Husband, Be A Gentleman

Chapter 80

Chapter Eighty

The emperor visited the empress and the crown prince's old chambers.

The emperor didn't love the empress but he never had to worry the empress would attempt to kill him. Out of his sons, he only loved his and the empress' son. Pei Lam would never stab a sword at his throat. But the empress and Pei Lam were no longer with him. Pei Zhang's betrayal was another stab to his heart.

The emperor didn't understand why whoever he wanted to be the crown prince would die. His tenth son and seventh son were gone... only his ninth son was left who he could give the throne to before he died.

The thought of Pei Jin made the emperor reminisced about his youth. When he was young he loved peace and quiet so he only allowed at most two palace maids to serve him.

The emperor remembered that night clearly. His young self was reading in the calligraphy room. Suddenly his body turned hot, he raised his head and saw a young palace maid was pouring tea. He stood and pushed her onto the table... after he woke up she was gone. He thought she was only a palace maid so he let that night go.

The emperor suspected he drank lust herbs and an imperial physician confirmed his suspicions.

Two months later a eunuch reported to the emperor a palace maid wanted to tell him something important... it was the palace from that night, she was pregnant. At that time he had a wife, many consorts and concubines. But only his seventh son survived. So he prepared a chamber for the palace maid during her pregnancy.

The emperor was ashamed of himself for impregnating a lowly palace maid. But he didn't hate the palace maid. She was gentle, knew her status and was caring toward other people. He thought if she gave him a son then he would consider marrying her and she would become one of his consorts. But later he found out she wasn't as gentle and kind as he thought, she had ulterior motives.

When the palace maid was four months pregnant she didn't want the emperor to spend time with his wives. She planned to feed him a weak poison so he would be bedridden while she was pregnant. Unfortunately for her, an imperial physician discovered her plan and she lost the emperor's trust.

The last five months of the palace maid's pregnancy, she behaved and didn't cause any trouble to show the emperor she was remorseful. It was a pity the emperor no longer trusted her. If she had hid her ulterior motives well then the emperor would have given her a carefree life.

The palace maid thought the emperor would forgive her after she gave birth to a prince. She didn't expect the emperor secretly killed her for deceiving him.

The emperor didn't remember what the palace maid looked like but he remembered she had gentle eyes like their son, Pei Jin. Everyone thought Pei Jin's mother died during childbirth, but he had ordered an assassin to kill Pei Jin's mother. He would never allow someone who deceived him to stay by his side. Although he killed Pei Jin's mother, he couldn't kill Pei Jin. Pei Jin's mother had no powerful family connections so at that time Pei Jin wasn't a threat to him.

The emperor thought he could love Pei Jin. But as Pei Jin grew older, Pei Jin only became an eyesore. Each time he looked at Pei Jin it reminded him of his mother's deceit and that not everything could be within his control.

The emperor felt mentally tired thinking about Pei Jin's mother and the eyesore Pei Jin. He sat down on the empress' old bed and rested for a while. His eyes noticed words were written on a corner of the bed... 'Pei Jin killed me and the crown prince.'

The emperor recognised the calligraphy belonged to the empress. If Pei Jin was the killer then he was deceived for many years!

The court officials and everyone at Pei Jin's manor awaited the emperor's edict for many days. During those days Pei Jin attended meetings in the imperial court in the mornings and afterward he would spend time with his family at home.