Chapter 30: The Collapse of the Marquis’ Manor and the Despair of Noble Consort Qin and Her Son

Seeing that Noble Consort Qin had finally left obediently, Emperor Jun turned his gaze back to the kneeling family of the Loyal and Brave Marquis, as well as the Eldest Prince…

He pondered—how should he deal with them without interfering with Han’er’s plans?

While Emperor Jun was still contemplating, Mu Ling suddenly stood up, gave a slight curtsy to Jun Mohan, and said, “Your Highness, since the Eldest Prince is so deeply devoted to Mu Fuxing, why not fulfill their love?”

The Crown Prince was momentarily stunned, but when he caught a hint of scheming in Mu Ling’s playful gaze, the corners of his lips curled up. This little girl had another trick up her sleeve…

“Father,” Jun Mohan looked at Emperor Jun with a serious expression and said, “The Crown Princess is right. Since my royal brother is so fond of the second young lady of the Mu family, why not grant them marriage? As the saying goes: ‘It is better to break a temple than to break a marriage.’

However… this Mu Fuxing truly does not deserve to marry into the royal family in any way. How about having royal brother make some sacrifices? I believe that for the sake of the woman he loves, he would be willing to give up anything.”

Emperor Jun immediately understood—his son and daughter-in-law were trying to push the Loyal and Brave Marquis’ Manor and the Eldest Prince into complete ruin. But that was fine. Perhaps only by pushing them to the edge would certain hidden truths finally come to light.

So, he nodded and coldly said to Jun Moyuan, “Since you insist on marrying this woman, I will grant your wish. She shall be your principal wife. However… the Loyal and Brave Marquis’ Manor has repeatedly spoken arrogantly, showing no respect for the imperial family. If I do not punish them, it would be unjustifiable. Therefore, the marquis will be stripped of all his titles and privileges, and the entire family will be demoted to commoners.

Jun Moyuan, since your love for Mu Fuxing is so deep, I assume you wouldn’t mind her humble status, correct? But rules must be followed, especially since you are a prince. Since you are marrying a woman of such lowly background—one who has even been demoted to commoner status—you will also be barred from participating in political affairs.”

At this, Emperor Jun turned to Eunuch Ming and declared, “Pass my decree: from this day forward, the Eldest Prince Jun Moyuan shall be relieved of all duties and will live as an idle prince.”

Everyone in the hall was stunned!

The entire family of the Loyal and Brave Marquis was in shock!

The Eldest Prince and the Eldest Princess were completely dumbfounded!

Since when did Dayan have a rule that a prince who marries a commoner woman could no longer participate in court affairs?

The guests attending today’s banquet were all high-ranking officials of the court. It only took a moment for them to realize—this wasn’t some new rule; it was merely an excuse. The emperor’s true intention was clear: to completely strip the Eldest Prince of any possibility of becoming the future heir! This decree was one step away from reducing the Eldest Prince to a commoner himself!

While shock spread through the hall, many secretly felt relieved—thankfully, they had not chosen to support the Eldest Prince.

But for the Loyal and Brave Marquis’ family, this was an utter collapse! Their family had been stripped of all power and reduced to ordinary commoners. For a family obsessed with status and wealth, how could they accept such a fate?!

“Your Majesty—” The Loyal and Brave Marquis kowtowed forcefully, the sound of his head hitting the ground echoing through the hall. Those nearby winced at the sheer force—how hard did he have to bow to make such a loud noise?

“Your Majesty, please, for the sake of my years of loyal service to the court, spare me this once! I—”

Before he could finish, Emperor Jun coldly interrupted, “Mu Zonghui, only now do I realize how foolish you are! I can understand your ambition, but do you not comprehend what should and should not be done? And tell me, the woman who has shared your bed for over twenty years—is she truly human, or is she something else? Have you not figured that out?

Let me tell you this, Mu Zonghui—everything that has happened to you today is the doing of the very women by your side! Your wife, your concubines, and even that imposter standing next to you—they are the ones who have brought your downfall, step by step!”

Mu Zonghui was frozen in shock. He understood that for the sake of his ambitions, he had worked with the Eldest Prince for years. But why did the emperor mention Su San? Wasn’t she just a pawn he and Concubine Lan had manipulated? She should be nothing more than a sacrificial piece, so why did the emperor bring her up?

Could it be that Su San had done something behind his back? But that didn’t make sense—she had been played for a fool by him and Concubine Lan for over twenty years. How could she have possibly done something shocking enough to alarm the emperor?

Seeing that this fool was beyond saving, Emperor Jun didn’t bother explaining further. He simply continued coldly, “Eldest Prince, you and Mu Fuxing shall be wed within three days. The ceremony will be kept simple—I do not wish to be humiliated any further.

This banquet is over. I am tired.”

This palace banquet had begun with the shocking revelation of the Crown Prince’s recovery, followed by amazement at the Crown Princess, then the downfall of the Loyal and Brave Marquis’ Manor, and finally, the Eldest Prince being forced to marry a fake Mu Fuxing and stripped of his political rights…

Everything that had happened today made the guests feel like they had been riding an emotional rollercoaster for hours.

As Emperor Jun and Empress Chu left, the Empress even smiled and told Mu Ling, “Make sure to visit me in the palace sometime.”

And with that, the grand banquet ended. In an instant, the once-crowded Fengxi  Hall was empty.

Mu Ling then whispered to Lang Yi, “Make sure to station more guards tonight. Watch over the Marquis’ Manor, the Eldest Prince’s residence, and the Eldest Princess’ estate. If I’m not mistaken, we’re in for quite a spectacle in the coming days. Oh, and Jun Mohan, can you send someone to keep an eye on Noble Consort Qin? I’m afraid…”

Jun Mohan chuckled. “No need to worry about her. Father will send someone himself. Ling’er, you don’t understand Father—he’s not the kind of man who tolerates even a speck of dust in his eyes. After everything that’s happened, do you think he’ll let her go?”

Mu Ling pursed her lips in disagreement. “Not tolerate dust? After all these years, hasn’t he swallowed enough sand? Take Noble Consort Qin and her son, for example. They nearly took your lives! And he still doesn’t tolerate dust?”

Jun Mohan’s gaze darkened. “That’s because… Father underestimated their hunger for power. Perhaps, in his heart, he never believed that Noble Consort Qin and my royal brother would covet the throne—because it was never theirs to dream of. That’s why he never guarded against them.”

Mu Ling agreed completely. In her past life, Noble Consort Qin and her son had succeeded in their schemes precisely because they deceived everyone—especially Empress Chu.

“In fact, I think another reason is that the Empress was too kind, which allowed Noble Consort Qin to exploit her. I hope she can finally see them for who they are and not be fooled again.”

Jun Mohan thought back to Mu Ling’s words about the previous life—how all the tragedies had stemmed from his own death.

“They don’t truly understand my mother. Noble Consort Qin thinks she does, but she doesn’t. My mother may be tolerant and non-confrontational, but there is one thing she will never compromise on—her three children. If anyone dares to harm us, she will stop at nothing to destroy them.

Now that she knows my royal brother tried to kill me, do you really think she’ll let them go, Ling’er? Watch closely—my mother will not show them mercy.”

Jun Mohan was right. The moment Empress Chu returned to Fengxi Palace, she ordered, “Since Noble Consort Qin needs peace and reflection, send her to the nunnery. Let her meditate there and contemplate what should and should not be done. And since it’s a place of spiritual retreat, her daily provisions will be kept simple.”

A nunnery was only slightly better than the Cold Palace—she would have no servants except for one old maid, live on plain food, and endure endless hardship…