Remarrying Chun Yuan

Chapter 196 House Arrest

Emperor Qi Xiao stared blankly at Princess Fuyao for a long time without uttering a sound.

Princess Fuyao didn't hear her father speak, so she quietly looked up and called out softly, "Father?"

Emperor Qi Xiao raised an eyebrow, slowly moving his head to look at Cheng Hai beside him. "What did she just say? I didn't hear her clearly."

Cheng Hai understood that this was a prelude to Emperor Qi Xiao's rage.

Princess Fuyao is likely to suffer a setback this time...

"Your Majesty, Princess Fuyao may be experiencing a nightmare and needs to go back and rest." He only hoped that Princess Fuyao would leave quickly, otherwise her fate would be terrible.

But Princess Fuyao knew nothing of this. She only wanted to achieve her own goal and completely ignored the look Cheng Hai gave her. "I know this matter may be a bit rash, but Liu Yuechu is not good enough for him at all. He is a minister favored by Father, and I am Father's beloved darling. This is indeed a match made in heaven, not something I made up..."

Her voice trailed off as she spoke, because she felt the oppressive aura emanating from the presence of the aura.

This was different from the Qi Xiao Emperor of the past, and it terrified her from the bottom of her heart.

"Who else knows about this? Did your mother agree to let you come to me?" Emperor Qi Xiao's voice was cold, revealing neither joy nor anger, like a glass of water without temperature, utterly indifferent.

Princess Fuyao thought that Emperor Qixiao was asking for the opinion of the Imperial Concubine, so she nodded repeatedly, "Mother Concubine agreed, and my brother also agreed. They all think this marriage is very good, but we must also respect Father's opinion. Father only needs to issue an imperial decree to grant the marriage, and you don't need to worry about the rest."

Emperor Qi Xiao's eyes narrowed as he stared intently at Princess Fuyao.

Princess Fuyao didn't understand why her father was silent again, so she could only mutter aggrievedly, "Didn't Father also look down on Liu Yuechu because she was a merchant's daughter and not good enough for him... Since you feel the same way, what's wrong with betrothing me to him? I know you think he's of low birth and not good enough for the royal family, but I don't mind. I sincerely hope to marry him..."

"Shut up!"

Emperor Qi Xiao suddenly flew into a rage, his roar sounding like that of a hungry tiger or leopard, even shaking the table in front of him.

"How long has it been since your grandmother passed away? And you've already come up with such a ridiculous idea? Go to the ancestral hall right now and kneel down before me. No one is allowed to make you stand up without my permission!"

Princess Fuyao trembled. Ancestral shrine?

She was getting married, how could they make her kneel in the ancestral hall!

Moreover, the Empress Dowager has been dead for half a year. If she is now arranging a marriage, she can get married in six months. This does not violate the ancestral rites and laws!

“My daughter has no intention of getting married now, nor has she disrespected her grandmother. Moreover, Father Emperor keeps saying he loves his daughter, yet he won’t even give her the man she likes the most, and he even makes her kneel as punishment. Father Emperor is too cruel.” Princess Fuyao sensed something was wrong and began to cry, her tears falling like rain.

If she made a mistake, as long as she shed a few tears, Emperor Qi Xiao would let it go no matter how angry he was, and he never really punished her.

But this time it's different.

She cried for a long time, but Emperor Qi Xiao didn't utter a sound and just waited quietly.

Princess Fuyao, unable to hear the calls, secretly raised her head to look at Emperor Qixiao.

She didn't see Emperor Qi Xiao, but she saw two eunuchs appear out of nowhere, gag her, and take her away!

Princess Fuyao was terrified and struggled, but she couldn't make a sound. She was truly frightened.

As Cheng Hai watched the person being taken away, he immediately knelt before Emperor Qi Xiao, too frightened to utter a single word.

Emperor Qi Xiao stared at him coldly, "It's you?"

Cheng Hai knelt down and kowtowed three times, swearing to the heavens, "It was absolutely not what this servant said. Besides, this servant doesn't think you really look down on Lady Liu. It's just that you cherish her and prefer the young master. This servant has spoken highly of Lady Liu to His Majesty!"

Emperor Qi Xiao sneered, "Who else could it be but you? Do you really think I can't even see that?"

"This servant dares to swear on his life that he knew absolutely nothing about this matter, otherwise he would have informed His Majesty long ago!"

"Go and find out what happened."

Emperor Qi Xiao was furious and ruthless; even his tone was as cold as ice. He truly hadn't expected that there were eyes and ears of the Imperial Concubine watching him, who even knew that he looked down on Liu Yuechu!

If you know such small things, what else don't you know?

Only half a year after the Empress Dowager's death, these people began to have designs on him... He didn't want to start a massacre, but reality wouldn't allow it.

Cheng Hai, terrified, went to investigate.

It was learned that someone had deliberately died in front of the Liu family's gate;

They also knew that the county government was about to take action, but the Dali Temple intervened and resolved the matter.

He also knew that Yuan Cuo and Princess Fuyao had met, and that Yuan Cuo had even said in front of everyone that he would marry her if His Majesty agreed…

He gave Emperor Qi Xiao a full account of what had happened, and it was truly unclear who was to blame.

"...His Highness the Third Prince probably couldn't stand Princess Fuyao's entanglement, so he asked Wei Gongming to help him out, but the idea came from the princess herself."

The instigator was Princess Fuyao, so no one else is to blame.

"So, if I don't recognize him now, his career, reputation, and character will all be ruined?" Emperor Qi Xiao was more concerned about Yuan Cuo.

Cheng Hai thought for a moment, then nodded. "That's true."

The autopsy conducted by the Dali Temple has revealed that Gao Hechuan's mother did not freeze to death, thus implicating Liu Yuechu. Since Liu Yuechu has been completely cleared of suspicion, the only one being criticized is Yuan Cuo.

The people in the capital were used to storytelling and singing, so they naturally wondered if Yuan Cuo and Princess Fuyao were deliberately setting a trap for the Liu family.

Moreover, Yuan Cuo's answer was deliberately designed to create a difficult problem for His Majesty, and he was essentially betting himself on the outcome.

Emperor Qi Xiao scoffed coldly, but then burst out laughing, "He really played that trick well!"

If Emperor Qi Xiao acknowledges him, the scandal from twenty years ago will naturally come to light; if Emperor Qi Xiao lets him ruin his reputation and cause his marriage to fall apart without any regard for the consequences, "that woman" will certainly not stand idly by.

Ultimately, Yuancuo was all trying to catch the big fish that was its "birth mother".

"What should we do now?" Cheng Hai couldn't help but urge.

After all, Princess Fuyao is still under house arrest, and no one knows the reason for it.

The Imperial Concubine came several times in person, wanting to plead for her daughter, but His Majesty refused to see her and even made her stay at home to reflect on her mistakes.

Emperor Qi Xiao leaned back on his dragon throne, looking as if he had aged several years. "Everyone is scheming for their own benefit. But no one cares about my life or death."

The people inside the palace are one, and so is that brat outside the palace.

How could Cheng Hai answer? He could only pretend to be stupid and deaf.

"I heard that Yuwen Chan of the Meng Kingdom is coming to the capital? How long until he arrives?" Emperor Qi Xiao asked.

Having defeated his brothers and become the new sect leader, Yuwen Chan naturally wanted to travel around the various countries and show off.

Cheng Hai calculated, "There are about ten days left."

"Then let's wait for him to arrive. I'll think about this matter before making a decision." Emperor Qi Xiao closed his eyes to rest.

"Just listening to people outside talking nonsense?" Cheng Hai asked tentatively.