Chapter 1476: The Weakness Appears
Chapter 1476: Chapter 1476: The Weakness Appears
The hand Chu Ze had hidden in his sleeve couldn’t help but clench into a fist. Emperor Chu noticed, a faint, almost imperceptible smile appearing at the corner of his lips. Everyone has weaknesses; you just need to look closely enough to find them.
Chu Ze sneered, "The Emperor truly has means that reach the heavens. Is there anything in this world that can escape your discerning eyes?"
"Even the gods have times when they nod off. I may be busy handling myriad affairs, but it’s not as if, as you say, I see everything. Isn’t there a Ning family’s boy who managed to hide away?" Emperor Chu said flatly, "As a ruler, it’s necessary to balance rewards and punishments. If you only intimidate and ignore appeasement, even the most loyal will only harbor thoughts of rebellion."
Chu Ze squinted, "Is the Emperor teaching me how to be a ruler?"
Emperor Chu chuckled lightly, glancing at him sideways. "I’m telling you, as long as something doesn’t harm the Chu dynasty’s empire, I can turn a blind eye, just as my father taught me."
If the water is too clear, there will be no fish. There are some things he doesn’t need to keep an eye on, instead choosing to be selectively blind and deaf.
And whether to turn a blind eye to the piece of flesh in the Princess Consort’s belly depends on Chu Ze’s choice.
Chu Ze was silent for a moment and said, "I’ve said before, I am not by Cabinet Minister Ning’s side, so I naturally don’t know much about his preferences. However, he’s got a loyal dog named Zhang Zhi who is utterly faithful to him. Yet when Cabinet Minister Ning appeared, Zhang Zhi wasn’t by his side."
Emperor Chu asked, "Cabinet Minister Ning is innately suspicious. If he intended to leave a backup plan, surely he would leave a place for that child to ensure safety. Where do you think that might be?"
"Instead of asking me, you should ask Xia Houzhe. After all, he was raised by that person and surely knows better than I!" Chu Ze sneered coldly.
Emperor Chu stared at him, the latter showing no signs of guilt or avoidance.
"You may take your leave."
Chu Ze cupped his hands and turned to leave.
"Your Majesty, should we summon Xia Houzhe for questioning?" Chief Eunuch Zhou stepped forward to ask.
Emperor Chu waved his hand, "No need, just have someone interrogate him. Who knows if his body, ravaged by that poison, might be contagious."
"It was my oversight," Chief Eunuch Zhou quickly slapped his own mouth.
...
Prince Min Mansion, main courtyard.
The Imperial Physician Li, who came to take the peace pulse, took an especially long time checking the pulse today, causing Wan Chun, standing nearby, to feel anxious. Could it be that the master’s body has a problem?
The Princess Consort of Min appeared calm, but it was merely her façade. Inside, she was quite panicked.
She hadn’t had her period this month, and she didn’t know if it really was...
Li, the Imperial Physician, finally withdrew his hand, stood up, and offered his congratulations to the Princess Consort of Min with a beaming smile. "Congratulations, Princess, you have a happy pulse; it’s been over a month."
Wan Chun exclaimed, "Oh." Then, realizing, her voice pierced through the sky, "What did you say?"
Pregnant? Her mistress?
No, her mistress only slept with Prince Min once. How could this happen? That’s not how the play goes!
Though the Princess Consort of Min was prepared, upon hearing this congratulation, her body still wavered, her hand instinctively reaching for her abdomen, her feelings a mix of complexities, her face gradually turning pale.
A tear fell onto her collar.
This world’s suffering— you should not have come, let alone been conceived in my womb.
Outside the main courtyard, Chu Ze stood there, hearing Wan Chun’s scream, unable to resist clenching his fist.
A cold wind blew, scattering the ginkgo leaves within the courtyard, fluttering down to rest on his head, forming a circle on the ground.