Rebirth: Find a General as Your Backer

Upon hearing Eunuch Lu's report, the Emperor was immediately enraged. "How can such a disgraceful affair as a secret rendezvous occur in the palace! What kind of decorum is this!"

After speaking, the emperor was furious, and everyone present was shocked.

Prince Ulda of the Canglang Kingdom, seeing this, did not take it to heart. Instead, he laughed loudly: "In my Canglang land, this is commonplace. If two people are in love, they can stay together. Why should they be bound by so many restrictions?"

His words were unrestrained and bold, but to the people of Da Chu, they felt like thorns in their backs, causing everyone present to lose face.

The Great Chu has always prided itself on being a land of propriety. For unmarried men and women to secretly meet in a secluded room and be caught in the act, let alone to the point of embracing and being seen by others, is a serious breach of propriety and is certainly not tolerated by the world.

Prince Rui, Chu Mo, glanced coldly at the expressions of the onlookers, a cold smile appearing on his lips.

In his eyes, these people in the capital, who appeared to be respectful and refined, were actually extremely hypocritical and did all sorts of filthy and despicable things behind the scenes.

If it weren't for Su Lianxue, he would never have bothered to set foot in this place full of conspiracies and schemes. The people of Mofang City are simple-minded.

He knew perfectly well that since he and the princess arrived in the capital, rumors about them had been rampant.

He could tolerate others talking about him, but those who made wild guesses and whispered about the princess in private infuriated him.

He wanted to teach her a lesson, but Su Lianxue always dissuaded him with her coquettishness. This was because he doted on the princess, and as long as Su Lianxue was slightly angry and pleaded with him in a soft voice, he would have no more insistence and would have to give in.

He understood that the capital was not comparable to Mofang City, and that he needed to consider the overall situation when acting and not act recklessly.

As long as his queen is safe and sound, he can temporarily suppress his anger and let these people talk.

His queen had privately explained to him that there was no need to rush to explain away certain things. Once something new emerged that people in the capital could discuss, the gossip would gradually fade away.

Now that secret meetings could occur in the capital, he immediately understood that what his princess had said had come to pass.

In high spirits, he looked up at the third-ranked scholar, Shangguan Yu, raised his wine cup, and said loudly, "Shangguan Yu, I toast you." With that, he drank it all in one gulp.

Shangguan Yu was extremely troubled and filled with worry and anxiety.

However, despite his displeasure at receiving the invitation from Prince Rui, he dared not disobey in the slightest. He could only force a smile, respectfully raise his wine cup, and drink the wine to the last drop.

Now that Chu Mohan is the Prince Rui, holding a high position and great power, even if he harbors resentment towards him, he dares not show it in the slightest.

His only support now is Prince Yao. If Prince Yao were to suffer any mishap, he would be like a rootless duckweed, his future uncertain.

He cursed Su Lianyi in his heart. She was supposed to be a legitimate daughter, so how could she be so ignorant and foolish, acting rashly and doing more harm than good?

If she hadn't held a hold on him, he wouldn't have gotten involved with such a foolish person and fallen into this complicated entanglement.

The emperor felt utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally, and slowly closed his eyes. Knowing that the eldest prince of the Canglang Kingdom was present today made him feel utterly humiliated.

The Third Prince has always been his highly regarded son. He is outstanding in both literary and military arts and is the heir apparent whom he has carefully cultivated. How could he have made such a foolish mistake?

How can someone like that be worthy of being a council member? He's incredibly stupid. With his status, what kind of woman wouldn't he have? Now that his private morality is questionable, how can he possibly command respect in the future?

After a moment's hesitation, the emperor waved his hand, dismissing the crowd. He left only Chu Mohan and said in a deep voice, "Han'er, come with me to the Imperial Study." He then instructed his attendants, "Quickly summon Princess Rui and Minister Su to come for an audience."

Lu Gonggong's message not only brought the scandalous affair to the emperor's ears, but also conveyed Su Lianyi's words to the emperor.

Although the emperor was old and felt guilty towards Prince Rui, an emperor would never tolerate any act of deception.

His gaze was sharp and intense as he stared intently at Minister Su, his eyes filled with profound meaning.

At this moment, Princess Consort Su Lianxue stood before Minister Su, her face calm and silent.

Su Lianxue didn't have deep feelings for this father. After all, she couldn't understand why he hadn't spoken up for her when she was being married off.

At this moment, Minister Su's eyes were glistening with tears, and his heart was filled with mixed emotions. He finally knelt down and reported to the emperor: "Your Majesty, this woman is indeed my daughter, but I really do not know how she became the Princess Consort of Prince Rui. I know nothing about the reasons."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor gave a soft hum, "Oh..." His drawn-out tone was full of meaning. He then turned to Prince Rui, Chu Mohan, and said in a deep voice, "Han'er, you need to give me a detailed explanation of this matter."

After speaking, he ordered his servants to dismiss the crowd. He wanted to leave some room for his son, as it was not good to have outsiders present.

Chu Mohan knelt down alone as instructed, his face calm and without fear.

He recounted his acquaintance and relationship with Su Lianxue in a straightforward and detailed manner, speaking earnestly and clearly.

Finally, with a solemn expression, he swore a solemn oath: "Every word I have said is true. If there is even a single falsehood, I am willing to be punished by Heaven and die a terrible death."

His experience on the frontier instilled in him a forthright and straightforward personality. He disliked beating around the bush and believed that only by treating others with sincerity could he have a clear conscience.

Suddenly, the emperor felt a pang of guilt. How could he doubt his son? He didn't have the bad habits of people in the capital; his words were full of sincerity, leaving the emperor with no reason to suspect that his son was deceiving him.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere outside the Imperial Study was heavy and oppressive, completely different from that inside.

Shangguan Yu was puzzled and, having not been summoned for a long time, felt uneasy and restless. When he saw Su Lianxue step out of the inner room, he was utterly astonished, his eyes widening as he stared intently at the woman before him.

"..." He was filled with surprise and doubt. How could Su Lianxue be here?!

Having spent a long time in the palace and being well-versed in worldly affairs, Eunuch Lu quickly and gently reminded him, "Young Master, this is Princess Consort Rui. Hurry up and pay your respects."

Reminded by this, Shangguan Yu came to his senses, quickly straightened his clothes, bowed to Princess Rui, and said, "Your subject Shangguan Yu greets Your Highness Princess Rui, and wishes Your Highness good health."

Su Lianxue smiled coldly, looked directly at Shangguan Yu, and slowly said, "I heard that the third-ranked scholar once escorted Miss Su to a marriage alliance. Take a look at me, do I look similar to Miss Su, or are we the same person?"

Su Lianxue directly addressed the person before her. In truth, she had foreseen this and had carefully considered all the possible scenarios; she was simply acting according to plan.