An Lingrong's Rebirth: Red

"Madam Sheng, do you mean that you don't want to plead with the Emperor for me?" The Third Prince raised his voice slightly. He deliberately knocked his teacup on the table to make himself louder. "Madam Sheng, aren't you afraid that I will tell the Emperor that you instructed me to frame the Empress?"

"Third prince, if you want, just go and tell the emperor," Ling Rong raised her eyebrows and stood up and made a gesture of invitation. "I will wait in Chengqian Palace and listen carefully to the news reported by the third prince. How about that?"

"You..." The Third Prince stood up suddenly and walked towards the door in two steps, but he stopped soon, "Why aren't you afraid?"

"Third Prince, there are actually people as stupid as you in this world," Ling Rong shook her head and sneered, "I was the one who instigated you to report to the Emperor, and you pushed all the blame onto the Empress.

But have you ever thought about what evidence you have? Human witnesses or physical evidence?

The servants around you have been detained to investigate the poisoning case. These few days in the prince's residence, you have been taken care of by the servants around the fifth prince.

You, who came to see me, naturally would not tell the Fifth Prince and the servants around him, so you definitely don't have any witness.

Even if you have witnesses, when the Japanese palace sent someone to see you, they also went to see the Fifth Prince and gave you clothes and supplements, and the Fifth Prince also had the same.

I can use the excuse that I delivered clothes to the two princes. Your Majesty only needs to ask the Fifth Prince and the servants around him to know that I am not lying."

"But, but I don't need to slander you."

"Why not?" Ling Rong sat down slowly. Her tone was very normal, but her words made the Third Prince lose his strength. "The Queen has raised you, and in order to get rid of the suspicion on yourself, you put all the blame on the Queen.

Even if it was really the Queen who did it, so what? As her adopted son, have you ever thought about taking the blame yourself so that your mother would not be hated by the Emperor?"

Ling Rong looked at the Third Prince sitting back in his chair dejectedly and couldn't help but sneer, "You didn't do that, you only thought about saving yourself!

No matter how bad the queen is and how many people she has harmed, she has never harmed you. She asked you to work hard in your studies and urged you to study horse riding diligently. What are you doing?

You were taking a shortcut and were deceived by the Fourth Prince in just a few words. You ran to beg the Emperor for mercy and even lost your own clan membership.

Now you should report the Queen first to clear yourself of suspicion. Then report me and make yourself the innocent person being threatened, so that the Emperor will have more pity on you.

You even deliberately came to visit Chengqian Palace in a swaggering manner, just to make the emperor feel that there is some connection between me and you.

But the emperor is not a fool and will not be fooled by your methods. In the eyes of the emperor, you will only become a selfish person who will do anything to achieve his goals.

Third Prince, I still hope you can report this to the Emperor. The door is open for you. Please go ahead."

Zhaoshui opened the door, stood at the door and gestured to the Third Prince to come in.

The Third Prince turned his head away and refused to get up no matter what. He pursed his lips and looked up again to stare at Ling Rong.

Ling Rong ignored him and asked Zhao Shui to pour her another cup of hot tea. "The tea is cold. Please add some more hot water."

"My lady, I will change another pot of tea for you. Adding more water will make the tea weaker and not tasty."

Ling Rong looked at the Third Prince, and after a moment she spoke deliberately, "Third Prince, it's getting late, have you made a decision?"

The Third Prince remained silent, but his shoulders rose and fell in anger, as if he had suffered a great injustice.

"I never thought of telling you all these things in detail. After all, it's such a simple matter. I thought you would have figured it out when you decided to put the blame on the queen."

Lingrong's words were almost directly saying that the Third Prince was stupid, but the Third Prince could only hold it in and dared not say anything more to Concubine Sheng.

"If Third Prince has thought it through, then go back to study hard. I will find a way to do what I promised you.

However, whether you can succeed or not depends on your status in the emperor's heart.

Concubine Qi helped me when she was alive, so I am giving you advice now to protect yourself. It's fine if you don't feel any gratitude towards me, but for Concubine Qi's sake I won't hold it against you.

But before she died, Concubine Qi told me that as long as I could live a peaceful life, she would not ask for too much."

The so-called words about Concubine Qi entrusting her son to the care of others were of course false. Linglong just made it up on the spur of the moment, taking advantage of the fact that the Third Prince didn't know.

As for why Lingrong did this, it was only because she was worried that the Third Prince would become desperate and take her with him even at the cost of his own life.

The Third Prince was indeed filial to Concubine Qi. When he heard Ling Rong talking about Concubine Qi, he finally took action and asked what else Concubine Qi had said.

"Whatever she said doesn't matter. She's already dead. All you have to do is take good care of yourself and let her soul rest in peace."

"When I got the news, my mother had already passed away. I didn't get to say a word to her."

Hongshi stood up. He was very tall, and Lingrong was shorter than him. Standing in front of Lingrong, he really looked like a giant.

Ling Rong felt her eyes darken before the Third Prince walked up to her, "Madam Sheng, please tell me what my mother said before she passed away."

"Third prince, Concubine Qi passed away, leaving only a few words for you to take good care of yourself and listen to your royal father. She regretted not teaching you well, so she felt guilty. When I sent her the monthly allowance, she chatted with me for a few words.

I have a mediocre relationship with Concubine Qi on weekdays, and I don’t hear any intimate conversations from her, which makes Third Prince disappointed.”

The Third Prince's body swayed as he stood firm. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to ask something, but when he learned that Lingrong had an average relationship with his mother, he ultimately couldn't bring himself to ask.

"Third Prince, I know that you and Concubine Qi had a deep relationship, but she is gone, so you should focus on the future."

"How can I have any future? The Emperor Father doesn't like me, and I personally reported the Empress Dowager and deposed her.

Madam Sheng, you don’t like me, and you are unwilling to help me regain my clan membership, which shows that my future is hopeless.”

Ling Rong frowned, she looked up at the Third Prince standing in front of her, "I have said many times that I will plead for Third Prince. If Third Prince does not believe me, he should immediately go to the Yangxin Palace with me and plead with the Emperor in person."

"Are you serious, Madam Sheng?" The Third Prince's eyes lit up. He did not hear Ling Rong's sarcasm, but immediately invited Ling Rong to come over. "Your son is ready. Madam Sheng, please come in."

Ling Rong really didn't expect the Third Prince to be so stupid. She hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "Since the Third Prince is so anxious, let's go. Zhao Shui, go to the kitchen and get the medicinal food, and take it to the Yangxin Palace."

Zhaoshui responded and went downstairs to prepare. Lingrong also turned around and went back to the bedroom, asking Mujin to put a cloak on her before returning to the main hall to meet the Third Prince.

The two did not continue chatting. Lingrong and Zhaoshui walked in front, and the Third Prince followed behind. The group soon arrived at the Yangxin Palace. The emperor had just finished lunch. When he heard Lingrong and the Third Prince coming, although he was confused, he still asked them to come in immediately.

As usual, Ling Rong asked about the emperor's health as soon as she entered the palace. While waiting for the emperor to reply, Ling Rong presented the medicinal food to him, "Your Majesty has just finished lunch, so you can take this opportunity to have some medicinal food, which will be good for your health."

The emperor nodded. He just glanced at the medicinal food and had no intention of drinking it immediately. "Why did you come here with Hongshi today? What happened to him?"

"I have taken over the palace affairs now, and I find that the Third Prince and the Fifth Prince share the same group of servants, which is indeed a bit inconvenient.

So he thought of asking the Third Prince what he thought, whether he wanted the people who had served him before, or to transfer some more from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The Third Prince is nostalgic and wants his former servants back, but they are now being held in the Ministry of Punishment, so I brought the Third Prince here with me. "

Listening to Ling Rong's words, the Third Prince became a little anxious. These were clearly not the things they talked about in Chengqian Palace. Why did Concubine Sheng change her words at the last minute?

The Third Prince called out "Empress Sheng" in a low voice, trying to remind her to talk about business, but was discovered by the Emperor, who gave him a sharp look, scaring him so much that he dared not speak again.

"Your Majesty, the Third Prince will probably ask for mercy himself. He is still a child, please don't be too harsh on him."

Lingrong looked at the Third Prince's impatience and knew that he did not understand her approach at all. He just wanted to ask the Emperor to restore his clan status.

"Child? You are old enough to get married, how can you still be a child?"

The emperor snorted, causing the Third Prince to shrink his shoulders in fear. He stood back involuntarily, not daring to look directly at the emperor.

This look is infuriating. The Fourth Prince and the Fifth Prince would not behave like this in front of the Emperor. Only the Third Prince is stupid and a little cowardly, and does not look like an emperor at all.

"But the Third Prince has not married yet, so it is normal for him to still have some youthful spirit." Ling Rong also glanced at the Third Prince. She shook her head slightly, indicating that the Third Prince should be patient. "The Emperor should give him some time."

"How much time can he waste!" The emperor was furious when he saw the Third Prince cowering. He couldn't help but speak more harshly, "He is the oldest, but he knows nothing about government affairs. He is not as good as the two older ones, Hongli and Hongzhou, and he is not even as good as Youning and Hongyu.

Youning is even a girl. In addition to learning the Four Books and Five Classics, Manchu and Mongolian, she also has to learn needlework and etiquette. She learns more than him, but does it better than him. "

The emperor turned around and stared at Hongshi, "As the eldest son, you should set a good example for your brothers and sisters, but what have you done?

Now you have come to ask for help from Concubine Sheng. Don't think I don't know what you are thinking. You are lying about wanting me to serve you personally, but you are really thinking about restoring your clan membership."

Ling Rong had expected the emperor to be so perceptive, but she did not expect that the emperor would speak of this matter in front of the three of them. The meaning of his warning was obvious.

"Your Majesty is really perceptive," Ling Rong did not hide anything but spoke frankly, "The Third Prince came to me before lunch and asked me to help him and say something good for him.

He spoke sincerely, repeatedly saying that he knew he was wrong and wanted to ask for the emperor's forgiveness.

But I know that the emperor has his reasons for giving the order, so I brought the Third Prince here. I think it’s better for you to solve the matter between the emperor and his subjects and the father and son face to face.”

As Ling Rong spoke, she looked at the emperor's face. Seeing that his face had eased a little, she felt relieved. "Since the emperor already knows the true reason why the Third Prince came here, I will not accompany him any longer."

"Sit down." The emperor twisted the beads and finally took the medicinal food and took a bite. "Hongshi, you did something wrong. Expelling you from the clan is my punishment for you.

And this punishment will not be taken back even if you know how to repent. Only when it is irreversible can it be unforgettable. "

It was a cup of tea later when Lingrong and the Third Prince left the Palace of Tranquil Longevity. Through this conversation, the Emperor confirmed that Lingrong was not very smart, would not win over the princes, and would only dote on them blindly, and would come to him to beg for mercy at the mere words of encouragement.

It also confirmed that the Third Prince was a heartless person. He had no deep understanding of what he had done. He just felt that he did something wrong because he believed Hongli's slander.

But the issue was never about pleading for mercy, but about him questioning his royal father.

If you don't agree with me, he is not qualified to be your son.

"Madam Sheng, you didn't do what you promised."

"I have done what I can do." Ling Rong deliberately got involved in the plea in order to be the one who would not be suspected by the emperor. This way, she could become a person who holds the power of the palace but has no ambitions. "Third brother, the emperor's meaning is very clear. As long as you figure out where you are wrong, you can immediately resume your clan membership.

If I were you, I would go back to the prince's residence right now and think carefully about where I went wrong.

Instead of standing in front of the Yangxin Palace and asking me why I can't plead for you!"

Lingrong was really annoyed by the Third Prince's stupidity. She shook her sleeves one by one, held Zhaoshui's hand and got into the sedan chair, leaving the Third Prince far behind.

"Your Majesty, Third Prince is too confused. Even though I've made it so clear, he's still stubborn and thinks it's your Majesty who didn't help him."

"Because he can't figure it out with his brain," Ling Rong finally sneered, "He and Concubine Qi are exactly the same. When they were young, they made people feel cute and adorable, but when they got older, they became stupid and gradually became annoying.

The emperor treated Concubine Qi like this and also the Third Prince like this.

The same will be true for me and others in the future."