nashuaworldcup Chapter 127 Once the arrow is released, there's no turning back.
Chapter 127 Once the arrow is released, there's no turning back.
The people from Yongshou Palace were all present, except for Nian Shilan, who had been absent from public view for a long time, and Consort Duan, who had been ill for a long time.
Hearing Consort Cao's words, Consort Hui reacted the most. Shen Meizhuang frowned and looked up at Cao Qinmo indignantly. Seeing her timid and shrinking appearance, she then turned her head angrily to look at the Emperor at the head of the table. Although she had long since given up any expectations of the Emperor, she still hoped that he would severely punish that poisonous woman at this moment.
But reality always disappoints her. Yinzhen remained calm, barely even glancing at her. He gently stroked the cushion on the chaise lounge, his tone indifferent and unreadable: "Go on."
Cao Qinmo felt a chill run down her spine from the Emperor's gaze as he looked down from above, but since things had come to this point, she had no choice but to continue speaking.
"At first, I was unaware of the truth. It was only when I witnessed her instructing her servants to frame Consort Li that I learned the truth. I was filled with anxiety and fear. Consort Nian threatened me with Wen Yi, so I had no choice but to keep quiet."
"Furthermore... Consort Chun was pushed into the water, which was also done by Consort Nian!" She looked up at the Emperor, her words earnest and her voice filled with anguish, "Consort Chun was so young, and she died in the pool just because she heard about Consort Nian's secret. I am truly terrified. Consort Nian is capable of anything!"
The more she spoke, the more obvious the fear on her face became. Tears streamed down her face like broken beads, and her voice trembled with sobs.
"Wenyi was born after I carried her for ten months. After all, mother and child are of one heart. Even if the imperial genealogy is changed, I still have to think twice for Wenyi's sake. I dare not speak out even though I have seen Consort Nian's many evil deeds. But even so, I am not even allowed to see Wenyi."
When Chun'er was mentioned, Zhen Huan's expression was different from Shen Meizhuang's indignation. Her face was a mixture of various emotions, which was quite complicated. Nian Shilan had done all kinds of evil deeds, but Cao Qinmo was not necessarily clean either. With just a few words, she disguised herself as a mother who was being coerced. She was really very clever.
Yinzhen remained unchanged, his eyes lowered and expressionless, without even altering his posture. He had already been shocked by these events once before, and had already been punished and scolded. There was no need for him to put on a show again in front of everyone.
He's still patiently sitting here, simply wanting to see what Cao Qinmo, who usually keeps a low profile, can actually come up with.
Seeing that the Emperor still had no reaction, Cao Qinmo's already uneasy heart sank even further. Could it be that neither buying and selling official positions nor matters of life and death could make the Emperor make a fuss about Nian Shilan? She had a feeling that something must have gone wrong, but once the arrow is released, there is no turning back. She gritted her teeth and mustered her courage to continue speaking.
"Moreover... I personally heard Consort Nian send people outside the palace to find scabs from people with smallpox and mix them into the Crown Prince's clothes. Your Majesty, this matter concerns the fate of the nation, you cannot fail to uphold justice for the Crown Prince!"
Upon hearing this, Lü Jiaying was the first to speak up, unable to sit still. Since Hongzhao had almost been harmed, she was naturally the most anxious one. However, upon hearing Cao Qinmo's accusation, she frowned and her first reaction was that it was impossible. "This matter is of utmost importance. How could Consort Nian let you know? Could it be that you were involved as well!"
Yinzhen's gaze suddenly turned dangerous and cold. The person who wanted to harm Hongzhao had not yet been found. He now looked at everyone in the court and the harem with a sense of wariness. This matter was like a sharp sword hanging over his heart. This time, it was only because of Heaven's protection that Hongzhao was safe and sound. If there were any mishaps in the future, he was afraid that even the most careful precautions could have a fatal flaw.
Cao Qinmo was unaware that when she decided to use this matter to severely crush Nian Shilan, in the Emperor's eyes, she was already no different from a dead person.
"I would never dare!" She waved her hands repeatedly, clutching her chest and shaking her head in panic. "It was because I often went to Yikun Palace to request an audience, hoping to catch a glimpse of Wenyi from afar. I overheard it by chance, and the more I thought about it, the more frightened I became. The matter of plotting to harm the Crown Prince, Consort Nian is far too audacious!"
Seeing that the Emperor remained silent, Shen Meizhuang could no longer contain herself and spoke coldly with a hint of sarcasm, "Consort Nian's behavior is unrestrained and completely disregards palace rules and etiquette. If she is not severely punished, how can we quell the public's anger!"
Yinzhen looked towards the source of the voice, and when he met her tense, angry face, his irritation intensified. He had never liked the entanglements between the court and the harem, nor did he like others scheming against him. Since Hongzhao came into his life, he disliked even more these people who would use Hongzhao as a pretext for their own affairs, and who all wanted to interfere in his son's life.
He irritably flicked his robes and said in a low voice, "This matter involves the Crown Prince and is of utmost importance. It is not merely a matter of the inner palace. Since someone has reported it, I will naturally investigate it thoroughly."
"Su Peisheng, bring that palace maid named Zhi, who serves Consort Nian, to us and interrogate her thoroughly. Since we're going to investigate, then..."
As he spoke, he turned his gaze to Lü Jiayingfeng beside him, looking at her with a questioning look. Lü Jiayingfeng was not stupid, of course, and it was more dignified for her to speak up herself. "I will question all the people on my side who have come into contact with this garment. If there is anyone who has a black heart and wants to harm my You'er, then we must not let them off lightly."
"Hmm." Yinzhen nodded in satisfaction with her answer, and then his voice softened a bit. "The people around you are all respectable, so you don't need to go to the Censorate. You will handle Su Peisheng's interrogation personally, along with the people around Consort Nian."
Su Peisheng knew that the Emperor was saving face for the two empresses on the one hand, since it wouldn't sound good if word got out that their personal attendants had been interrogated by the Censorate. With the coronation ceremony approaching, it was best to avoid any trouble.
Another point is that Su Peisheng, being an outsider, clearly saw that the Emperor had not believed a single word Consort Cao had said. Putting aside what this son meant to the Imperial Noble Consort, even setting aside the mother-son relationship, no one in Yongshou Palace wanted anything to happen to such a reliable person.
Take the day the Crown Prince was injured on the forehead, for example. The way Consort Nian looked at him with her two children with such heartache was touching, even to the Emperor. People are not plants or trees, and the Emperor is not made of gold or jade.
After arranging this matter, Yinzhen got up to leave. Cao Qinmo, who was kneeling on the ground, barely managed to straighten up and cried out mournfully, "Consort Nian's evil deeds are too numerous to count. Is Your Majesty really going to let her off so easily?"