Rebirth: The flatterer prince I raised couldn't be so clingy

Three incense sticks were burning quietly on the altar in the Chonghe Hall.

Several Taoists stood in front of the altar, pinching their fingers and chanting incantations in a low voice.

We have just finished worshipping the Three Pure Ones and are just waiting for Emperor Yu to arrive so that we can start the ritual.

However, Cao Shuyi and Xianzhi on the side looked very strange.

Although Empress Zou did not show it, she leaned slightly and kept glancing at Feng Zhanye.

"Are you telling the truth?"

Cao Shuyi tightly grasped Xian Zhi's wrist and looked sharply at the maid behind Feng Zhanye.

"I saw it clearly, it is definitely Chen Qi's woman." Xian Zhi lowered his voice and frowned.

"Didn't you send someone to warn her to behave herself a few days ago? Why is she with Prince Duan?"

"I did send someone to the dyeing workshop where she worked, and she didn't reveal anything unusual, except that her two children were not seen."

Xian Zhi whispered in her ear, stole a glance at Concubine De who was kneeling in the hall, and lowered his voice even more.

"I have also asked someone to check. I thought it would only take a few days. Who could have expected that Concubine De would perform a ritual at this time? She clearly told the Empress that there was no way."

Cao Shuyi crossed her arms, stared coldly at Feng Zhanye's back, and sneered.

"Heh... You are still young and naive. Prince Duan doesn't think he can do anything with just one witness, right?"

Xian Zhi frowned and said, "But that woman has indeed seen me."

"So what?"

Cao Shuyi looked back at Xian Zhi and said, "The fire in the cold palace burned all of Concubine Hui's belongings. Even if someone points the finger at her, there is no evidence. What are you afraid of?"

The hatred in Cao Shuyi's eyes grew stronger. Seeing her like this, Xian Zhi calmed down and nodded.

"Shuyi is right."

"If you want to blame someone, blame Concubine Hui. If she hadn't killed my child first, I wouldn't have..."

Before Cao Shuyi could finish her words, she was interrupted by Empress Zou's cough.

"Cao Shuyi, if you are not feeling well, you may as well go to the side hall to rest for a while."

Empress Zou turned around and smiled kindly, and called her aunt who was following her: "Wuheng, go and send Shuyi to the side hall and take good care of her."

Xian Zhi understood what Queen Zou meant, his eyes lit up and he hurriedly thanked her, "Thank you, Queen."

However, just as she helped Cao Shuyi stand up and glanced at Wuheng, a voice came from not far away.

"Where is Cao Shuyi going? Someone just came to inform us that His Majesty will be here soon."

It was unknown when Concubine De opened her eyes. She was looking at Cao Shuyi with a smile on her face. Her voice was like a loud bell, suddenly and fiercely hitting Cao Shuyi's heart.

After she asked this question, everyone in the hall turned their attention to Cao Shuyi, and you could hear a pin drop in the hall.

Cao Shuyi's body suddenly froze. Being stared at by so many pairs of eyes at the same time, cold sweat broke out on her back unconsciously.

"Shuyi is not feeling well and needs to go to the side hall to rest for a while."

It was Wuheng who spoke the first sentence on behalf of Cao Shuyi.

Cao Shuyi finally calmed down, forced a smile, and looked at Concubine De: "The smell of incense in this palace is giving me a headache. Can't I go out for some fresh air?"

Upon hearing this, Concubine De smiled slightly and said, "What are you talking about, Shuyi? Since you are not feeling well, you should go to the side hall to rest earlier. His Majesty will be here soon. If he sees Shuyi like this, I'm afraid he will be worried."

Cao Shuyi was now in a dilemma as to whether to leave or not. She stood there being stared at by so many inquiring eyes, feeling frightened.

Concubine De has been targeting her since the last time she paid her respects. It seems today that she must have known something.

"It's okay. Cao Shuyi has not been in good health since she lost the Seventh Prince. Everyone knows it. Besides, with Wuheng accompanying her, His Majesty won't ask too many questions."

Empress Zou curled the corners of her lips at Concubine De and gave her a decent smile.

All the concubines present knew that the Seventh Prince was killed by Concubine Hui, the protagonist of today's ritual.

Now that Empress Zou brought it up on purpose, everyone understood it.

Cao Shuyi was willing to show up at the funeral for the murderer of her child. This was probably the biggest compromise she could make for the sake of Empress Zou's favor.

The physical discomfort is probably just an excuse.

Defei didn't say anything more. She just smiled quietly and watched Wuheng take Cao Shuyi away from Chonghe Palace.

Not long after Cao Shuyi left, an announcement came from outside the palace that Emperor Yu had arrived.

Everyone stood up and saluted. Emperor Yu just glanced at Feng Zhanye indifferently, and then said nothing as if he didn't exist.

"Well, everyone is free of charge."

He passed everyone and sat on the upper seat, waved his hand at Concubine De, indicating that she could start.

During the entire ritual, Feng Zhanye only moved when the Taoist priest from Yunsheng Temple asked him to burn incense. At other times, he just knelt there with his eyes lowered, not saying a word.

At this time, inside the side hall, Xian Zhi had already told Wu Heng everything he had discovered.

Wu Heng was not surprised after hearing this. She just glanced at her calmly and then said to Cao Shuyi, "So, Prince Duan came here today with some preparations."

Cao Shuyi nodded in agreement: "He wants to overturn the verdict on Concubine Hui's death just by the fact that the witness recognized Xian Zhi."

"But Shuyi, have you ever thought that things might not be as simple as you think?"

"what?"

When Cao Shuyi heard Wuheng say this, some confusion appeared in her eyes.

Seeing her expression, Wu Heng smiled, spoke slowly and pointedly, and continued:

"How did Concubine De persuade His Majesty to search the cold palace? In the past, even the Empress did not dare to mention Prince Duan in front of His Majesty. How come His Majesty suddenly changed his mind and allowed him to enter the palace after searching the cold palace?"

"you mean......"

Cao Shuyi seemed to understand something. Her fingers trembled a little. She tightly grasped the pear and boxwood handrail beside her and looked at Wuheng's unfathomable expression.

"The Virtuous Consort and the Prince of Duan are together. We don't know what cards they are holding and how they are going to reveal them. If we don't use some tricks, I'm afraid they will report us first."

Cao Shuyi was frightened when she heard this. Her eyes widened and she sat stiffly in the chair for a long time without any reaction.

Wu Heng was not surprised to see her like this, so she just bowed and prepared to leave.

"Shuyi, you should think about it carefully. The Queen is also distressed that you lost the Seventh Prince because of Concubine Hui. I ask this servant to tell you this."

For a moment, Cao Shuyi no longer cared about her image. She stood up, took two quick steps, and grabbed Wuheng's sleeve.

"Is there anything your Majesty can do to help me?"

Wu Heng turned around, helped Cao Shuyi up, smiled and shook her head, saying, "Shuyi is confused. It's easy to deal with two unarmed teenagers and women by just sending two guards from your mother's family. Why do you need to start a war?"

Cao Shuyi reacted belatedly, but was a little timid: "But to do it during a royal ceremony, and the one who died was a prince, it's too..."

"Shuyi, just put your heart in your stomach! Didn't you see how ugly His Majesty's face was when he mentioned Prince Duan? How could he care about his life or death? If it weren't for the royal family's reputation, he would have wished that he would die quickly to avoid bringing disgrace to the royal family. You are helping His Majesty solve his problems!"

After Wu Heng's advice, Cao Shuyi did not hesitate and just nodded, thinking that what she said made sense.

"It's just that we have to act quickly. They will probably act soon after the ritual ends. We have to get everything over with before that."

"Okay, I'll get someone to do it right away!"

As she spoke, Cao Shuyi called a eunuch who was waiting outside the door into the side hall, and Wu Heng also used the excuse to retreat from the side hall.

She was just about to go back to the main hall when Xian Zhi, who was chasing after her, stopped her.

"Aunt Wuheng, wait a minute!"

Wu Heng turned around and saw Xian Zhi running towards her hurriedly. The two did not speak, and Wu Heng just signaled with her eyes. Then the two secretly hid in an empty corner nearby.

"Auntie asked Cao Shuyi to do this, is it really feasible? Hasn't His Majesty changed his attitude towards Prince Duan now?"