Chapter 1286 - 1286 I Want a Divorce, Immediately!
Chapter 1286 I Want a Divorce, Immediately!
Infanta Yuan’an was locked up in her courtyard and was not allowed to go out. Her face was livid, with a few scattered strands of hair on her pretty face — she must be too anxious to put on her picture-perfect makeup.
“My Lady, please sit down and rest for a while,” the servant girl said timidly.
Infanta Yuan’an backhanded the servant girl across her face, knocking her two steps back. As the servant girl fell heavily to the ground, she reached out to cover her face but did not dare to make a sound.
“Why was I the last to know about such a thing?” Infanta Yuan’an gritted her teeth and bellowed with hatred. Her face twisted in anger. In the past, Chu Liuzhou would discuss some affairs with her, but this time, she heard about such a sensational event from others. What was worse, it was too late for her to do anything. After all, when she knew it, Chu Liuyue and Chu Liuchen had already come to search the courtyard.
She knew nothing and couldn’t do anything.
She picked up the teacup at hand and threw it at the door irritably. A group of servant girls and old maids stood aside with pale faces and trembled, not daring to say a word.
Her trusted nurse was brave enough to step forward and whisper, “My Lady, don’t worry. I think there must be some misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstanding? How could it be? It’s obvious that Chu Liuzhou did such a treacherous thing and left me here to take the blame!” Infanta Yuan’an screamed in a hoarse voice.
“My Lady, maybe he didn’t have time to consider you then!” Her trusted nurse advised.
“Is that so? But where is that woman? Where did she go? She had been in the study. Where is she now? He has to protect that woman forever. I mean nothing to him. I’m just the legal wife he had no choice but to marry!” Infanta Yuan’an was screaming at the top of her voice.
Seeing that she was so out of control, her trusted nurse felt distressed, and her heart ached for her. She hurried forward to hug and comfort her. “My Lady, even if His Highness hid you, you would be found later. Your status is different from other women. They would find you at all costs!” She said, trying to appease her.
Losing track of an unknown woman was not a big deal. But if Princess Zhou were missing, it would be a burning issue that could not be neglected.
Infanta Yuan’an suddenly realized that she was crying. Wiping away her tears, she said, “How could he treat me like this? He had promised he would treat me wholeheartedly. I devoted myself to helping him but came to a bad end, but he always gave me the cold shoulder. In the end, he got nothing, and he totally deserves it! Even if he achieved his ambition, I’m afraid I’ll be dethroned anyway.”
Infanta Yuan’an was full of hatred, not because Chu Liuzhou failed to seize the throne. On the contrary, she even felt Chu Liuzhou deserved it. Since he dared to abandon her, he had to bear such a devastating consequence.
Chu Liuzhou had so many women, but she had drugged all of them. No one but she could get pregnant. Unexpectedly, Chu Liuzhou came to his destruction before she could give birth to any child.
“My Lady, if His Highness shifts the blame to you…” Her trusted nurse suddenly thought of another possibility and panicked. Previously, she was grateful that Chu Liuzhou did not hide Infanta Yuan’an.
Others might not know Infanta Yuan’an and Prince Zhou had a bad relationship, but her trusted nurse was very clear about it.
Infanta Yuan’an screamed out of control, “What right does he have to do that? He shared benefits with other bitches and misfortunes with me! I want a divorce. I want to divorce him!”
She didn’t want to bear the crushing blow with Chu Liuzhou. Even if she were not Princess Zhou, she could still be Infanta Yuan’an. Her grandmother could protect her, and she was connected to the royal family by blood. No one dared to lock her up casually.
At this moment, she suddenly came to her senses. She must divorce Chu Liuzhou. Anyway, Chu Liuzhou had never treated her well. She could still live a good life after divorcing him. Why did she have to take the road to ruin with Chu Liuzhou? Chu Liuzhou was doomed. She was very aware of this.
“Go and ask my grandma to save me. I want to divorce Chu Liuzhou. I’m not Princess Zhou. Call me Infanta Yuan’an!”
Infanta Yuan’an gave her trusted maid a hefty shove, and she almost fell over.
“Your Highness… My Lady, I can’t get out at this time. Many people are outside the courtyard searching for the things His Highness prepared for the rebellion.” After steadying herself, the trusted maid said with a sullen face.
She wanted to go out and ask for help, but no one could get out now.
“I… I’ll send you out!” Infanta Yuan’an composed herself and said. Then, she asked a servant girl to dress her up and led her people to the gate of the courtyard.
The officials of the Ministry of Justice stood outside the courtyard. When they saw Infanta Yuan’an coming out, they bowed to her but did not take a step back.
“Get out of my way. I’m going to see my grandma,” Infanta Yuan’an said sternly.
The yamen runners of the Ministry of Justice looked at her and lowered their heads, but they didn’t give in.
Infanta Yuan’an was so angry that she felt dizzy. No one had ever dared to go against her will like this. She stepped forward and wanted to slap one yamen runner who blocked her way.
“Your Highness, you will be punished for plotting a rebellion with Prince Zhou. Are you really going to take action at this time?” An ice-cold voice came from aside. Infanta Yuan’an put down her hand. With a sullen face, she looked toward Wen Xichi, who appeared at the intersection.
“Lord Wen, I want to see my grandma,” Infanta Yuan’an said coldly, withdrawing her hand.
Wen Xichi stepped forward, bowed to her, and said slowly, “You can’t leave now. You can only stay here until the matter is settled.”
“Why? I know nothing about the rebellion of Prince Zhou. Why don’t you let me go?” Infanta Yuan’an was still very dominating.
“Your Highness, take it easy and stay calm. We won’t know anything until the end. Well, it saves us a lot of trouble when you are out of the courtyard,” Wen Xichi ordered, “Anyone available? I need some people to check Princess Zhou’s courtyard!”
“What… Why should you check my courtyard?” Infanta Yuan’an asked, fuming with anger. She was not allowed to get out, and even her courtyard would be searched and confiscated.
“Your Highness, you are the legal wife of Prince Zhou, so you should know it is an inevitable procedure!” Wen Xichi looked at Infanta Yuan’an calmly.
The royal family would always punish those who were related to criminals. Perhaps, not all his family members would be put to death, but Prince Zhou would implicate his close family members.
“I want to divorce Prince Zhou. I want a divorce!” Infanta Yuan’an lost control of her emotions and said with blood-red eyes. Seeing many people from the Ministry of Justice enter her courtyard, she turned around and wanted to rush forward.
But her trusted maid held her tight for fear that she would do anything improper again out of control.
“My Lady, don’t worry. It’s okay. His Highness didn’t tell you before he took action. And you still have Great Elder Princess. You’ll be fine.” The trusted maid hugged her tightly and comforted her.
She knew Infanta Yuan’an very well. Immediately, her words calmed Infanta Yuan’an down a little.
Infanta Yuan’an took a deep breath and suppressed the anxiety in her heart. Looking steadily at Wen Xichi, she said, “It doesn’t matter if I can’t go out. Let my trusted maid leave. I need her to see my grandma!”
“I’m afraid it’s against the rules!” Wen Xichi shook his head and refused her request.
“That’s nonsense. She’s just an old maid. I still stay in the mansion. Couldn’t you even make the decision for an old maid? Well, you’re such a useless official.”
Infanta Yuan’an sneered with anger.
Wen Xichi looked at Infanta Yuan’an indifferently and even showed a faint smile. “Even if I’m considered a weak official, I can’t let her go. If any principal criminal escapes, I can’t explain it to the two Princes.”
“How could any principal criminal be in my place? She is just an old maid serving me since I was little.” Infanta Yuan’an glared at him in anger.
“It’s hard to say. I just heard a lot of weapons were buried in the garden of the courtyard. If we didn’t discover these things, we would never know that Prince Zhou buried so many weapons there.”
Wen Xichi said with a smile.
“Wh-what…” Infanta Yuan’an was so shocked that her legs went limp. She almost fell. Fortunately, her quick-witted servant girl hurriedly supported her so that she could stand still.
“Don’t tell me you don’t know it either. The inner court is in your charge!” Wen Xichi looked up and said.
Infanta Yuan’an was in control of the inner court. Usually, men handled external affairs while women dealt with things inside the mansion. In this way, Infanta Yuan’an must have something to do with this big event. She had been comforting herself that it was all Chu Liuzhou’s fault. Since she never got involved in it, she wouldn’t be implicated. But now, she fell into despair.
Was there anything else in the mansion that she didn’t know? Why would she be involved in this kind of thing? She married into this mansion to become the empress, not to suffer hardships with Chu Liuzhou.
“Divorce…” Her voice was no longer sharp. Instead, it sounded low but firm. She cried and screamed but didn’t get what she wanted.
Whatever the price she had to pay, she was determined to divorce Chu Liuzhou. She was still young. A lot of great things were waiting for her in the future.
“Lord Wen, look at this!” A yamen runner ran over in a hurry and handed the delicate brocade box to Wen Xichi.
Seeing this, Infanta Yuan’an’s trusted maid was stunned, her face drained of color. However, Infanta Yuan’an was standing in a daze before her. Thus, she reached out and pushed Infanta Yuan’an, motioning her to look over there.
Infanta Yuan’an reacted dully, and her movements were not as fast as usual. When she turned around, Wen Xichi had already opened the brocade box. Then, a pair of delicate phoenix hairpins appeared before everyone.
Infanta Yuan’an was stunned at first. Afterward, she screamed and rushed over, trying to snatch the pair of phoenix hairpins back.
Wen Xichi took two steps back to avoid her. His eyes fell on the pair of hairpins, and the corners of his mouth were slightly raised. “Infanta Yuan’an, you said you knew nothing about it. But see? What is this? Who can use such hairpins? Now, how can you say you don’t know anything about it? You are known to be very talented and have attached great importance to clothes and jewels by official ranks!”
Infanta Yuan’an was born to the Ruiping Great Elder Princess. Before she married Chu Liuzhou, she had often told others what kind of jewelry she could wear as a Princess. It didn’t matter whether these pieces of jewelry were exquisite or not. They were the status symbol. Not everyone could wear anything at will. The dresses or jewels of Misses from other aristocratic families might look stunning. But unlike Infanta Yuan’an, these women without a high status were not allowed to use some things.
For example, only the Empress could wear the phoenix hairpins placed in the brocade box.
If Infanta Yuan’an knew nothing about the rebellion, where did she get this pair of phoenix hairpins with nine tails? How could they end up in her hands? How could they be carefully hidden? All the evidence indicated that Infanta Yuan’an knew Chu Liuzhou was plotting a rebellion and even participated in it.
“It’s all over!” This was the only idea that occupied her mind. Infanta Yuan’an rolled her eyes and fainted…