in2ebook Chapter 261 The Truth Behind the Fourth Prince's Injury
Chapter 261 The Truth Behind the Fourth Prince's Injury
Chapter 261 The Truth Behind the Fourth Prince's Injury
In Canglan Jingxu's residence in the imperial palace, Canglan Jingxu sat quietly by the window, his gaze fixed on his lame leg.
The Azure Blue Jingxu of today was no longer the innocent child he once was. At the age of eleven, this incident had prematurely robbed him of his innocence, replacing it with deep worry and helplessness. He stared silently at his legs, the words the Empress had spoken to him echoing in his mind.
"Jingxu, do you know that your mother actually sent someone to assassinate the Crown Prince! Tell me, how should I deal with this matter?" The Empress's voice still seemed to echo in my ears, filled with authority and questioning.
Cang Lan Jingxu bit his lip, his heart filled with pain and inner turmoil. He knew his mother's actions stemmed entirely from her love and expectations for him, hoping to secure a higher position for him. However, he had no interest in the coveted throne, nor did he wish to bury himself in those dry and tedious classics all day. But faced with the current situation, how could he stand by and watch his mother die? Yet, assassinating the Crown Prince was a grave crime!
Without hesitation, Canglan Jingxu knelt down and kowtowed deeply to the Empress, his forehead striking the ground with a crisp sound. "Mother, please have mercy and forgive my mother! I understand that everything my mother did was for my sake. I don't covet that position, nor do I want to spend my days studying, but I sincerely beg you to spare her life." After saying this, Canglan Jingxu raised his head, his eyes glistening with tears, his face full of pleading.
Seeing this, the Empress sighed softly, her tone softening: "Jingxu, you are a good boy. It's just…"
Just as the Empress hesitated, Canglan Jingxu quickly kowtowed again and said firmly, "Mother! Your son will definitely give you a satisfactory explanation and will never make things difficult for you." Then, he slowly stood up, his body trembling slightly, as if he were under immense pressure.
Not long after that, he pestered his mother to accompany him to fly kites. At the same time, he also sent away all the servants and maids who usually served him.
When they arrived at the open courtyard, the sunlight streamed down, and a gentle breeze caressed their faces. He excitedly took the kite and skillfully controlled its flight. The kite danced gracefully in the air, like a bird soaring freely.
As time passed, the kite gradually flew towards the artificial hill. Just then, he suddenly had an idea and deliberately ripped the kite's string. Freed from its restraints, the kite flew straight towards the artificial hill like a wild horse, eventually landing steadily on it.
Seeing this, he quickly climbed the artificial hill without hesitation. However, just as he reached out to grab the kite, he lost his balance and fell off the hill. To make matters worse, because he didn't control his posture properly during the fall, his head hit the hard rock.
In an instant, a sharp pain struck, and the world before him began to blur. Then, he was plunged into complete darkness and lost consciousness.
He didn't know how much time had passed when he finally slowly opened his eyes and found himself lying on a soft bed. A faint scent of herbs filled the air, and his mother, the Empress Dowager, sat by the bedside, her face filled with anxiety and concern.
It turned out that while he was unconscious, his mother learned of the news and rushed over. Seeing that he had woken up, his mother's tense nerves finally relaxed a little, but then she angrily questioned his mother, asking why she had failed to take good care of him.
Despite her mother's repeated explanations, the Empress Dowager wouldn't listen. In the end, the Empress Dowager, citing her mother's dereliction of duty and failure to protect him, issued an edict demoting her from the esteemed Noble Consort to the ordinary Consort rank, and immediately sent people to escort her back to the palace, effectively placing her under house arrest.
As for himself, although the imperial physicians determined he was fine, suffering only a minor leg injury, he decided to conceal the truth and pretend his leg was lame in order to live a peaceful life and avoid getting involved in the court's power struggles. From then on, no matter what difficulties or doubts he faced, he would keep this secret until the end of his life.
Only by acting in this way could he completely sever the unrealistic thoughts in his mother's heart. At this moment, he thought of his fifth brother, Canglan Jingyun, with envy. As sons, they both had mothers who were noble consorts.
However, unlike her ambitious and power-hungry mother, Consort Zhuang always kept to her place and was content with the status quo. As a result, her fifth brother lived a carefree and happy life.
"Little Lanzi." Canglan Jingxu slowly came back to his senses and called out softly.
"Master, your servant is here." Upon hearing his master's summons, Xiao Lanzi dared not be negligent in the slightest and hurriedly entered, kneeling respectfully to pay his respects.
"I ask you, what is the current situation on Her Majesty's side?" Canglan Jingxu asked with a solemn expression and a low voice.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, since Her Majesty returned to the palace, she has remained secluded and quiet all day long, and there has been no unusual behavior from her," Xiao Lanzi replied truthfully.
"Yes, do not let your guard down. Make sure to have people keep a close eye on Her Majesty's movements. If there is any disturbance, report to me immediately." Canglan Jingxu frowned slightly, instructing him with concern.
"Yes." Xiao Lanzi nodded repeatedly in agreement.
"Alright, you may leave for now!" Canglan Jingxu casually waved his hand, signaling him to leave.
Xiao Lanzi bowed again, then carefully bowed and slowly left the room.
Unexpectedly, his fifth brother became the first among his brothers to be granted the title of prince! This was truly astonishing. Looking at his fifth brother's current achievements, Canglan Jingxu couldn't help but think to himself, "It seems I can't continue to be idle like this. I must quickly find something meaningful to do." He murmured to himself as he gazed thoughtfully into the distance, seemingly already planning for the future.
Meanwhile, Su Nuannuan was immersed in a sweet dream. After sleeping for a full hour, she finally slowly woke up. When she slowly opened her eyes, she found herself lying there in a prone position. For a moment, her mind was still a little dazed, and she was completely confused about the situation.
After standing there blankly for a while, her confused thoughts gradually cleared up, and she finally remembered what had happened before she fell asleep—it turned out that Yaoqin had been massaging her, and because it was so comfortable, she fell into a deep sleep without realizing it.
Just then, Jinse, who had been waiting nearby, noticed Su Nuannuan's movement. She quickly stepped forward and gently helped Su Nuannuan up, saying with concern, "Your Majesty, you're finally awake."