Chapter 226

Chapter 226: He Had Done Her a Favor

Sheng Yuan Jun snapped, “You-because you offended Ming Jia, Cousin!”

Sheng Yuan Jun was out of his mind with rage.

To prove he had been framed, Sheng Yuan Jun had already admitted everything, yet Shang Xing Yu still tried to slip away.

Impossible. Sheng Yuan Jun clenched his teeth. Absolutely impossible.

But when Sheng Yuan Jun said that, Shang Xing Yu stared at him, speechless. Shang Xing Yu said, “Your Highness, did you get it wrong? I never offended Ming Jia the Commandery Princess. If anything… I even did Ming Jia the Commandery Princess a favor…”

Sheng Yuan Jun laughed in fury. “Impossible!”

If Shang Xing Yu had done Ming Jia a favor, then why would Ming Jia grind her teeth in hatred the moment she heard Shang Xing Yu’s name?

Sheng Yuan Jun had asked Ming Jia’s opinion in advance. That was why Sheng Yuan Jun dared act against Shang Xing Yu.

Ming Jia loathed Shang Xing Yu. Sheng Yuan Jun was sure of it.

Emperor Chong Sheng fell silent for a moment, then asked, “You said you did Ming Jia a favor?”

Shang Xing Yu hesitated. “This…”

Sheng Yuan Jun immediately seized on it. Sheng Yuan Jun cried, “Imperial Father, it’s impossible! He offended Ming Jia, Cousin. That’s why I wanted to teach him a lesson!”

Emperor Chong Sheng’s gaze pressed down like a weight. “Shang Xing Yu?”

Shang Xing Yu finally sighed. Shang Xing Yu said, “It’s not that I refused to speak. It’s just that… this matter concerns Ming Jia the Commandery Princess’s reputation.”

Sheng Yuan Jun froze, and even Emperor Chong Sheng looked puzzled.

Shang Xing Yu clenched his teeth and said, “Fine. The world was ruled by emperor and minister, and Your Majesty was above all. Since Your Majesty asked, I can only break the Commandery Princess’s request.”

Shang Xing Yu briefly explained how Shang Xing Yu escorted Sheng Zhi Wan to Chao Ming Temple, only to run into the incident where Ming Jia was abducted.

Shang Xing Yu quickly added, “But Crown Prince, Your Highness, please don’t worry. Ming Jia the Commandery Princess was definitely-still pure.”

Shang Xing Yu said earnestly, “Those bandits had just taken the Commandery Princess when I sent people to rescue the Commandery Princess.”

The more Shang Xing Yu explained, the darker Sheng Yuan Jun’s face became.

Ming Jia had been abducted…

Earlier, under the drug’s influence, Sheng Yuan Jun could not tell who was who at all. Sheng Yuan Jun had not paid attention to anything.

Now that Sheng Yuan Jun thought back, it seemed… there really had been no blood.

Sheng Yuan Jun’s face turned black in an instant.

The hall fell into a dead, stiff silence.

Emperor Chong Sheng had not expected there was something like this hidden beneath the matter.

Looking at Shang Xing Yu’s innocent, clueless expression, Emperor Chong Sheng waved him off. Emperor Chong Sheng snapped, “Get out. Get out. Not one word of today’s events was allowed to leak.”

Shang Xing Yu still looked aggrieved. Shang Xing Yu asked, “But Your Majesty, I truly didn’t offend Ming Jia the Commandery Princess. Why did the Crown Prince say I offended Ming Jia the Commandery Princess?”

Why else?

To shut you up, of course. What a fool.

Emperor Chong Sheng waved at the palace eunuch, and Shang Xing Yu was half dragged, half pulled out.

Only Sheng Yuan Jun remained kneeling there, dizzy as the world spun.

Sheng Yuan Jun felt like Sheng Yuan Jun had been set up.

And the one who set Sheng Yuan Jun up could only be Ming Jia.

Ming Jia had been taken by bandits and lost her purity. To become a prince’s consort, Ming Jia fixed her eyes on Sheng Yuan Jun, who had stupidly walked right up to her.

No wonder it was Ming Jia’s Manor Soldier who came to find Sheng Yuan Jun.

No wonder there were three “people” involved…

One reason was so Sheng Yuan Jun would not notice anything strange. Another was that with two prostitutes in front, no one would ever think the third person was Ming Jia the Commandery Princess.

Tonight, only Sheng Yuan Jun’s identity was exposed in front of everyone.

Ming Jia had dressed as a man to follow into the literary gathering’s inner courtyard, so no one would connect it to Ming Jia at all.

[Yes. That had to be it.]

[Ming Jia-how could Ming Jia dare?]

Emperor Chong Sheng glanced at Sheng Yuan Jun, then at the Empress, and finally let out a cold laugh. Emperor Chong Sheng said, “Foolish. Utterly foolish. Today, I will order a strict gag. Everyone present will be forbidden to spread a single word.”

The Empress cried out in relief, “Thank you, Your Majesty!”

If His Majesty planned to seal mouths, then His Majesty had no reason to depose the Crown Prince.

But Emperor Chong Sheng’s tone shifted. Emperor Chong Sheng said, “However-since the Crown Prince liked Ming Jia so much, I will issue an edict and grant Ming Jia as Crown Princess. Empress, inform Prince Huai Residence at once and have the two marry as soon as possible.”

Sheng Yuan Jun jerked his head up and blurted, “No! I don’t want that! I don’t want a woman who was-”

Emperor Chong Sheng cut him off with a cold glare. “Shut up. Don’t forget who the late Prince Huai Consort died to save! Even if it’s only to repay that debt, you should marry Ming Jia!”

Emperor Chong Sheng’s eyes seemed to see straight through Sheng Yuan Jun’s heart. Emperor Chong Sheng added, “Besides, you asked for it. Isn’t this what you always wanted?”

Sheng Yuan Jun went numb and could not say a single word.

Only after Emperor Chong Sheng left did Sheng Yuan Jun collapse and look at the Empress. Sheng Yuan Jun said hoarsely, “Imperial Mother, I don’t want to. I don’t want to marry a woman who has been touched by someone else-a ruined slut-and make her my Crown Princess…”

The Empress held him tight, heart aching.

How could the Empress want her son to marry a woman other people had seen?

Even if Ming Jia was still “pure,” what did it matter? Her body had already been seen. How could that kind of woman be worthy of her son’s position?

But at this point, even if they did not want it, they had to accept it.

The Empress had even planned to threaten Ming Jia with the Fourth Princess’s matter. Who would have thought that wretch had already prepared a scheme for Jun’er?

The Empress’s eyes turned vicious. After thinking for a while, the Empress leaned close and whispered a few words into Sheng Yuan Jun’s ear.

Sheng Yuan Jun’s pupils shrank. Sheng Yuan Jun swallowed hard and asked, “That… would it really work?”

The Empress said flatly, “Why wouldn’t it? When the time came, it would depend on whether Ming Jia listened. If Ming Jia behaved, fine. If Ming Jia didn’t, then do exactly what Imperial Mother said.”

Sheng Yuan Jun nodded shakily. “All right. I-I’ll listen to Imperial Mother.”

For now, Sheng Yuan Jun decided to swallow the insult and marry Ming Jia.

In a side hall, Ming Jia the Commandery Princess had just awakened. When Ming Jia saw the Imperial Edict beside her that granted Ming Jia the position of Crown Princess, Ming Jia went mad.

Ming Jia snatched the edict and hurled it to the floor, then stomped on it with all her strength.