Deep Palace Pet Peach Blossom Flawless

Chapter 298 It’s Not Easy to Get True Love

Things did not end after Concubine Wen returned to Wenhua Palace.

Li Xiang arrived at Wenhua Palace within two quarters of an hour and delivered the Emperor's oral order: "Empress Wen is under house arrest in Wenhua Palace. You are not allowed to leave without my permission. The two senior palace maids, Caiyun and Caixia, who are Concubine Wen's closest confidants, failed to dissuade or stop their mistress from committing a serious offense. They are sentenced to fifty strokes of the cane, to be carried out immediately in Wenhua Palace! All other palace servants and eunuchs are to witness the execution!"

Concubine Wen was stunned again, her body trembling uncontrollably. Caiyun and Caixia had followed her since she was in the Shi family, and were her loyal confidants. After so many years of ups and downs in the harem, they had become inseparable from her!

And fifty strokes of the cane would most likely cost them their lives!

Caiyun Cloud and Xia, kneeling behind Concubine Wen, were already pale. In the palace, caning required the removal of outer robes, and since Emperor Shenwu had personally sent people to carry out the caning, there was absolutely no chance of cheating. Their lives were over! In their despair, they could only panic and cry out for help: "Empress Wen... Empress... Save this servant... Save this servant..."

Li Xiang turned a deaf ear and immediately waved his hand. A eunuch came and dragged the two palace maids towards the palace gate.

Their faces were solemn, and they moved incredibly quickly and skillfully, so Caiyun and Caixia couldn't break free for a while.

Concubine Wen was so horrified that she couldn't stand up for a moment. When she heard the screams of Caiyun and Xia from outside the palace, Concubine Wen finally stood up and said, "You can't do this! I want to see His Majesty!"

Li Xiang said expressionlessly, "Empress Wen, this is His Majesty's order! He also ordered you to be confined to your room to reflect on your mistakes. You should not disobey the imperial decree again. His Majesty was concerned about the Third Princess and the Grand Master, so he gave you a light punishment. But His Majesty has no scruples about these servants who also broke into Fengqi Palace!"

It was as if a basin of cold water was poured over her head. Concubine Wen shuddered and her face became stiff as if frozen.

Li Xiang did not leave Wenhua Palace to report until Caiyun and Xia had completed the execution.

Caiyun and Xiaxia had gone from screaming at the beginning to being silent now. The other palace maids and eunuchs in Wenhua Palace all looked at the bloody scene with pale faces. No matter how shocked and uneasy they were, they dared not move and leave.

Lan Qingwu learned about these things on the second day, and the Sixth Prince happened to come to pay his respects to Lan Qingwu.

Upon hearing this, the Sixth Prince simply frowned slightly and said, "Only two slaves were dealt with! Indeed, there is still a Grand Tutor in the previous dynasty. Even if Father demotes her to a noble, it won't be of much use."

It would be better to just give him a small punishment. You must know that it is better to stay still than to move. It is not the time to start a big war yet.

Lan Qingwu frowned slightly when he heard that two palace maids were implicated: "Caiyun didn't make it, but Caixia did. Although I don't want to hurt anyone...but..."

The Sixth Prince quickly replied, "Mother, this is clearly Concubine Wen's fault. She doesn't uphold her duties as a concubine, but instead constantly tries to overstep her bounds. If she weren't from a family of masters, she would never have been allowed to live like this."

The Sixth Prince's still young face was expressionless at this moment. He felt unhappy when he saw Concubine Wen's arrogant and conceited look, not to mention that Concubine Wen was rude to his mother from time to time!

"Mother, please don't worry about these matters. Let father and son handle it."

Lan Qingwu knew that there were some things he could not control, so he stopped talking.

The Sixth Prince quickly changed the subject and talked about something else: "Mother, you are now much better. I will accompany you to the peach blossom forest tomorrow."

That day, the Sixth Prince was slightly touched when he saw his sick mother and his father staying by his side all the time. He also happened to see that when his father was bedridden, his mother also took care of him meticulously without taking off her clothes. He was already accustomed to the deep love between his parents.

"Mother, my Third Brother has been a bit overwhelmed lately."

Lan Qingwu didn't understand the Third Prince's affairs: "Oh? Isn't it said that the Third Prince always likes to hide his abilities?"

Emperor Shenwu already knew this very well. There have always been many people with sharp eyes and bright minds in the palace.

The Sixth Prince shook his head. "It's Third Brother's personal matter. Didn't Father give him two maids to tutor? I didn't expect Third Brother to be such a passionate man. After that, he took one of his personal maids into his room, and one of the maids who tutored him is now in favor. The two of them are busy vying for her favor!"

The Sixth Prince had a cold expression, his profile looking almost identical to the stern face of the Shenwu Emperor. "From what I've seen, those two palace maids were merely vying for the title of concubine to be given to the Third Prince after he leaves the palace."

The Sixth Prince had hit the nail on the head. Actually, there was nothing wrong with that. Even a humble maid wouldn't want to climb the social ladder! But the calculations and manipulations within this were obvious to anyone observing clearly. How much sincerity could there be in this?

Lan Qingwu's heart skipped a beat: "This... You are still young, you may not understand. Maybe that woman is also somewhat sincere."

The Sixth Prince shook his head again, his eyes deep and clear: "Mother, I can feel it."

Lan Qingwu was silent. This son was just like his father. Although he lived in the deep palace, he had a sensitive and sharp heart. He had eyes that could see through people's hearts and distinguish truth from falsehood. Therefore, most of what they saw were false. Truth, deception and viciousness were the norm in their eyes.

But the Sixth Prince was her son! Lan Qingwu didn't want this for her son. As the legitimate prince, he was destined to feel, hear, and see most of these things due to his environment, not to mention that he would eventually ascend to the throne.

Lan Qingwu knew that it was the hardest for people like them who had reached the pinnacle of power to gain true love, but she didn't know how to teach or advise her son.

Lan Qingwu's concerns were actually correct. Over the years that followed, the Sixth Prince repeatedly felt the reverence, flattery, and even fawning of superiors, all motivated by self-interest. The only love and sincerity the Sixth Prince had ever received were those he had only experienced when his parents were alive.

The next day, Lan Qingwu brought the sixth prince, the seventh prince, and the seventh princess to the peach blossom forest.

It is the season when peach blossoms are flying. The pink peach petals flutter down and the flowers are fragrant and the birds are singing, just like a fairyland on earth!

The seventh prince ran into the center of the peach blossom forest, where there were stone tables and benches, swings, and even an octagonal pavilion built by Emperor Shenwu.

Lan Qingwu only brought five close confidants into Taohuayuan to take care of the three children.

A thick blanket was carefully laid in the center of the peach blossom forest. Two children were playing together on it, and Ruyan was holding the six-month-old Seventh Princess and watching with a smile.

After the seventh princess was born, Lan Qingwu sent Ruyan to be with the seventh princess. From then on, Qiulan followed the sixth prince, Ruyue took care of the seventh prince, and only Ruping and Ruhan were left by her side.

Ruhan had another family and was on duty leaving the palace to go home, leaving Ruping to stay by Lan Qingwu's side. Of course, there were many other palace servants sent by the Emperor Shenwu to serve him, some of whom were loyal, capable, and intelligent, but these were the only ones Lan Qingwu truly felt close to and trusted emotionally.