The Poisonous Consort, the Regent's Beloved

Su Fuying suppressed the corners of her mouth that were turned up, blinked, and a large tear slid down her cheek as she looked at Su Chengde pitifully.

"What? Father, how could you do this to me?" Her voice trembled, as if she had suffered a great injustice.

Su Chengde flicked his sleeves and said, "Hmph, you've caused so much trouble, you don't deserve to be my daughter. You're not even in my Su family genealogy now, which saves me some trouble. From today onwards, you don't need to go back to the Minister's Mansion."

"Your Excellency, she should be banished from the capital."

"Yes, she's a menace if she stays in the capital."

"Expel him from the capital!"

Many voices of discontent could still be heard from the crowd.

Liu Hui, hiding behind, wore a smug smile and kept tugging at Su Chengde's clothes.

Su Chengde knew exactly what she was thinking, but he could only shake his head helplessly. He understood that Liu Hui wanted him to make trouble for Su Fuying, but Su Fuying was now a princess personally appointed by the Emperor, and she had received a reward the day before. The Emperor had not given any orders, so how could he dare to touch her so easily?

Thinking of this, Su Chengde's gaze involuntarily fell on Su Fuying's aggrieved face. Looking at her pitiful appearance, Su Chengde couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness, but it quickly disappeared.

"Back then, that master said that Su Fuying was simply incompatible with our Minister's Mansion, and that all we had to do was expel her from the mansion," Su Chengde said slowly, his tone so calm that it was hard to fathom.

However, he secretly rejoiced, thankful that the master had only instructed them to expel Su Fuying from the household, rather than resorting to more extreme measures. Now that Su Fuying had been granted the title of Princess, the consequences of doing anything truly wrong to her back then would have been unimaginable.

However, considering his own status and situation, Su Chengde dared not go too far. So, he continued hypocritically, "After all, we are father and daughter. If it weren't for the circumstances, how could I bear to remove my own daughter's name from the family genealogy?"

Upon hearing these words, the surrounding people praised Su Chengde, commending him as an upright, honest, and selfless official, as well as a loving father. Hearing these praises, Su Chengde secretly felt pleased, thinking that he had not only dispelled people's suspicions but also won their admiration.

Just then, Su Fuying seized this rare opportunity and immediately said, "Father, please don't abandon your daughter!"

"Okay, sister, oh, you're not my sister anymore."

Su Wan'er had a smug look on her face, her mouth practically stretched to the sky.

Seeing Su Wan'er so happy, Su Fuying didn't even bother to glance at her. "Well, from now on, Wan'er, you can only call me Princess. Remember not to call me that again."

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Su Wan'er's head, stopping her from laughing.

Yes, even though she was no longer the eldest daughter of the Su family, she was still a princess, and her status was still higher than hers. Thinking of this, Su Wan'er couldn't help but feel a surge of hatred.

Seeing this, Su Chengde quickly tried to smooth things over, saying, "Everyone, please disperse." He felt a bit weak and just wanted to get rid of everyone as soon as possible so he could go back and get some rest.

"The Minister is right. As long as your Minister's Mansion separates from Princess Yongle, all these disasters can be averted."

Just then, a soothing voice came from the crowd. Su Fuying couldn't help but think to herself, "There are shills too?" She looked in the direction of the voice and saw a man of about twenty years old standing in the crowd.

The man was dressed in a simple light blue monk's robe. He had a handsome face, exquisite features, and a cool and aloof expression, like a flower on a high mountain, making people dare not easily defile him.

Su Chengde frowned as he looked at the monk who had suddenly appeared. The matter had already been settled, and he did not want any further changes.

"It's Master Chenji!"

Someone recognized the monk and excitedly shouted it out.

Immediately afterwards, voices of doubt followed, "How is that possible? Master Chenji has never gone down the mountain."

"It really is true. I was fortunate enough to meet Master Chenji once at Zhenru Temple. Yes, that's him."

Everyone was astonished and began to discuss among themselves: "It seems to be true. It is said that Master Chenji has not been ordained. Although this person is wearing monastic robes, he has no ordination marks. Could he really be Master Chenji?"

Su Fuying looked blank; she wasn't familiar with any of these things. She hadn't learned about places like Chenji or Zhenru Temple.

Having been in officialdom for a long time, Su Chengde carefully examined the man before him and confirmed that he was indeed Chen Ji. His attitude became respectful, and he said, "Master Chen Ji."

"Is Master Chenji's statement true? A master previously made the same assertion, saying that Su Fuying is a son of great misfortune." Upon seeing this, Liu Hui hurriedly stepped forward to ask.

Chen Ji glanced at Liu Hui briefly, seemingly understanding something, then looked up and met Su Fuying's gaze.

The monk's expression was calm, as if he were one with the silent world around him. He clasped his hands together and bowed to Su Fuying from afar.

He then said, "Madam, this humble monk has never said such a thing."

Su Chengde asked in confusion, "Then what does the master mean?"

The monk clasped his hands together, looked at him calmly, and said, "Princess Yongle is a reincarnation of a lucky star, with a special destiny that blesses the southern lands. The Minister's Mansion has committed too many murders. It would be a good thing to let Princess Yongle leave sooner rather than later."

The monk spoke slowly and deliberately, his tone aloof, which brought a sense of peace to the listener's mind.

"what?"

Someone exclaimed in surprise, realizing that Master Chenji meant Su Fuying was a woman of destiny, and that all the bad things hadn't been brought about by her; on the contrary, she could bring good fortune to the Southern Xia Kingdom.

Isn’t this nonsense?

“Master Chenji, why do you say such things? Everyone can see the current situation in the capital. What virtue or ability does Su Fuying have?”

Liu Hui raised her voice, she didn't believe that Su Fuying was the chosen one.

“Amitabha Buddha, fate is predetermined. This humble monk is simply telling you what I have seen and heard.” Master Chenji’s expression was indifferent, and he did not care about the doubts of those around him.

Su Chengde was also somewhat incredulous, but dared not easily refute Master Chenji, so he could only cautiously ask, "Master, are you sure you haven't made a mistake? How could my daughter be related to the fate of the nation?"

Master Chenji nodded slightly, his eyes firm. "This humble monk is not mistaken. Princess Yongle does indeed possess an auspicious aura. If she can be properly guided, she will surely become a blessing to the Southern Xia Kingdom."

When questioned, the monk showed no emotion and remained calm, saying, "A monk does not lie."

Chen Ji was seen as a tall and imposing figure by everyone, and upon hearing him speak like this, all the doubts disappeared.

Seeing that the situation had reversed, Liu Hui immediately asked, "So, what does the master think of this situation now?"

"When the time comes, we will see the outcome."

After the monk finished speaking, he turned and left, but stopped halfway and looked back at Liu Hui, saying: