"Mother, is this purple trembling wood box the gift you gave to Father last month?" Upon hearing this, Emperor Mingde turned his gaze to the box in her hand, narrowed his eyes, and his expression became increasingly unpleasant.
His sharp gaze swept over Ye Zirong: "Third brother, what do you have to say!"
No matter how cunning or capable Ye Zirong was, she was still just a twelve-year-old child. Naturally, she couldn't remain calm and collected in the face of danger.
Large beads of cold sweat appeared on her forehead. What should she do? How could she cover up this lie?
At that moment, the door was suddenly pushed open from the outside, and a blue figure rushed in. As soon as he entered, he knelt down on the ground.
Li Changxi's voice choked with sobs: "Your Majesty! It's all my fault for failing to properly educate you, which has caused such a huge mess. I am entirely at fault and beg Your Majesty to punish me!"
Emperor Mingde said sternly, "You have failed to properly educate your daughter, indulging her insubordination. Moreover, she is wicked and malicious, plotting to frame the Emperor and Empress. At such a young age, she is already so ruthless. What will she be like when she grows up!"
Li Changxi said, "Yes! All the mistakes are mine. I beg Your Majesty to consider that the Third Princess is still young and to place all the blame on me!"
Emperor Mingde angrily said, "You are wrong, and very wrong. But if the third princess is not punished, she will only become more and more wicked in the future. Fortunately, the Crown Princess is clever and resourceful, and her wisdom is extraordinary, so no serious consequences have occurred. Although the third princess is young, the emperor is subject to the same laws as commoners. She may be spared the death penalty, but she will not escape punishment!"
"And you, Consort Li, have failed in your duty to educate your daughter, nearly causing her to commit a grave mistake. As her father, you cannot escape blame for what your third son has done today! By imperial decree, the Third Princess, Ye Zirong, is ruthless and treacherous, plotting against the Emperor and Empress. Effective immediately, she is demoted to a commoner! Consort Li, for failing in your duty to educate your daughter and condoning her children's actions against the Emperor and Empress, is stripped of her title of Consort and imprisoned in the Cold Palace, never to step out again for the rest of her life!"
"As for the eldest princess and the imperial concubine, they shall both be demoted to commoners and sent out of the palace!"
After Emperor Mingde finished speaking, he didn't want to look at them for even a second longer, so he ordered the Imperial Guards to take them away.
Emperor Mingde walked up to Empress Ye Fan with some guilt and embarrassment, reached out and grasped Ye Fan's hand, his face full of apology.
"Fan, I'm sorry..."
The Emperor and Empress showed no anger whatsoever; on the contrary, they smiled and covered Emperor Mingde's lips with their hands, shaking their heads.
"You're not wrong. If I were you, I would have done the same. I understand your feelings..."
Emperor Mingde's expression was complex, unable to conceal his excitement, and his eyes flickered as he looked at Ye Fan.
He then smiled and said, "Now I can rest assured..."
"oh?"
Emperor Mingde turned around, holding his hand, and looked at Ye Xiaowei.
"With such a clever and resourceful Crown Princess to inherit the throne, what do I have to worry about? Of course I'm at ease! Fan, do you still remember the promise I made to you?"
Ye Fan pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "Could it be referring to traveling the world?"
Emperor Mingde smiled without saying a word, his gaze towards Ye Fan extremely ambiguous, making Ye Xiaowei's skin crawl. She wondered if she should step back to avoid disturbing her mother and father's good time, feeling like a giant third wheel.
Then, Emperor Mingde's stern voice rang in my ears:
"Crown Princess Ye Xiaowei, receive the imperial decree!"
Ye Xiaowei suppressed her inner thoughts, knelt on the ground with a serious expression, and said loudly:
"Your subject is here!"
"Crown Princess Ye Xiaowei is intelligent, quick-witted, and exceptionally wise. She has a clear sense of right and wrong and is compassionate towards the people. She is capable of handling national affairs and quelling the infighting within the harem. After observing her secretly for several days, I believe she is truly the only suitable candidate to inherit the throne. Effective immediately, I abdicate in favor of the Crown Princess. This is my decree!"
This happened so suddenly that Ye Xiaowei couldn't react or accept it for a while, and stood there stunned.
Emperor Mingde looked at Ye Xiaowei, who was standing there dumbfounded and didn't know how to express her gratitude, and simply smiled:
"Your Highness, why aren't you accepting the imperial decree and expressing your gratitude?"
Ye Fan also said, "Yeah, Wei'er, why are you acting like you've gone mad?"
Ye Xiaowei then came to her senses. It wasn't a dream; it was real. It was all true.
It's true that Li Changxi was banished to the Cold Palace, and it's also true that Ye Ziyu, Ye Zirong, and Cang Yuan were demoted to commoners. And now, it's also true that Emperor Mingde wants to abdicate the throne to her!
But isn't all of this happening a little too fast? She's only fourteen, a young girl who doesn't understand anything. How can you be so sure that the throne will be returned to her?
"Wei'er?" Ye Fan smiled and approached Ye Xiaowei, who then came to her senses.
"Your subject... Your subject obeys the decree!"
The room full of servants immediately knelt down, shouting, "Greetings, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"
In the twentieth year of the Mingde reign, Emperor Mingde abdicated in favor of Crown Princess Ye Xiaowei. Together with Empress Ye Fan, they traveled the world, living an enviable and carefree life.
After Crown Princess Ye Xiaowei ascended the throne, she changed the country's name to Qingxing and became known in history as Emperor Qingxing!
He then conferred the titles of Imperial Noble Consort on Yin Jinmo, the Attendant Consort, and Luo Zijin, respectively. The position of Empress was temporarily vacant. In the winter of the first year of Qingxing, in accordance with ancestral rules, a selection of consorts was held, and several Attendant Consorts and Noble Consorts were appointed and appointed to reside in the various palaces of the inner palace.
In the spring of the second year of Qingxing, Grand Tutor Li Xueyu colluded with foreign powers and formed cliques in the court and among the people, intending to rebel shortly after the new emperor ascended the throne. Emperor Qingxing discovered this and annihilated the rebels in one fell swoop. Dozens of members of the Li family were all implicated. In the summer of the same year, Grand Tutor's son, Li Muyan, was executed by slow slicing at the age of eighteen.
Ten years later, in the pavilion of the Imperial Garden, Emperor Qingxing, Ye Xiaowei, reclined lazily on a white fox fur coat, gazing at the scantily clad, graceful dancers swaying their bodies on the open ground not far away, her expression serene.
Wearing a floral-patterned jacket, Luo Zijin looked sullen and irritated as she blew over like a gust of wind. She didn't even bother to greet Ye Xiaowei and went straight to her.
"Your Majesty, the eldest princess says she misses you. Why don't you go see her?"
Ye Xiaowei looked up and casually said:
"I'm afraid you miss me, but you're trying to use the eldest princess as an excuse!"
Luo Zijing pouted, her bright golden eyes sparkling, as if her secret had been exposed.
"Your Majesty, not only the eldest princess misses you, but the second prince also misses you. Why don't we meet them both today?"
Yin Jinmo walked over at some point, still smiling, but it sent a chill down one's spine.
"Perhaps I should go see the eldest princess first, and then..."
The two shook their heads in unison, as if by magic, and said in unison:
"no!"
"Why?"
"Because they all miss you, so..."
Luo Zijing blinked his bright golden eyes, exchanged a knowing smile with Yin Jinmo, and the two of them tacitly surrounded Ye Xiaowei, one on each side, and grabbed her arm.
"Your Majesty, we know that you have been very busy with state affairs lately and have had no time to spare. However, no matter how busy you are, you must rest. Moreover, the important matter of ensuring the continuation of the Phoenix Feather royal family cannot be neglected..."
Luo Zijing lowered her eyes, looking shy, but what she said was quite blunt.
"Yes, Your Majesty, think about how long it's been since you last touched us! We can endure it, but Your Majesty is young, strong, and full of energy. Please don't stagnate yourself. Since we've run into each other today, let's seize the day and let us both serve Your Majesty as you retire for the night!"
Having said that, without waiting for Ye Xiaowei's reaction, they grabbed her on either side and pulled her out of the pavilion.
Ye Xiaowei was speechless and helpless. Qiu Mei and Dong Xue were already shaking with laughter. If they hadn't been holding back, they would have burst out laughing by now.
After her resistance proved futile, Ye Xiaowei was overthrown by her two usually gentle and reserved, stunningly handsome husbands. The bed curtains billowed, and the three of them were filled with passion, an air thick with ambiguity, the room brimming with intoxicating beauty…
…The End…