Lose My Heart to the Lovely Kitten Princess - Chapter 97

Chapter 97 Dust settles

“I singlehandedly set up the altar and manipulated it. Her Grace simply thought I was praying for Prince Xuan. She only realized I was lying when she caught me performing dark magic today.”

For time immemorial, an emperor’s wrath knew no bounds.

It was forbidden for dark magic to be performed in the palace to begin with, so it was even more unpardonable to use it to hurt a prince.

Imperial consort Zhao sadly smiled as she raised her head to look at Chu Hongzhen and choked, “I’m sure it was just a moment’s folly on Wet Nurse Zhao’s part. I was trying to convince her to stop when Your Highness came in. Your Highness, please…”

She held her forehead mid-sentence and looked at the emperor pitifully as though she was innocent.

Imperial consort Zhao looked absolutely miserable and frail with her eyes red.

Imperial consort Su couldn’t help feeling disgusted when she saw how pretentious imperial consort Zhao was.

Was this woman trying to turn the tables by acting pitiful to the emperor?

Don’t even think about it!

Imperial consort Su wiped the tears from her face and hurriedly knelt to implore Chu Hongzhen anxiously, “Your Highness, there are still many suspicious areas surrounding the matter, so please order for a thorough investigation.”

Chu Hongzhen said nothing after a long time, so no one dared to make a peep out of fear that they would enrage him.

Chu Hongzhen knew there must be more behind the case, and there was no way a wet nurse would dare to perform dark magic on her own.

Chu Hongyi was his son, so he wanted to investigate thoroughly too.

However, he was an emperor as well.

Imperial consort Zhao hailed from a powerful family, so he needed her family’s loyalty since Wu kept terrorizing their borders.

Also, Chu Hongzhen was unconvinced that imperial consort Zhao was the mastermind.

His consort was the jealous type and might have made mistakes, but she wouldn’t have the guts to do something as bold as this.

Since Chu Hongzhen had already made up his mind, he couldn’t help looking at imperial consort Su somewhat angrily.

Imperial consort Su always understood the big picture. How could she behave so recklessly this time?

The emperor cleared his throat and looked at imperial consort Su. “Imperial Consort Zhao caused this to happen because she ill-treated a servant, but it was no excuse for Wet Nurse Zhao to hurt a prince, so she has to pay with her life. Since your wet nurse was behind it and she has admitted to her crimes, I won’t punish you this time around.”

Chu Hongzhen changed the subject. “Although it has nothing to do with you, you were sloppy with disciplining your subordinates, so you are forbidden from leaving your quarters for two months. You can spend the time reflecting on your errors and control the servants well from now on. Do you accept your punishment?”

“I wholly accept my punishment.”

The moment Chu Hongzhen finished his sentence, imperial consort Zhao lost all strength and gasped as she sat on the ground.

Fortunately, the emperor bought it, so Wet Nurse Zhao’s efforts weren’t in vain.

Imperial consort Su was somewhat resentful of the outcome and wanted to say more. However, she caught sight of Chu Hongzhen looking at her annoyingly.

Was the emperor warning her to lay off?

Since imperial consort Su was an observant woman, she knew that she had put the emperor in a spot by coming to Shufang Palace so openly with so many eyes watching.

If she insisted on pinning the crime of hurting a prince on imperial consort Zhao today, it would be a major embarrassment for the royal family.

Also, the emperor always doted on Chu Hongyi and imperial consort Su.

If she disregarded the big picture, the emperor was bound to think that she was an overbearing and vindictive woman and leave a bad impression on him.

Love was not an emperor’s strong suit.

Imperial consort Su quickly weighed the pros and cons before she decided.

It was a bad deal to lose the emperor’s favor for the sake of one woman!

Now that imperial consort Zhao had suffered a huge defeat, it was better for her to cut her some slack for now. Considering her status, if she acted pitiful to the emperor, he was bound to overcompensate by giving Chu Hongyi more things.

Now was not the time to keep harping on the subject, so imperial consort Su suppressed her urge to speak and went behind Chu Hongzhen.

Since the evidence was irrefutable, Wet Nurse Zhao got what she wanted and took the fall for imperial consort Zhao.

Chu Hongzhen gave the orders for her to be dragged away and executed.

Imperial consort Zhao was already too numb to feel anything as she knelt and begged imperial consort Su to forgive her, “I know you are a kind soul. Please forgive me this once for being lax with my servants. I will discipline them with a firm hand from now on so that nothing of the sort happens again.”

“I hope you can give me the chance to say goodbye to Wet Nurse Zhao on account of how long she has served me,” said imperial consort Zhao before she kowtowed loudly nonstop.

Imperial consort Su acted softheartedly as she hurriedly helped imperial consort Zhao up. “You’re too kind. It was all your nurse’s fault. Your Majesty, do you think you could…” She turned to look at Chu Hongzhen as she pretended to feel bad about this.

Chu Hongzhen looked at imperial consort Su indulgently. “As you wish.”

Imperial consort Zhao knew that the emperor was trying to help imperial consort Su feel better, so she smiled forcibly and pretended to kneel to imperial consort Su.

Since imperial consort Su wanted to look good, there was no reason for her to refuse imperial consort Zhao. Just as imperial consort Zhao’s knees were about to touch the ground, she stopped her and said sensibly. “What are you doing? I know you must be very close to Wet Nurse Zhao after all these years, so you should go see her off. How could I stop you from doing it?”

Chu Hongzhen saw how magnanimous imperial consort Su was. Imperial consort Su was clearly upset that someone tried to cast black magic on her son, but she pretended to be strong. He couldn’t help feeling touched by her gestures, so his displeasure towards her dissipated, and he wanted to comfort her later in privacy.

After the entourage finally left, only imperial consort Zhao, the wet nurse, and the guards waiting to perform the execution remained in Shufang Palace.

Imperial consort Zhao held Wet Nurse Zhao’s hand as she spoke vindictively, “Wet Nurse Zhao, go in peace. I will seek revenge for you.”

Wet Nurse Zhao was dragged off roughly before long. Her agonizing screams could be heard in the stifled atmosphere, “Little Miss, I’m sorry! Take good care of yourself after I am gone!”

Thunder rumbled and it instantly poured.

Imperial consort Zhao sat by the window defeatedly and looked like she aged several years instantly.

“Imperial Consort Su, well done! Do you think you can finish me off just like that? It won’t be as easy as you think!” Imperial consort Zhao’s face looked sinister as she laughed eerily. “I will fight you to the death! Just you wait! HAHAHA…”

“Imperial consort Zhao was let off too easily. How could His Majesty simply confine such a cruel woman to her quarters for two months?”

Cheng Xiaoxiao and Chu Hongyi hid and watched everything play out. She pursed her lips disappointedly as she helped imperial consort Zhao’s little demons reincarnate.

Since the little demons were all children barely three years old, they had strange or childish demands.

Most of them wanted things like candied haw and toys. Chu Hongyi helped Cheng Xiaoxiao to fulfill their dreams one by one.

Doudou told Cheng Xiaoxiao that he wanted to see how his mother was doing after she was reincarnated when his turn came.

An image appeared on the jade pendant, and Cheng Xiaoxiao showed it to him. It was an image of a young scholar studying hard at his desk. He looked well-dressed and handsome.

Doudou smiled happily. Although a century had passed, and she must have reincarnated several times by now, he was pleased to see that her current life was a good one.

Even though Doudou wanted to hug and whine to his mother very badly, nothing lasted forever.

Now that his wish was fulfilled, he couldn’t linger on earth anymore. Before he left, he made his classic monkey face at Cheng Xiaoxiao.

Even though Cheng Xiaoxiao scolded him for scaring him, tears were welling in her eyes.

Since now was not the time for Chu Hongyi to show his face and he had to return to Jinxiu Palace to see Chu Hongzhen, he couldn’t walk Cheng Xiaoxiao out of the palace.

Cheng Xiaoxiao had come with a ghost and a boy but ended up going back alone, so she couldn’t help feeling sad.

Fortunately, things had gone rather successfully, so Cheng Xiaoxiao’s efforts didn’t go entirely to waste.

After imperial consort Zhao’s altar was destroyed, Chu Hongyi immediately recovered miraculously.

Imperial consort Su helped to undress Chu Hongzhen after he chose to sleep with her that night.

She was unbuttoning Chu Hongzhen’s robes with her hands when she suddenly froze.

Chu Hongzhen waited for a long time, but she didn’t continue, so he asked perplexedly, “Why did you stop?”

Imperial consort Su slowly raised her head with her dark hair scattered behind her back and her eyes red as she choked and knelt before Chu Hongzhen. “Sorry, Your Majesty. I suddenly recalled how sick Hongyi looked when he visited me today and couldn’t help feeling heartbroken. Sorry for ruining the mood.”

Chu Hongzhen couldn’t help feeling sad as well. Hongyi was always a bright, obedient, and adorable child.

Ever since someone tried to harm him using dark magic, he had barely visited him.

He hurriedly helped imperial consort Su up to sit her down by the bedside and stroked her long smooth hair lovingly. “I know that Hongyi suffered a lot. I promise to make up for it.”

Imperial consort Su leaned into Chu Hongzhen’s arms submissively. She concealed the complicated emotions in her eyes before she continued looking sad. “That’s not what I meant…”

“What do you suggest?” Chu Hongzhen seemed very intrigued by imperial consort Su’s hair. He embraced her loosely as he smoothed the hair hanging by her neck before he played with it.

“Your Majesty, I’m talking about something serious here.” Imperial consort Su looked absolutely mesmerizing as she pushed Chu Hongzhen shyly.

The sight of her made Chu Hongzhen wanted to do her now.

“Your Majesty, I’m just worried someone might hurt Hongyi again. I know you are busy, so you can’t keep your eyes on the harem all the time. Her Majesty likes it quiet and doesn’t interfere unless she has to. If you weren’t around, it would have been too late for Hongyi… If something happens to him again and we get there too late… I’m so worried about him.”

“I understand.”

Fear rose in Chu Hongyi’s heart just thinking about it.

He stopped teasing imperial consort Su and contemplated solemnly for a moment.

“In that case, why don’t you help the Empress run the harem from now on? I’m sure nothing of the sort will happen to Hongyi again with you keeping watch over him.”

Imperial consort Su was delighted and wanted to bow, but Chu Hongzhen pressed her into his embrace. “Are you happy now?”

“Your Majesty,” said imperial consort Su mincingly before she stopped talking altogether.

Things quickly got steamy in the room, and the sound of gasping was audible.