Page 194
Lian Hua saw this and smiled happily. This was like the perfect ending in a storybook, how wonderful.
The Emperor turned back, touched her head, and tenderly said to her, "Nannan, I have some instructions for Zhang Qing. It’s cold here, and you’re carrying a child. Why don’t you go inside first?"
Lian Hua nodded, her eyes sparkling as she said to His Majesty, "My lord, please be quick. I’ll wait for you inside~" She wanted to kiss His Majesty, a big kiss; she could hardly wait!
The Emperor "ummed" in agreement, and only then did Lian Hua return inside, reassured.
The Emperor watched her tenderly as she entered, and once she had completely gone inside, he turned around, his expression shifting to one of indifference, and walked over to Zhang Qing.
Zhang Qing was startled and was about to kneel down again in trepidation.
The Emperor raised his hand to stop him, saying, "The words I spoke earlier were not in jest, but your oversight this time is no small matter and cannot be dismissed so lightly.
From today, you will temporarily hold the position of Imperial Chief Steward.
If any mishap occurs within a year, you will leave the palace to spend the remainder of your days in peace. "
Zhang Qing heaved a sigh of relief, knelt down again, and expressed his gratitude. Although the punishment was more severe than what had been mentioned earlier, he felt more at ease now.
In the end, the Emperor left him with these words, "The one you should really thank is her, not me."
Zhang Qing was somewhat stunned. His Majesty’s words meant that it was indeed Master Lian who had changed his mind. Otherwise, even if he had knelt to death outside, his fate would hardly have been altered.
He hadn’t expected Master Lian to carry such weight. Her seemingly casual actions had substantially helped him.
With great gratitude in his heart, he sincerely kowtowed in the direction of the Side Hall, sincerely thanking Master Lian for her kindness.
...
Inside the prison of the Internal Guard Bureau.
A person hurried in, knelt on one knee upon seeing Cao De, and reported in a low voice.
After the report, Cao De narrowed his fox-like eyes, "Dead?"
"Yes, he drowned after accidentally falling into the river while drunk."
Cao De stroked his chin, finding the situation interesting. Was this how people covered up a murder these days?
What he had previously been uncertain of, he could now confirm: the news of Little Beauty’s pregnancy had indeed been leaked through Wang Jinfang, otherwise, Wang Jinfang wouldn’t have died.
The Imperial Censor’s impeachment was very likely linked to this leak, and the person behind it must have been in a hurry.
They feared that a Prince from a non-family affiliated concubine entering the palace might actually be born, so they took the opportunity to preemptively accuse the pregnant concubines.
That way, even if a Prince was born, he wouldn’t be able to inherit the throne due to his mother’s tarnished reputation, and instead would be burdened by it.
Cao De sneered. They were thinking too far ahead, weren’t they?
Yuchi Zhao had no idea, and they didn’t know whether the child in Little Beauty’s belly was a boy or a girl, yet they dared to take such a risk, laying out this plot in advance out of sheer calculation.
Unfortunately for them, things wouldn’t go as they wished.
Today, the Imperial Censor who impeached Little Beauty was surnamed Wu, a disciple of Liu Xianzhang, the former Libationer of the Imperial Academy, who had retired to his hometown many years ago and had long ceased to meddle in politics.
It was also discovered that Wu had secret dealings with Xue Ping, the Minister of Revenue. The matter couldn’t be separated from Xue Ping, but it was unclear whether it had anything to do with his daughter, Noble Consort Xue.
Cao De had already mostly uncovered the truth behind the Serpent incident at Canglan Court.
Initially, these people were tight-lipped, but after one of them was forced to consume a live serpent, foaming at the mouth and convulsing in death throes, the others, pale-faced and fearful, confessed everything.
Little Beauty’s method was indeed quite effective, and more so than severe torture. It was just somewhat disgusting.
Those men were desperados, with no family or tie, no strings attached, which was exactly why their backstage manipulator valued them.
With money, one could make the devil push a millstone.
They were given a large sum of silver, agreeing to take the blame and die if the plot was exposed.
If nothing came to light during the day, they would have already scampered off after their tasks, enjoying their freedom with the silver in hand.
It’s a joke, treating desperadoes as Dead Soldiers, a choice made in haste, out of necessity.
These useless ones, they appear fierce but are actually frail inside, the Imperial Guard Prison hadn’t even used all eighteen interrogation methods.
Just one technique from Little Beauty, and they spilled everything.
Even someone as naive and simple-minded as Little Beauty is tougher than them, tsk.
What a pity, trash really is trash, they haven’t even caught a glimpse of the mastermind behind the scenes. They dared to carry out such a big affair based solely on the words of a man called Seventh Master.
It’s uncertain whether this Seventh Master is eloquent, or if they are just foolish. They were given silver and told to disguise themselves as craftsmen, to place a few serpents near the servants’ quarters, that would be enough.
If they succeeded, no one would pursue the matter—it was just a servant, after all.
And if they failed, they could escape easily.
In the worst-case scenario, if they were truly caught, they could just bite down on a poison pill and die without any burden or guilt.
With this reasoning, they actually believed and agreed?
Because of this, they were careless and lax, which is why they got caught in one fell swoop.
Cao De shook his head, lamenting how there seem to be more and more fools in the world, the moral fabric of society is really declining.
The pressing matter at hand is to find out who all Wang Jinfang revealed the news of Little Beauty’s pregnancy to, who in the former court and Harem is aware of it.
Furthermore, it’s essential to ascertain the origin of the Serpent in Canglan Court, through what channels the wood was acquired, and whose hands it passed through.
Like picking silk from cocoons, he would have to clarify each issue one by one, then follow the trail to find out who is behind it all.
There is surely a connection between these two matters; it’s all too coincidental for him not to be suspicious.
He beckoner with his hand, giving orders to the people below.
After everyone had left, Cao De sat down on the chair, closed his eyes in contemplation, and, after a moment, opened his eyes and called for Chen Wei, "You take a squad and bring me the nephew of Imperial Censor Wu of Beauty Lian who submitted the petition today. I will attend to him personally."
Almost forgot about such an individual, this man wanders the streets and alleys, bullies the weak but fears the strong. Imperial Censor Wu’s concubine was the Yangzhou skinny horse he had selected and offered to his uncle. Presumably, he also knows some matters regarding Imperial Censor Wu.
Now, with a ready-made reputation for bullying both men and women, it’s extremely convenient to simply arrest someone without anyone in court being able to submit a petition against it.
Once everything was arranged, Cao De left the Imperial Guard Prison, feeling a sticky discomfort all over his body, uneasy without a bath.
Tonight is bound to be a sleepless night. Waiting for all the various agents to return, there will be interrogations to conduct...
He must take a bath first, otherwise, it would be unbearable.
Canglan Court.
The Emperor had just finished reviewing the last memorial when he saw his Little Concubine sitting at the dressing table, propping up her cheek with her hand, resting on the vanity, her gaze fixed on him. He didn’t know how long she had been watching.
He lifted the corners of his mouth. Was there anything more enjoyable than discovering unintentionally that his Little Concubine had been watching him the whole time?
He felt a sense of vanity, his heart bloated with happiness. He smiled broadly at her, put away the memorial, stood up, but noticed that his Little Concubine’s gaze hadn’t followed him at all, nor had she reacted to his smile.
Upon closer inspection, he realized that his Little Concubine seemed to be lost in thought, her face turned this way, but her soul was wandering elsewhere.
How presumptuous of him, sigh...
The Emperor walked over to her helplessly and waved his hand in front of her eyes. Only then did she react.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170
- Page 171
- Page 172
- Page 173
- Page 174
- Page 175
- Page 176
- Page 177
- Page 178
- Page 179
- Page 180
- Page 181
- Page 182
- Page 183
- Page 184
- Page 185
- Page 186
- Page 187
- Page 188
- Page 189
- Page 190
- Page 191
- Page 192
- Page 193
- Page 194 (Reading here)
- Page 195
- Page 196
- Page 197
- Page 198
- Page 199
- Page 200
- Page 201
- Page 202
- Page 203
- Page 204
- Page 205
- Page 206
- Page 207
- Page 208
- Page 209
- Page 210
- Page 211
- Page 212
- Page 213
- Page 214
- Page 215
- Page 216
- Page 217
- Page 218
- Page 219
- Page 220
- Page 221
- Page 222
- Page 223
- Page 224
- Page 225
- Page 226
- Page 227
- Page 228
- Page 229
- Page 230
- Page 231
- Page 232
- Page 233
- Page 234
- Page 235
- Page 236
- Page 237
- Page 238
- Page 239
- Page 240
- Page 241
- Page 242
- Page 243
- Page 244
- Page 245
- Page 246
- Page 247
- Page 248
- Page 249
- Page 250
- Page 251
- Page 252
- Page 253
- Page 254
- Page 255
- Page 256
- Page 257
- Page 258
- Page 259
- Page 260
- Page 261
- Page 262
- Page 263
- Page 264
- Page 265
- Page 266
- Page 267
- Page 268
- Page 269
- Page 270
- Page 271
- Page 272
- Page 273
- Page 274
- Page 275
- Page 276
- Page 277
- Page 278
- Page 279
- Page 280
- Page 281
- Page 282
- Page 283
- Page 284
- Page 285
- Page 286
- Page 287
- Page 288
- Page 289
- Page 290
- Page 291
- Page 292
- Page 293
- Page 294
- Page 295
- Page 296
- Page 297
- Page 298
- Page 299
- Page 300
- Page 301
- Page 302
- Page 303
- Page 304
- Page 305
- Page 306
- Page 307
- Page 308
- Page 309
- Page 310
- Page 311
- Page 312
- Page 313
- Page 314
- Page 315
- Page 316
- Page 317
- Page 318
- Page 319
- Page 320
- Page 321
- Page 322
- Page 323
- Page 324
- Page 325
- Page 326
- Page 327
- Page 328
- Page 329
- Page 330
- Page 331
- Page 332
- Page 333
- Page 334
- Page 335
- Page 336
- Page 337
- Page 338
- Page 339
- Page 340
- Page 341
- Page 342
- Page 343
- Page 344
- Page 345
- Page 346
- Page 347
- Page 348
- Page 349
- Page 350
- Page 351
- Page 352
- Page 353
- Page 354
- Page 355
- Page 356
- Page 357
- Page 358
- Page 359
- Page 360
- Page 361
- Page 362
- Page 363
- Page 364
- Page 365
- Page 366
- Page 367
- Page 368
- Page 369
- Page 370
- Page 371
- Page 372
- Page 373
- Page 374
- Page 375
- Page 376
- Page 377
- Page 378
- Page 379
- Page 380
- Page 381
- Page 382
- Page 383
- Page 384
- Page 385
- Page 386
- Page 387
- Page 388
- Page 389
- Page 390
- Page 391
- Page 392
- Page 393
- Page 394
- Page 395
- Page 396
- Page 397
- Page 398
- Page 399
- Page 400
- Page 401
- Page 402
- Page 403
- Page 404
- Page 405
- Page 406
- Page 407
- Page 408
- Page 409
- Page 410
- Page 411
- Page 412
- Page 413
- Page 414
- Page 415
- Page 416
- Page 417
- Page 418
- Page 419
- Page 420
- Page 421
- Page 422
- Page 423
- Page 424
- Page 425
- Page 426
- Page 427
- Page 428
- Page 429
- Page 430
- Page 431
- Page 432
- Page 433
- Page 434
- Page 435
- Page 436
- Page 437
- Page 438
- Page 439
- Page 440
- Page 441
- Page 442
- Page 443
- Page 444
- Page 445
- Page 446
- Page 447
- Page 448
- Page 449
- Page 450
- Page 451
- Page 452
- Page 453
- Page 454
- Page 455
- Page 456
- Page 457
- Page 458
- Page 459
- Page 460
- Page 461
- Page 462
- Page 463
- Page 464
- Page 465
- Page 466
- Page 467
- Page 468
- Page 469
- Page 470
- Page 471
- Page 472
- Page 473
- Page 474
- Page 475
- Page 476
- Page 477
- Page 478
- Page 479
- Page 480
- Page 481
- Page 482
- Page 483
- Page 484
- Page 485
- Page 486
- Page 487
- Page 488
- Page 489
- Page 490
- Page 491
- Page 492
- Page 493
- Page 494
- Page 495
- Page 496
- Page 497
- Page 498
- Page 499
- Page 500
- Page 501
- Page 502
- Page 503
- Page 504
- Page 505
- Page 506
- Page 507
- Page 508
- Page 509
- Page 510
- Page 511
- Page 512
- Page 513
- Page 514
- Page 515
- Page 516
- Page 517
- Page 518
- Page 519
- Page 520
- Page 521
- Page 522
- Page 523
- Page 524
- Page 525
- Page 526
- Page 527
- Page 528