Do Not Offend the Reborn Wicked Wife-Chapter 431: That Woman Has Returned!

In just that moment, Li Qingmu felt the atmosphere in the main hall become stagnant, with countless people exchanging glances.

During the time Qi Yun was feigning illness, the Crown Prince’s performance was poor. On the surface, he appeared grief-stricken, but in reality, he was drinking and making merry in the Eastern Palace, a fact discovered by those at Yulong Pavilion. Qi Yun already knew about it.

In recent days, his attitude towards the Crown Prince has been very cold, even reprimanding him openly.

Just three days ago, Qi Junji took in a beautiful new concubine, only to be scolded by Qi Yun, who accused him of neglecting his duties, being engrossed in wine and lust, and unworthy of being the Crown Prince!

Those words were very severe, almost sealing Qi Junji’s fate.

The news quickly spread, causing a stir in court, with some speculating that Qi Yun intended to replace the Crown Prince. As for who would be chosen, no one knew.

Realizing his impending replacement, the Crown Prince desperately orchestrated events, framing the Third and Seventh Princes in an attempt to turn the tide.

Without any basis, accusations were made against the Third Prince, while evidence was directly fabricated against the Seventh Prince. At present, the court was a mess, with various factions clashing back and forth, when suddenly a Ninth Prince, Qi Junlian, entered...

It was like a stone being thrown into a murky lake, about to stir up another massive wave.

"Let him in."

Qi Yun’s face showed little expression, looking quite calm.

The eunuch conveyed the message, and soon, Qi Junlian entered with Qi Jingyu.

"Your son (grandson) pays respects to Father (Grandfather), long live the Emperor, long live, long live!"

Qi Yun nodded slightly, "At ease."

Qi Junlian and Qi Jingyu stood with their hands neatly placed.

Qi Yun looked at this son with a complex expression.

Since Qi Junlian’s birth, his health had always been poor. This was because his mother, Consort Li, was persecuted during pregnancy, nearly causing a miscarriage.

Although ultimately the Imperial Physicians spared no effort to save him, the harm had already been done, leaving him frail.

Later, Consort Li was disfigured in an incident. She said she was too ashamed to face him and requested to take Qi Junlian far to Jiangling. Qi Yun, thinking it was indeed unsuitable for her to stay in the capital, agreed.

But before leaving, Consort Li cried bitterly, accusing Empress Qiao of harming her. At the time, he scolded her for "talking nonsense."

Consort Li left in sorrow. Over time, few messages came from Jiangling, and with more matters to attend to here, he gradually forgot about this mother and child.

Towards Qi Junlian and his mother, Qi Yun felt a bit guilty.

Now seeing this son again, his complexion slightly pale, his body thin, it truly tugged at one’s heartstrings!

This grandson, however, was lively and mischievous, reminding him much of himself as a child, also resembling Li Qingmu slightly.

Indeed, uncle and nephew seemed more alike!

Li Qingmu said, Prince Lingjiang was more fit to be this Emperor, for he had an outstanding son. After much deliberation, Qi Yun felt these words were true.

Moreover, should Prince Lingjiang ascend to the throne, Li Qingmu and his wife could enjoy a leisurely life and wholeheartedly support him.

This ancestral land could thus be properly handed over to the next generation.

Qi Yun, having mulled over thoughts about this son, made the ministers present very nervous, none daring to breathe too loudly.

After an indeterminable amount of time, Qi Yun finally relaxed, leaning back on the Dragon Throne: "Junlian, is your mother concubine well?"

He asked about the mother concubine? This was not a good sign. It suggested the Emperor’s favor was about to be bestowed, prompting the ministers to watch nervously.

Qi Junlian bowed, "Mother concubine accompanied me here this time and has been well along the way. She has greatly missed Shengjing over these years."

Qi Junlian’s words were cleverly chosen, only mentioning missing Shengjing.

It could mean missing the Emperor, or missing the splendor here, or even missing the enemy who wronged her!

Qi Yun recalled Consort Li’s tearful complaints before her departure and shook his head slightly: "Now that she is here, stay. The mansion has been prepared by my order; soon you can reside there."

"Your son thanks Father for the great favor!"

Outside the Imperial City, many prince mansions had been built, rewarded by the Emperor. Prince Lingjiang had no residence here. This time, granting a mansion signaled danger.

This Prince Lingjiang might have caught the Emperor’s eye, set to join the struggle for the throne!

Suddenly, the court was awash with undercurrents.

After the morning session, Li Qingmu slowly exited the Golden Hall.

If he remembered correctly, the Emperor had previously bestowed a residence upon him as well. However, Long Yue was now pregnant, and the newly renovated mansion still smelled of paint, unsuitable for immediate moving in, needing some time to air out.

As Duanmu Nan suggested, it was best to wait for the child to be born and settle before relocating.

"Uncle Mu, our two families’ mansions are very close!" Walking down the long steps, Qi Jingyu sidled closer to him, whispering.

Li Qingmu was startled: "Is that so?"

He truly hadn’t noticed, never having managed any of these rewarded items, which were all in Long Yue’s care.

Long Yue was now a genuinely wealthy lady, possessing not only vast amounts of gold and jewels awarded by the Emperor but also benefiting from the Xiang Family’s medicine shop and the Qin Family’s embroidery workshop. All these businesses were doing well, with her receiving a considerable share of the profits, essentially collecting money while sitting at home.

Of course, the Emperor’s gifts were only for display at home, not for use, as using them would be disrespectful to the Emperor.

Furthermore, no one would foolishly spend the Emperor’s gifts as Silver; these were more a testament to foundation, something to flaunt.

"Indeed, haven’t you gone to see it? I had Shi Qin go for a look and was quite surprised. Uncle Mu, do you think the Emperor knows we’re in league and intentionally put us together?"

This little guy, are you a dog? Such a keen sense of smell?

Li Qingmu solemnly joked, "Perhaps it’s just fate, kid. In the future, you’ll have to call me Uncle for life!"

Qi Jingyu’s face immediately flushed red: "Impossible, in the future I will be the Emperor, and you will merely be a minister..."

These words were whispered, barely audible, but Li Qingmu’s hearing was good, and he heard them.

He merely smiled faintly.

...

Kunyuan Palace.

It seemed whenever that shadow came, Empress Qiao was always meticulously grooming herself before the dressing table.

No, one should say she often did so.

If you happened to see her doing anything else, it would rather be odd.

"That woman has returned!"

"You failed!"

Both spoke simultaneously, the shadow silent for a moment, while Empress Qiao chuckled, "Let her come. Back then, I toyed with her like a puppet, and now... does she think she can escape my grasp? Haha..."

The shadow didn’t respond, merely muttering to itself, "A failure is a failure, I never counted on those from Chen Country to amount to anything great!"

"An excuse!"

Empress Qiao slowly stood, approaching the shadow, grabbing its neck, staring into those deep eyes: "Aren’t your Da Rong warriors all about direct confrontation? Since when did you scheme like us from the Central Plains? In the past, you looked down on such tactics?"

As she spoke, she drew circles with a finger on his chest.

The shadow’s pupils suddenly contracted, coldly stating, "Don’t make reckless moves! Or I might lose control!"

"Heh, alright, alright, no reckless moves. Tell me, what do you want my help with this time?"