EMHTC -Chapter 5 Tsk! What a mouth that makes people love and hate it!

“Nine generations?”

The Prince Consort’s heart skipped a beat but quickly regained composure as he gripped the Princess’s chin.

“Who do you think you are? Do you think this is where you belong? You’re just the daughter of a concubine in the palace. This is a countryside estate on the outskirts of the capital. If you die here, as long as I say you accidentally fell off a cliff, no one will know. You weren’t born of the Empress, and His Majesty won’t spare a thought for you.”

“Cough, cough, cough—”

Princess Wanshou slapped at him, struggling desperately, but the heartless Prince Consort only tightened his grip, nearly snapping her jaw.

“Your Highness,” the Prince Consort said coldly, smiling, “You’ve taken Zhizhi’s place for so long. It’s time to return it to her.”

Bang!

The door was kicked open.

“Return it to whom?” A wine jug, filled with anger, flew in, striking the Prince Consort on the forehead.

“Ouch!”

The Prince Consort covered his head, the sharp impact of the porcelain causing a strong dizziness. The pain shot down his scalp like a knife slowly cutting into him. The ceramic shards scraped his face, and the sharp pain felt like countless needles piercing his skin.

The small bleeding cuts burned and itched. The Prince Consort, in pain, didn’t know whether to keep covering his head or his face.

The Princess collapsed on the floor, her arms hanging limply at her sides, her palms still sweaty. She looked up at the person walking toward them, breathing heavily, “Father…”

The Prince Consort looked up, recognizing the person who had entered—his father-in-law, Emperor Tiantong.

Behind him, to his shock, were the Prime Minister and the six ministers, all wearing expressions that were neither smiles nor sneers, merely watching him.

His legs… went weak instantly.

“Your—Your—Your Majesty—”

The Prince Consort stammered, his teeth chattering, unable to believe his eyes.

Why would the Emperor suddenly come to the outskirts of the capital? And coincidentally appear just as he was about to execute Princess Wanshou?

The key point was! Why did he bring a bunch of high-ranking officials with him? Who goes to visit their daughter and son-in-law with ministers in tow? Was he specifically here to catch him in the act?

Xu Yanmiao took in the sight of the Prince Consort.

【So this is the Prince Consort who dared to execute the Princess? Liu Yi, the second son of the Duke Song, Liu Shen, and a celebrated scholar of poetry, calligraphy, and painting— the greatest talent of the Great Xia Dynasty?】 【He looks like a decent enough person, but how could he do such things as injuring the Princess’s eye, intentionally taking on eight concubines after the Princess’s miscarriage, rolling in bed with them in front of the Princess, and forcing her to plead for an official position for his younger brother?】

Each of the Prince Consort’s crimes that Xu Yanmiao recalled made the old Emperor’s fury rise, his breath growing heavier, as if a raging beast was roaring in his chest.

Finally, it erupted into a thunderous command: “Guards! Drag this bastard out and behead him! Anyone in his household who knew of this and didn’t report it—executed as well. His older and younger brothers are to share in the punishment. As for his father, I’ll spare his life and send him to the frontier to serve in the military. Furthermore, his father’s title as Duke will be revoked, and his mother will be stripped of her rank, reduced to commoner status!”

The Emperor was clearly showing some favor to the Duke Song, or else the entire family would be annihilated.

But Liu Yi didn’t think so.

The so-called “greatest talent” of the dynasty took a deep breath, standing tall as if still as graceful as ever, unbowed, “Your Majesty, what crime have I committed by instructing my wife? Why such a heavy punishment?”

But the rapid beating of his heart, the sweat dripping from his forehead, and the stench of fear and panic emanating from his armpits and all over his body revealed the tension in his emotions.

The old Emperor fell silent for a moment, his voice strangely distorted: “Instructing your wife? You say you were ‘instructing’ your wife?”

Liu Yi looked at Princess Wanshou, his flawless face turning toward her, his lips curving slightly: “The Princess can testify.”

Everyone turned to look at the Princess.

She remained silent for a few moments, then spoke weakly, her jaw clenched with the effort: “Father…”

The words caused her jaw to bruise, and there was a pause before she continued, unexpectedly pleading: “Father, please revoke the order. Yi Lang… Yi Lang was just angry for a moment. He didn’t mean to hurt me.”

The old Emperor: “…”

The old Emperor: “Huh?”

Liu Yi smiled faintly, that was his confidence.

—He knew full well the Princess’s affection for him, and it sickened him.

Princess Wanshou knew she was being shameless, but… she really couldn’t bear to hurt Yi Lang…

So she timidly looked at the old Emperor, “Father! Please!”

“You wait, wait—” The old Emperor gripped his forehead tightly with his right hand, almost forcing the words out from his throat: “He’s bringing concubines into your room to have sex, and you’re still begging for mercy for him?!”

The word “sex” was far too crude, and the Prince Consort clenched his fists in embarrassment.

Princess Wanshou turned pale, her voice trembling, “Father… How did you know…?”

Could it be that the Jinyiwei had infiltrated her side without her noticing?

The old Emperor smiled mysteriously, as if everything was under control.

The Princess held a title, not an official position. The Prince Consort held an official post but not one with an official seal, a ceremonial title. They couldn’t hear Xu Yanmiao’s thoughts—only the Duke Song, Liu Yi’s father, could, though he hadn’t told his son about it.

Mostly because the Duke Song hadn’t known his son was having an affair with the Princess.

In any case, if they held an official seal, they could hear the active thoughts of a person.

【Could the Princess have been manipulated by him?】 【No wonder, she gets insulted with venomous words every so often. She must often be blamed by this scumbag Prince Consort for “taking another woman’s place” but is too embarrassed to confide in anyone. She has to suffer in silence in the back palace, convincing herself that she loves this scumbag so much, there’s no way she can live without him.】 【Stupid scumbag, always eyeing other women while eating at the table, irresponsible, using the Prince Consort’s salary and enjoying the royal status, yet not treating the Princess properly, belittling and suppressing her—he’s a true scum.】

【What a pity, the Princess probably really believes she’s in love and can’t leave this scumbag, but she hasn’t realized she’s being manipulated.】

【Beep—】

【Beep——】

【Beep——】

The old emperor gave a thoughtful glance at Xu Yanmiao.

【What… what is it?】

What does this mean?

He turned his cold gaze back to his daughter, who was still pleading for the Prince Consort’s pardon, and after a moment of thought, a sudden idea came to his mind.

“Wanshou.”

When the princess heard her father calling her, she looked up at him, tears still glistening in her eyes.

The emperor stood, looking down at her. His gaze was like a stone dropped into a calm lake, creating ripples that spread and expanded.

“I grant you the position of Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. Go to the Ministry to start your duties soon.”

“What?” The princess was stunned.

“What?” The Minister of Revenue was also stunned.

Prime Minister Dou tried to speak: “But…”

The emperor shot him a look, and Prime Minister Dou, though filled with words, dared not speak. He could only frown, staring at the princess, hoping she would be sensible and reject the offer herself.

The princess was initially confused about why her father had arranged this, but when she noticed the flicker of indignation on the Prince Consort’s face, she immediately understood.

In the Great Xia Empire, the position of Prince Consort was a title without any actual duties. No matter how talented one was, once you became a Prince Consort, you were forbidden from holding an official position or having interactions with court officials. Those who did so would be charged with forming factions and acting in their own interest.

Liu Yi had always resented this rule and had treated her poorly because of it. It was also the reason he stayed distant from the official court.

If not for her forcing him into the role of Prince Consort, he could have been a rising star in the court, climbing up the ranks from a new official to becoming one of her father’s trusted ministers.

It was all my fault…

I owe him…

And now, he’s angered my father, and my father is using this to mock him…

After a brief silence, the princess whispered, “I accept your decree.” She felt the Prince Consort’s angry and resentful gaze but did not dare turn back to look at him.

Prince Consort…

The princess softly thought in her heart: You hate me, don’t you? Only by making father happy can I get him to spare you.

The old emperor laughed heartily and patted her head. “Good child.”

The princess forced a smile.

The emperor patted her head again and spoke kindly, “As for men, I’ll help you find someone better…”

“No! Father! No, no!” The princess immediately interrupted the emperor, shaking her head in tears. “Father! Please! I beg you! Yi Lang is innocent! It was… it was I who forced him! I forced him to marry me! If it weren’t for me, he could have been with the one he loved. It was I who insisted…”

【Ah, so this is indeed manipulation.】

A voice suddenly interrupted.

The princess couldn’t hide the subtle change in her expression.

The voice was soft as silk, like a gentle breeze, easily cutting through the air. Each syllable was clear and pure, enchanting and unforgettable.

Such a beautiful voice, who could it be?

The princess was a fan of handsome men; otherwise, she wouldn’t have chosen the Prince Consort at first sight.

So, without thinking, she reflexively looked for the owner of the voice, her eyes locking on a group of handsome older men with a young man standing behind them.

Upon seeing him, despite her heart being with another, the princess paused for a moment, involuntarily turning her gaze away, too shy to look directly at his stunning features.

At that moment, nothing mattered—no thoughts of her beloved, no pleading for forgiveness. All she could think was: So… men can look so handsome? The Prince Consort seemed dull in comparison to him.

Then, the princess suddenly realized something.

This person… didn’t seem to be moving his lips when he spoke?

The princess looked more carefully. His lips, which were extremely beautiful, didn’t move at all under the sunlight, yet the youthful voice still reached her ears.

【Before marriage, he thought the princess was too domineering to refuse. After marriage, why wasn’t he afraid of her anymore? He bullied and mistreated her. Why didn’t he worry about this malicious woman finding the old emperor’s support?】

It’s… ventriloquism?

What is he saying?!

The princess’s eyes widened, about to retort in defense of the Prince Consort. But she was stopped by a slap on her shoulder from her father.

She turned her head to see the emperor pressing his voice down, speaking slowly but clearly, “Listen.”

Listen well to Xu Yanmiao’s mouth—so loved and hated!

The emperor was very pleased in his heart.

When Xu Yanmiao criticized him, he wanted nothing more than to drag him away and have him executed, but when Xu Yanmiao criticized others, it made him happy.

【Saying it was forced, trying to deceive those without social experience, really thinking he was forced, afraid of being harmed by royal power, but after marriage, he was doing whatever he wanted, marrying concubines? If he’s going to marry, he should wait until the old emperor dies, right?】

The emperor: “…”

The princess: “…”

The princess looked at the emperor seriously, trying to convey with her eyes: Father, is this what you want me to hear? Is this how you want to speak of your death?