vrcanaries Chapter 196 Crisis 4 lurks
Chapter 196 Crisis 4 lurks
Inside the magnificent hall of Shoukang Palace, the Queen Mother listened to the words of the palace servant who came to report. The originally gentle lines on her face gradually solidified, and her eyes became deeper and gloomier: "Say it again? The Crown Prince asked me to see him in person?"
The palace servant knelt on the ground, his body trembling, but he still tried his best to maintain a respectful attitude: "Yes, His Highness said that he has a rare treasure that he wants to present to the Queen Mother, but this treasure is only suitable for display in the East Palace."
The Queen Mother frowned, her penetrating eyes seemed to see through all the hypocrisy, but she could not guess the real intention of the Prince's action.
However, she would never let Su Rao go easily.
She might be able to show leniency to others, but Su Rao was a dear piece of her heart and she must not let her be hurt in any way.
Therefore, she decided to go to the East Palace in person, not only to find out the truth, but also to take this opportunity to put enough pressure on the prince so that he would never dare to do anything unfavorable to Su Rao again.
After weighing the pros and cons, the Queen Mother finally made a decision: "Okay, I want to see what he is up to."
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Inside the East Palace, there were carved railings and jade bricks, and lush flowers and trees. When the empress dowager's phoenix chariot slowly stopped, the prince had been waiting for a long time. Ever since he ascended the throne, he had acquired a more extraordinary bearing and majesty.
Seeing the Queen Mother getting off the carriage, the Crown Prince immediately stepped forward, and said in an extremely humble manner: "Grandmother, I am truly honored to have you here, but the treasure is too precious to be moved."
Although the Queen Mother's expression remained stern and a barely perceptible gleam flashed in her eyes, she did not say much.
The prince seemed unaware of the queen mother's indifference, and he just made an inviting gesture with a gentle face: "Grandmother, please follow my grandson's footsteps and let me lead the way for you."
The two walked side by side through the corridor of the East Palace. The Queen Mother glanced sideways inadvertently, her sharp eyes swept across the profile of the prince, and her tone contained a warning: "Today, the Crown Princess suddenly went to Ai's palace and took Su Rao away. Was this also your arrangement?"
The Crown Prince pretended to be surprised, as if he knew nothing about this matter: "Who was taken away? I know nothing about this matter. If it is true as you said, and the Crown Princess has done something wrong, please punish her severely according to the law. I have no objection at all."
In Shoukang Palace, sunlight shines through the exquisite window lattices and shines onto the floor covered with gold-thread embroidered carpet, creating mottled light and shadows.
The air was filled with the faint scent of burning incense, but it could not conceal the vaguely tense atmosphere.
The Queen Mother was dressed in a luxurious robe embroidered with nine phoenixes flying in the clouds. She sat upright on a red sandalwood dragon throne, and she naturally exuded a majesty that should not be underestimated.
Her eyes were like a deep ancient well, hiding thousands of years of ice and snow, making people dare not look directly at them.
Facing the Queen Mother's questioning, Zhao Tingduan stood straight, his robe swaying gently in the breeze. It was an elegant ink-colored gown embroidered with delicate bamboo leaf patterns, implying perseverance, just like his mentality at the moment.
His black hair was fixed with a simple yet elegant white jade hairpin, which made him look heroic yet also revealed a hint of unruliness.
As soon as the Queen Mother finished speaking, the air in the palace seemed to freeze, and everyone breathed cautiously, for fear of disturbing the heaviness.
Zhao Tingduan's eyes became deeper at this moment, as if he was looking at a distant yet imminent future. He spoke slowly, and every word was clear and powerful, revealing a determination that could not be ignored.
As the conversation deepened, the tension between the two reached its peak, like a storm without gunpowder, raging in this ancient and solemn palace.
The palace servants lowered their heads and dared not make a sound, for fear that the slightest movement would disrupt this delicate balance.
When the Queen Mother finally made a decision, her words, though soft, seemed to stir up a storm in the palace and get the air flowing again.
Zhao Tingduan's bow was not only a submission to power, but also a responsibility to his future destiny. His straight back seemed to carry the weight of the entire dynasty.
As this secret duel came to an end, the birds on the branches outside Shoukang Palace seemed to sense the change and began to sing happily. The sunlight, which had quietly sneaked into the clouds at some point, finally broke free and spread across the entire imperial city, as if heralding the arrival of a new era.
On this day, not only in the East Palace, but also in the entire imperial city and even the world, countless eyes seemed to be watching everything silently. Although the surface was calm, everyone knew in their hearts that a bigger storm was quietly brewing.
Su Rao's heart was like a mirror, clearly reflecting the Queen Mother's intention - to go to the East Palace to seek a fair explanation for herself, hoping that Zhao Tingduan would never again cause trouble.
However, as she thought more deeply, Su Rao gradually realized the unusual things hidden behind this matter.
What force drove Zhao Tingduan to go to great lengths to take her away? Was it really because he was so bewitched by her beauty that he lost his mind? Su Rao knew in her heart that such an explanation was too superficial.
Although Zhao Tingduan sometimes behaves in a paranoid manner, he is not a person who is easily influenced by emotions. In his heart, the weight of the throne far exceeds the attraction of any woman in the world.
Therefore, behind this series of actions of his must be a deep consideration of the succession to the throne.
Thinking of this, Su Rao couldn't help but feel a tightness in her heart.
How can I, a seemingly ordinary woman, help him take a step further in his fight for the throne?
Could it be that Zhao Tingduan discovered the secret that Prince Yi had not yet died, and attempted to threaten Prince Yi by capturing himself as a bargaining chip?
Or maybe he has already known the unknown secret that he has the blood of the Zhao family... No matter which of these two assumptions comes true, it will be enough to make Zhao Tingduan desperate.
Su Rao's expression suddenly became solemn. If Zhao Tingduan really went this far, the Queen Mother's journey to the Eastern Palace would probably be fraught with danger!
She quickly called out to the maid beside her, "Has the Queen Mother returned to the palace?"
The maid frowned and shook her head helplessly: "She hasn't returned yet."
Su Rao immediately ordered: "Go and tell the Queen Mother to return to Shoukang Palace as soon as possible."
Although she was eager to break into the Eastern Palace herself, Su Rao knew that blind action would only lead her into Zhao Tingduan's trap.
At such a critical moment of life and death, calmness is the most powerful weapon.
The maid hurried away after receiving the order.
Su Rao was uneasy, her eyes drifting towards the palace gate from time to time. Every breeze that blew past made her full of anticipation, as if the empress dowager's figure would appear in her sight in the next second.
She prayed silently that all the previous speculations were nothing but unnecessary worries. What Zhao Tingduan did was nothing more than the self-esteem of a man with inflated power. He fell into paranoia because of his obsession with her beauty. The authority of the Queen Mother might be able to put all this absurdity back on track.