Chapter 114: As If This Were Their Own Home, Kicked Out on a Whim

The shock on Jun Qianye’s face, upon seeing Xia Yue’er, told Emperor Zongkang everything: Jun Qianye had clearly mistaken Xia Yue’er for Xia Jiujiang, leading to this wretched situation. The Emperor’s face turned as dark as soot. Someone had dared to play their schemes right under the nose of the Prince of Jin.

Jun Qianye kept his eyes fixed on Xia Yue’er, stunned for a long moment before murmuring, "You... why is it you?"

Emperor Zongkang’s gaze sharpened, piercing into him. "If it wasn't supposed to be Xia Yue’er, then who was it meant to be? Could it be the Princess of Jin, Xia Jiujiang?"

Feeling the Emperor’s barely contained fury, Jun Qianye turned pale. "No, Your Majesty, I... I..."

Xia Yue’er spoke with a pathetic, miserable tone. "Your humble subject has been resting in this room the entire time. I have no idea why His Seventh Highness came here."

Jun Qianye’s mind was in a complete fog. His memory told him it was Xia Jiujiang, yet here was Xia Yue’er claiming she had been the one in the room. Though he could not fathom how it had happened, he knew for certain that Xia Jiujiang was behind it. She had slipped through his fingers once again, and not only that, she had orchestrated his downfall.

Just then, Noble Consort Chen rushed in. Having heard the news from her maid, Mengli, at the Zhaohua Palace—that the Seventh Prince and Xia Yue’er had been caught in a tryst in the side hall of the Yueque Palace—she had hurried over without a moment’s delay.

Seeing Jun Qianye drenched and shivering, and Xia Yue’er kneeling in ruins beside him, the Consort rushed to her son’s side, her heart aching. He was the apple of her eye. In the palace, women relied on their children for security, and so many became sacrifices to the struggle for power. She had nurtured him with the utmost care, protecting him so he could compete with the other princes.

"Your Majesty, please show mercy," Noble Consort Chen pleaded. "Ye’er and the second daughter of the Xia family are deeply in love. I even invited her to the palace to keep me company not long ago. Ye’er is quite fond of her, and they have long shared a mutual affection. Today, they were simply caught up in a moment of passion and lost their way. I beg you, forgive them."

The Emperor stared at Jun Qianye. "Is this true?"

Jun Qianye hesitated. Noble Consort Chen tried to intervene, "Your Majesty—"

"Quiet!" the Emperor roared. "I want to hear it from the Seventh Prince. Did you harbor evil intentions toward Xia Yue’er because you mistook her for Xia Jiujiang, or is it because you are truly in love?"

Noble Consort Chen’s eyes widened in shock. She looked at her son in disbelief. She had spoken to him so many times, hoping he would show restraint and let go of his obsession with Xia Jiujiang. Instead, he had only sunk deeper, committing such a scandalous act by mistaking her sister for her.

At that moment, Jun Qianye appeared both wretched and furious before the Emperor. If the person he had been with had been Xia Jiujiang, he would have gladly endured the Emperor’s wrath. But it was Xia Yue’er. The more unattainable a desire, the more maddening it became, and if he could never have it, he would rather destroy it.

Jun Qianye kowtowed. "Father, I truly do not know what happened. My mind was in a total haze. I have always treated the second Miss Xia with the utmost propriety and have never crossed the line. How could I do such a thing while the envoys from the Southern Kingdom are visiting? I suspect I was drugged. I beg you to investigate."

Xia Yue’er bit her lip, her head bowed. Jun Qianye would rather claim he was drugged than admit he had been with her? She had been willing to stand before everyone in this tarnished, ruined state for him!

Tears streaming down her face, Xia Yue’er prostrated herself. "Your Majesty, His Highness suspects he was drugged. Is he not accusing me? But I never invited him here. If I could not ensure his arrival, how could I have drugged him? My innocence is gone; I do not wish to lose my reputation as well."

Her words were desperate and poignant. The most critical point was the last: her virtue was lost, and her reputation tarnished. Regardless of what Jun Qianye said, they had consummated the act; even if they had been framed, they had to accept the reality.

"I don't care if you were drugged or just lost your senses," the Emperor bellowed. "You have ruined Xia Yue’er’s reputation, and you will take responsibility. Find a date, consult the horoscopes, and marry her! I will not have such shameful behavior occurring while the Southern envoys are here."

With that, the Emperor swept his sleeves and stormed out.

As the Emperor left the final room, Nanny Chun hurried after him. When they reached the second-to-last room, she dared not suggest checking inside for Princess Anya. Given the previous disaster—where the room intended for Xia Jiujiang had instead contained Xia Yue’er—she feared what might be waiting in this room: perhaps Princess Anya and Jun Buwen.

Disturbed by the incident with the Seventh Prince and Xia Yue’er, the Emperor had completely forgotten about finding Princess Anya. Just as they were about to pass the room, the Third Prince of the Southern Kingdom, Ming Ze, spoke up. "Your Majesty, surely you haven't forgotten? Nanny Chun said Princess Anya was in this room."

If he hadn't been terrified that the Princess was in that final room, Ming Ze would never have bothered with the sordid affairs of the Seventh Prince. But he was a guest, and it would have been inappropriate for him to kick down the door himself. Now that the matter with the Seventh Prince was settled, he was not about to let the issue of the Princess slide.

Nanny Chun swallowed hard, her voice trembling. "I... I suspect Her Highness has already left the room, which is why there is no response."

Ming Ze pushed the door; it was locked tight. "If she isn't inside, it should be empty. How could it be locked from the inside?"

Ignoring the Nanny, Ming Ze kicked the door open, as if the safety of the Princess were his only concern. The force of the kick made Nanny Chun’s heart skip a beat.

Ming Ze stepped inside, and a flash of displeasure crossed the Emperor’s face. This was the Imperial Palace of the Li Kingdom, not Ming Ze’s own home to be kicked about as he pleased.

Just as Nanny Chun steeled herself to follow them in, a voice drifted over. "Why is there such a crowd here?"

Watching from afar was fine, but being in the thick of it was far more entertaining. Nanny Chun looked toward the corridor and saw Xia Jiujiang and Jun Buwen appearing, walking hand in hand in perfect harmony. She gasped in shock, "How are you two here!"