Chapter 357: Who Doesn’t Know How to Use Words to Provoke?
Princess Changle: “. . .”
She was furious!
That wretch, Shen Xingnong! How could Cousin Crown Prince take a liking to her?
Princess Changle lowered her head, appearing heartbroken, but inwardly she was so angry that she wished she could go up and slap Xingnong a few times!
She had taken note of this debt!
One day she would pay her back!
Xingqing nodded: “That’s right, Your Majesty, we must find out who harmed me and give Younger Sister Changle justice! She has suffered because of me!”
The Empress had just managed to hold back her laughter, but now she wanted to laugh again. She covered her abdomen, her stomach hurt, what should she do?
The Empress Dowager was so angry she couldn’t speak!
Seeing the Empress’s familiar appearance, the Emperor’s mouth twitched, helplessness flashing in his eyes. He looked around, his gaze finally landing on Liang Ting. In a deep voice, he asked: “Why was Minister Liang present in Princess Xingqing’s room? That is a place for female family members to rest.”
Liang Ting had already thought through the whole incident and knew that he had been set up. Moreover, it was clear that someone with such ability wouldn’t be that princess from the commoner’s family. He replied: “Responding to Your Majesty, this humble official has always had a low tolerance for alcohol, one cup and I’m down. After toasting His Highness the Crown Prince, this humble official felt dizzy and asked a palace attendant to take me to rest. That room was where the palace attendant led me to. I didn’t know it was a place for female family members to rest. I slept there for a while, and at that time, I only felt that the fragrance in the room was very strong. I slept very soundly. After waking up, this incident happened, and I don’t remember anything else.”
He only remembered that when he was asleep, he had a spring dream filled with his lover. What happened next naturally followed. When he was woken up, he found that the person beside him was actually Princess Changle!
Of course, these words couldn’t be spoken, so he didn’t say anything.
The Emperor: “Who was the eunuch who took you to rest?”
Obviously, that eunuch was involved in the scheme. As long as they found him, they could ask who was behind it.
Liang Ting shook his head: “This humble official doesn’t know his name.”
Chu Tiankuo asked: “Can you recognize him?”
Princess Changle’s heart skipped a beat.
Liang Ting thought for a moment and shook his head: “That eunuch kept his head lowered, and this humble official didn’t pay attention to him at the time. I’m afraid I can’t!”
Princess Changle secretly breathed a sigh of relief!
In fact, when she had done this, when she had set up this scheme, she knew that it couldn’t withstand close scrutiny. But she knew that even if it was investigated thoroughly, the Empress Dowager would protect her. The incident had already happened, and the result of this matter would only be to betroth Shen Xingqing to Liang Ting to appease her, and that would be the end of it.
She had been too hasty and had overlooked the Jin Kingdom Crown Princess!
She hadn’t expected the Jin Kingdom Crown Princess to stand up for Shen Xingqing. Of course, she had imagined that something would happen to Shen Xingqing, not to herself. She had never thought that something would happen to her!
In that case, even if the Jin Kingdom Crown Princess intervened, what difference would it make? The final result would still be Shen Xingqing marrying Liang Ting!
But now something had happened to her, her innocence had been ruined, yet Shen Xingqing was unscathed. How could this be?!
She wanted Shen Xingqing to pay the price, but with the Jin Kingdom Crown Princess involved, if the truth was found out, she would only have to face the consequences herself.
She never thought that she would be the one whose case would end up unresolved!
At this moment, Princess Changle’s heart was in turmoil, and she couldn’t think of a way to stop the Emperor from investigating further. She could only lower her head and put on a pitiful appearance.
Ren Zilin spoke at this time: “Princess Xingqing said that she didn’t see any palace attendants at the place where the female family members were resting. Minister Liang said that the fragrance in that room made people sleep very soundly. This humble official believes that we can summon the managing momo or eunuch for questioning. Also, please ask the imperial physician from the Imperial Hospital to check what kind of incense was burned in that room.”
The Crown Prince had already sent someone to investigate that room just now, but he didn’t know if it was too late or if the evidence had been destroyed.
The Emperor glanced at the eunuch behind him: “Send an imperial physician to examine that room. Who is in charge of Fortune Welcoming Courtyard and Fortune Grove Courtyard? Summon them!”
“Yes!”
Hearing this, the Empress Dowager now completely understood what had happened!
The person in charge of the courtyard where the female family members rested today was one of her people, and her people would naturally obey Changle’s orders.
She somewhat blamed Princess Changle for being incompetent and causing trouble!
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If the Emperor brought people up for questioning, they would inevitably receive a beating. The Empress Dowager didn’t want her servants to be punished.
Besides, Changle was the child left behind by her daughter, and she still had to protect her.
The Empress Dowager then said: “Your Majesty, there’s no need to summon anyone for questioning. The people from Fortune Grove Courtyard and Fortune Welcoming Courtyard were transferred by this old woman. I found the people from the Imperial Kitchen too slow in serving the dishes. Seeing that everyone was attending the banquet, I asked the people from those courtyards to help the Imperial Kitchen serve the dishes!”
Fortune Grove Courtyard and Fortune Welcoming Courtyard were the courtyards used for ministers and noblewomen to rest, respectively.
The Jin Kingdom Crown Princess smiled: “Then the incense mentioned by this minister should also be investigated, right? Incense that made people sleep very soundly? Could it be that the Empress Dowager ordered it to be burned?”
The Empress Dowager’s mouth twitched. If she wasn’t the Jin Kingdom Crown Princess, she would have ordered someone to slap her.
The Empress Dowager said irritably: “The incense burned in every room is the same! If the incense in that room is different, who knows who changed it! Princess Xingqing’s room, it’s not impossible that Princess Xingqing went in and changed it herself!”
Xingqing: “Responding to the Empress Dowager, this subject has already said that I have never entered any room. After attending the grand ceremony, this subject returned to the main hall with Miss Ren. We also left the main hall together with Miss Ren. During this time, I only encountered Younger Sister Changle. I only stepped into that room because Younger Sister Changle pushed me, and Younger Sister Changle definitely stepped in more than I did!”
Who doesn’t know how to use words to provoke?
Ren Zishan immediately said: “Empress Dowager, this subject can testify to this! This subject stayed by Princess Xingqing’s side the entire time today, except when this subject and Princess Xingqing left the main hall to use the restroom, and when Princess Changle pulled Princess Xingqing away to find someone. However, I also saw with my own eyes that Princess Changle took the initiative to approach Princess Xingqing, not Princess Xingqing approaching Princess Changle.”
Princess Changle covered her face and wept: “What do you mean by that, Elder Sister? Are you saying that I would burn incense to harm myself?”
Xingnong muttered in a low voice, but her voice was audible to everyone: “Of course you wouldn’t harm yourself, who knows if it’s just a case of harming others ultimately harming oneself!”
Princess Changle: “. . .”
She was so angry!
The Empress Dowager was holding back her anger. She glanced at the Jin Kingdom Crown Princess, endured it, and didn’t speak. She still had to figure out how to resolve this matter.
For a while, everyone in the room waited for the imperial physician to arrive and didn’t speak.
Only Chu Tiankuo, oblivious to everyone else, said to the palace maid from the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility: “Change the tea for the Crown Princess to rose tea, she doesn’t like this tea.”
It wasn’t good to drink other teas late at night.
The Empress Dowager: “. . .”
Did he still have the mood to be particular about a cup of tea at this time?
The Empress smiled: “This Palace also doesn’t like this tea, change it too!”
The Empress Dowager was so angry that she almost couldn’t help but splash tea on their faces!
“Yes!” The palace maid glanced at the Empress Dowager and only went down after seeing that she didn’t object.
After the tea was served, the imperial physician finally arrived!
Five updates today, because I’m going out tonight, so I finished updating during the day!
Thank you to all the cuties who voted and tipped~
Happy National Day! Have fun and enjoy your food ^_^
