Emperor Jingming looked down at Prince Jin, who was kneeling before him, and asked with bitter disappointment, “Third Son, what possessed you to become so deranged that you would harm young Chun?”
Prince Jin pressed his forehead to the ground, kowtowing to Emperor Jingming, and replied with a trembling voice, “Your son was momentarily possessed by evil thoughts. Whatever punishment Father Emperor deems fit, I will accept. However, my wife and children are innocent. I beg Father Emperor to show mercy and spare them.”
What crime was it to orchestrate harm against the Crown Prince of Prince Jing? While Prince Chun was unharmed, the severity of the crime could be interpreted either way.
Prince Jin knew the punishment would not be light, not only because young Chun was Emperor Jingming’s most beloved grandson, but more importantly, because he had exposed his ambitions for the throne.
This was what emperors feared most.
In the imperial family, father-son relationships meant nothing. No matter how much one desired the throne, once the person sitting on it confirmed such ambitions, how could there be a good outcome?
“Third Son, you have disappointed me greatly. I’m not even dead yet, and you’ve started attacking your brothers’ children?” Emperor Jingming’s face darkened as he patted the dragon’s throne. “If you were to sit on this throne, would you eliminate everyone who could threaten you?”
Looking at the kneeling Prince Jin, Emperor Jingming felt heartbroken.
In his memory, this son had always been quiet, maintaining a low profile in most situations. Besides Prince Qin, he had seemed the most well-behaved. How had he transformed into such a frightening person in the blink of an eye?
Emperor Jingming thought of the ministers’ calls to establish a Crown Prince.
He understood their requests were justified.
The vacant position of Crown Prince indeed caused instability.
Even when they had accused the former Crown Prince of orchestrating the murder of Prince An of the Commandery, many ministers still opposed deposing him, considering these implications.
If the former Crown Prince hadn’t committed the unforgivable act of having an affair with Consort Yang, he wouldn’t have wanted to take such a drastic step.
Understanding all this, he had repeatedly shown restraint in the face of the ministers’ pressure.
He knew the dangers of leaving the Crown Prince position vacant, but having been disappointed once, he became even more hesitant to designate a new heir.
What if the new Crown Prince proved worse than the former one? He couldn’t depose another one.
But why were these wretches so impatient?
Emperor Jingming’s heart ached as he coldly stared at Prince Jin.
Meanwhile, Prince Jin, with his head bowed low, was secretly sneering: Disappointed in him? Hah, when had Father Emperor ever had any hopes for him, or even properly looked at him?
He was the eldest prince after the deposed Crown Prince. Why shouldn’t he grasp this opportunity firmly instead of letting it benefit a mere child?
He too wanted to hold his head high and watch those who had ignored him bow in reverence and trepidation.
Now, he would simply accept the consequences of his gamble.
By this point, Prince Jin vaguely sensed he had fallen into a trap. Otherwise, those who harmed young Chun wouldn’t have been caught so easily, nor would they have confessed to his involvement so quickly.
But in the end, it came down to the same thing – he had lost, and he accepted it.
“Pan Hai, convey my imperial decree—”
Prince Jin’s body trembled as he listened to Emperor Jingming continue.
Emperor Jingming’s eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke slowly, “Prince Jin, for selfishly plotting against his nephew, has shown a treacherous heart. He is hereby demoted to Prince of the Commandery and shall guard the imperial tombs with his wife and children, never to leave…”
Many in the hall secretly drew in sharp breaths.
Prince Jin’s punishment for guarding the imperial tombs was quite harsh.
Of course, if he had plotted against the Crown Prince or heir apparent, it would have been no ordinary matter but would have risen to the level of rebellion, warranting any punishment.
The severity of Prince Jin’s punishment for plotting against Prince Jing’s heir showed young Chun’s status in the emperor’s heart.
Prince Jin listened silently, his body swaying slightly.
Emperor Jingming showed not a trace of pity and, after some thought, added, “Consort An, Prince Jin’s birth mother, shall leave the palace immediately and accompany Prince Jin to the imperial tombs.”
After Mama Duo’s troublemaking, he didn’t want to leave any potential problems in the inner palace.
Consort An had always been a quiet presence in the palace, and letting her reunite with her son could be considered a kindness.
Upon receiving the decree, Consort An, while grieving for her son, felt some anticipation for the future.
Heaven knew how many years she had yearned to live with her children and grandchildren.
Traditionally, imperial consorts could only leave the palace after the emperor’s death – those with children could reunite with their families, while those without would enter temples, living out their remaining days in seclusion.
She had thought she might not outlive the emperor, but unexpectedly, he had shown mercy…
Consort An didn’t meet with Emperor Jingming but went to Kunning Palace to properly kowtow to the Empress.
The Empress looked at the obediently kowtowing Consort An and sighed inwardly, speaking gently, “Rise. The Emperor allowing you to leave the palace and reunite with Prince Jin is an act of grace. Don’t let Prince Jin’s punishment lead you to misunderstand and create trouble for yourself…”
Consort An hurriedly replied, “Your Highness, please rest assured, this consort is not ungrateful. I have been in the palace for many years, always receiving Your Highness’s care. Now that we shall never meet again, I wish Your Highness a lifetime of peace.”
The Empress nodded to a senior palace maid beside her.
The maid handed a small bundle to Consort An.
The Empress said kindly, “Inside are some valuable items. Whether you use them or not, take them with you as a token of our acquaintance.”
“Thank you for Your Highness’s gift.” Consort An accepted the bundle, wiped her tears, and kowtowed once more to the Empress. “This consort takes her leave.”
After Consort An left, the Empress rose and told her trusted maid, “Go to Princess Fuqing.”
What could be better than a family reunion? She hoped Prince Jin’s family could find peace.
When the decree reached Prince Jin’s mansion, the servants fell into chaos until the Princess Consort angrily rebuked a steward, restoring order.
Prince Jin looked ashamed: “Wenjun, I have wronged you…”
Princess Consort Jin smiled and held his hand: “Husband and wife are one. My lord, please don’t speak this way.”
“But you and the children must now guard the cold imperial tombs, far from the capital’s prosperity—”
Princess Consort Jin pressed her finger to Prince Jin’s lips, speaking softly: “What does that matter? As long as our family is together, it’s enough. My lord, to be honest, ever since you had those ambitions, I’ve imagined the consequences of failure countless times and had numerous nightmares. Now that we can all be safe, I’m already very grateful…”
Princess Consort Jin spoke as tears streamed down her face, her constantly worried heart finally settling back in place, able to beat steadily again.
To her, a peaceful life was best, and she even felt thankful they could escape before her husband became too deeply entangled.
If Prince Jing’s heir had died, or if her husband had become more intensely involved in the power struggle and committed greater wrongs, they might not have kept their lives. That would have been truly catastrophic for her and the children.
Prince Jin’s mansion soon emptied, its vermillion gates tightly locked, inspiring countless sighs – but that’s a story for another time.
At that moment in Prince Qi’s mansion, its master could barely contain his desire to laugh triumphantly.
Prince Qi strode quickly into the main courtyard to bring the good news of Prince Jin’s punishment to his Princess Consort.