Pin Shanhe

His gaze swept over her again, and a cold smile crept onto his lips.

"Wow, it's quite lively here!"

Consort Ning, Prince Xuan and his wife, Jun Jingyan, Jun Qiyuan and Jiang Ruoyao... and the figures of a newlywed couple in front.

Everyone who was supposed to be there has arrived!

At this moment, Jun Qiyuan suddenly winked at him.

His expression still looked somewhat solemn, as if he were reminding him of something.

Although Murong Xiao saw it, he didn't take it to heart.

Since we've already gotten our hands on him and it's a done deal, how can we possibly take him away from him?

Emperor Yong coughed lightly: "I heard that after the First Prince returned yesterday, he rushed into the bridal chamber without completing the wedding ceremony or drinking the nuptial wine. Is that true?"

Murong Xiao's eyes flickered. "Your Majesty even knows the exact time of my wedding night. Isn't this... a bit too much of a stretch?"

Emperor Yong's expression also darkened. "The Crown Prince only needs to answer my questions!"

"This prince has traveled a long way to fetch my bride. The marriage has been fraught with difficulties. I've finally managed to marry this beautiful woman. What's so strange about being a little impatient?"

Shen Fu, who was standing nearby, suddenly spoke up: "Is the Crown Prince sure that the woman he married yesterday is really your bride?"

Murong Xiao's tone hardened: "What do you mean?"

At that moment, the woman next to her suddenly turned around.

"It means... the bride is the wrong one!"

Upon seeing the other person's face, Murong Xiao's pupils dilated violently, and he abruptly took a step back.

She was actually—Jun Anning!

How is that possible?

Who was the woman he favored last night?

It took Murong Xiao a while to come to his senses, his voice laced with obvious gritted teeth: "What are you doing here?"

Jun Anning looked bewildered: "Where should this princess be?"

"Of course..."

Murong Xiao almost blurted out the truth.

wrong!

Before setting off, she was still inside the tent and had not yet gotten up.

If she has to change and do her hair after waking up, how could she possibly arrive before me?

Moreover, after all the tossing and turning with her last night, she must have been exhausted, so why is she so radiant?

Everything about it seemed unbelievable.

Jun Qiyuan was also completely baffled by this.

He made a point of entering the palace early this morning just to watch a good show.

But when he saw Jun Anning appear, he was extremely shocked.

How could she have arrived before Murong Xiao?

After hearing their explanation, I felt a wave of dizziness.

I know it's over again!

Murong Xiao had no time to consider his current feelings; he only wanted to figure out what was going on.

"What did you mean when you said the bride was a mistake?"

"You should ask the First Prince about that. You personally chose the bride and saw her face. Didn't you notice anything amiss when you entered the bridal chamber?"

"..."

Of course he knows it's wrong!

The face I was making love with last night was clearly the one in front of me!

But he couldn't explain why she had arrived before him.

"Stop beating around the bush, just say what you want to say."

"Then the eldest prince should meet someone first."

Just as he finished speaking, a woman walked in.

It's Su Yingxue!

As soon as she entered the room, she knelt on the ground and began to sob.

"Yesterday morning, I arrived at Qingyun Palace to wait. There was no one inside at the time. Suddenly, I was attacked from behind and lost consciousness."

"When I woke up, I found myself locked in a dark cabinet, my hands and feet were bound, and my mouth and nose were covered. I was only rescued today when the palace maids came in to clean the room."

"This must be a setup! Your Majesty, you must do justice for me!"

Both Murong Xiao and Jun Qiyuan's eyes flashed with extreme shock and disbelief.

If what she said is true, then who was the person who got married with Anning Jun and Anning yesterday?

Jun Qiyuan suddenly turned around and looked at Jiang Ruoyao beside him.

Wasn't it she who secretly contacted Su Yingxue and recruited her to participate in this plan?

How could she be completely unaware of such a huge incident?

At this moment, Jiang Ruoyao was also stunned!

How could this happen?

From the moment they arrived at Qingyun Palace yesterday, she stayed by Su Yingxue's side without leaving for a moment, and even watched them get into the bridal sedan chair.

If she really was locked in the closet all day, then was the "Su Yingxue" she saw yesterday just a hallucination?

"That's impossible!"

So shocked was she that she couldn't help but shout out, which immediately drew strange looks from everyone.

Emperor Yong quickly came to his senses. "Right, didn't the Fourth Imperial Consort also go to see the bride off? What exactly happened?"

Jiang Ruoyao suddenly woke up with a start, and cold sweat immediately broke out on her forehead.

"My daughter-in-law... stayed with Princess Yingxue all day yesterday and showed no signs of anything amiss."

After saying that, she immediately turned her attention to Shen Fu and Jun Anning.

"You're the ones who tampered with things, aren't you? How dare you ruin the marriage alliance and secretly switch the brides?"

Jun Qiyuan's heart skipped a beat. What a terrible teammate!

Even if you really think that way, you can't just say it out loud without any evidence!

As expected, Emperor Yong's expression turned unfriendly.

"You mean the Princess Consort and the Eighth Princess did it? Do you have any evidence?"

"I……"

She stammered for a long time, but couldn't say anything.

Jun Anning feigned a wronged expression: "I have no idea where I offended Fourth Sister-in-law. Yesterday in Qingyun Palace you were targeting me at every turn, and now you're even slandering me out of thin air. Is it because you resent Second Brother for not marrying you that you're taking your anger out on us?"

Emperor Yong immediately became alert: "What? You had a conflict yesterday, what happened?"

Shen Fu continued, "When we entered Qingyun Palace yesterday, the Fourth Princess Consort and Princess Yingxue had already arrived. The Fourth Princess Consort lamented that the Seventh Princess had become 'cold and distant' after leaving the palace, and the Eighth Princess, feeling indignant, had an argument with her."

This statement reveals two important messages.

First, before they went in, Jiang Ruoyao and Su Yingxue had a chance to be alone together.

Secondly, the Emperor had long ago issued a decree forbidding anyone from discussing the Eighth Princess's identity, and Jiang Ruoyao's actions clearly violated this taboo.

Emperor Yong's face was as dark as ink, his gaze fixed on Jiang Ruoyao.

"presumptuous!"

The sudden, sharp shout instantly sombered the atmosphere in the imperial study.

"You have made baseless accusations and spread rumors out of thin air, and you even dared to disobey my orders. What is your punishment?"

Jiang Ruoyao was so frightened that her legs went weak and she knelt down on the ground.

"Your subject knows she was wrong. Your subject... just spoke without thinking."

How many times has she said that?

Even if she didn't say enough, he was already tired of hearing it!

"I see you knowingly committed this offense. Guards, slap him!"

Before the situation was even cleared up, one of their own men was killed.

Jun Qiyuan gritted his teeth in anger.

But husband and wife are one, sharing both honor and disgrace, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and plead for leniency.

"Father, please calm down. It was my fault for not disciplining you properly. But this matter concerns the important plan of the marriage alliance. Ruoyao is a key witness. Even if you want to punish her, you should investigate the matter thoroughly first."

These words reminded Emperor Yong, and his gaze toward Jiang Ruoyao was now filled with suspicion.

Su Yingxue said that she was knocked unconscious as soon as she entered Qingyun Palace.

Princess Xuan also said that when she and the Eighth Princess arrived, they saw the Fourth Princess and "Su Yingxue" together.

Isn't the truth obvious?