Chapter 47: Shooting Oneself in the Foot
Moreover, her consort seemed to be in rather poor health. If he were to develop a fever because of this, she, the Grand Princess of the Phoenix Clan, would surely become the subject of gossip. When the envoys from the five clans departed, she had personally promised them that she would take good care of their kin. She could not break her word.
Li Xuanyue’s gentle words surprised Yao Guang. She hadn’t spoken up for Zhao Chuan immediately. Her behavior was quite unlike the rumors described. But he quickly regained his composure.
“Yes, Princess.”
Yao Guang lowered his head, appearing very obedient and submissive. It was a completely different face from his earlier detached demeanor.
Meanwhile, Zhao Chuan, kneeling to the side, remained silent from beginning to end. He didn’t know what awaited him. But if this Consort Yao dared to speak nonsense in front of Princess Xuanyue, he certainly wouldn’t let him off easily.
Changing clothes didn’t take long. But for someone in frail health like Yao Guang, it still took about ten minutes. And in those ten minutes, Li Xuanyue had already returned to Fenghe Hall with Yinxin and Zhao Chuan from the peach grove.
At this moment, Zhao Chuan’s heart was still in turmoil. Although he felt very guilty, Yao Guang’s absence emboldened him once again. He stepped forward directly and knelt before Li Xuanyue first, weeping snot and tears as he said:
“Princess, you must uphold justice for this subject~”
Anyone who didn’t know better would think Zhao Chuan had suffered some great injustice and pain at Yao Guang’s hands. It was truly an eyesore.
“Everything you saw in the peach grove just now was fake, Princess.”
Zhao Chuan tried his best to defend himself:
“It was Consort Yao who spoke rudely to this subject first. This subject only acted against Consort Yao out of anger. Please investigate clearly, Princess~”
Li Xuanyue raised an eyebrow. This… was Zhao Chuan the definition of a villain suing his victim first? Clearly, he had hurt someone first, pushing Yao Guang into the lake. Now, he was kneeling before Li Xuanyue playing the victim and accusing the other party. Did he think she would believe whoever looked more miserable?
If everyone hadn’t witnessed his arrogance in the peach grove with their own eyes just now, they might have actually believed what Zhao Chuan was saying to Li Xuanyue.
Beside her, Yinxin couldn’t help but roll her eyes. What kind of person was this! He was clearly the one in the wrong first, yet here he was putting on an act. She truly didn’t know how this Consort Zhao’s brain worked.
Li Xuanyue tapped the table lightly, holding her breath. Once Zhao Chuan had cried enough, she put down the tea in her hand, looked up at Zhao Chuan whose eyes were red and swollen from crying, and asked indifferently.
“Consort Zhao, do you think this Princess is blind and deaf?”
Her lukewarm voice carried an unprecedented pressure. It sounded terrifying to the ears.
Zhao Chuan flinched, clearly feeling afraid.
“No, that’s not it, Princess…”
Zhao Chuan tried his best to explain, but Li Xuanyue interrupted him again.
“This Princess saw everything in the peach grove clearly and heard everything distinctly.”
Li Xuanyue said word by word:
“It was you who disrespected Consort Yao first, and then you pushed Consort Yao into the lake.”
“These are facts, not something you can change by crying miserably here and distorting the truth.”
Li Xuanyue’s sharp gaze sent chills down Zhao Chuan’s spine. He knew he was done for. Now, he didn’t dare utter any of the words he had prepared in his mind. He could only keep kowtowing on the ground.
“This subject was wrong, Princess. Please forgive me, Princess…”
The sounds of knocking echoed throughout the hall.
“This subject will go apologize to Consort Yao later. Please forgive me, Princess!”
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. As soon as Zhao Chuan finished speaking, Yao Guang, dressed in black robes, walked in from outside Fenghe Hall accompanied by He Zhao. His face was still pale, and there was a hint of weariness between his brows. Like a lily that had been ravaged, about to wither and shatter. It made one’s heart ache.
“Sit!”
Before Yao Guang could bow, Li Xuanyue had already ordered a maid to bring a wooden chair for him. Yao Guang was stunned for a moment, but he still cupped his hands towards Li Xuanyue.
“Thank you, Princess.”
After Yao Guang sat down, Zhao Chuan looked at him eagerly.
“Consort Yao, I’m truly sorry about what happened in the peach grove just now. I was confused and let jealousy get the better of me, harming you. I beg for your forgiveness. I won’t dare do it again.”
His humble and pitiful appearance was a far cry from the arrogant demeanor he had displayed in the peach grove. He looked exactly like a drowning dog that had been beaten into the water. When he had the upper hand, he looked down on everyone. Without support, he immediately became pitiful. It truly showed people the definition of having two faces.
“Hmph, now you know fear? Too late!”
He Zhao said angrily: “Young Master, someone like this deserves to be severely punished by the Princess.”
“Otherwise, wouldn’t all the suffering you endured in the peach grove just now be for nothing?”
Their Young Master had a body of a thousand gold and had suffered so much this time. In his opinion, this fellow should be skinned and fed to the dogs.
Zhao Chuan’s face turned pale. He wanted to stand up and sew He Zhao’s mouth shut with a needle. Just now in the peach grove, he was the one who loved to interrupt. Their masters hadn’t even spoken yet, and he had stepped forward repeatedly. Why didn’t this Consort Yao know to discipline him? Wasn’t he afraid his attendant would climb onto his head?
Li Xuanyue lowered her eyes.
“Consort Yao, what do you think!”
She spoke in a deep voice, then handed the choice to Yao Guang. A consort wasn’t very important to her. She believed that Consort Yao’s punishment for Zhao Chuan wouldn’t be too excessive.
Yao Guang seemed to see through Li Xuanyue’s thoughts. After pondering for a long time, he spoke slowly.
“How about kicking him out?”
By “kicking,” Yao Guang didn’t mean just kicking him out of the hall. He meant having Li Xuanyue kick Zhao Chuan out of the Phoenix Clan.
Zhao Chuan’s pupils dilated in shock, terrified that Li Xuanyue would listen to Yao Guang. He hurriedly looked up at her.
“Princess…”
Li Xuanyue’s eyes lit up.
“Good!”
Yao Guang’s idea played right into Li Xuanyue’s hands. She had been worrying about not having an excuse to drive these consorts away one by one. Yao Guang’s suggestion gave her a reason to expel them in the future. So before Zhao Chuan could finish speaking, she interrupted him.
“Guards, kick Consort Zhao out of the Phoenix Clan!”
“No, this subject doesn’t want to go!”
Zhao Chuan snapped out of his fear and shouted: “Princess, this subject was wrong. This subject doesn’t want to leave the Phoenix Clan, Princess…”
Recommended Reads
![[ABO] President Shou Is Not a Total Shou](https://beereads.space/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/the-shou-is-not-a-total-shou-214x300.jpg)
