Chapter 229

Although Empress Ji issued a clarification immediately, it still invited many suspicious glances. Setting aside the imperial palace behind its towering walls, even in ordinary noble households, it was not uncommon for a legal wife who could not conceive to adopt a child from a concubine. If the Empress had indeed adopted the Third Princess from another consort or a palace maid, it would hardly be considered an outlandish affair. Grand Preceptor Jiang Wuya and the other officials, having recovered from their initial shock, vaguely sensed that the matter of the Third Princess had taken an extraordinary turn. They began to secretly observe the Emperor’s reaction. Yet, they were disappointed; neither the Emperor nor the Empress betrayed any flaw. The Emperor remained as motionless as a meditating monk, and the Empress wore her familiar, overbearing expression.