Chapter 179: Studying Together

## Avoiding Confrontation

The Noble Consort didn't allow you to confront the 7th Prince. She seemed to become more angry and suspicious of you. But you couldn't back down.

MC: (I will find a way to get her to do this!)

MC: Your Highness, please think about this. The reason why I asked to confront the 7th Prince is that I have nothing to be afraid of!

MC: I want the truth more than you do. I want to know why the 7th Prince react like that when he sees me. Don't you want the truth, Your Highness?

Noble Consort: I...

You sounded calm and you explained slowly. The Noble Consort showed hesitation as you expected. Just as you planned to continue to persuade her, another voice came beside you.

Eunuch: [In a low voice] Your Highness, now that His Highness was scared so badly, I'm afraid that it's not a good time for him to confront anyone. His Highness may say things that he doesn't mean...

Hearing the eunuch, the hesitation that the Noble Consort showed completely faded, making you angry and frustrated.

MC: We can do it right here and make everything clear. What can I do to the 7th Prince in front of you, Your Highness? What's more, I have no reason to hurt His Highness at all!

## Adding Fuel to the Fire

You and the Noble Consort had a grudge with each other no matter what. The eunuch who spoke was her confidant. It was not surprising that she trusted him over you.

In the face of your anger, the eunuch only smiled gently, not as furious as his master.

Eunuch: Your Highness, forgive me. I'm just worried about His Highness. I shouldn't have said that.

MC: You were worried? In my opinion, we should solve this as soon as possible if we really care!

Noble Consort: That's enough! I can't believe everything you said. Besides, I don't know if you have a reason to hurt the 7th Prince.

His Majesty, the Emperor! Amid this stalemate, Shi Lian has invited the Emperor to come. Stepping in, the Emperor looked at you with his dignified eyes.

Emperor: What's going on here?

After the Emperor sat down, the Noble Consort immediately looked resented and told an exaggerated version of what happened to the 7th Prince. You had no choice but to listen. You didn't say anything until the Noble Consort finished talking and the Emperor looked at you.

MC: Your Majesty, I didn't do anything to the 7th Prince!

Noble Consort: Your Majesty! If Princess Pingle is innocent, how would the 7th Prince say such things? Two years ago, the Princess must have secretly returned to the capital from Mount Tianchi!

## Prince in Danger

After the Noble Consort came to the conclusion that you secretly returned to the capital from Mount Tianchi, the palace went silent again.

The Emperor didn't speak but looked at you in silence. The dignity of an Emperor hit you in the face. Everyone seemed to notice it and wouldn't dare to speak. Only the impatient Noble Consort couldn't hold her tongue.

Noble Consort: Your Majesty, if the Princess is innocent, I suggest that we send someone to Mount Tianchi to find our if she had been there all that time!

Noble Consort: My brother is willing to take the task and figure out the truth!

The Noble Consort was still talking. Your forehead was already oozing with cold sweat.

In those two years, you had never set foot in Mount Tianchi. Even if the Emperor arranged to cover it up for you, as long as someone wanted to find out, you wouldn't be able to hide that.

But you couldn't defend yourself at all, because you were secretly ordered to go to Western Liang!

MC: (One step after another, I'm pushed to a dead end. If I can't explain why I haven't been in Mount Tianchi. I'll have to take the blame of plotting against the 7th Prince.)

The Emperor didn't speak because he wanted your answer. What should you say? Your hesitation made the Noble Consort think that you were guilty.

Noble Consort: Princess, don't you have anything to say? Or do you want to just admit what you did?

## Old Stories

An invisible pressure hit you, it seemed that even breathing had become difficult. After a moment of silence, you started speaking calmly and slowly.

MC: Your Highness, I'm made a princess by His Majesty the Emperor. The reason why I was made a princess is that I practiced for the Empress Dowager in Mount Tianchi for two years. You can question me, but you can't question my title, am I right?

Noble Consort: [Changing expression slightly] You... Your Majesty, I'm not questioning you!

The Emperor was still silent, but you felt the pressure on you got a little lighter. So you become calmer.

MC: Your Highness, you can make a thorough investigation on whether I had been in Mount Tianchi. Bu what if you were proven wrong? What if I had never left there in those two years? Have you prepared for the result, Your Highness?

The Noble Consort hesitated, frowned, and dared not take the responsibility of the matter decisively.

According to your knowledge of the Noble Consort, no matter how willful she was, she dared not to involve her family in this. You warned her that if she found nothing, it would not only be she but also her family who questioned the Emperor.

Emperor: That's enough, the 7th Prince might have made a mistake then. I still remember that two years ago, many innocent people died because of him. I didn't look into that. Do you want to bring it all up and get to the bottom of it as well?

Noble Consort: Your Majesty, I don't mean...

You didn't expect the Emperor to mention the fire set by the 7th Prince two years ago. The Noble Consort was scared and dared not mention what happened. However, she hadn't given up. Looking at you, it was obvious that she didn't intend to let this go away easily.

## Yin Zhi's Visit

Noble Consort: Even if the 7th Prince made a mistake, it was certain that the princess sneaking around in the snowy night a few days ago, wasn't it? The maid can testify!

Maid: I did see the princess leaving in a hurry.

The Noble Consort was adamant, and you didn't think it was necessary to cover it up. In short, as long as she gave up looking into whether you had been in Mount Tianchi, you could take a step back from other matters.

When you were about to admit it, there was a sudden announcement from the outside that The 3rd Prince had come.

MC: (Yin Zhi? What is he doing here now?)

Yin Zhi has come to you and saluted to the Emperor. He was still so indifferent that he didn't even look at you.

Emperor: What are you doing here?

Noble Consort: You're here for the princess, aren't yo? The princes have always got along well with the princess.

## Together Forever

The Noble Consort seemed to be implying something. You were also a little exasperated. On the contrary, Yin Zhi still looked indifferent.

Yin Zhi: I've come because I heard that the princess was wronged.

Noble Consort: Wronged? Are you saying that I wronged the princess? On that snowy night, a maid saw her with her own eyes!

Yin Zhi: It was dark then. It's not impossible that she made a mistake. The person the maid saw could not be the princess.

Maid: [Panicking] I saw it with my own eyes. It can't be wrong!

Yin Zhi: The princess was with me all night. Are you still certain that you're right? A person cannot be in two places at once.

Yin Zhi sounded calm and natural. The maid looked stunned and stumbled. You were startled what he said and your mind went blank.

Noble Consort: [Raising her voice] All night? What do you mean?

MC: (Come on, Yin Zhi, that will make everyone misunderstand!)

Sure enough, the Noble Consort has started questioning. You cut Yin Zhi off before he continued to speak.

MC: His Highness happened to make a few gears that day, and I was also quite interested in them. So we studied them together.

Yin Zhi glanced at you and looked at the stunned maid. She looked dazed, with a faint look of self-doubt.

Yin Zhi: Are you sure that you saw the princess?

Maid: I... It was so dark. I'm not quite sure, maybe I made a mistake...

Yin Zhi: Don't say things that you're not sure about. It will cause many misunderstandings. Since the princess has been with me all night... studying gears, it is impossible for her to do anything to frame the 7th Prince.

Yin Zhi testified for you that the Noble Consort could only keep her grudge to herself. No matter what would happen after that, at least you would sail through today's mess.