Qin Junwang racked his brain but couldn't figure out what he had done wrong.
He looked at Emperor Chongwen with trepidation, waiting for him to finish his unsaid words.
Emperor Chongwen didn't continue. Instead, he gave Siyi a look. Siyi, understanding, methodically recounted the actions of the Crown Prince's wife. He particularly emphasized Luo Wanqing's identity, her past kindness to several imperial consorts, and even how she had cured the Emperor's recurring headaches that had baffled the Imperial Hospital.
This wasn't just kindness to the imperial consorts; it was kindness to His Majesty himself.
Furthermore, the person held a noble status.
Qin Junwang inwardly cursed his foolish daughter-in-law. On the surface, he knelt down in feigned terror, "Your Majesty, please be observant. This old subject is loyal to Your Majesty."
Offending the Crown Princess of a nation, at its smallest, was a personal grievance. At its largest, it was instigating conflict between two countries. This was no trivial matter; it was a significant issue that could implicate the entire family.
Fool, fool, fool.
Qin Junwang cursed inwardly.
Emperor Chongwen sighed, "Uncle, please rise. Nephew knows this matter has nothing to do with you. However, the Crown Prince's wife is a member of the Junwang Manor. What she did does not represent her alone, but will be counted against the Junwang Manor. If it were a minor, inconsequential matter, nephew could have overlooked it. But the other party is the Crown Princess of Nanchang. Our Great Feng has always been on good terms with Nanchang. Now that their Crown Princess has suffered such great injustice on our Great Feng's territory, even a slight misstep could escalate into a diplomatic issue between the two countries."
Qin Junwang's forehead broke out in a cold sweat. "This, what can be done about this..."
"It depends on what the Crown Princess of Nanchang intends. If she does not pursue the matter, I will not either. If she does, Uncle, you must understand nephew's predicament," Emperor Chongwen said helplessly.
"Yes, yes, yes. This old subject understands Your Majesty's kind intentions," Qin Junwang replied repeatedly. "After I return, I will have Your Majesty's aunt take people to apologize to the Crown Princess."
"Uncle, a wise wife brings little misfortune. The Junwang Manor will eventually be handed over to your cousin!" Emperor Chongwen said meaningfully. "That's all for now. Nephew still has many memorials to review and cannot keep Uncle any longer."
Qin Junwang wisely withdrew.
After leaving the imperial palace, Qin Junwang's face showed his displeasure, and he returned to the manor in a furious rage.
Upon his return, he went to see the Qin Junwang Consort and reprimanded her with a dark expression. The affairs of the inner court were managed by her, and his daughter-in-law naturally fell under her purview. Now that trouble had arisen, he couldn't directly scold his daughter-in-law, so he could only vent his anger on the Qin Junwang Consort first.
The Qin Junwang Consort, having received such an unwarranted scolding, naturally became angry. She immediately had someone summon the Crown Prince's wife and berated her fiercely, leaving the Crown Prince's wife stunned.
"I thought you were a good person, but now it seems you are deceitful at heart. You harbor ill intentions and want to ruin the Junwang Manor!" the Qin Junwang Consort said, pointing at the Crown Prince's wife's nose. "If you ruin the Junwang Manor, do you think you will still have glorious days? Your maternal family has fallen so low, don't you have any self-awareness?"
The Crown Prince's wife was very wronged. "Mother, even if you are to punish your daughter-in-law, you should at least let her know why. This way, if a similar situation arises in the future, your daughter-in-law can avoid it!"
"In the future, you still want a future? Let me tell you, this matter is over." The Qin Junwang Consort snorted coldly. Having caused such great trouble, how could the Junwang Manor tolerate her?