Chapter 53

When the news reached the Yikun Palace, the Empress was furious, but after she calmed down, she felt a cold sweat spread all over her body.

Di Zaiying was Little Xi’s tutor!

If it weren’t for him revealing his true colors today, Little Xi could have lost his life at any moment!

When Mrs. Qiao heard that Qiao Jiaojiao was in danger, she suddenly stood up, feeling dizzy for a moment.

Just then, the Crown Prince, holding Qiao Jiaojiao in his arms with the Western Prince by his side, hurried into the Yikun Palace.

Seeing Qiao Jiaojiao, Mrs. Qiao couldn’t care less about decorum and immediately rushed forward.

“Jiaojiao!”

After seeing Mrs. Qiao again after her ordeal, Qiao Jiaojiao couldn’t help but feel her nose tingle and reach out to Mrs. Qiao.

Mrs. Qiao’s heart trembled as she embraced Qiao Jiaojiao, checking on her over and over again.

[“Mom, I’m fine! Really!”]

[“I have a golden finger, that merit shop not only saved me, but also saved the silly and sweet one’s life! It even exposed Di Zaiying!”]

After hearing Qiao Jiaojiao’s thoughts, Mrs. Qiao suddenly felt relieved, and for a moment, her limbs went weak.

“Mrs. Qiao, the matter of Jiaojiao’s danger was due to this palace’s oversight. Please—”

“Your Highness, you must not say such things to your subject. This is a long-planned scheme by the thief, unrelated to you.”

Mrs. Qiao actually harbored some resentment in her heart.

She blamed the Crown Prince for taking Jiaojiao out and leaving halfway without sending her back to the Yikun Palace in time.

But Mrs. Qiao also knew that the Crown Prince had been manipulated.

Her husband and eldest son often said in front of her that the Crown Prince was a wise and virtuous heir, a blessing to Great Yong.

Now that Jiaojiao was unharmed, Mrs. Qiao would not make things difficult for the Crown Prince.

Seeing Mrs. Qiao’s understanding, the Crown Prince couldn’t help but feel more guilty.

“Thank you, Mrs. Qiao, for your understanding. I have already summoned Mr. and Mrs. Qiao into the palace. Mrs. Qiao, please rest at my mother’s place for now. I will definitely give the Qiao family an explanation.”

After saying this, the Crown Prince left quickly.

The Western Prince leaned against the Empress’s side, gazing steadily at the cute and innocent Qiao Jiaojiao, silently affirming his previous actions.

The Empress comforted the Western Prince while comforting Mrs. Qiao, also chanting Amitabha Buddha in her heart.

About half an hour later, Eunuch Huang personally came to the Yikun Palace, saying that the Emperor summoned the Western Prince and Mrs. Qiao.

When Qiao Jiaojiao heard that she was going to see the Emperor, she couldn’t help but feel both curious and nervous.

At the door of the Imperial Study, Eunuch Huang went in to report, and then Qiao Jiaojiao and the others were summoned in.

Qiao Jiaojiao’s eyes widened as she first saw the dazzling splendor, then her gaze fell on the Emperor behind the desk wearing dragon robes.

From the appearance of the princes, one could tell that their father must be handsome.

Now that she looked closely, the Emperor was indeed extraordinarily handsome, resembling the Crown Prince by about sixty percent.

Perhaps due to his many years of being an incumbent, the Emperor’s brows and eyes were much colder than the Crown Prince’s, and his demeanor of nobility and grace seemed a bit aloof.

Seeing this, Qiao Jiaojiao became much more cautious.

[“This Emperor is also a tricky one; I have to be careful in front of him!”]

Mrs. Qiao trembled all over when she heard this and almost tripped over her feet in front of the Emperor.

Qiao Jiaojiao then looked at the Western Zhou. When she saw Qiao Zhongguo and Qiao Tianjing, her eyes lit up.

[“Dad! Big brother! Waaah, even though we were separated not long ago, I already miss you!”]

Qiao Zhongguo and Qiao Tianjing had been staring at her intently since she entered. Although the Crown Prince had said that she had already been examined by the imperial physician and was unharmed, they couldn’t rest easy until they saw her with their own eyes.

Now, hearing Qiao Jiaojiao’s lively and unchanged voice, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The Emperor of Yong observed the scene and then directed his gaze towards Qiao Jiaojiao.

“Zhongguo, is this your family’s precious treasure?”

Qiao Zhongguo immediately stepped forward, respectfully replying, “Yes, Your Majesty, this is my daughter, Jiaojiao.”

“Bring her over here for us to have a look.”

The Emperor of Yong seemed quite interested.

Upon hearing this, Qiao Zhongguo took Jiaojiao from Mrs. Qiao’s arms and gently handed her over, casting a comforting glance at Mrs. Qiao in the process.

Seeing her husband, Mrs. Qiao’s previously uneasy heart found solace, and she nodded imperceptibly to Qiao Zhongguo.

Qiao Zhongguo brought Jiaojiao to the dragon desk, and surprisingly, the Emperor of Yong personally stood up.

Jiaojiao thought the Emperor was going to hold her and immediately panicked in her heart:

[“Don’t touch me! Your Majesty, don’t touch me!”]

Qiao Zhongguo’s fingers trembled slightly, but his deep city skills prevented any abnormality from showing.

[“The cruelest are the rulers; this Yong Emperor here is a prime example! He may seem affectionate, but all his affection is reserved for Princess Yuliu!”]

[“Can you imagine? Princess Yuliu has been dead for thirteen years, and the dog Emperor still loves her to the bone! And he extends that love to the Second Prince too!”]

Upon hearing this, Qiao Zhongguo’s heart skipped a beat!

What did it mean for the Emperor to have high expectations for a prince?

Having high expectations for a prince meant… inheriting the throne!

But there’s already a Crown Prince—

Qiao Zhongguo’s thoughts reached here, suddenly recalling the Crown Prince’s sudden death at a young age, and his spine chilled instantly.

[“Don’t think that the dog Emperor is truly favoring the Crown Prince now and neglecting the Second Prince. He’s actually protecting the Second Prince indirectly!”]

[“Later, when the Crown Prince died suddenly, causing chaos in the court, even though Concubine Xiao had given birth to a son for the Crown Prince, the dog Emperor still went against public opinion and pushed the Second Prince onto the position of heir!”]

[“But because the Second Prince held deep hatred towards the dog Emperor due to Princess Yuliu’s death, father and son clashed, and the Second Prince emerged as the final victor.”]

[“On his deathbed, the dog Emperor confessed everything, revealing that he had been working diligently all these years, hoping to clear his name at the last moment.”]

[“Now looking back, what a farce it was!”]

The more Jiaojiao thought about it, the angrier she became.

[“The dog Emperor can love Princess Yuliu, but he should also consider his Empress and his two sons!”]

[“When the Western Prince drowned, he didn’t even show any sadness, and then he opened the back door for the Second Prince, making it easy for him to bring people into the palace.”]

[“The Empress was in anguish, but he didn’t care, spending all his time pouring out his heart to Princess Yuliu’s portrait. After the Crown Prince’s sudden death, the Empress went completely mad.”]

[“Wait a minute, now I’m even suspecting whether the Crown Prince’s sudden death was the Emperor’s doing! But even a tiger wouldn’t eat its cubs, would it? He couldn’t be so heartless and insane, could he?”]

Jiaojiao’s thoughts had wandered far away.

Qiao Zhongguo and the others listened with trembling hearts, becoming increasingly horrified by the end.

So, when the Second Prince plotted against their entire Qiao family, did the Emperor turn a blind eye?

Or did the Emperor personally intervene to clear the way for the Second Prince?

Thinking of this, veins bulged on Qiao Zhongguo’s hand, and even his breathing became heavy.

“Oh dear—”

Jiaojiao suddenly let out an innocent cry, pulling Qiao Zhongguo out of the whirlpool of his thoughts.

It turned out that the Yong Emperor was amusing Jiaojiao by stuffing a piece of yellow jade into her hand.

“Zhongguo, your daughter is indeed clever.”

The Yong Emperor smiled faintly, then raised his voice and said:

“Bring Di Zaiying up here.”