CHAPTER 235: CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY-ONE

The next day, Zhao Yao didn’t wake up until the hour of Chen. If he weren’t hungry, he might have slept until the hour of Si.

He slept very soundly, completely unaware of what happened in the latter half of last night. He had no inkling of the events that transpired.

"Awake?"

Zhao Yao had just woken up and was yawning when the Fourth Prince noticed.

After the incident with the snake last night, the Fourth Prince didn’t sleep, only catching some rest when daylight broke. Wei Mian advised him to sleep some more, but he refused. He didn’t have the habit of sleeping in; even if he pulled an all-nighter, he wouldn’t make up for it the next day.

Seeing the Fourth Prince’s somewhat haggard face, Zhao Yao quickly sat up and asked, "Fourth brother, what’s wrong? Didn’t you sleep well last night?" After speaking, he seemed to remember something, showing a guilty expression. "Could it be because I slept restlessly that you didn’t sleep well?"

The Fourth Prince said, "No, a lot of snakes appeared in the camp last night, and quite a few people got bitten."

"Ah, snakes?" Zhao Yao asked in shock, "What kind of snake, who got bitten, Fourth brother, did you get bitten?"

"I wasn’t bitten, but the Empress, Noble Princess Consort Rong, and Princess Consort De were bitten, and many Imperial Guards were bitten while catching the snakes."

Zhao Yao suddenly asked with particular concern, "What about my mother and the others? They weren’t bitten, were they?"

"No, Liang Zhaoyi and the others weren’t bitten."

Upon learning that Liang Zhaoyi and the others weren’t bitten, Zhao Yao’s previously suspended heart immediately settled.

"Fourth brother, was it someone who deliberately released the snakes?" Zhao Yao asked, "Did they find out who released them?"

"A young eunuch from the Imperial Kitchen released the snakes. It’s said he was acting under the orders of Consort De."

"Ah, Consort De ordered it?" Zhao Yao was shocked. "Why did Consort De have someone release snakes? Who did she want the snakes to bite?"

The Fourth Prince replied indifferently, "Noble Princess Consort Rong."

Upon hearing this answer, Zhao Yao wasn’t surprised at all internally. However, he still put on a façade of being shocked.

"Why would Consort De want the snakes to bite Noble Princess Consort Rong?"

The Fourth Prince remarked expressionlessly, "Jealousy."

Zhao Yao was about to say something more when his stomach rumbled. The Fourth Prince heard it and laughed, asking, "Hungry now?"

"I’m hungry."

"Then get up first."

"Alright." Zhao Yao quickly got up, dressed rapidly, and then went to the neighboring tent to change and wash up.

While washing up, Tong Xi vividly told Zhao Yao what happened last night.

Zhao Yao was stunned to hear it: "Why didn’t you wake me up last night?"

"What would I have woken you up for? It wasn’t something enjoyable," Tong Xi knew how his highness would react after hearing about last night’s events. "Besides, you almost got bitten last night, but luckily Xiao Bai scared away those three snakes."

"I’m not afraid of snakes," Zhao Yao said disdainfully. "If I were awake, I definitely could have caught many snakes."

Tong Xi silently thought to himself: I knew his highness would say that.

"I heard from Fourth Brother that it was investigated that Consort De was behind it. So, what’s happening with Consort De now?" Zhao Yao curiously asked, "Was she punished by Father?"

"Consort De claims she’s innocent, that she didn’t order the snakes to bite Noble Princess Consort Rong, saying someone set her up," Tong Xi reported to Zhao Yao. "Early this morning, Consort De was sent back to the palace. The emperor also decreed that without his orders, Consort De is not allowed to leave her palace nor is anyone allowed to visit her."

"That’s essentially putting Consort De under house arrest."

"The punishment is rather light. By rights, Consort De ought to have been demoted..." Tong Xi thought for a moment and said, "Consort De should be demoted to concubine."

"If it really was Consort De’s doing, she would definitely be demoted," Zhao Yao analyzed. "Since Father only put Consort De under house arrest, it suggests that the mastermind might not be Consort De."

Tong Xi was surprised by Zhao Yao’s reasoning and asked, "Your Highness, do you think Consort De is innocent? But everyone thinks she did it, given her long history of jealousy toward Noble Princess Consort Rong’s favor."

"Noble Princess Consort Rong is favored, which concubine wouldn’t be jealous? But Consort De wouldn’t be foolish enough to frame Noble Princess Consort Rong during the spring hunt," Zhao Yao said, "This is obviously a setup." Wait, could it have been Eighth Brother? Eighth Brother wouldn’t just release snakes to bite Noble Princess Consort Rong; this shouldn’t be his doing.

Could it be...

Zhao Yao had a suspect in mind.

"Your Highness, who do you think framed Consort De?"