20demayo Chapter 478
Chapter 478
Consort Shu and Consort Liang did not return to their own palaces. Instead, they sat in the side hall, anxiously waiting for news. They had expected Noble Consort Ye to curse vehemently and engage in a heated argument with Jiang Xinyue. However, nothing of the sort happened! They sat quietly in the side hall, straining their ears to catch any sound from the main hall, but they heard nothing.
"Clang!"
Was that the sound of a cup being smashed as a signal?
Consort Shu grabbed Consort Liang's hand and rushed into the main hall's reception room. Since the interrogation was already over, Xiao Xiangzi did not stop them.
Lying on the ground was none other than Noble Consort Ye, her mouth oozing dark black blood, already lifeless.
Consort Liang covered Consort Shu's eyes, and Consort Shu did the same for Consort Liang, fearing that the other would have nightmares.
Jiang Xinyue raised her hand, and immediately, palace servants stepped forward to carry away Wuma Jianli's body.
"I told you to wait outside, didn’t I? Why did you come in?"
Consort Shu meekly shrank her neck: "Your Majesty, I heard the sound of a cup being smashed and thought..."
You were summoning Consort Liang and me to come in!
Jiang Xinyue closed her eyes, somewhat exasperated by these two fools: "It's fine now. Everything has been clarified. I’m going to see the Emperor. You two may return."
She wanted to ask the Emperor what had happened to all those who had harmed her since she entered the palace.
She already knew some of the outcomes, but she mainly wanted to inquire about the fates of the families and clans of those concubines.
Many of them had once been prominent families in the capital, with entire clans rooted in the city. Sometimes, when the Emperor was merciful, he would punish only the wrongdoers and not involve the rest of their families.
This approach had its pros and cons.
The common people and officials would view the Emperor as benevolent, becoming more devoted to serving such a kind ruler and developing a sense of loyalty.
The downside, however, was that over time, someone might return seeking revenge, and no one would even remember who they were.@@@@
"The Su family?"
The Emperor had an exceptional memory. He only put down his memorial and thought for a moment before saying, "Su Jianxi, the daughter of the former Assistant Minister of Justice, once entered the palace as a Concubine. She cried all the time and even killed Little Ai Jiang. Do you remember her?"
Jiang Xinyue didn’t recall the name, but she certainly remembered the murderer of Little Ai Jiang.
In the past, with the late Empress Dowager and the late Empress around, the Emperor had never bothered with such matters. After their deaths, the Emperor rarely visited the harem and had simply forgotten about it.
The incident with Noble Consort Ye had given the Emperor ample reason to take decisive action.
It was time to thoroughly investigate how many people in his harem had ulterior motives.
He had already sent people out to investigate, and he believed the results would come soon.
Under pressure from his court officials, the Emperor conducted a sweeping investigation of the entire harem and indeed uncovered many shocking truths.
Some concubines, unable to endure the loneliness, had engaged in illicit affairs with reckless palace guards.
Others had practiced witchcraft in their palaces, casting curses on Jiang Xinyue and her children, wishing them an early death.
There were even those who had plotted to escape the palace.
When the Emperor presented all the evidence before the court officials, they were left speechless.
Jiang Yankun clicked his tongue a few times: "They say three women make a drama, but Your Majesty’s harem is a drama for every woman! Everyone’s life is quite eventful, isn’t it?"
This old rascal was still making sarcastic remarks, as if he didn’t think the offending officials’ daughters had caused enough trouble.
Jiang Yankun would never let such a perfect opportunity slip by.
These were the same officials who had previously criticized his daughter the most harshly. Why were they suddenly silent when it came to their own daughters?
Had they all lost their tongues?
Well, he would be the "songbird" for them.
"Oh, Lord Cao, did you know that the guard your daughter fancied already has a wife and concubines? How could she stoop so low as to become... well... Your Majesty is still here!"
"Lord Zhang, I recall you always saying that Her Majesty the Empress’s actions were bizarre and unworthy of her position, privately looking down on her. How could your daughter be so vicious as to practice witchcraft in the palace? Is the apple not far from the tree? Why are you keeping your head down now? Weren’t you always so proud, strutting around like a fighting rooster?"
"Ah, isn’t this Lord Hu? I heard you wrote a poem criticizing Her Majesty the Empress a few days ago. So, how is it that your daughter was planning to elope with someone in the harem? Why are you sweating so much? Are you feeling hot?"
"By the way, could you share that poem of yours with everyone? After all, I did pass the imperial exams. How about I give you some feedback?"
This old fox was truly ruthless.