The Second Prince left the Duke's mansion with a heavy heart, unable to comprehend why Su Qingyue had made such a demand. He could only hope that after reading his letter, she would abandon the idea. From the moment he married her, he had resolved to treat her well, especially now that she was carrying his child.
While sending a messenger to Su Qingyue, Gu Sinian rode towards the palace without delay.
When the fake emperor was in the palace, he would occasionally summon Gu Sinian to make his act more convincing. After all, it was widely known that Gu Sinian was highly trusted by Emperor Chongwen.
Empress Lu's move was a risky one, yet it proved to be very effective.
On the surface, everyone knew that Emperor Chongwen had accompanied Empress Lu to visit her family. Therefore, it was natural that the person accompanying Empress Lu was the "real" emperor, while the one with Consort An at the Duke's mansion was the fake.
If Emperor Chongwen had revealed himself at the time when the fake emperor and Empress Lu were colluding, Empress Lu would have certainly retaliated.
It was precisely for this reason that Empress Lu had become so arrogant. Knowing that Gu Sinian was privy to the truth about the real and fake emperors, she still instructed the fake emperor to summon Gu Sinian to the palace.
She was confident that they could not cause any trouble.
A moderate amount of confidence was good, but overconfidence could lead to one's downfall without even knowing how.
Gu Sinian successfully met Emperor Chongwen. The people Empress Lu had assigned to Emperor Chongwen's side had already been replaced. Empress Lu believed these individuals were loyal to her and the Lu family, but in reality, they were all Emperor Chongwen's men.
After hearing about Su Qingyue's situation, Emperor Chongwen's brows furrowed. "An imperial decree must be issued. The Empress has ordered me to issue a decree demoting the wife to a concubine. As for whether this decree will be valid... Ah Nian, what do you think?"
"This is a domestic matter between your son and daughter-in-law, please do not ask this humble minister," Gu Sinian replied. "I came to the palace merely to convey the Second Prince's intentions to you, as if I did not intervene, I cannot guarantee he might do something impulsive and irreversible."
Emperor Chongwen rubbed his forehead, finding the situation quite vexing.
"The Second Prince has a gentle nature and is a kind person. It is precisely because of this that he will surely take responsibility for Lu Ruoyun's situation. Having occupied another woman's body, is there any other way to take responsibility besides being accountable? Moreover, the Empress and the Lu family's demand for accountability is for him to take responsibility. If it were an ordinary girl, a secondary consort would have sufficed. However, Lu Ruoyun is the legitimate daughter of the Lu family, and with the Empress's pressure, their demand is naturally for the position of the primary consort."
Emperor Chongwen sighed. His son would surely say this was a delaying tactic and would find a way to restore Su Qingyue's position as the primary consort later.
But would things that were given away be easily reclaimed?
If he had a resolute character, he might be trustworthy.
But given his nature... Su Qingyue likely knew his character, which was why she had voluntarily requested to step down. At least, with the child in her womb, she could retain her dignity. Otherwise, being demoted to a concubine would truly put her in a position where she could not resist.
"It is the Second Prince who has wronged Su Qingyue," Emperor Chongwen sighed. "Relay my words to the Second Prince: after the decree is issued, Su Qingyue will only be a concubine. Whether she gains her freedom or remains a concubine depends on the Second Prince's choice."
Gu Sinian twitched the corner of his mouth. "This humble minister speculates that the Second Prince would not be willing to let the Second Prince Consort leave. He is surely confident that he can protect Su Qingyue from the Empress and Lu Ruoyun."