Chapter 156: Must Be Eliminated at All Costs!
（Large chapter, more words than usual）
The Governor of Shuntian Prefecture was quickly summoned to the Imperial Study.
Accompanying the Governor of Shuntian Prefecture were Imperial Physician Lin from the Imperial Hospital and the Grand Commander.
Consort Liang, who had received the news, also rushed over!
Before the interrogation even began, Consort Liang immediately knelt on the ground and cried, “Your Majesty, Yu’er must have been framed! Please, Your Majesty, seek justice for Yu’er! His reputation has been ruined! He has always been well-mannered and respectful. Even when this concubine wanted to arrange two concubines for him, he said he wouldn’t take any before marrying his official wife, and he didn’t want any maids for sexual purposes. How could he do such a thing?!”
The Emperor felt a headache seeing Consort Liang like this. He suppressed his impatience, stepped forward to personally help Consort Liang up, and said softly, “My beloved consort is with child, please rise and speak. Yu’er is my son, and I will not allow anyone to scheme against him!”
Consort Liang was helped up by the Emperor.
The Emperor, supporting her, walked to the Dragon Throne and gestured for her to sit, “Sit properly and don’t agitate the child.”
Consort Liang’s heart was filled with joy. This Dragon Throne, only the Empress had sat on it before. Although she had been the most favored consort in the harem for many years, this was the first time she had sat on it!
Chu Tiankuo’s eyes turned colder.
He said with a surprised expression, “Second Imperial Brother doesn’t even have concubines? But I see that Second Imperial Brother’s steps are often unsteady, clearly a sign of excessive depletion of vital essence. Moreover, this isn’t something that can be depleted in a day or two, or once or twice. It should have been happening for a year or two, frequently, causing this over a long period of time. In the long run, this can affect one’s lifespan! Imperial Physician Lin should know about this, right? I see in the Imperial Hospital records that most of the medicinal herbs Imperial Physician Lin has taken are for invigorating yang energy. If it’s not for Second Imperial Brother’s use, could it be for Father Emperor’s use? No wonder Consort Liang is with child!”
The Emperor’s heart skipped a beat!
Chu Tianyu: “…”
His steps are unsteady, is it that serious?
Consort Liang was startled.
Chu Tiankuo understands medicine? He can tell with just a glance?
Imperial Physician Lin unconsciously felt a chill down his spine.
The Emperor straightened his posture and said with a stern face, “Nonsense!”
Consort Liang suppressed her panic and pretended to be surprised, “Crown Prince understands medicine? Medicine requires observation, listening, inquiry, and palpation. How can one diagnose an illness with just a glance? Even unsteady steps can have many causes.”
Chu Tiankuo nodded, “That’s true. But I have learned a bit during my travels over the years. How about I take Consort Liang’s pulse? Take Second Imperial Brother’s pulse? I can tell from the pulse whether the child in Consort Liang’s womb is a prince or a princess! You’ll know how good my medical skills are when Consort Liang gives birth.”
The Second Prince immediately said, “No need!”
Consort Liang’s eyes flickered as she smiled, “No need. Whether it’s a prince or a princess, this concubine will be happy.”
The Emperor had a headache. He glared at Chu Tiankuo and said angrily, “We have Imperial Physicians for taking pulses. Don’t meddle in other people’s business when you have important matters to attend to!”
Chu Tiankuo sneered inwardly but didn’t show it on his face. He nodded, “Father Emperor is right! This son will attend to the important matters now!”
Chu Tiankuo looked at the Governor of Shuntian Prefecture, “Governor Liang, did you secure the private room in the restaurant after Second Imperial Brother left?”
“Reporting to Crown Prince, no one has touched anything inside!” He couldn’t lie about this. The Crown Prince’s guards were also there guarding it.
Chu Tiankuo nodded and looked at Imperial Physician Lin, “Imperial Physician Lin, have you checked all the food and drinks? Are there any problems?”
Imperial Physician Lin didn’t know what had happened before. He was still at the Imperial Hospital preparing medicine for Prime Minister Liang’s son when he was pulled away to check the food and drinks at Welcome Guest Restaurant.
He didn’t know at the time that the matter was related to the Second Prince. Moreover, the Crown Prince’s guards and the Grand Commander were also present. He immediately determined that the food and drinks had not been poisoned. At this moment, the private room in the restaurant was still guarded by the Crown Prince’s people, so he couldn’t lie at all.
He said, “Reporting to Crown Prince, the food and drinks in the restaurant are all fine.”
Consort Liang spoke at this time, “The poison doesn’t necessarily have to be administered in the restaurant, not necessarily in the food and drinks. After all, poisoning the food and drinks can be easily detected! Who would be so stupid.”
Chu Tianyu also said, “Father Emperor, this son was indeed poisoned, but this son doesn’t know how it happened. However, this son did lose control after being poisoned. No matter what, it was this son’s carelessness, falling into someone else’s trap! There are too many coincidences in this matter!”
Chu Tiankuo said calmly, “But this young lady just said that they discovered they were poisoned after finishing the food and drinks. If they weren’t poisoned in the restaurant, were they poisoned on the way? Didn’t Second Imperial Brother happen to encounter Miss Shen, learn of her grievance, and then book a private room to listen to her story? Otherwise, how would that person know that you were meeting with the young lady and poison you in advance?”
Shen Mingzhu: “. . .”
Consort Liang: “. . .”
Chu Tianyu: “. . .”
✿✿✿
Chu Tianyu: “How would I know what the other party was thinking! Anyway, I was poisoned! And this matter is too coincidental! How could the Zhao Kingdom Heir Apparent think that the Zhao Kingdom Princess was in that private room and then barge in? Eldest Imperial Brother was also there at the time, why was Eldest Imperial Brother there? Why was Censor Lin there? Isn’t all of this too coincidental? Someone must be plotting against this son!”
These words were implying that Chu Tiankuo had deliberately drugged him and framed him!
Chu Tiankuo sneered, “Second Imperial Brother thinks that Eldest Imperial Brother did this?”
Consort Liang pretended to be surprised and said, “Why is Crown Prince so sensitive? Yu’er didn’t mean that! He was just saying that all of this is too coincidental. Why did you go to Welcome Guest Restaurant? Did someone invite you? Crown Prince, why don’t you tell us, maybe we can find the person who poisoned you?”
These words were implying that the Crown Prince was protesting too much! He was guilty!
Chu Tiankuo looked at Chu Yuehou, “Grand Commander, can you explain this matter?”
“Reporting to Your Majesty, today, Zhao Kingdom’s Formation Master Xu requested to discuss the matter of redeeming the person and wanted to see if the Zhao Kingdom Princess was safe. Crown Prince said that he seemed to have discovered the whereabouts of the Zhao Kingdom Heir Apparent and was worried that he would secretly abduct the person, so he asked the Embroidered Uniform Guard for help. This humble official, seeing that the matter was of great importance, agreed.”
“The Embroidered Uniform Guard originally arranged to meet with Zhao Kingdom’s Master Xu at Room 3 in the Tian section of Welcome Guest Restaurant, but the Zhao Kingdom Heir Apparent was also at Welcome Guest Restaurant. The Embroidered Uniform Guard changed the meeting place to Room 3 in the Tian section of Welcome Inn to meet with Master Xu and the others. Yang Xie from Zhao Kingdom returned from outside the city, unaware that the meeting place had changed, and rushed over, which is why this incident occurred.”
Chu Tiankuo looked at Chu Tianyu with a sarcastic expression, “Second Imperial Brother, do you now understand where the coincidence lies? The coincidence lies in the fact that Second Imperial Brother unintentionally discovered this young lady’s grievance and specifically requested a private room to listen to her story. If Second Imperial Brother hadn’t wanted to show off his heroic ‘colors’ and save the beauty by requesting a private room alone, all these coincidences probably wouldn’t have existed!”
Chu Tiankuo deliberately emphasized the word “colors”!
Chu Tianyu: “. . .”
“As for Second Imperial Brother saying he was drugged, it’s impossible to be drugged in the restaurant. So when exactly were you drugged? We’ll know by investigating where Second Imperial Brother went before going to the restaurant! Unfortunately, I happened to see Second Imperial Brother go to the Prime Minister’s residence after the morning court session. Could it be that you were drugged at the Prime Minister’s residence? The people in the Prime Minister’s residence dared to poison a prince, that’s equivalent to treason, a crime punishable by death! Confiscating their property and exterminating their entire clan wouldn’t be excessive! Consort Liang, what do you think?”
Chu Tiankuo looked at Consort Liang, his eyes cold and sharp, like a vengeful ghost.
Consort Liang: “. . .”
For the first time, Consort Liang felt that Chu Tiankuo was terrifying! Much more terrifying than she had imagined!
He had returned this time to take revenge! It was very obvious, and he had made it clear without any disguise!
He had severely injured Liang Liyuan, leaving him on the verge of death!
He was blatantly telling her that he had control of the Second Prince’s movements, knew what they were plotting, and was returning the favor in kind, one by one! From the grain acquisition in Futai County to the current ruin of the Second Prince’s reputation!
It was all him!
How many of their secrets did he know?
He had just hinted at something about the child in her womb.
Chu Tiankuo must be eliminated!
Must be eliminated at all costs!
Consort Liang glared at Shen Mingzhu, “Drag this bitch down and beat her to death! It must be her who deliberately drugged and seduced the Second Prince!”
Shen Mingzhu: “. . .”
Her face turned pale with fright. She glanced at the Second Prince and saw that he was stunned for a moment but didn’t say anything. Shen Mingzhu’s heart sank. She originally wanted to plead her innocence, but then she thought of something and said, “Your Majesty, it’s all this humble woman’s fault. This humble woman is willing to die to apologize!”
The Second Prince’s heart stirred. This woman was truly devoted to him! After she was beaten to death, he would have someone collect her body!
After saying that, Shen Mingzhu stood up and slammed her head against a distant pillar!
The Emperor’s expression changed, “Stop her!”
Shen Mingzhu was immediately stopped by the Imperial Guards.
At this point, what else did the Emperor not understand!
The drugging, the coincidences, it was all fake!
This was clearly the Second Prince fooling around with a respectable woman outside and being discovered by the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince then took advantage of the situation to make a big deal out of it, ruining the Second Prince’s reputation!
These two bastards were trying to anger him to death!
One was lustful, scheming, and not walking the right path, the other was cold-blooded and ruthless, only caring about revenge, regardless of anything else!
The Emperor said angrily, “A real man should take responsibility for his actions. Since all of this is a coincidence, then it’s Heaven’s will. Since Tianyu has ruined this woman’s innocence, he should take responsibility! Carry her into the residence!”
Consort Liang still wanted to say something, “Your Majesty…”
The Emperor said, “Enough! I’m tired. You are all dismissed!”
My eyes are hurting so badly, I wrote less than half a chapter, so I made it a large chapter. Sorry, sorry~
