Wearing a book, hooking him up

Kunning Palace.

"My sons and ministers see their mother and queen."

Jun Zechen walked forward slowly. He was as tall and straight as a proudly erect pine tree, and his every move showed his royal demeanor.

The queen sat upright on the phoenix chair, calmly stretched out her hand, and elegantly picked up the teacup.

She blew gently on the hot air on the surface of the cup. The rising vapor swirled in front of her. Then, she tilted her head slightly and slowly put the tea into her mouth, savoring it carefully.

Her expression was calm and composed, and her eyes revealed a composure and wisdom that came from years of experience.

"How come the prince has time to come to my Kunning Palace today?"

The queen's voice was calm and majestic, like a spring flowing through the mountains, clear yet carrying an irresistible power.

Jun Zechen frowned slightly, revealing a hint of worry and anxiety.

When he came out of Xiyan Palace this morning, he was shocked to hear Anshun telling his mother about the punishment she had given Ling Yue.

"Mother, I personally requested my father to issue an imperial decree to confer the title of Crown Princess. If you took away her Golden Book of Crown Princess, wouldn't that mean you have rejected her status?"

"Prince!"

The Queen's voice became stern and her expression suddenly became serious.

"The Crown Princess has not been pregnant for two years, but because you like it, I did not make it difficult for the Crown Princess."

The Queen's voice was crisp and powerful, and every word was like a heavy hammer hitting Jun Zechen's heart.

"Not only can she not bear you an heir, but now she almost caused your second child to miscarry. Imperial Doctor Li said that it will be difficult for Tang Fengyi to keep this baby alive. It will depend on luck if she can keep it alive for six or seven months."

If Tang Fengyi's pregnancy could last until July, for the empress, it would mean sacrificing the mother to save the child, as the royal heir was the most important thing.

"Mother, I know the Crown Princess. She would never hurt my child."

Jun Zechen's voice was firm and powerful. He raised his head slightly and looked directly into the queen's eyes.

He understood Ling Yue's character. She might be careless, or she might mean well but end up doing something bad.

But the heart is always good.

The queen's gaze lingered on the prince, her eyes were filled with disappointment and helplessness, like a pool of deep water, containing endless thoughts.

During the decades of ups and downs in the harem, she had seen too many women who were good at disguise. She was no stranger to those faces who appeared gentle and kind on the surface but were cruel and ruthless behind the scenes.

But now, she didn't expect that her own son was exactly like his father and was so easily bewitched by a woman.

She raised her head slightly, with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"As the crown prince, do you think you can convince me with just one word of belief?"

"I have a clear sense of rewards and punishments, and I have solid evidence to punish the Crown Princess. She took medicine from the Imperial Hospital and secretly gave the abortion-preserving herbs to Tang Fengyi, and she even brazenly said in front of me that she had no knowledge of the matter."

The Queen's speech speed gradually increased, and each word seemed to be squeezed out from between her teeth, but the sternness in her expression did not diminish in the slightest.

Her fingers were tightly gripping the armrests, and her joints were slightly white from the force, revealing her inner anger and dissatisfaction with the Crown Princess.

"Even if she didn't do it on purpose, she not only committed the crime of concealing the truth, but also the fault of negligence. As the Crown Princess, she has such a lack of moral character and no management ability. What's wrong with me accepting her golden book?"

The queen's voice became increasingly severe, like bursts of thunder exploding in Jun Zechen's ears.

Jun Zechen looked solemn.

He knew that Ling Yue was indeed lacking in managing household affairs.

After all, she had never received orthodox education from a noble family, nor had she learned how to manage the affairs of the harem.

Now that many women have entered the Eastern Palace, she needs time to learn and adapt, rather than being deprived of her rights directly.

Jun Zechen took a deep breath, he slowly raised his head, looked directly into the queen's eyes, with a hint of pleading in his voice.

"Mother, the Crown Princess did not do well enough, but when I married her, I knew very well that the Crown Princess was not good at managing the affairs of the backyard."

His speech was slow and firm, and every word was filled with his protection for Ling Yue.

"Now, the Queen Mother should teach her patiently instead of being so determined to deprive her of her rights as Crown Princess."

The queen spoke slowly, each word carrying a heavy tone.

"The Crown Prince is willing to give the Crown Princess the opportunity to learn and grow, but the price is that I don't know whether your second child can be born safely."

"Does the Crown Prince really not mind such a price? Could it be that the Crown Prince will only be satisfied if the child in Concubine Su's belly becomes a sacrifice for the Crown Princess's growth?"

The queen's voice became increasingly harsh, and every word was like a sharp knife, piercing Jun Zechen's heart.

People are like this. Unless they encounter something that really hurts their heart, they always think positively.

But if it really happens, you will regret it.

At this time, the prince was blinded by the tenderness of the princess and could not see the reality before him.

As an outsider, the Queen naturally had a clear mind and she would never let her grandson get into any mishap.

When Jun Zechen heard the queen's words, his heart trembled violently.

I wanted to say something, but the words were stuck in my throat and I couldn't utter a single word.

The Queen Mother's reasons were so convincing that he could not refute them.

Yaoyao is due to give birth in two months, and no accidents can happen.

When Ling Yue was in possession of the Golden Book, she had great power as the Crown Princess. Not only could she deploy people in the Eastern Palace, she could even interfere in some matters of the Imperial Household Department.

But she is simple-minded and careless, and can be easily exploited by people with ulterior motives.

Thinking of this, Jun Zechen pursed his lips even more and stopped talking.

"After I dealt with the Crown Princess's matter last night, I sent someone to investigate the matter of the concubine's dress being stained with motherwort."

The queen spoke slowly, her voice carrying a hint of fatigue and solemnity.

"I discovered that the maid Ru'er not only had the Crown Princess's golden hairpin, but also An Liangdi's handkerchief."

"There are many suspicious points in what happened last night. I have to guess that the target last night was not just Tang Fengyi. The biggest target might be your concubine."

The Queen's tone became more serious, her face full of worry.

"Imperial Doctor Li was called to the Hall of Supreme Harmony because of Tang Fengyi. If Concubine Su's fetus had not been well taken care of during pregnancy, she might have met with an accident last night..."

Having said this, the queen paused and did not continue speaking, but her eyes said it all.

Jun Zechen remained silent, with no expression on his face.

He couldn't refute every word his mother said.

He knew very well in his heart that Ling Yue was indeed not suitable to be the Crown Princess.

But it was he who married her in the first place, and now his mother's severe punishment of Ling Yue made him feel even more guilty towards Ling Yue.

Perhaps what my mother said was right.

Liking someone doesn't necessarily mean they are suitable. Maybe he really is harming her by marrying her.

There was a trace of pain on Jun Zechen's face. He lowered his head slightly, clenched his fists, and blamed himself in his heart.

He sighed in his heart, with a hint of helplessness on his face.

Since it was his fault, Ling Yue shouldn't be solely responsible for it.

"Mother, I will send someone to teach the Crown Princess carefully. Please keep the Golden Book for me. When the Crown Princess has grown up, please give it to her again."

Jun Zechen said slowly, "As for the matter of the concubine's palace dress being stained with motherwort yesterday, I will send someone to investigate it carefully and will not let go of any clues."

There was a sharp gleam in Jun Zechen's eyes.

"Crown Prince, you are my son. I don't like the Crown Princess. First, she cannot give birth to an heir for you. Second, she will make you feel exhausted both physically and mentally."

The Queen's voice was filled with dissatisfaction with the Crown Princess and heartache for her son.

Jun Zechen frowned slightly, with a puzzled look on his face.

What does this mean, mother?

The queen sighed softly.

"Now that your father is seriously ill, you need to make all the decisions and review all the memorials. You spend more than six hours out of twelve hours a day dealing with state affairs. Do you still have to worry about these trivial matters between women when you return to the East Palace?"

"Your eyes should be on the 108 cities of your kingdom, on the people of the world, and on the government affairs of the previous dynasty."

"I have never made your father feel embarrassed or worried about the affairs of the harem. As the queen, I believe that I have been magnanimous, decisive, and virtuous." The queen's eyes were full of determination.

"But what about your princess?"

The Queen shook her head and stopped discussing the Crown Princess with the Crown Prince. She turned to talk about Su Jingyao.

"I will investigate the matter of the concubine thoroughly. The Crown Prince does not need to interfere. Your Crown Princess is so useless. As your mother, I will naturally help you manage the backyard."

The Queen's tone was firm and left no room for doubt.

Jun Zechen knew that his mother was always strong and her decisions were difficult to change.

What's more, everything his mother said was for his own good. How could he refuse?

However, he will continue to let Anshun investigate Yaoyao's matter.

"Mother, I will also investigate the matter of the concubine. No matter who hurt her or my prince, I will not let them go."

Jun Zechen's voice was firm and powerful, and his eyes were full of determination.

The queen shook her head helplessly. She really didn't want her son to spend too much energy fighting in the backyard.

But she also knew that the prince, like his father when he was young, always had too many unrealistic expectations for love.

She never doubted her son's outstanding ability in government affairs, but he still had a one-sided view of women's disguises and methods.

All he knew was that the women in his father's harem were as vicious as snakes and scorpions.

Never mind. Perhaps when he ascends the throne and becomes emperor in the future and has experienced more, he will truly understand that a woman’s heart is not black and white, but complex and changeable.

"If the prince is willing to investigate, then go ahead. I will not let the person behind the scenes go." There was a hint of fatigue and determination in the queen's voice.

"Yes, I will retire."

Jun Zechen bowed slightly, saluted, then slowly turned and left, his back revealing a hint of fatigue and helplessness.

After he left Kunning Palace, he felt extremely depressed, as if a huge rock was weighing heavily on his heart.

There was also sorrow between his brows, hanging over him like a thick cloud.

He didn't know how to comfort Ling Yue.

When he thought of Ling Yue's sad and grief-stricken expression, he didn't know what to do.

He also had to find out the truth about Yaoyao's palace dress, and there were piles of memorials piled up in the imperial study, waiting for him to deal with.

In order to deal with these tedious matters, he even had to move the time of meeting with court officials from the afternoon to the evening.

Although he had many worries in his heart, Jun Zechen had become accustomed to keeping a straight face in front of others during the years he had been the crown prince.

Don't let anyone see his vulnerability.

In the eyes of others, he is always the majestic crown prince, a superior and inviolable existence.

Jun Zechen walked slowly towards the direction of Qiluan Palace.

At this moment, Ling Yue looked exhausted. He sat powerlessly on the couch, his eyes dull and lifeless, like a pool of stagnant water, without a trace of life.

The once bright eyes have now turned dim, filled with loss and helplessness.

She had never imagined that her mother would be so decisive in taking away her golden book. This move was like a bolt from the blue to her.