CH 4

The designs and decorations in this spacious room was almost the same as her old room.

There was a folding screen with paintings of a lady adorned with bird feathers standing underneath a tree, a rosewood writing desk, a tri-colored chess board, and a silver painted octagonal long table with gold dusting. They were all made by artisans hired by Xiao Yu. They made them from scratch based on the designs in her memories.

Xiao Yu told her that the Queen Dowager had conspired against her father and killed him. He said that once he succeeded the throne, he would help her clear her father’s name.

Everyone thought that the Crown Prince was very good to her. They said that she should be extremely grateful that she was able to marry the Crown Prince despite her status as the daughter of a disgraced minister.

She had once thought that way too. So although she did not love Xiao Yu, she treated him with tremendous respect in the past two years. She thought that she would never be able to repay his kindness.

That was until half a month ago when she suddenly received the letter in her hand and understood that everything she had believed was wrong.

She thought that the Crown Prince was her savior, but in reality, he was the one who had framed and killed her father!

The letter stated that, in the beginning, Xiao Yu was planning to use his engagement with her as a means to get Chu Qianyu on his side. For that reason, he sent people to privately negotiate with Chu Qianyu.

However, Chu Qianyu was firm in his stance of not involving himself in the power rivalry and would not relent. Xiao Yu became nervous with worry. His worry could not be dispelled even after a personal visit.

Not long afterwards, Chu Qianyu entered the palace for an audience with the Emperor. He accidentally discovered that Xiao Yu had secretly ordered someone in the palace to poison the Emperor’s food and drinks!

Even in anger, he understood the intricacy of the matter and did not act rashly. So, he did not expose it on the spot and went to question Xiao Yu personally.

When questioned, Xiao Yu burst into tears and was extremely remorseful. Who knew that the moment Chu Qianyu turned around, Xiao Yu began to speedily fabricate evidence, creating the false accusation that Chu Qianyu tried to poison the Emperor. Furthermore, to get rid of Noble Consort Xue and Wu Wanghuan, he even falsely accused Chu Qianyu of having an illicit relationship with Noble Consort Xue.

Initially, Chu Ning did not believe everything in the letter.

However, a few days ago, she went to the palace with Xiao Yu and saw that the symptoms of the Emperor’s illness were similar to what was written in the letter. She then read the records of the illness kept by the Chief Steward of Medicine and discovered that it was a near complete match.

When her father was accused of attempting to murder the Emperor, the poison discovered was the common bane plant.

Now, as the Crown Princess, she knew clearly that the Crown Prince had something to do with the Emperor’s illness.

As early as three years ago, the Emperor began to favor Wu Wanghuan and Noble Consort Xue, and he started to consider appointing a new Crown Prince, further damaging his relationship with his other son, Xiao Yu.

This time, Chu Ning had witnessed Xiao Yu using the pretext of visiting the sick Emperor to sneak poison into his medicine.

For the sake of obtaining the throne, he had no regard for his father’s life.

An autumn wind pushed the unsecured shutters open and fluttered the letter in her hand.

Chu Ning’s shoulders trembled slightly. Her fingertips flattened the folded corners gently as her thoughts slowly grew clearer.

The Crown Prince, Xiao Yu, would do anything to achieve his goal.

Why did he marry her? Perhaps he did have some feelings for her, but mostly it was due to how much it would benefit him.

At the time, he had just expressed his ambition for the throne, so he needed to gain the support of many prominent ministers. By marrying her, the daughter of a fallen minister, not only could he avoid opposition from the Empress Dowager, it would even show that he was a merciful Crown Prince to gain even more trust.

Eventually, on the reason that she, Chu Qianyu’s only daughter, was the Crown Princess, many of her father’s good friends changed their stance and secretly sided with the crown prince.

I do not owe you anything.

Her gaze turned cold as she thought.　　　

…

She had paid Xiao Yu’s kindness in full with her sincerity for the past two years. The benefits that she had brought for him had long surpassed the costs of marrying her.

Next, she wanted to remove his shackles and slowly make him pay back for what he had done to her father.