Chapter 811: Chapter 809: Filial Piety

Ever since discovering that Dongxiang Marquis’s wife Mrs. Tang was the eldest daughter of Uncle Wen Yuan’s Mansion from years ago, Duke Chong sent a flying pigeon to Prince Qi, asking him to return to the Capital.

However, the pigeon was sent out for a long time, and yet Prince Qi didn’t return to the Capital, but Princess Chengxian did.

As soon as she returned to the Capital, she provoked Princess Consort Zhenbei and had her title of Commandery Princess revoked.

When Prince Qi was supposed to return, he didn’t, and when he wasn’t supposed to, he unexpectedly returned to the Capital.

Is there now something that absolutely requires his return to the Capital?

Duke Chong felt like his heart was being clawed by a cat.

It was just as well that he needed to enter the palace once; he should be able to ask Prince Qi for his reasons within the palace.

Prince Qi’s sudden return to the Capital——

It wasn’t just Duke Chong who was left stunned; the Empress Dowager and Emperor were equally astonished.

Though the Empress Dowager was more joyful, having missed her son greatly after not seeing him for a long time.

The Emperor, however, was angry.

Without an imperial summons, no prince is allowed to return to the Capital; that is the rule.

How dare Prince Qi return to the Capital without his permission?!

While the Emperor was fuming, a little eunuch entered, reporting, “Your Majesty, Prince Qi requests an audience outside the hall.”

“Let him in,” the Emperor said with a voice suppressing his anger.

The little eunuch withdrew.

Shortly afterward, Prince Qi walked in.

The last time he saw Prince Qi was more than half a year ago when Prince Qi came to the Capital to accompany the Empress Dowager for the New Year.

Half a year has passed, and Prince Qi’s complexion hasn’t changed much, still as pale and haggard as before.

As Prince Qi approached, a faint medicinal scent wafted over.

The Emperor furrowed his brow.

Prince Qi stepped forward to greet him, apologizing, “Without an imperial summons, I recklessly returned to the Capital. I beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness.”

The Emperor picked up his teacup, remaining silent.

Prince Qi knew the Emperor was angry; having dared to return to the Capital, he certainly had reasons to convince the Emperor.

Prince Qi explained, “I am now thirty, with only one daughter, Chengxian, under my care. I have pampered her excessively, afraid she might fall from my hands or melt in my mouth, fostering her arrogant nature. As soon as she returned to the Capital, she offended Princess Jin Ning, and the Emperor revoked her title of Commandery Princess….”

Princess Chengxian being punished, she deserved it.

But a girl like Mo Chengxian, raised arrogantly, how could she endure such humiliation?

Especially when she was stripped of her Commandery Princess title, and Princess Yi An was given the title instead.

Mo Chengxian was furious, refusing to stay at Princess Duanhui’s Mansion and moved back to Prince Qi’s residence in the Capital.

Not only did she move back, but she also stayed indoors and ate less.

Mo Chengxian was brought to the Capital by Princess Duanhui; if anything happens to her, she would surely be hated by Princess Qi.

Not daring to be careless, she sent someone to inform Prince Qi.

Prince Qi did remember being a prince, knowing that without an imperial summons, he shouldn’t return to the Capital.

But Princess Qi cared only for her daughter; knowing her daughter was punished, she immediately wanted to return to the Capital.

Prince Qi couldn’t stop her, and besides, his daughter was dear to him, and the Empress Dowager was seriously ill; he wanted to see her too.

Thus, he risked angering the Emperor by returning to the Capital unauthorized.

Prince Qi knelt, imploring the Emperor’s forgiveness.

Failing to teach a child is the father’s fault.

As a father, Prince Qi personally visiting to apologize for his daughter’s mistake is his duty.

By mentioning the Empress Dowager’s critical illness and the desire to care for her while one still can, he persuaded the Emperor.

The Emperor couldn’t very well chastise him.

Moreover, the Empress Dowager feared the Emperor would punish Prince Qi and sent Nanny Li to praise the Emperor’s filial piety.

Not only did she have Princess Duanhui return to the Capital to accompany her, but also brought Prince Qi back, giving her a pleasant surprise.

The Emperor’s filial devotion is commendable; heaven will certainly bless Daqi with prosperity and flourishing.

With the Empress Dowager’s endorsement of filial duty, Prince Qi’s unauthorized return to the Capital was directly turned into being summoned back by imperial command.

If the Emperor were to deny summoning Prince Qi back, he would be thought unfilial.

The Emperor’s face turned somber, gesturing, “Withdraw!”

Prince Qi and Nanny Li took their leave.

After they departed, the Emperor’s somber expression faded, and he sipped his tea lightly.

Eunuch Fu, seeing this, was surprised, “Your Majesty is not angry?”

“What is there to be angry about?” The Emperor laughed.

“He came to the Capital for Dongxiang Marquis to deal with; I’m just here to watch the show.”

“….”

Eunuch Fu suddenly remembered Mrs. Tang.

Back in the day, Princess Qi and Uncle Wen Yuan’s couple certainly made Mrs. Tang suffer.

With Dongxiang Marquis’s temper, he obviously sided with Mrs. Tang and didn’t seek revenge openly against Uncle Wen Yuan but made him suffer in secret.

Uncle Wen Yuan’s couple’s actions chilled Mrs. Tang’s heart; she didn’t even want to intercede for Uncle Wen Yuan’s Mansion, so how could she not seek revenge against Princess Qi?

This time, there would be quite a show to see.

Yongning Palace.

The Empress Dowager was bedridden, her eyes moist as she watched Prince Qi walk in.

Growing old makes one long for their children at their side.

Seeing that Prince Qi was unharmed, the Empress Dowager still worried, “The Emperor didn’t punish you, did he?”

Prince Qi shook his head.

Nanny Li laughed, “With the Empress Dowager protecting the Prince, why would the Emperor punish him?”

“As long as he didn’t,” the Empress Dowager said, relieved.

Prince Qi greeted the Empress Dowager and then sat beside her bed to talk.

In the bedroom, aside from Nanny Li, everyone else was sent out.

The Empress Dowager asked Prince Qi, “Why did you suddenly return to the Capital?”

Prince Qi frowned, “Did mother not know that Duke Chong called me back to the Capital?”

The Empress Dowager was shocked.

This was something she truly didn’t know.

Presumably, Duke Chong repeatedly suffered setbacks at the hands of Marquis Dongxiang and couldn’t handle it, so he summoned Prince Qi to help him.

With all the troubles in Duke Chong’s Mansion, Duke Chong didn’t have the mood to enter the palace and therefore didn’t report to her, treating it as a surprise.

“He’s thoughtful, thinking of me even in these times,” the Empress Dowager said gratefully.

Outside the hall, a palace maid walked in, saying, “Empress Dowager, Duke Chong is here.”

“Let him in,” the Empress Dowager said.

Soon, Duke Chong entered.

The Empress Dowager looked at him, smiling, “Why didn’t you tell me you asked Prince Qi to return to the Capital?”

Duke Chong, “….”

Duke Chong was bewildered.

“It wasn’t me who asked Prince Qi to return,” Duke Chong denied.

Prince Qi frowned, “How could it not be you?”

He took out a letter from his breast pocket to show Duke Chong, “Isn’t this the letter you sent me by pigeon?”

Duke Chong took the letter.

The letter contained only four words——

Return to the Capital swiftly.

Duke Chong’s face turned dark.

The familiar stationery.

The familiar handwriting.

If he wasn’t certain that what he wrote was “Trouble in Zhangzhou, you must not return to the Capital,” he would have believed the letter was indeed written by him.

Duke Chong was a smart man.

He quickly understood what went wrong.

His letter had been intercepted!

Throughout the Capital, who else but Dongxiang Marquis had the courage and means to intercept his letter, sending out a convincing fake letter?

Dongxiang Marquis!

Mentioning these three words made Duke Chong grind his teeth in hatred, wishing he could drink his blood or eat his flesh.

Prince Qi saw Duke Chong’s unpleasant expression and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Duke Chong looked at Prince Qi, asking, “How many letters did you receive from me?”

“Just this one,” Prince Qi said.

Duke Chong’s body swayed.

He sent Prince Qi more than just this one letter!

That means every letter that went in and out of Duke Chong’s Mansion had been read by Dongxiang Marquis?!

Only those he wanted Dongxiang Marquis to see and deliver could be seen and delivered?!

This realization made Duke Chong’s face turn pale, his back felt chilled.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep