The Reborn Princess Has Turned Evil

Chapter 344 Returning to Xinjiang on an Unexpected Day

Emperor Jing frowned, and Yongping's face turned deathly pale as she gripped the hem of her skirt tightly with her fingertips.

Then he changed the subject, saying, "It is not a Buddhist ritual implement, but just an ordinary ornament that I picked up by chance when I traveled to the Western Regions in my early years."

As Ji Quan lowered his eyes, he quickly glanced at Yong Ping, his eyes conveying an urgent hint—only by admitting to the punishment could he escape!

He immediately withdrew his gaze, his voice calm yet clear, “On that day, the princess asked this humble monk for a ‘soothing object’. This humble monk had no suitable ritual implements, but seeing the princess’s sincerity, and remembering that this bell was offered to the Buddha hall day and night, I gave her this bell.”

"It's because some time ago, this humble monk happened to witness the princess punishing Consort Lin in the Imperial Garden. She was quite harsh, and Consort Lin looked utterly disheveled."

Emperor Jing suddenly raised his eyes, a cold glint flashing in them, and his gaze toward Yongping was already somewhat fierce. "You said that Consort Lin was punished by Yongping?"

"This humble monk dares not speak presumptuously." Ji Quan clasped his hands together and said earnestly, "The palace servants in the Imperial Garden all witnessed this that day. Your Majesty may summon them for questioning."

"I think the princess may have acted impulsively. If I were to present her with this bell, it might persuade her to treat the concubines better, and it would also relieve His Majesty's worries."

Yongping shuddered and was about to retort when he met Jiquan's look again—a look that carried an undeniable warning, as if to say, "If you try to argue any further, the matter of the bell will not end well."

Her heart skipped a beat, and she instantly realized that compared to the crime of "possessing evil objects and causing trouble for His Majesty," "punishing the palace concubines" still had room for maneuver.

She gritted her teeth, tears welling up in her eyes, her voice trembling slightly, "Your Majesty, it was Yongping's momentary lapse of judgment!" She lowered her head, her voice choked with sobs, "Consort Lin's words were offensive that day, and I acted rashly in a fit of anger. I only dared not speak of it because I was afraid of Your Majesty's wrath, and I did not intend to deceive you..."

She was nothing but a palace concubine; Yongping didn't care at all. She only regretted that she hadn't punished Consort Lin enough that day; she should have just killed her. She was a princess personally appointed by the late emperor, and now she was the princess consort of the Southern Frontier. Emperor Jing couldn't touch her at all. Her current show of weakness was merely a temporary expedient.

Emperor Jing stared at her trembling figure, the veins on his fingers holding the bell bulging. Punishing the pregnant concubine was already a grave mistake, but Yongping's words subtly shifted the blame onto Consort Lin.

He was about to reprimand her when Ji Quan said softly, "Your Majesty, since the princess has admitted her mistake, she must be truly repentant. I hope Your Majesty will consider the bond between brother and sister and be lenient in your punishment."

Ji Quan's words, though seemingly pleading, actually confirmed the fact that Yongping had punished Consort Lin.

Ji Quan lowered his eyes, his hands clasped together without wavering, his face still showing that indifferent indifference to the world, as if Yongping's cries and Emperor Jing's angry face in the palace had nothing to do with him.

But only he knew that when he mentioned "Consort Lin being punished," his heart was already clenched by a dense, sharp pain, as if being stabbed with a knife.

The scene at Xuanyang Palace that day was so vivid, it was as if it were right before my eyes.

He was ordered by Yongping to enter the palace to "pray for the Empress Dowager." Firstly, he was driven by Yongping, and secondly, he wanted to see Consort Lin—his childhood sweetheart.

The past events were still vivid in his mind. He felt hatred and resentment, but when he actually saw Consort Lin, all his hatred and anger vanished, and he could only pretend to be indifferent.

When he first met her, she had lost a lot of weight, and the youthful innocence and brightness of her youth were long gone, leaving only a cold and aloof demeanor. Later, she was punished by being forced to copy scriptures in Xuanyang Palace. He did it on purpose, but when he saw her kneeling and sitting every night, he really felt sorry for her.

He knew that Princess Anle had sent cushions and clothes over, and had even added some warm clothing to them. He also copied the Buddhist scriptures she was copying for her.

He originally thought that even if she couldn't stay with him after entering the palace, she could at least have some peace and stability, so he entered the palace to destroy this beautiful thing.

But he never expected that when they met again, she would be going through such a difficult time. He only heard that Consort Lin's palace was remote and she was not favored by the emperor.

Even though Consort Lin has helped Consort Li give birth to a child, Yongping can still punish her by making her kneel in the cold wind for a long time based solely on the charge of "verbal offense".

He could only stand in the shadows, watching helplessly as she was humiliated, unable to even step forward to defend her.

He was saved by Yongping when he fell off a cliff, but Yongping used this as leverage to force him to do many shady things for her.

He once thought that as long as he endured it for a while, he would find a chance to escape. But it wasn't until he saw the scene of Consort Lin being humiliated that he suddenly realized that he still loved her and couldn't bear to see her suffer any injustice. Helping Yongping was nothing more than aiding and abetting evil.

At that moment, the regret and anger in his heart erupted like magma, and he resolved to take revenge on Yongping.

So when Yongping asked him to cast a curse on Emperor Jing during the prayer ceremony today, he did not do it. The string of Western Region bells, though not an evil object, was not an ordinary ornament either. The patterns on it were somewhat strange, and he was sure that the knowledgeable Emperor Jing would be suspicious.

He didn't expose Yongping directly because he wanted to take this opportunity to expose her punishment of Consort Lin. Firstly, to vent Consort Lin's anger and make Emperor Jing hate Yongping even more. Secondly, to regain Yongping's trust and then kill her in one fell swoop. Otherwise, not only would Yongping not let him go, but Emperor Jing would also kill her.

He composed himself slightly, suppressing his surging emotions deep inside, his face still bearing that compassionate and detached expression, as if he were merely sighing over the intrigues and conflicts within the palace.

He knew this was just the beginning.

What he wanted to do was not just punish Yongping this time, but to completely bring her down and get himself out of trouble.

The atmosphere in the hall grew increasingly heavy. Emperor Jing's gaze was like a sharp sword fixed on Yongping, while Jiquan stood to the side like a Buddha statue devoid of joy or sorrow, with only a resolute glint in the depths of his eyes.

"Now that Feng Yao's marriage is settled, and you have been in Jing Kingdom for quite some time, I imagine the King of Southern Xinjiang must be missing you dearly. You will return to Southern Xinjiang in a few days!" Emperor Jing's tone was cold and resolute, allowing no room for argument.

"Brother!" Yongping's voice was noticeably louder, his eyes wide open, filled with not only dissatisfaction but also intense disappointment.

No, she couldn't just go back like this, but she also knew that her brother wouldn't listen to her arguments right now, so she had to think of a way to stay.