Like Pearl and Jade

Chapter 83

Dowager Consort Qian did not think that she would return to the palace so soon. In less than two months, her life seemed to have changed completely. When she saw this prosperous city again, she did not feel very strongly, just a bit rueful.

Love and hate, glory and wealth. No matter how much you had, in the face of death, they were nothing.

On the road back to the capital, she had suffered several assassination attempts. Fortunately, the guards were tight, and there was the strict protection of the counties along the way, so she managed to return to the capital safely.

The matter was now so big that the counties along the way were afraid that she would die in their place. Then they would be in trouble, and unable to keep their official positions.

In her view, Prince Rui had no reason to spend so much effort to try to kill her. She knew nothing of what had happened. What could she say even if she returned to the capital?

There was a gray carriage stopped in the corner of the busy market. A piece of hair had fallen off the neck of the horse pulling the carriage, and did not look spirited at all. Prince Rui sat in the carriage. Seeing the procession of the dowager consort pass by on the street, his face was as black as ink.

"Return." He squeezed this out from between his teeth. He put down the window curtain and did not look outside again.

Before Sun shi died, she had said a few words to Dowager Consort Qian. Other than Dowager Consort Qian, no one knew what she had said. He did not know if Sun shi had left some words for Dowager Consort Qian. He could only make Dowager Consort Qian shut her mouth.

But from Linan Palace to the capital, the guard had been tight the entire way. His subordinates were unable to find a chance to act. The people that Jin Yang had arranged were truly somewhat capable. They managed to protect Dowager Consort Qian.

Because of this, he suspected even more that Dowager Consort Qian knew something. Otherwise, why would Jin Yang spend so much effort to protect her return to the capital? If he wanted to investigate, he could just send officials to the Linan Palace. Why summon Dowager Consort Qian back?

And the rumors outside. If there were not people behind this, how could the rumors have spread so much? And all of them were targeted at him. Even the officials at court recently looked at him oddly. There were also some more daring troupes and storytellers that made story after story that vilified his image.

Never mind that. Even some scholars started to make poems that were scolding him in secret. He almost became the symbol of a beast in human clothing.

After just a short fortnight, his reputation was at the bottom. Jin Yang insincerely sent an imperial decree that the people were not allowed to spread rumors. But after the imperial decree was sent, the people did not talk much in public, but in private, they were more interested in him, and then added more fuel to talking about his past.

He had lived for decades. Even if he was crippled, he was always elegant and refined in other people's eyes. When had he ever been so embarrassed? He finally tasted what it was like for public opinion to be powerful enough to melt metal. He had sent people to direct the focus to the empress, but the people did not seem interested in the little conflict between the empress and Dowager Consort Sun. Some even felt that he had done this to stain the name of the empress, so that people would ignore the past between him and Dowager Consort Sun.

Hearing the rumors outside grow stronger, to the point where some scholars even wrote letters for the emperor to thoroughly investigate the case of Dowager Consort Sun and not miss him, he was so angry he could not breathe, and drank medicine for a few days before he recovered.