Quick Transmigration: The Pregnant Little Fairy is Pampered by the Heirless Boss

Chapter 348 Princess Chang's Rebellion 9

Inside the princess's residence, a guard rushed in to report: "Your Highness, Consort Song went to the Imperial Study and hasn't come out for half an hour."

Ji Xiaosong was practicing calligraphy, but upon hearing this, she continued writing without stopping: "What did you say?"

"We couldn't find out the specifics, but Consort Song looked happy when she came out."

Ji Xiaosong chuckled softly, and with a final, heavy stroke, the character "诛" (zhū, meaning "to execute") on the Xuan paper was so powerful it seemed to penetrate the paper itself.

"Prepare the sedan chair, I am going to the palace."

*

Inside the imperial study, the emperor was engrossed in reading the secret letter when a eunuch announced, "Your Majesty, the Eldest Princess requests an audience."

The emperor's expression was complex: "Summon them."

As soon as Ji Xiaosong entered the room, she saw the secret letter on the imperial desk. She sneered inwardly, but did not show it on her face: "Your Majesty, I, your subject, pay my respects."

"No need for such formalities, Your Majesty." The Emperor gestured for her to sit down. "I happen to have something to ask you, Your Majesty."

Ji Xiaosong calmly sat down: "Your Majesty, please speak."

The emperor pushed the secret letter in front of her: "Does my elder sister recognize this?"

Ji Xiaosong glanced at it and nodded: "I recognize it. This is a forged letter that was found in Sister Chen's study this morning. It imitates the handwriting of the King of the Northern Border and falsely accuses Sister Chen of treason."

The Emperor narrowed his eyes: "Consort Song said that this was a scheme deliberately devised by my elder sister in order to get a divorce."

"Oh?" Ji Xiaosong calmly took out another letter from her sleeve. "Then please take a look at this, Your Majesty."

The emperor unfolded the letter, his expression changing drastically. It contained the exact same content, but the handwriting was more skillful and the seal clearer!

"This is……"

“This is the real secret letter from the Northern Frontier,” Ji Xiaosong said calmly. “It was intercepted by the secret guards three days ago. The one from the Song family, on the other hand, was a poor imitation.”

She looked up and stared directly at the emperor: "Your Majesty might consider this: if my sister truly intended to plot against the Song family, would she use such an easily exposed trick?"

The emperor was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "What exactly is the connection between my elder sister and the Northern Border?"

Ji Xiaosong smiled slightly: "Your Majesty should ask what the connection is between the Northern Border and the Song family."

She clapped her hands, and the guards outside immediately brought in a man, who was none other than Liu Mingyuan, who had failed to escape!

“Your Majesty,” Ji Xiaosong said coldly, “this person is not only a spy in the northern border, but also a pawn planted by the Song family next to Yao’er.”

Liu Mingyuan's face turned ashen, and he kowtowed repeatedly: "Your Majesty, spare my life! I was only acting under orders! It was Consort Song who instructed me to approach the Princess!"

The emperor suddenly stood up: "What did you say?"

Ji Xiaosong added fuel to the fire at the opportune moment: "If Your Majesty does not believe it, you can check on a palace maid named Cuihe in Consort Song's palace. Every three days, this girl goes to a teahouse in the south of the city to meet with spies from the northern border."

The emperor stared at Liu Mingyuan for a long time, then suddenly sneered: "A spy's confession, does it even deserve to slander my concubine?"

Ji Xiaosong's eyes sharpened: "What does Your Majesty mean by this?"

The emperor turned his back, his voice icy: "Royal sister, I know you are at odds with the Song family, but Yuyao is carrying my child, who is very likely to be the future crown prince! What are your intentions in framing her with such a fabricated charge?"

Ji Xiaosong slowly stood up, a cold glint flashing in her eyes: "Does Your Majesty believe that my sister is framing Consort Song?"

"Isn't that so?" The emperor turned around abruptly, a sinister glint in his eyes. "You used your own daughter as bait to force a divorce, and now you want to use the Northern Border issue to eliminate the Song family! My sister, your methods are far too ruthless!"

The air inside the hall seemed to freeze instantly.

Ji Xiaosong looked quietly at her younger brother, who shared the same mother, and suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of unfamiliarity with him.

Once upon a time, the boy who followed her around calling her "elder sister" has now turned against her with swords for the sake of a concubine with ulterior motives.

"Very well." She chuckled softly, her voice almost inaudible. "Since Your Majesty has determined that my sister framed Consort Song, then my sister has nothing to say."

She raised her hand and removed the golden phoenix hairpin that symbolized her status as the eldest princess, gently placing it on the imperial desk: "This hairpin was personally placed on my sister's head by His Majesty when he ascended the throne. Today, my sister returns it to His Majesty."

The emperor's pupils constricted sharply: "Royal sister! What are you doing!"

Ji Xiaosong did not answer, but instead took off the jade pendant from his waist: "This jade pendant was bestowed upon my sister by the late emperor. It can mobilize the six armies of the Northern Army. I am returning it to you today."

"You!" The emperor's expression changed drastically. "Is my elder sister trying to force me?"

"Your Majesty, I dare not," Ji Xiaosong said in a terrifyingly calm tone. "But since Your Majesty does not trust me, there is no point in me staying in the court."

She turned to leave, but the emperor suddenly shouted, "Stop! Do you think returning the token will absolve you of any responsibility? That forged secret letter is still in your hands; you won't get away!"

Ji Xiaosong paused, turned to look at the emperor, her eyes full of mockery: "Your Majesty intends to punish my sister?"

The emperor was stunned by her gaze and was speechless for a moment.

"Your Majesty, don't forget," Ji Xiaosong said, word by word, "when you ascended the throne, the northern army was pressing in, and it was my sister who single-handedly stormed into the enemy camp and took the head of the northern king; after you were settled on the throne, the southern border rebelled, and it was my sister who led the army to quell the rebellion, and was nearly killed by three arrows."

She walked slowly back to the imperial desk, placed her hands on it, and stared intently at the emperor: "Now, you want to punish me for a child that may not be yours?"

"Insolence!" The emperor roared in fury, overturning his desk. "How dare you slander the royal bloodline!"

The writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone were scattered all over the ground, and the golden phoenix hairpin fell to the ground with a "clang," its phoenix head broken off.

Ji Xiaosong looked at the broken hairpin on the ground and suddenly laughed: "This fall has saved Sister Chen a lot of trouble."

She straightened up, her demeanor completely devoid of respect: "Since Your Majesty insists on protecting Consort Song, then I shall take my leave. However, there is something I must remind Your Majesty of..."

"The northern army will arrive soon. Your Majesty, please don't come to my sister's door for help then."

After saying that, she turned and strode away, her black robes fluttering in the wind, never looking back.

The emperor was trembling with rage. He grabbed an inkstone and slammed it against the palace door, yelling, "Get out! All of you, get out of my sight!"

Just as Liu Mingyuan was thinking of taking the opportunity to escape, he was grabbed by the guards around the emperor.

"Take this spy out and tear him apart by five horses, and exterminate his entire family!"

The guards gagged Liu Mingyuan and dragged him out to finish him off.

"Your Majesty, Consort Song..."

The chief steward standing beside the emperor spoke up at the opportune moment, saying that if this issue is not resolved now, it is uncertain whether the country can continue to exist.

"Replace all the people around her. Cut Cuihe in half at the waist. Do not let Consort Song leave her palace before she gives birth to a prince."

*

When the emperor's order reached Yuyao Palace, Song Yuyao was getting ready.

She looked in the bronze mirror, tucked a gold hairpin into her hair at an angle, and smiled smugly.

"Your Majesty!" Cuihe rushed in, her face pale. "Something terrible has happened! His Majesty has sent people to search our palace!"

The gold hairpin in Song Yuyao's hand clattered to the ground: "What?"

Before she could react, a squad of imperial guards had already stormed in.

The leading commander said coldly, "By order of His Majesty, the entire Jade Palace is to be investigated immediately. The palace maid Cuihe is suspected of colluding with the enemy. Arrest her immediately!"

Two guards immediately stepped forward and roughly lifted Cuihe up.

"Your Majesty! Save me!" Cuihe struggled in terror. "This servant doesn't know anything!"

Song Yuyao forced herself to remain calm: "How dare you! I am carrying the emperor's child, how dare you..."

"Your Majesty, please forgive me." The commander interrupted her expressionlessly, "His Majesty has decreed that before the birth of the prince, you should rest in your palace and not step out of the palace gates."

Song Yuyao was struck dumb, staggering back two steps: "No...impossible! How could His Majesty..."

She suddenly lunged forward and grabbed the commander's sleeve: "Was it the Eldest Princess? Did she instigate this?!"

The commander shook off her hand and said coldly, "Guards, drag Cuihe out and cut her in half at the waist as a warning to others!"

"No!" Cuihe's piercing scream echoed throughout the palace. "Your Majesty! Save me! I did all this for you..."

Song Yuyao watched helplessly as her trusted palace maid was dragged away, her legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground.

Her meticulously manicured nails dug deeply into her palms, yet she felt no pain.

"Good...very good..."

She suddenly chuckled, a crazed glint in her eyes. "Ji Xiaosong, you think you can bring me down like this?"

She suddenly looked up and sternly ordered the remaining palace maids, "Go! Bring me my medicine to prevent miscarriage!"

The palace maid nervously handed over the medicine bowl, which Song Yuyao drank in one gulp, then smashed the bowl on the ground.

"I want to see if His Majesty will still be willing to keep me locked up after I give birth to a prince!"

*

Inside the imperial study, the emperor listened to the report from his secret guards, his face ashen.

"Did Consort Song really say that?"

The guard bowed his head: "Not a single word is wrong."

The emperor sneered, "It seems my beloved concubine has quite the ambition."

The chief eunuch asked cautiously, "Your Majesty, would you like to...?"

"No need," the emperor interrupted, raising his hand. "Let her give birth. If it truly is a prince..."

A cold glint flashed in his eyes: "I have my own plans."

"What about the eldest princess..."