Chapter 353: Petition to the Emperor

He Wan heard this and gave a wry smile, "Your Majesty, to be frank, when I first married the Prince I also hoped to live a good life with him. At first it was fine, but everything changed when Concubine Ruan entered the household. I know I am not as beautiful as Concubine Ruan, and I was willing to be tolerant, but she should not have harmed the child in my womb; I will never forgive them in this life."

Rong Luoge listened to He Wan's words, looked at her and asked, "You said earlier you had something to tell me; have you decided what it is?"

He Wan nodded, "I am married to the Prince; we should not become enemies, but he protects Concubine Ruan. I want to avenge my child but am powerless. Since it is so, we as a couple might as well not be."

After speaking, He Wan took two letters from the sleeve pocket and handed them to the person beside the Empress, "These are letters I unintentionally discovered in the Prince's study, Your Majesty, please look at them first."

Rong Luoge took the letters from Rong Xin, then opened them and read them carefully. Upon reading, her complexion changed instantly; after she finished, she looked at Princess Consort Shou and asked, "When did you obtain these letters?"

"Half a month ago, I had just finished my confinement period. I thought the child in my womb could not simply die in injustice, so I went to the Prince to seek justice for the child, but the Prince protected Concubine Ruan and scolded me, saying I was jealous and deliberately framing Concubine Ruan. My heart went cold at that moment. The more I thought, the more unwilling I felt, so the next day I took the evidence and went to see the Prince again, only to find him meeting Concubine Ruan's father. I did not enter; I waited in the small garden of the front courtyard, and when I saw Lord Ruan leave in a hurry, holding a letter, I felt something was off. I did not expect that as soon as he left, the Prince also departed. I felt an indescribable feeling, so in the early afternoon when the study was less crowded I went again and discovered these two letters."

Rong Luoge looked at He Wan with suspicion, "Would Prince Shou really leave such letters in an obvious place?"

He Wan replied, "Of course, Your Majesty may not know, before Concubine Ruan entered the mansion the Prince and I actually had a period of good days. In the front‑courtyard study I once accompanied the Prince with music, so I know there is a secret compartment in his study; the Prince simply does not know that I know."

Rong Luoge was impressed with He Wan, estimating that this person, who originally knew the secret compartment, intended to use it later as a surprise for Prince Shou, never expecting it would serve this purpose someday.

A study is indeed a man's primary place for work at home in ancient times, yet Prince Shou favored the Concubine, but he also did not anticipate his principal wife preventing her from laying claim to the study's territory, so how is Prince Shou's mind built?

Or perhaps Prince Shou was confident that He Wan was utterly devoted to him?

The construction of a person's mind is different; the deeds they commit are truly bizarre.

Anyway, if it were her, favoring one wife over the others would certainly lead to defenses against the other; beauty truly is a knife over the heart.

These two letters show that Prince Shou colluded with the Minister of Rites and, urged by an aristocratic family, secretly covered many of their actions.

Han Xinglan trusted both Prince Shou and Prince Liang, truly never thinking to be constantly on guard; what was the result?

Prince Liang remained as loyal as ever, but a problem arose with Prince Shou.

Seeing the aristocratic family's conditions promised to Prince Shou, Rong Luoge's eyes turned cold. Though the war drums need not be struck with heavy hammers, now that the Suizhou campaign is about to end, this is a crucial juncture; indeed a fire is needed to set the capital alight.

He Wan's two letters arrived at a most opportune, timely moment.

"Princess Consort Shou, you wish this palace to seek justice for you; what kind of justice do you seek?" Rong Luoge decided to first hear the other's demands before presenting her own conditions.

Although she wants to use He Wan as a fire, she does not intend to sacrifice this pitiful woman; she wishes to protect her as fully as possible.

He Wan looked at the Empress, took a slight breath, and said, "Your Majesty, I, your humble wife, wish to divorce Prince Shou and have Concubine Ruan punished. I have evidence that Concubine Ruan bribed people in the Prince's mansion to replace my prenatal supplement soup; the evidence, both testimonial and material, is complete, and she will not be wronged."

Rong Luoge let Rong Xin examine the evidence He Wan handed over; she carefully flipped through it, from Concubine Ruan bribing the maid beside He Wan, to the kitchen maid in the main kitchen being instructed to tamper with He Wan's supplement soup, to the pharmacy records of purchased musk, safflower, etc., indeed very thorough.

Rong Luoge was quite surprised; every person on this line she had identified, which is not easy, for the Prince's mansion's internal supplies are basically controlled by Concubine Ruan; He Wan obtaining these must have taken a great deal of effort.

However, a woman from an aristocratic family always has her own foundation; she has many household servants as a dowry, and besides, she is the Princess Consort, truly bearing the stature of a princess. Both Prince Shou and Concubine Ruan, at least for now, dare not treat Scholar He as a soft target.

"Since the evidence is complete, dealing with Concubine Ruan is easy, but arranging your divorce from Prince Shou is not." Rong Luoge looked at He Wan, "You know, the world holds a bias against divorce; unless you can win the sympathy and support of the majority, i. e., gain the people's hearts."

He Wan listened to the Empress's words, at first a bit confused, but after thinking she suddenly understood: the Empress wants her to make a big scene, only then can she better handle the matter.

He Wan thought of her natal family and hesitated slightly.

Rong Luoge was not in a hurry, looked at her and said, "This matter is no trivial affair; once a decision is made there is no turning back. Princess Consort, should you consult your family about this?"

He Wan heard the Empress's words, the bitter smile on her face could no longer hide her helplessness, "To be honest, Your Majesty, my father does not agree to my divorce; if they were willing to stand up for me, I would not have fallen to this point."

"Since that's the case, the decision rests on you." Rong Luoge said, such matters cannot be decided by others; only she can.

He Wan's expression changed repeatedly; if she makes a big scene, her family will think she has lost face, and even if she succeeds in divorcing, she will face a situation without a natal family.

But forcing her to continue enduring in the Prince's mansion, when she thinks of her child, she aches so much she could almost kill Concubine Ruan on the spot to avenge her child.

One cannot have it both ways; He Wan pressed her lips together, tears fell one by one.

Being a woman is truly too difficult.

Rong Luoge looked at her, sighed slightly, "He Wan, if you worry about having nowhere to go after the divorce, I will keep a position for you at the Weaving Workshop."

He Wan inhaled, took out a handkerchief and wiped her tears, "Your Majesty, I have decided, I will file a petition to the Emperor!"