novelhk Chapter 523 Joy of Life 79
Chapter 523 Joy of Life 79
However, upon hearing these words, the Queen's emotions completely collapsed in an instant.
Just a moment ago she was filled with fear, but now she was almost frantic, shouting, "My son? Isn't he your son?"
"Snapped--"
A resounding slap landed on the Empress's face, knocking her body to one side.
Emperor Qing slowly withdrew his hand. Although he was extremely angry at this moment, his emotions remained stable, as calm as if nothing had happened.
Only those who know him can understand just how terrifying Emperor Qing was at this time.
Emperor Qing's voice, however, carried a chilling coldness: "Empress, you should be mindful of your conduct. Don't force me to depose you."
The Empress steadied herself and turned her head to look at the man in the dragon robe who was slowly adjusting his sleeves. A wave of sorrow washed over her.
Even now, the man's gaze still hasn't fallen on him.
The Empress suppressed her resentment and unwillingness, and tried her best to remain calm: "The Crown Prince has always been diligent and frugal, and his conduct is measured and his actions are thorough. I really don't know what such a Crown Prince could do to make His Majesty so angry."
Emperor Qing's face revealed a sarcastic expression: "Moderation in conduct? Thoroughness in handling affairs? Heh."
He no longer looked at the Empress, nor did he pay any attention to Li Chengqian, who was sitting on the ground. He simply said in a nonchalant tone, "The Crown Prince has acted improperly, behaved improperly, and defied the established order. He is truly unfit for the great responsibility and cannot inherit the throne."
“Father Emperor—” Li Chengqian crawled a few steps to Emperor Qing’s side. Before Emperor Qing could utter the words “deposed crown prince,” he grabbed the emperor’s robe and wept, “Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. I beg Your Majesty to have mercy and give me a chance to reform.”
He was born as the legitimate son of the Empress and was made Crown Prince in his childhood.
For the past ten years or so, everything he has been exposed to and learned has been about how to become an excellent crown prince and how to become a wise emperor in the future.
This is the goal he has strived for, it has become part of his bones and blood, how could he easily lose it?
"Your Majesty, I am the Crown Prince, whom you personally taught and raised. I beg you to show leniency. I promise that I will cultivate my character and virtue in the future and never make such a mistake again."
Li Chengqian wept bitterly, but Emperor Qing remained unmoved, his face expressionless.
Originally, Emperor Qing intended to act swiftly and decisively by deposing the crown prince.
However, he still wanted to see Li Chengqian and ask him why he would do such a shameless thing. But when he saw Li Chengqian's weak and incompetent appearance again, he realized that his ability to bear such things was far lower than expected.
Regardless of his inner thoughts, upon actually seeing the person, he felt only disgust and felt no disappointment at the fact that the crown prince, whom he had carefully nurtured for over a decade, had been ruined.
It's a pity the Empress didn't teach the Crown Prince well, allowing him to do such a thing.
However, with the Empress Dowager around, she would absolutely not allow him to depose the Empress. Besides, if he deposed the Empress, where would he find another Empress who had no powerful relatives and was also stupid?
Emperor Qing suddenly felt a bit disheartened and didn't want to waste any more words with the mother and son, so he immediately wanted to leave.
The Empress's eyes widened in fury at his cold demeanor, and she nearly went mad. She couldn't fathom what grave mistake her son had made that would lead Emperor Qing to so cruelly depose the Crown Prince.
It should be noted that even when Li Chengqian and Li Yunrui colluded to embezzle funds from the Imperial Treasury, Emperor Qing simply turned a blind eye and did nothing about it.
Could it really be because of Fan Xian?
The Empress seemed to think she had found the truth, and the emotions she felt from being slapped by Emperor Qing surged up again.
She spoke somewhat hysterically: "Does His Majesty believe the Crown Prince is flawed, or is it that he can't let go of that woman, and therefore wants that woman's son to ascend the throne..."
Emperor Qing's expression finally wavered slightly. He shook off Li Chengqian's hand that was gripping his robe, turned around, and took a step towards the Empress, his imposing aura radiating: "When did you find out about Fan Xian's background?"
The Empress felt as if a mountain was pressing down on her, so heavy that she dared not even breathe. After experiencing that bloody night more than a decade ago, the Empress was terrified of Emperor Qing to the core.