The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife
Chapter 107: Making Them Pay the Cost

Chapter 107: Making Them Pay the Cost

Empress Xie refused to rise, her mouth still uttering words of apology.

Emperor Muwu sighed.

Seeing Empress Xie in such a state, it was not appropriate to kick her while she was down.

Even Prince Qing, who rolled his eyes, closed his mouth.

The Emperor himself admitted that he had failed to educate his son, so he naturally wouldn’t join in the commotion.

Emperor Muwu struggled with his decision and once again looked towards Ye Siheng.

To his surprise, his ninth brother was standing with Nanli, whispering softly.

When he noticed that her hair was disheveled, Ye Siheng attentively helped her fix it.

Such gentle and captivating features were unseen by Emperor Muwu before.

He sighed heavily once again, realizing that his ninth brother did not wish to involve himself in these matters. He had no choice but to make the decision himself, saying, "This incident was a result of the Crown Prince being deceived and framed. The blame cannot be placed on the Empress."

The crowd thought that Emperor Muwu was truly letting it go, but little did they know that he followed up with a stern expression.

He deposed Ye Chengyan from his position as Crown Prince and ordered the General of the Cavalry to immediately send the eldest prince back to the former Crown Prince’s residence, where he would reflect on his actions in seclusion until summoned.

As for Empress Xie, Emperor Muwu did not blame her any further and allowed her to continue managing the six palaces.

This punishment left everyone with different thoughts.

Although the Crown Prince was deposed, Empress Xie still held control over the six palaces.

Emperor Muwu only had two sons, and there was no guarantee that Ye Chengyan wouldn’t make a comeback in the future.

Emperor Muwu still loved his son dearly.

With Empress Xie in charge, even if Ye Chengyan reflected in seclusion, his days wouldn’t be too difficult.

Once this matter subsided, Ye Chengyan would be able to stand in the court once again.

Upon hearing this news, Ye Chengbo was extremely infuriated.

After returning to the capital, he finally found an opportunity to meet with Xuanyuan Cang.

It was at the Mingyue Tower once again.

Xuanyuan Cang appeared this time using someone else’s identity.

He removed the disguise from his face with sorcery, revealing his original appearance. Handsome yet wicked, his eyes carried a hint of mockery.

Xuanyuan Cang looked at the broken pieces on the ground and knew that Ye Chengbo had already vented his anger.

He walked slowly towards him and said, "Why is the Second Prince angry? Isn’t everything going smoothly? Ye Chengyan has been deposed and imprisoned."

Ye Chengbo’s face turned cold. "Ye Chengyan nearly killed Father Emperor, and Father Emperor only deposed him without demoting him to a commoner! But what about my mother?!"

Those women were of low status, so why did Father Emperor punish them so severely, even including the Li family!

Now, he had no maternal family to rely on, making it difficult for him to make progress in the court.

Xuanyuan Cang poured two cups of tea into clean cups.

It was Biluochun Tea, with its fragrance filling the air.

He picked up one cup, blew on the foam, took a sip, and said slowly, "How can your mother compare to Ye Chengyan? He is Emperor Mu’s own son. However, this plan did not succeed. If Emperor Mu were to pass away, you would have a legitimate chance to succeed him."

"It’s all that wretched Chu Nanli’s fault!" Ye Chengbo gritted his teeth.

"I intended to use her as evidence against Ye Chengyan, but who knew she had a way to wake Father Emperor up!"

Xuanyuan Cang pushed the teacup towards him and said, "Second Prince, there will be another opportunity. You just have to see if you dare."

Ye Chengbo knew what he was referring to.

Xuanyuan Cang had mentioned it to him before, and he did consider it for a moment, but quickly suppressed the thought.

He shook his head quickly and said, "It’s not possible, it can’t be done!"

Though he was still young, he had read the books of sages and knew what was permissible and what was not.

"Ye Chengyan has been deposed, but now there aren’t many ministers willing to stand by your side," Xuanyuan Cang said with a cold smile.

"Second Prince, you should know that they are all waiting for the day when Ye Chengyan is reinstated."

Ye Chengbo clenched his fist tightly in secret.

He hated it.

Just because his maternal family had suffered a setback, it seemed like he had completely lost his power to contend.

Xuanyuan Cang continued in a slow voice, "Ye Siheng and Chu Nanli caused the death of my aunt. With this plan, I can take revenge, and you can also obtain what you desire. If the Second Prince misses this opportunity, there won’t be another chance."

Ye Chengbo lowered his gaze, his inner turmoil raging.

After what seemed like an eternity, he finally uttered, "Very well."

Xuanyuan Cang chuckled and raised his cup, "Then let me toast to the Second Prince’s future."

Ye Chengbo also lifted his teacup and gently tapped it against Xuanyuan Cang’s.

He could already envision himself donning the dragon robe, with officials bowing before him.

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Yes, this was how it should be.

His father, the emperor, had forsaken their past relationship, so why should he show any mercy?

Ninth Prince and Chu Nanli had caused his mother’s demotion, the downfall of the Li family, and now they would pay the price one by one.

Not long after Ye Chengbo left, a woman pushed open the door and entered.

Xuanyuan Qingyue had a delicate oval face adorned with light makeup, her beauty captivating.

She gracefully walked over to Xuanyuan Cang and sat beside him, leaning against his side. "Cang’er, did he agree?"

"Naturally, he had no choice," Xuanyuan Cang replied, embracing her waist.

Xuanyuan Qingyue smirked, "You didn’t let Xue Cheng kill Emperor Mu, isn’t this what you wanted? Cang’er is truly formidable." She leaned in and planted a kiss on his lips.

Xuanyuan Cang’s eyes flickered, "In your opinion, my dear, in which aspect am I the most formidable?"

Xuanyuan Qingyue blushed, "Of course, you are formidable in every aspect."

And then, the scene turned intimate and enchanting.

—

Although the incident at the hunting palace did not implicate Chu Ye, Chu Hanlin still reprimanded Chu Ye upon his return to the family estate.

"You were not implicated today because your sixth sister intervened and saved the emperor, sparing him from punishment!"

Chu Hanlin’s face was cold and stern.

Not only that, but the other imperial guards and soldiers also went unpunished.

It was all because Chu Ye was involved, and Emperor Muwu let it slide as a minor matter.

Furthermore, due to Nanli’s actions, the Anyang Marquis Mansion received rewards.

While some were envious, many were grateful for escaping punishment and treated him with respect.

Even the head of the family found it difficult to speak up against him.

"Yes, I acknowledge my mistake," Chu Ye lowered his head and sincerely admitted his wrongdoing.

"From now on, you shall rise half an hour earlier for training and not slack off!" Chu Hanlin declared.

Lady Shen and Xiao Wanyi exchanged glances.

Chu Ye already woke up at the hour of 5:00 AM for training, and now he had to wake up half an hour earlier?

They had no choice but to subtly signal Nanli.

Seeing this, Nanli spoke up, "Father, then I and Fourth Brother will also rise early and train with Big Brother!"

Lady Shen and Xiao Wanyi’s faces stiffened.

That wasn’t what they meant at all!

Chu Hanlin hurriedly said, "No, you, a young lady, cannot wake up so early. You should sleep more and avoid getting tanned. Let your older brother and fourth brother train early, there’s no need for you to do the same."