met free Chapter 555: Give Up When You Can't Reverse the Situation
Chapter 555: Give Up When You Can't Reverse the Situation
At the door of Shen's house.
When Chu Jingyue's carriage arrived, Jiang Suining had just returned home, and the two carriages met at the gate of the mansion.
Looking at Chu Jingyue, whose face was pale but anxious, Jiang Suining instantly understood why the other party came.
"Sui Ning..."
When Chu Jingyue saw Jiang Suining, she immediately stepped forward, but because the gate of the mansion was not a place to talk, she held back temporarily.
After entering the mansion, Jiang Suining first asked someone to serve two cups of hot tea and personally handed one of them to Chu Jingyue.
"It's been cold these days. Drink some tea to drive away the cold before talking."
Chu Jingyue had no appetite for drinking tea. She put the cup in her hand aside and immediately spoke to Jiang Suining.
"Sui Ning, something is going to happen in the palace!"
Not seeing the slightest bit of surprise on Jiang Suining's face, Chu Jingyue was stunned for a moment and then asked, "You already know?"
That’s right, Shen Yanxi is now the prime minister and a close minister to the emperor, how could he not know the news.
That Sui Ning didn't tell herself...
Chu Jingyue felt a chill in her heart.
Jiang Suining pursed his lips and said, "Jingyue, I don't want to hide it from you. I probably knew it when I was recuperating in the palace. At that time, I thought about whether to tell you, but I did have some concerns in my heart, so I didn't say it in the end. I am sorry for you."
Looking at the guilty Jiang Suining, Chu Jingyue really wanted to ask why he had kept it from her, but at the same time, her reason told her that she could not blame anyone.
"Sui Ning, I understand. Even my father, mother, and Chang He kept it a secret from me. It is understandable that you did not tell me about this."
"No." Jiang Suining shook his head. "Jingyue, you have always been sincere to me, and I don't want to hide it from you. I didn't tell you not only because I cared about your health, but also because the Fourth Prince has been watching my and Shen Yanxi's every move. Once this news leaks out, it may become a handle for him to use against us. So I have my own selfish motives for hiding this matter."
From the moment she chose to conceal the truth, she knew that Jingyue would find out sooner or later, and that she would have to tell her about it sooner or later.
Of course, she could say something that made her feel more comfortable, like she was taking care of Jingyue's health and worried that she would be frightened, but that wasn't the whole truth.
"Why is there the Fourth Prince? What does this have to do with him?" Chu Jingyue was confused. After she finished speaking, she suddenly realized, "Is it because of what happened with the Third Prince before? The Fourth Prince has been holding a grudge against you, so he wants to find a chance to retaliate?"
Chu Jingyue was extremely upset and her tone was extremely anxious, so Chu Changhe on the side hurriedly tried to comfort her.
"Jingyue, don't be anxious. If you have anything to say, just take your time."
"How can I not be anxious? I..."
Halfway through his words, Chu Jingyue once again realized that his tone was very bad and he froze there for a moment.
"Sit down first. Even if you don't care about yourself, you should still care about the baby in your belly." Jiang Suining helped Chu Jingyue sit on a chair beside him. "The matter of the Fourth Prince can be put aside. The most important thing now is the Prince Chu's Mansion."
Chu Jingyue grabbed Jiang Suining's sleeve and said, "Yes, Suining, I came here today to ask you and Prime Minister Shen if there is any way to help my father?"
No matter what the reason was for Sui Ning to hide this news from her, it didn’t matter anymore. What mattered was whether there was any way to resolve the matter now!
"These past few days, Shen Yanxi has also been paying attention to the news about the Prince Chu's Mansion. Although the details are unclear, he did find some errors and omissions. The most troublesome one is that Prince Chu once protected the son of an old friend, and the other party had several lives on his hands."
"I already know about this, but I believe my father definitely doesn't know that he is a murderer. It's just... no one would believe me if I said this now."
Jiang Suining said: "It doesn't matter whether others believe it or not. The most important thing is whether the emperor believes it or not."
Chu Jingyue looked depressed. "The emperor has already made up his mind to take over the Chu Palace. He has even sent out the imperial guards. How could he still believe my father? I'm afraid he is eager to use these things to convict my father."
"The reason why the emperor is dissatisfied with Prince Chu is because of the previous faction and the faction-building incident. In addition, Prince Chu has been more involved in the court in the past year or two than before. Now that the crown prince has not been decided, the position of the prince is still hanging in the balance. Prince Chu has close contacts with the court officials and even discussed the crown prince issue in private. It is inevitable that the emperor will have concerns."
"Who did father discuss the matter of the crown prince with?" Chu Jingyue was stunned, "But I have never heard father mention this."
"Prince Chu will naturally not say much in front of you. Those court officials who were arrested for forming a clique have confessed that they discussed privately and wanted to support the Eighth Prince, and Prince Chu was among them."
This news was brought back by Shen Yanxi two days ago. Shen Yanxi also found a chance to read the confessions of those court officials. There was indeed no problem with them and they should be telling the truth.
Although the Prince of Chu is a king of a different surname and not related to the royal bloodline, the Chu Palace has a deep foundation, and the relationships and connections accumulated over generations are intricately intertwined.
In this situation, if he could be a leisurely prince and just do some errands according to the emperor's orders, it would not be a big deal. But if he got more and more involved in the court affairs and even wanted to influence the succession, it would inevitably cause dissatisfaction and suspicion from the emperor.
"Father is so confused!" Chu Jingyue panicked. She looked at Jiang Suining again, "Suining, do you think there is any way to save the Chu Palace now?"
Jiang Suining was silent for a moment and shook his head, "According to the current situation, it is already difficult to keep the Chu Palace."
"That……"
"However, if Prince Chu can take the initiative to plead guilty, give up everything, and leave the imperial city before the emperor issues an order to punish him, perhaps he can at least preserve his dignity."
The emperor's heart was as deep as the abyss, and suspicion had already arisen.
When you are powerless to change the situation, it is better to give up.
"Take the initiative to ask for forgiveness and leave the imperial city..." Chu Jingyue turned her head to look at Chu Changhe beside her, "Husband, do you think this is the right thing to do?"
"This is indeed a solution. If father is willing to take the initiative to admit his mistakes, the emperor should show some mercy to him considering the past achievements of the Prince of Chu's Mansion. However..."
"But father is definitely unwilling to do so. After all, there may still be a glimmer of hope now. But if he really pleads guilty, the Chu Palace will be completely destroyed in his hands. For father, this is hard to accept." Chu Jingyue said with understanding.
"Even if it is hard to accept, you have to accept it. Now that Yuwei has returned, that glimmer of hope is illusory. Prince Chu is not a confused man. You explain the situation to him clearly. I believe he will make the right judgment." Jiang Suining said in a deep voice.
However, before Chu Jingyue could respond and say that she would go to persuade her father, Shen Yanxi, who had just returned home, walked in from outside the lobby.
"It's too late."