Song Momo knelt on the ground, as if she had never seen Ji Zizhao before. "Just now, when this old servant passed by Shouren Palace, I suddenly saw the Tenth Prince collapse. In my panic, I wanted to report this matter to His Majesty, but I happened to encounter Princess Shuowen."
Princess Shuowen raised her delicate eyebrows. "So, you don't recognize this person at all?"
Song Momo looked up at Ji Zizhao coldly. "This old servant does not recognize her."
Princess Shuowen snorted coldly, sizing up Ji Zizhao again, her brows filled with sharp intensity. "You're full of lies! Attempting to murder His Majesty's son! If I don't execute you here today, what face will the royal family have? Guards! Drag her out and beat her to death!"
Several wet nurses menacingly surrounded Ji Zizhao again.
However, just as they reached out to snatch the Tenth Prince from Ji Zizhao's embrace, a surprising scene unfolded. The Tenth Prince vaguely opened his eyes and clung tightly to Ji Zizhao, refusing to let go.
The wet nurses dared to be rough with Ji Zizhao, but they would never dare to touch a prince.
Even if he was not favored, he was still a prince.
Princess Shuowen gritted her teeth in anger. "Tenth Imperial Brother, how can you be so disobedient? Come to your Imperial Sister quickly, lest you be harmed by some wicked person without even knowing it."
The Tenth Prince, who had been drowsy and only knew to snuggle in Ji Zizhao's arms, was directly frightened into wailing by Princess Shuowen's harsh tone. "You're a bad person! A bad person! Go away, I don't want you... Are you prettier than the fairy sister by my side? You're simply a monstrous hag!"
Princess Shuowen: "..."
What did this have to do with being pretty?
No, that's not right...
To think that she, a dignified princess, would be outshone by an outsider!
Seeing that Princess Shuowen's face had turned ashen with anger, Song Momo quickly shook her head. Now was not the time to argue with a prince; the important matter needed to be attended to.
Princess Shuowen regained her senses at Song Momo's reminder and, in her rage, ordered, "Can't you see the Tenth Prince is throwing a tantrum? Go quickly and invite His Majesty here. Tell him that the Tenth Prince, disregarding the day of the Empress Dowager's funeral, is shouting loudly in Shouren Palace without any decorum!"
The palace attendants heard this and quickly ran out of Shouren Palace.
Ji Zizhao listened to these words and glanced at Princess Shuowen's age, her mind already clear.
It was likely that this entire charade had been staged to lure the Emperor here.
Looking at the sticky rice ball in her arms, Ji Zizhao lowered her voice. "The Tenth Prince is making such a fuss. Aren't you afraid of His Majesty's punishment?"
The Tenth Prince heard a voice exactly like the one he had heard in his dream. Even with tears still in his eyes, he obediently nodded. "I am afraid, but I cannot let others bully you. I know you are a fairy, a celestial sister, you saved me."
Indeed, he was a good child who knew how to repay kindness.
However, Ji Zizhao did not need his so-called rescue. "If you don't want to be punished by His Majesty, when he questions you later, you must answer truthfully. You can cry if you feel wronged, but remember to be as good as you are now, even better than Princess Shuowen, understand?"
The Tenth Prince listened blankly but still nodded.
The fairy sister had come to save him, so whatever the fairy sister said was right. Yes, that was it.
Princess Shuowen did not know that the Tenth Prince was whispering something to the commoner. However, she did not care. In her eyes, both the Tenth Prince and that woman were scapegoats.
Emperor Xiaochang was still immersed in his grief over the Empress Dowager's passing when he heard the palace attendant report that the Tenth Prince was causing chaos in Shouren Palace. Enraged, he immediately led a large entourage of palace attendants to Shouren Palace.
Upon seeing the Emperor, Princess Shuowen knelt on the ground with a wronged expression. "Greetings to Father Emperor."
Emperor Xiaochang frowned in confusion. "Why are you here too?"
Hearing this, Princess Shuowen felt even more wronged. "Your subject heard that the Tenth Imperial Brother was making a scene in Shouren Palace and even fainted. I came to stop him, but I unexpectedly saw someone so audacious as to disrespect the Tenth Imperial Brother. I wanted to resolve the matter peacefully and take the Tenth Imperial Brother away. I never expected the Tenth Imperial Brother to side with outsiders and insult me. Your subject truly couldn't bear to see the Tenth Imperial Brother being instigated and losing all decorum on the day of the Empress Dowager's funeral, so I sent someone to inform Father Emperor."
Princess Shuowen spoke with a pitiable demeanor, her eyes brimming with tears.
Ji Zizhao watched from the sidelines, unable to help but remark on how the members of the royal family were indeed master actors.
Emperor Xiaochang looked up in anger and immediately recognized Ji Zizhao.
However, before he could question her, he saw the Tenth Prince fall from Ji Zizhao's embrace, waddle over to him, and, with a child's customary solemnity, kneel on the ground. "Your subject greets Father Emperor."
Looking at the Tenth Prince, Emperor Xiaochang was reminded of his own past follies, and a hint of disgust appeared in his eyes. "Is what your Imperial Sister said true?"
Princess Shuowen curled her lips silently, waiting for her foolish brother to clash with their father.
Everyone in the palace knew that their father did not favor the Tenth Prince, and the Tenth Prince was also indifferent and distant towards the Emperor. Moreover, with the words Song Momo had secretly told the Tenth Prince earlier, it was enough to make the Tenth Prince throw a tantrum at his father.
And as long as the Tenth Prince dared to disrespect their father, her plan would succeed.
"Your subject heard that today is the day of the Empress Dowager's funeral, so I pleaded with the palace attendants to lead me here to pay respects. Unexpectedly, Song Momo, who is by Princess Shuowen's side, suddenly arrived and stimulated me to the point of fainting. It was this celestial sister who saved me. Otherwise, I fear I would not have had the chance to kneel here and explain to Father Emperor." The Tenth Prince tilted his small, palm-sized face upwards, his expression filled with pitiful vulnerability.
Princess Shuowen, who had been secretly smirking, was stunned.
Why was it not as she had imagined?
She turned and glared at Song Momo beside her, who also looked bewildered.
She had followed the princess's instructions!
But how had the Tenth Prince, who always flew into a rage and was at odds with the Emperor, become so obedient?
Princess Shuowen leaned closer to the Tenth Prince, her heart filled with urgency. "Tenth Imperial Brother, tell Father Emperor the truth, did that commoner threaten you? Otherwise, why are you speaking such lies? You clearly caused a scene at the Empress Dowager's Shouren Palace, and now you are deceiving Father Emperor. Do you know this is punishable!"
The Tenth Prince might have been displeased with his father's indifference, and in the past, he would have likely thrown a huge tantrum. But now, he had to do as the fairy sister had taught him, lest the fairy sister get angry and ignore him.
His eyes darted around, and the Tenth Prince suddenly spoke, "Princess Shuowen, Song Momo by your side just told me that Father Emperor has agreed to send me to the Turks as a hostage. Is that true?"
Originally, the Tenth Prince had said this to divert attention from his fairy sister. However, he had unexpectedly struck Princess Shuowen like a bolt from the blue.
She had indeed told Song Momo to say those things to provoke the Tenth Prince into throwing a tantrum.
But the person who was actually being sent to the Turks for marriage was herself.
Because Princess Shuowen did not want to be sent to the Turks for a political marriage, she had planned to use the discord between the Tenth Prince and their father. She had Song Momo act as a provocateur. As long as the Tenth Prince caused a scene at the Empress Dowager's funeral today, their father would surely, in his anger, send the Tenth Prince to the Turks as a hostage.
Princess Shuowen couldn't understand.
Everything had been so flawless, how could there be such a gaping hole?!
This hole, of course, was poked by Ji Zizhao.
Although Ji Zizhao was unwilling to get involved in others' disputes, she would absolutely not allow others to slander her.