USWHC -Chapter 480 In Disarray (Part 10)

“Father Emperor, your daughter is truly terrified!” Princess Lanyi half-knelt on the ground, weeping like pear blossoms in the rain—so pitiful that anyone who saw her would feel sympathy.

But then the Empress suddenly let out a cold laugh. “You say you fell off a cliff yesterday?”

“Replying to Mother Empress, your daughter…” She choked again, her voice trembling with sobs. “It’s all my fault. I was too enamored with the scenery and didn’t realize the danger I was in. That’s how this incident happened!”

“Sigh, you’re still just a child, and unfamiliar with the place. How can this be your fault?” Consort Duan immediately sighed with sympathy.

After speaking, both women looked expectantly toward the Emperor. Yet he merely sat there with a dark expression, watching everything below coldly without the slightest reaction.

Seeing this, Princess Lanyi cried even more pitifully. “Father Emperor, you don’t know how miserable I was! Even now, my whole body is covered in injuries! When I fell from the cliff, I was so afraid I would never see you again! At that moment, there was only one person in my mind—you, Father Emperor. How I wished you would come and save me!”

As she spoke, tears streamed down her face. Truthfully, there was some sincerity in her words. When she had been trapped in an unfamiliar place, treated like a lunatic and pelted with filth, and when she encountered ruffians, the one she truly thought of was indeed her all-powerful Father Emperor—imagining him exterminating those people’s entire clans.

Unexpectedly, the Emperor only said indifferently, “Did anyone come to save you?”

Princess Lanyi’s sobbing paused noticeably. She glanced at Consort Duan ahead of her, and seeing the firm look on her face, she immediately replied, “N-No!”

“Is that so?” The Emperor drew out his words, a faint, almost imperceptible sneer at the corner of his lips.

The Empress sneered as well. “Is that so? You didn’t encounter a single person along the way?”

“It was my first time going out alone. I was extremely frightened—how would I dare look for anyone? Instead, I avoided people at every turn, afraid that if I were careless, I might run into someone with ill intentions,” Princess Lanyi said in a small voice.

Zhu Jie couldn’t help but laugh. “Little sister is far more clever than I am. Back then, I ran into bad people and had all my money stolen.”

Hearing this, Princess Lanyi only smiled awkwardly. “That’s because I heard Eighth Sister talk about how dangerous the outside world is, so I made a point to avoid people!”

“So that means I did a good deed?” Zhu Jie said with a smile.

At this moment, however, the Empress spoke to the Emperor with concern, “Jingqi fell off a cliff—she must be seriously injured. Should we summon the imperial physician to take a look?”

Before the Emperor could respond, Consort Duan quickly said, “There’s no need to trouble Your Majesty. We already summoned the imperial physician last night. They’re only superficial injuries, and medicine has already been applied.”

“Is that so? Then I’m relieved.” The Empress continued. She hesitated slightly before glancing at the Emperor again and saying softly, “Your Majesty, I’ve heard the northern outskirts are quite chaotic. Should we summon a few matrons to examine Jingqi as well?”

“Elder Sister, what do you mean by that? Do you not trust our Jingqi?” Consort Duan immediately snapped, displeased.

The Empress gave a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “You’re overthinking it, Sister. I’m only concerned for Jingqi’s well-being. After all, she is a princess—if something truly happened…”

“No! Nothing happened!” Consort Duan shot to her feet, her eyes wide as bronze bells, like a hen fiercely protecting her chicks.

But the Empress wasn’t intimidated. She chuckled lightly. “Don’t be anxious, Sister. Could it be that you know something you don’t wish to tell His Majesty and me?”

“What would I have to hide?” Consort Duan shouted loudly. “Our Jingqi is perfectly fine—there’s no need for certain people to pretend concern like a weasel paying New Year’s respects to a chicken—clearly harboring ill intent!”

“Sigh, Sister, that’s quite unpleasant to hear. I am Jingqi’s Mother Empress—naturally I must consider her well-being,” the Empress retorted without yielding.

Seeing the two about to clash again, the Emperor finally spoke. “Enough. Haven’t you made enough noise? What matrons? If Jingqi truly had any issue, would she not tell me?” As he spoke, his gaze shot toward Princess Lanyi like a blade.

That single look frightened Princess Lanyi terribly, yet she still stammered, “Father Emperor is right—your daughter is perfectly well!”

“In that case, you may all withdraw.” With that, the Emperor flicked his sleeve and left. He neither rebuked the Empress nor showed the slightest bit of sympathy toward Princess Lanyi—simply departing with a cold expression.

The Empress and Consort Duan both stood up at once. “Your Majesty!” But they didn’t even receive a backward glance. Both were left stunned.

Who exactly was the Emperor angry at? Why didn’t he make it clear?

The two women thought resentfully—then glared fiercely at each other.