Chapter 465: The Grounded Queen

Chapter 465

As these words left her lips, it was as if a thunderclap exploded in Xiao Jingheng's mind.

His ears rang with a violent hum, and his entire being felt as though it had been doused with freezing snow, his breath nearly stopping.

After a while, when he regained his composure, Xiao Jingheng's brow furrowed tightly, his mind constantly pondering:

Princess Dowager Jinggui conceived Xiao Jingyan during her southern tour, and Song Shicheng happened to be there during that tour as well.

Now that both Zhao Hua and Xiao Jingyan suffer from Peach Blossom Intolerance Syndrome, the person who had an illicit affair with Princess Dowager Jinggui is highly likely to be Song Shicheng!

Recalling how Zhao Hua once advocated for him to execute Prince An and his son,

Zhao Hua's decisive and ruthless demeanor was vastly different from her usual gentle and kind manner, strongly suggesting her desire to distance herself from the matter.

Could it be... that they had already known each other's identities long ago, and this entire charade was just a performance for his benefit?

No wonder!

No wonder the usually obedient Xiao Jingyan defied his decree to bury Cheng Yu alive that day,

and secretly rescued Cheng Yu instead.

Previously, Xiao Jingyan had only said that it was all done for his sake,

but now that Xiao Jingheng carefully examined the situation, it seemed more likely that Xiao Jingyan did it to save his own nephew!

He connected all the events, forming a perfect closed loop,

a perfect closed loop that filled him with dread upon further contemplation.

At this moment, his surging anger reddened Xiao Jingheng's cheeks,

and he trembled with rage as he furiously told the agents of the Secret Agency:

"Investigate! Dig up the burial sites of Prince An and Princess Dowager Jinggui, and see if you can still unearth their corpses!"

The agents were terrified by his ferocious expression, and it took them a while to stammer:

"We will obey your command, Your Majesty!"

Afterwards, Xiao Jingheng summoned a messenger and decreed:

"Go and surround the Feng Luan Palace. Under the pretext of an inauspicious celestial omen, confine the Empress within the Feng Luan Palace. No one is permitted to see her without my decree!"

The messenger, frightened and perplexed, said: "Your Majesty, you wish to confine the Empress? But the Crown Prince still needs to attend court, this..."

only to see Zhao Hua gracefully enter, her ruby lips curved in a smile, adorned in a phoenix robe and glowing with radiance.

Meeting Xiao Jingheng's astonished gaze, she said in a gentle voice:

"I have been away for just a few days, yet my husband already misses me so. Truly, our marital bond is deep."

"What are you doing here?"

Unfazed by Xiao Jingheng's harsh questioning tone, Zhao Hua stepped up to his bedside, nodding with a smile at Consort Yin.

She then naturally took the medicinal soup from Consort Yin's hands and said to her:

"You may leave now."

Xiao Jingheng loudly told Consort Yin, "Stay!"

Then he shouted towards the door, "Guards, take the Empress away!"

As the words left his lips,

Xiao Jingheng, whose slightest command was once obeyed without question, heard only the hoarse echo of his own furious order resounding in the Chaoyang Palace.

Outside, an eerie silence reigned, so quiet that it was unsettling, with no one responding to him, of course.

Before Xiao Jingheng could regain his senses, he saw Consort Yin bow respectfully to Zhao Hua, wearing a faint smile,

"My apologies for the trouble, Your Majesty." Then she took her leave.

After Consort Yin's departure, Zhao Hua settled herself at Xiao Jingheng's side, as natural as countless times before when attending to him.

She moved to help him drink the medicinal soup, but as soon as she lifted the bowl, Xiao Jingheng knocked it from her hands, spilling its contents onto the ground.

"What are you doing here?"

"My husband should not dwell on troubling thoughts during his illness. Thus, I have come to clarify the confusion for you."

The smile frozen on Zhao Hua's face grew increasingly enigmatic.

She idly played with the corner of her phoenix robe, her words drifting like smoke as she said:

"The agents from the Secret Agency have already been killed by me. I know what you instructed them to investigate. Why did you not simply ask me directly?"

She raised an eyebrow at Xiao Jingheng, leaning closer as she lowered her voice,

"We have been husband and wife for many years. I should be able to tell you everything, leaving nothing unsaid."