novelcrest Chapter 1206 - 1195: The Wealthy Merchant
Chapter 1206 - 1195: The Wealthy Merchant
"Did the concubine really not know that Prince Ye is your direct family elder brother?"
"With Prince Ye’s current power, it couldn’t have developed in just a year or two; the concubine hasn’t noticed even a hint before?"
"Is the concubine sure that the black gunpowder formula is truly known only to you?"
"I said I don’t know, and I truly don’t know." Facing so many questions, Ye Lu directly got angry. She had just recovered her body, and these people couldn’t wait to question her. The worst part was her husband sitting there without defending her.
"We certainly want to believe the concubine, but the rapid rise of Prince Ye makes it very hard for us to believe."
"We’re here today just to clear the concubine’s name; after all, the soldiers below are all discussing it. The concubine should speak truthfully!"
Ye Lu was still bewildered in her heart. She had just come to know that the elder brother she looked down upon was actually the now-hot Prince Ye feared by many. Frankly speaking, she was the one most unwilling to believe this fact.
She had escaped from the Ye Family. How could she not know the situation of the Ye Family? She simply did not believe her elder brother Ye Qiu had such abilities, but the facts were right before her, she had no choice but to believe.
Moreover, even she herself didn’t believe it, let alone outsiders trusting her. If the matter hadn’t happened to her personally, she wouldn’t believe Ye Qiu made such a big move without her sensing it at all.
The most important thing now is to cleanse herself of suspicion. Although she is Prince Linsan’s concubine and she contributed the formulas for black gunpowder, heavy crossbows, and crossbows, it still cannot stop others from suspecting her as a traitor.
Especially considering Princess Consort Shi Xuan and her elder brother Shi Rui were stirring up trouble, she must quickly regain the Prince’s trust in her.
Ye Lu prepared her words carefully, slowly looking at the crowd, her emotions no longer as agitated: "I know everyone now suspects whether I am a spy sent by my elder brother, but what I want to say is my elder brother has already declared the death of Ye Lu, the Third Miss Ye of the Ye Family. No matter what identity I use to return, she will never be acknowledged."
Seeing the crowd was still suspicious, she continued: "If I had known he had such great abilities, why would I have come to seek refuge with the Prince? Why would I have provided the formulas for black gunpowder, heavy crossbows, and crossbows? Wouldn’t having these in Ye Qiu’s hands augment his power even more?"
The strategists and generals looked at each other, finding some reason in what she said. After all, the concubine contributed methods decisively effective; Prince Ye wouldn’t be so generous as to send a spy risking exposure, would he?
"Moreover, since my arrival at Prince Linsan’s, everyone knows about my conduct. Could one mere rumor overturn previous perceptions? Was my acting so brilliant as to deceive everyone?" Ye Lu retorted.
The retort made everyone somewhat embarrassed. None were young, naive boys; they were cunning veterans, with none willing to admit they had been duped by a woman for so long. Reflecting more, the concubine might indeed have been kept in the dark.
"Everyone, please let me say something." A rough male voice suddenly emerged, and as the crowd lifted their gaze, they saw Zhao Xiong, not as a stranger, but the man who brought Ye Lu back to Lishan Prefecture.
Zhao Xiong, tall and burly, appeared fierce yet loyal: "The concubine is indeed brought back personally by me. I think I have the right to say a few words."
"Please proceed, General Zhao." Chen Gaoxuan said warmly, still trusting Zhao Xiong; otherwise, he wouldn’t have dispatched him to recruit from the Ye Family, although the result was less than ideal.
"Reporting to the Prince, the details of bringing the concubine back might not be widely known, but today I can recount them. On that day, in battling the likes of Liao Heishan sent by Prince Donghe and others, the situation was bizarre. Not only did the City Lord of Jing’an City not appear, but we all seemed to go mad fixating on eliminating each other. The final result was known—the Donghe Prince’s men were all dead, and our side suffered heavy losses."
Recalling that battle, the memories were still fresh. The event was overwhelming back then, overlooked but now recalling it felt indeed unbelievable. Conflicts between two forces were normal, but a situation of mutual annihilation was peculiar, given that they weren’t entirely desperate, why to this extent?
"I suspect since then Prince Ye had acquired some non-human means, encountering many adversaries upon rescuing the concubine. Why protect a chamber maiden so intensely with manpower? Looking back, perhaps not to protect but to monitor. Think about it, doesn’t the offspring of an earlier lady and a later lady have some discord? Also, why once the concubine escaped, did her mother’s family working at the Ye Family lose contact? So I guess Prince Ye had long been wary of the concubine and her mother."
Zhao Xiong analyzed logically, coupled with Ye Lu’s previous statements, gradually convincing everyone. Indeed, the clandestine growth of such significant power went unnoticed by various factions, signifying its concealment level; it’s understandable the concubine wasn’t informed.
"Alright, now the truth is clarified, can you all now believe the concubine of mine is innocent?" Chen Gaoxuan said loudly, then looked at Ye Lu gently, "Sorry to inconvenience you today. What I did was only to clear your name, preventing anyone from suspecting you."
Ye Lu returned a gentle, grateful smile: "Of course, I believe you did it for my good right from the day I arrived; I knew I was right in seeking refuge with you. Rest assured, since my elder brother has abandoned me, no matter the circumstances I won’t be soft-hearted facing him, abiding by your orders."
Despite saying this, Ye Lu’s heart chilled somewhat, knowing Chen Gaoxuan’s earlier attitude wasn’t so warm, verifying a saying: one cannot easily trust ancient words, especially those of Prince Linsan destined for the throne; his mind is unpredictable, not one to ruin great plans for a woman.
Even if the woman loves him dearly, even if he loves her deeply, he won’t hesitate if there’s any suspicion.
But through today’s events, Ye Lu saw clearly: feelings are least valuable. The Prince and Princess Consort were childhood sweethearts with deep affection, yet he didn’t hesitate to depose her in the book.
Henceforth she would fully assist him in ascending the throne, but the empress position must be hers, and the Crown Prince must come from her womb; she won’t foolishly trust love again, only power in hand is real.
In her era, with figures like Empress Dowager Lu, Empress Wu, and Cixi, why couldn’t she?