The Emperor was indeed accustomed to pride in front of everyone, but in front of the Seventh Prince, he absolutely could not act as righteously as "I will kill your elder brother, and you still have to give me a thumbs up."
The Emperor was actually afraid, afraid that the Seventh Prince would hate him.
This was something even Noble Consort Xi could not have calculated.
Because Noble Consort Xi would never have dreamed that the Seventh Prince was that person's son.
Upon returning to the Imperial Study, Emperor Xiaochang summoned the Grand Judge of the Dali Temple into the palace again. With the Grand Judge's departure, the matter of the Eighth Prince was soon concluded.
The Eighth Prince, for disturbing the court, was stripped of his princely title and reduced to commoner status, forbidden from setting foot in the Imperial Palace again without summons!
Upon hearing this news, the entire imperial court trembled!
When Consort Sun woke up, she felt as if the sky had fallen. She hurried to the Emperor's presence to beg for leniency, but Emperor Xiaochang had already issued his decree and would not easily retract it. He simply had Feng Gu send Consort Sun back, not even granting her an audience.
With no other recourse, Consort Sun rushed directly to Huaqing Palace.
Everything that had happened was orchestrated by the Fifth Prince, and Noble Consort Xi had guaranteed it would be foolproof. In a moment of desperation, Consort Sun persuaded her son to agree.
But what was the outcome?
Her son was no longer even a prince!
However, at this moment, Noble Consort Xi naturally would not see Consort Sun.
Mama Zhang directly blocked Consort Sun in the courtyard, "Consort Sun, you've come at an inopportune time. Noble Consort Xi is unwell. However, her Ladyship left word that as soon as she recovers, Consort Sun will be the first person she sees."
Consort Sun was not foolish enough to believe such nonsense. "Is Noble Consort Xi planning to cross the bridge and burn it down?"
Mama Zhang's expression darkened, "Please reconsider your words, Consort Sun. No one wanted the Eighth Prince to face this situation, and Noble Consort Xi naturally hoped for the Eighth Prince's safety. Now that the Emperor has issued his decree, Consort Sun should think more about the Eighth Prince's future."
Consort Sun stiffened all over. After a long moment, she gritted her teeth and said, "I will visit Noble Consort Xi again in a few days."
She couldn't swallow this bitter pill, but what could she do? Her son had already angered the Emperor. If she were to break ties with Noble Consort Xi at this moment, wouldn't her son lose even his last sliver of hope?
Consort Sun now deeply regretted having so easily believed Noble Consort Xi's plan, only to push her son into a fiery pit.
Mama Zhang watched Consort Sun's retreating back and let out a heavy sigh of relief.
Consort Sun had left, but Noble Consort Xi's expression did not improve. Instead, it remained gloomy. She never expected that after all her careful planning, she was merely a step away from success.
What they called the Emperor's severe punishment of the Eighth Prince was clearly a practical warning to her.
The thought that the Emperor had, in an intangible way, slapped her face made Noble Consort Xi's old cheeks burn with unending pain!
"What are your thoughts on this matter?" Noble Consort Xi looked at her son, who had been sitting opposite her in silence since entering the room. The anger within her was clearly about to erupt.
Xie Jingzhou sneered, "Now that things have come to this, does how I think still matter?"
Noble Consort Xi was completely enraged and slammed a hand on the wooden table beside her, "What kind of attitude is this!"
"I said before that we shouldn't lightly trust the slander of others and that this matter was still debatable. But you, Mother, insisted on believing others' gossip and even went so far as to agree to involve the Eighth Brother. The Eighth Brother is inherently cunning and treacherous. Now that things have escalated like this, aren't you afraid the Eighth Brother will go all out?"
Xie Jingzhou truly had a headache. He hadn't expected his mother to become so impatient with age.
When he first heard the news, he felt it was unreliable, but his mother was insistent. Now that she asked him how he felt, what else could he say?
Noble Consort Xi's expression was naturally not good when questioned by her son. "Who do you think I've been working so hard for? It's all for you! Now, we don't even know if Xie Jingqi is alive or dead in Tonglin. If he dies, it would be for the best. But if he returns alive, his merits and achievements will undoubtedly double!"
If a minister gained merit and achievements, they would be supported by the court. If Xie Jingqi truly returned with further achievements, what then?
Xie Jingzhou naturally shared the same concerns, otherwise, he would not have gotten involved in the end. Fortunately, he hadn't plunged too deeply into the murky waters, or he wouldn't know how to extricate himself now.
Seeing her son fall silent, Noble Consort Xi gradually regained her composure. "You must know that although Xie Jingqi was not born of the Empress's womb, he was raised by the Empress. His outward appearance of being indifferent to worldly affairs is merely an illusion. If he truly didn't compete or care about anything, he wouldn't have gone to Tonglin with Marquis Zhongyong."
Xie Jingzhou nodded with a dark expression, "Son understands."
Noble Consort Xi said earnestly, "Since you understand, you should grasp my intentions. The Emperor is getting older and has long lost his keen interest in the harem. If we don't seize the opportunity while I still have favor with the Emperor to compete, what hope will you and I have once Xie Jingqi rises to power?"
Although Xie Jingzhou remained silent, the resistance on his face visibly diminished.
Noble Consort Xi knew this was not the time for arguments. "With the Eighth Prince's misfortune, countless eyes are watching from behind the scenes. You must extricate yourself from this matter in a timely manner and do not get further involved. As for the Eighth Prince... he himself was incapable of handling things properly, and his current predicament is not someone else's fault."
Xie Jingzhou nodded, rose, and bowed.
Noble Consort Xi gazed at her son's departing back and leaned back onto the soft couch as if drained, her head throbbing.
She understood that others' words could not be trusted, but given the current situation, she had to act even if she didn't trust them. Otherwise, once Xie Jingqi returned to the imperial city, wouldn't she become a mere pawn in the Empress's hands?
"Your Ladyship, do not dwell on it. Excessive worry is not good for your health," Mama Zhang said softly, seeing Noble Consort Xi's troubled expression.
"I simply didn't think enough, which is why I lost everything this time," Noble Consort Xi sighed with lingering dissatisfaction. The thought of Ji Zizhao caused her heart to ache terribly.
She simply couldn't understand why, no matter what the matter was, whenever Ji Zizhao was involved, it was bound to be bad news.
At this point, it was dishonest to say Noble Consort Xi didn't regret it. When her son had first mentioned Ji Zizhao to her, she shouldn't have hesitated so much. Before the Empress could even set her sights on Ji Zizhao, she should have forcibly "cooked" this raw rice and made it a done deal.
That way, so many problems wouldn't have arisen.
But in this world, where were the "ifs"?