majesty. We plan to investigate further."