Like Pearl and Jade

Chapter 88

Even the most ignorant of the common people knew a bit about the grievances between the emperor and Princess Consort Cheng. The main thing was the story of the evil stepmother tormenting the child left behind by the previous wife.

There were many stories among the common people of stepmothers tormenting their stepchildren. After Jin Yang came to the throne, Great Feng had good weather, and the people lived in peace and contentment. The other countries came to pay their respects, and even the Li submitted to Great Feng. Such glorious achievements, in the eyes of the common people, made Jin Yang a good emperor who shone with light from head to foot.

People were biased. One was an evil stepmother, the other a kind and wise emperor who was bullied by his stepmother when he was a child. People unconsciously would be biased toward the emperor who brought them a steady life.

Princess Consort Cheng herself knew that Jin Yang had become the son of the empress dowager and the previous emperor long ago, and had no relation to her in name. In blood, he had no relation at all. Even if she wanted to use the excuse of filial piety, she could not suppress the emperor.

The moment Jin Yang appeared, her mad mind cleared slightly. When Jin Yang announced the three decrees, she dazedly reacted.

Jin Yang did not protect the so-called relative of the empress, and sentenced him to a beheading without even going through the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review. Then her coming here to make a fuss today was just a joke.

She was slightly stupid, but she still knew what was good and what was bad. At least, Jin Yang did not step on someone when they were down, and let her son die unclearly. He made the other pay with his life.

But she inexplicably became a commandery princess consort. Her husband was Prince Cheng, so how was she just a commandery princess consort? This was ridiculous. Where did Great Feng have such rules? She wanted to state her objections, but when she saw Jin Yang's expressionless face, she suddenly remembered ten years ago.

Back then, Jin Yang had not yet been ten. Though he was small, his face had inherited all the best traits of his mother, and when she saw it, she would always think of the lofty Sima shi.

She was from a prestigious family local to the Jin Prefecture, beautiful, and had connections to the Li Family of the capital. Reluctantly, she could be counted as a distant branch of the Li Family. Due to this, she received Prince Cheng's favor.

A hundred days after Sima shi died, Prince Cheng eagerly married her. Seven months later, she gave birth to a son for Prince Cheng. She knew that people gossiped about her behind her back, but so what? In Jin Prefecture, who did not have to bow their heads to her?

She even had in the palms of her hands the child whom the lofty Sima shi had left behind. She disliked Sima shi and naturally disliked the child she had left behind.

Back then, her parents had urged her not to go too far. But she was not willing. If she restrained herself, what about her son? Could she let Jin Yang become the heir, and the future Prince Cheng?

If she had known that today was going to happen, then a decade ago, she would not have let him live due to carelessness.

The winter that year had been so cold. Who knew that he would still manage to climb out of the water after falling into the pond? It would have been good if she had ordered people to guard the pond and not let him climb out.

Maybe... maybe then the person on the throne would be her son, and her son would not have died...

Thinking of her son who had just died, Princess Consort Cheng stumbled and fell to the ground. Sitting on the ground, she cried so hard as if her heart was broken.