Chapter 214 Shattered Filial Piety

Chapter 214: Filial Piety Shattered

Consort Chu's eyes were swollen like walnuts, hiding the manic bloodshot in them. She sobbed, "Your Majesty, my son has been beaten beyond recognition. You must seek justice for him!"

"I only have this one son. If anything happens to him, how am I to live on?"

Consort Chu persisted relentlessly. Emperor Jingyang immediately questioned her, and Ji Yuntang hid the cold mockery and contempt in her eyes, responding in a tone neither servile nor arrogant.

"In response to Your Majesty, Prince Qi's injury has nothing to do with me. It was carried out by eight black-clad assassins."

"As for the tavern meeting, it was not I who invited him, but Prince Qi who invited me."

Luo Qianxue couldn't help but interject hatefully, "Fifth Imperial Brother is such a person of propriety and respect for hierarchy. How could he possibly invite you, a married woman, out alone? You must have made the invitation with some filthy intention. Otherwise, how do you explain the aphrodisiac in the room?"

At the mention of the aphrodisiac, a flash of panic crossed Consort Chu's bloodshot eyes.

She knew all too well why the aphrodisiac was there—she had instructed Luo Feizhou to do it.

But she never expected things to turn out this way.

The next moment, Ji Yuntang said, "Prince Qi invited me out because he said tomorrow is Consort Chu's birthday and he wanted to buy a set of skincare products from me as a gift."

"Moved by Prince Qi's filial piety, I personally went to meet him. As for how the aphrodisiac got into the room, I have no idea. From the moment I entered the room, I smelled a peculiar fragrance. I assumed it was just ordinary fragrance and didn't think much of it."

Upon hearing this, Xie Liuzheng lazily arched an eyebrow, "Indeed, if it were really an aphrodisiac, how is it that Princess Ye is perfectly fine?"

Luo Qianxue, seeing the man she liked defending Ji Yuntang, flashed a flash of jealousy in her eyes, and she retorted, "She's the one who set up the drug, so of course she wouldn't be affected. Heir Xie, don't let her fool you."

Xie Liuzheng rolled his eyes, not even bothering to respond.

Luo Qingge observed this scene and inexplicably found Xie Liuzheng rather adorable at that moment.

Especially the way he rolled his eyes at Luo Qianxue—it was truly pleasing to the eye.

Luo Qingge said coldly to Luo Qianxue, "Third Imperial Sister-in-law is your elder, your imperial brother's life-saver. Why are you so aggressive?"

"One would think someone had slipped you an aphrodisiac too, burning out your brain."

Luo Qianxue: "..."

Luo Qianxue: "!!!"

"Luo Qingge, you—" She was about to curse back when Consort Li gently tugged at her.

"Xue'er, enough. Right and wrong will be judged by His Majesty and the Empress. This is no place for you to speak. Step back now."

The next moment, everyone saw Consort Li's gaze soften as she looked at Consort Chu, her expression was gentle and apologetic.

"It's all my fault for staying too long in Weiyang Palace and keeping distant from the other consorts. I didn't even know tomorrow is your birthday, Consort Chu. If you had sent someone to inform me, I would have prepared a birthday gift for you."

Then she clasped her hands, slightly closing her eyes in prayer, "Prince Qi's filial piety will surely be blessed by heaven."

Opening her eyes, she looked at Emperor Jingyang. "On the eve of Consort Chu's birthday, for such a thing to happen to Prince Qi is truly unfortunate. I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly, to honor Prince Qi's filial piety and seek justice for him."

Emperor Jingyang looked at her with appreciation, "You are thoughtful, Consort Li."

Consort Li's words were perfectly crafted—acknowledging her own negligence, praising Luo Feizhou's filial piety, and comforting Consort Chu.

Ji Yuntang narrowed her eyes. But why would she bring up Consort Chu's birthday at a time like this, when Consort Chu was so grief-stricken?

Ji Yuntang found Consort Li quite suspicious.

Given her nature, it couldn't just be about not preparing a birthday gift. There must be another motive.

And indeed, the Empress's next words provided the answer.

"Tomorrow is Consort Chu's birthday? How is it that I don't know?"

"According to the registry, as far as I recall, Consort Chu's birthday is March 8th. When did it become November 12th?"

Consort Chu: "..."

Consort Chu: "!!!"

How was she supposed to respond to that?

She never expected Luo Feizhou to use such an excuse when meeting Ji Yuntang. Now she was in a difficult position.

Somewhat embarrassed, she said, "Perhaps Feizhou remembered wrong."

Luo Qingge said sarcastically, "It seems Fifth Imperial Brother's filial piety isn't much after all. Even his own mother's birthday he can get wrong—how careless of him."

Consort Chu: "..."

Slap in the face, a barefaced slap!

One moment everyone was praising Luo Feizhou's filial piety, the next it was shattered.

Just then, Luo Sinian raised a point of doubt.

"Does that mean Fifth Imperial Brother lied? When he invited Princess Ye out, it wasn't really to buy skincare for Consort Chu, but for another purpose?"

At this, the Hall of Political Affairs fell so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

If Luo Feizhou lied about buying a birthday gift for Consort Chu, then it meant he deliberately made an excuse to invite Ji Yuntang out.

And as for who put the aphrodisiac in the room—it was crystal clear.

Everyone's gaze fell on Consort Chu.

Alarmed, Consort Chu immediately knelt on the ground, weeping bitterly.

"Impossible, absolutely impossible. You all know my son's character. He would never drug his own sister-in-law."

"The black-clad assassins—yes, they must have done it..."

"Your Majesty, you must capture those villains and restore my son's innocence!"

She realized that at all costs, she absolutely could not let the blame for the aphrodisiac fall on Luo Feizhou.

If people learned of his vile intentions—that he had drugged Ji Yuntang to defile her—how could Luo Feizhou ever face others again?

If his plan had succeeded, he could have used Ji Yuntang's loss of chastity to force her into obeying them.

But the problem was, the drug didn't work, and Ji Yuntang wouldn't listen to them. One wrong step now would then lead to a cascade of errors.

The phrase 'violating human decency' could easily destroy Luo Feizhou's hard-earned reputation and everything, forever knocking him out of the running for the throne.

Consort Chu absolutely would not allow such a thing to happen.

Emperor Jingyang's expression darkened. He suddenly frowned and spoke with a sharp tone.

How can there be so many assassins in the capital? Are all the guards around Prince Qi dead?

If they can't even protect their own master, what good are they then!

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