Prince Yu walked towards the palace gate with Princess Ming Yue.
Previously, people from Prince Yu’s Mansion always used to ride in sedans, but this time even Prince Yu dared not sit in one, fearing another charge of great disrespect by the Imperial Censor.
Before, the Imperial Censor had accused him of riding in a sedan without getting down in the palace, but the old emperor thought it was not a big deal and defended him in front of the court ministers.
After today’s rebellion episode, he began to suspect that his good brother’s previous defense was mere pretense, just to make him lower his guard and settle everything in the end.
Prince Yu’s face was ashen.
"Are you really sending me to Longhua Temple? Father, are you going to make me suffer in the temple for a pastry chef?"
Princess Ming Yue babbled incessantly in complaint.
In the grand hall, she dared not complain about going to Longhua Temple in front of the emperor, but outside, she mentioned the temple thinking her father was only saying it to pacify the emperor, not truly intending for her to go.
To her surprise, her father was indeed planning to send her there.
As a noble princess, how could she possibly suffer at Longhua Temple?
"Shut up! Haven’t you caused enough disaster for our mansion today?" Prince Yu had the impulse to slap Princess Ming Yue.
Princess Ming Yue looked aggrieved and said, "Today’s disaster was all brought by that country woman and her daughter. Father, the emperor believes our Prince Yu Mansion is innocent, so it’s already over."
Obstinately heedless.
Prince Yu raised his hand.
"Prince Yu, Princess." Tong Huaqiong rushed to Prince Yu and Princess Ming Yue with Gu Taohua.
Prince Yu put down his hand.
Tong Huaqiong said to Princess Ming Yue, "Princess, this is not over yet. You still need to go to Taohua Dessert in public to clear up the misunderstanding."
Princess Ming Yue was almost exploding with anger.
Why does this odious merchant from the countryside keep lingering?
She thought the Crown Prince detained Tong Huaqiong, giving her a chance to hide in Prince Yu’s Mansion, and who would dare drag her out to apologize?
Thus, the matter would pass unnoticed.
Prince Yu was completely different from how he was in Jinluan Palace, nearly wishing to devour Tong Huaqiong.
"Lady Sui Feng, let me advise you: where it is possible to let people off, one should spare them. After all, you need to do business in Shengjing, isn’t it better to have more friends and thus more opportunities?" Prince Yu said menacingly.
Tong Huaqiong thought disdainfully; she certainly did not wish to have a friend like Prince Yu.
Moreover, after today’s events, there was no possibility of reconciliation between her and Prince Yu’s Mansion.
Tong Huaqiong smiled and said, "I am thinking of the reputation of Prince Yu’s Mansion. Now, I’m afraid all of Shengjing has heard that Prince Yu’s Mansion is plotting a rebellion. Having Princess Ming Yue go to Taohua Dessert to clear up the misunderstanding is also for her to clarify that Prince Yu’s Mansion has no rebellious intentions."
Tong Huaqiong displayed an expression of doing it all for Prince Yu’s Mansion, which nearly made Prince Yu jump in anger.
"Do you think just because you have the Crown Prince on your side, our Prince Yu’s Mansion cannot do anything to you?" Princess Ming Yue threatened, "Don’t be too smug."
Tong Huaqiong said, "How would I dare? After all, no one in Dasheng dares to oppose your Prince Yu’s Mansion."
This statement nearly choked Prince Yu and Princess Ming Yue with anger.
The maid had caused the incident precisely because Tong Huaqiong seized on a flaw in the statement, sticking a rebellion label to Prince Yu’s Mansion.
Now, Tong Huaqiong’s words reminded Prince Yu again that the emperor’s suspicions had yet to be dispelled, and she must publicly apologize.
Moreover, Tong Huaqiong’s words made sense; now the whole of Shengjing knew that Prince Yu’s Mansion was suspected of rebellion.
If no explanation was given, the Imperial Censor might seize the opportunity to lodge another accusation, and the emperor’s distrust of Prince Yu’s Mansion would deepen.
After all, for someone ruthless enough to kill his own son, eliminating a brother would be even more trivial.
Prince Yu, with a gloomy face, took Princess Ming Yue out of the palace and boarded the carriage.
Tong Huaqiong and Gu Taohua silently followed behind.
"Prince Yu, His Majesty has ordered me to supervise today’s event. You had better take the Princess to Taohua Dessert to clarify, and after the Princess clarifies the matter, I still have to report to the emperor," Su Chengmin said as he came to Prince Yu’s carriage.
He was the Commander of the Imperial Guard, and today’s event was reported to the emperor by him, so he had to report the progression of matters to the emperor.
Prince Yu rolled his eyes; it was nothing but coercing Princess Ming Yue to apologize at Taohua Dessert.
Su Chengmin was recently quite favored by the emperor, so after weighing the situation, Prince Yu had no choice but to take Princess Ming Yue to Taohua Dessert.
Princess Ming Yue felt that today was the most humiliating day of her life.
As a royal princess, to be forced to apologize to Tong Huaqiong and others for a pastry chef shattered her pride, made her want to destroy Taohua Dessert.
After Tong Huaqiong entered the palace, He Chao and Manager Tang and others were extremely anxious at Taohua Dessert.
Master Liu, the pastry chef, was so worried that she cried, regretting that she hadn’t agreed to the Princess’s request earlier. Working as a servant in the mansion was better than risking the downfall of Taohua Dessert.
Due to desperation, He Chao sent someone to Lu Mansion to ask Lu Zhaoyang for help.
Lu Zhaoyang had not yet entered the palace when he heard that Tong Huaqiong had already come out, and then he went to Taohua Dessert as well.
There he saw Princess Ming Yue standing at Taohua Dessert’s entrance explaining the circumstances to the crowd.
What was supposed to be Princess Ming Yue resolving a misunderstanding at Taohua Dessert, somehow spread and turned into Princess Ming Yue personally apologizing to Taohua Dessert.
Just like when the turmoil erupted, the merchants, clerks, and commoners along East Market Street surrounded Taohua Dessert, impenetrable.
Having Princess Ming Yue apologize was truly a rare event.
Originally, everyone was prepared for Taohua Dessert to be shut down, yet within a day, there was a major reversal.
The incident, stirred to Jinluan Palace by a pastry chef, making Princess Ming Yue come and apologize, not only drew respect but also felt like a triumph of the commoners.
Taohua Dessert’s victory was theirs as well.
"...Our Prince Yu’s Mansion has always been loyal to the emperor, being accused of rebellion is truly absurd. But this is not Manager Tong’s fault, it was all caused by the misunderstanding from a maid beside me. I merely said Master Liu’s pastry skills were excellent and expressed a desire for someone like Master Liu to serve in our mansion. She took it upon herself to run to Taohua Dessert and demand the person. After failing, she relied on the stature of Prince Yu’s Mansion to act arrogantly, which I have already clarified with Manager Tong before the emperor. Also, the maid who acted oppressively will be dealt with by family law, first having her tongue pulled out then beaten to death."
Princess Ming Yue held her head high, unwillingly explaining, ultimately shifting all the blame to the maid.
After all, the maid’s incompetence tarnished her image, and executing her was an act of benevolence.
The crowd gasped as they heard about Princess Ming Yue’s severe punishment for the maid.
With such ruthless means of punishment, they thought it was better to avoid the Princess when she shopped in the future.
However, seeing her publicly clarify, there was still a sense of satisfaction among them.
"Commander Su, I have clarified, you can now report back to my uncle the emperor," Princess Ming Yue said to Su Chengmin after explaining.
Initially, she wanted to make her explanation inside Taohua Dessert, but Su Chengmin pressed the emperor’s command on her to have it done at the entrance of Taohua Dessert.
Su Chengmin nodded and said, "I will certainly report back."