"Physician Sun, why did you take that woman as your goddaughter, and why did you recommend her to the Duke of Ji? What is your purpose? Do you think I can't guess?"

"Thinking you're clever, trying to climb higher through nepotism, do you think you can hide your true intentions?"

"As my maternal uncle and adoptive father, I cannot bring myself to kill Duke Ji and Duke Shen, but how could I possibly let you and that woman go?"

Having his intentions exposed in public, Physician Sun trembled with fear and could only beg for forgiveness.

"I am guilty, Your Majesty. Please spare my life. In my next life, I will serve you like a cow or a horse to repay your kindness in sparing my life."

"Ha! Spare my life? When you murdered the Empress, why didn't you spare her life?"

Shen Jinchen sneered and slammed a powerful force onto the dragon table, instantly turning the entire table into dust.

"Spare me! Your Majesty, spare me..."

The sound of the table shattering startled Physician Sun so much that he screamed twice before his eyes rolled back and he fainted.

Shen Jinchen couldn't be bothered to look at this mess, so he gave Feng Qin a wink and told him to take him away.

After interrogating Physician Sun, Shen Jinchen lost interest in interrogating anyone else.

Moreover, interrogating those civil and military officials would probably be of little use, since they left no evidence. Even if they were found out, in the eyes of the people, they would only have made some minor mistakes.

If we really investigate, the people of the world would probably curse him more for being an emperor.

Therefore, he had to find a reasonable reason to deal with them, and could not use the death of the Empress as a pretext to accuse them of crimes.

He wanted to leave a good reputation for both Cen Xi and himself.

Therefore, it's best to start from other areas. They've already collected a lot of information about previous cases of corruption, bribery, and oppression of law-abiding citizens. It's not too late to settle accounts later.

"Your Majesty, are we not going to interrogate the rest of them?"

Seeing that Shen Jinchen was about to leave, Feng Qin asked him one more question.

"I'll detain him for now. Tomorrow, I'll hold a banquet at Chengde Gate. I want to entertain all the officials and let them watch a good show. Have Eunuch Li inform the Imperial Kitchen and the Imperial Household Department."

Shen Jinchen coldly uttered these words and turned to leave.

He strolled leisurely all the way to the North Palace and entered the woman's palace.

He wanted to ask that woman what she was thinking, to see how shameless she was.

"Welcome, Your Majesty! Your Majesty has arrived!"

As soon as Shen Jinchen entered, the eunuchs outside bowed and then happily went to inform their master inside the hall.

Su Nianniang was thinking yesterday that Shen Jinchen would come in a while, but she didn't expect that her wish would come true so soon.

She was in an indescribably good mood. She walked to the bronze mirror, looked at her reflection, and then strode out to greet the emperor.

"Welcome, Your Majesty."

"Hmm, Madam Su, have you been well these past few days?"

Shen Jinchen gave her a meaningful look before walking inside.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am living quite well. The Zhaotong Palace is furnished with the finest items. I have never seen anything so good before. Thank you for your high regard for me, Your Majesty."

"It's not that I particularly like you, but who told you to find such a handsome face? Have you visited Xiaoyu these past few days? She's twelve years old this year, isn't she? In three years, she'll be choosing a consort. After the Empress left, I was wondering who should arrange her marriage?"

"I never expected to meet you again. It's good that you've been living in the palace for three years and have seen her get married."

With a faint smile, Shen Jinchen chatted with her casually, as if they were old friends. He used to not believe what Cen Xi said, but now that she had this expression on her face, he had no choice but to believe her.

Some people shouldn't have been helped in the first place, nor should they have been treated well.

“Little Fish is so lucky. I thank Your Majesty. I’ve been busy with palace affairs these past few days and have forgotten to visit her. I will definitely visit her more often in the future.”

Su Nianniang shyly served Shen Jinchen a pot of tea, and then replied somewhat guiltily.

In her sole focus on controlling this man, she seemed to have forgotten about his children from his previous marriage.

"Then let's go together tomorrow. I'm hosting a banquet for all the civil and military officials tomorrow, and there are no women in the palace. You two can come together."

Shen Jinchen fiddled with the tea lid, watching her with great interest.

I wonder if this woman will still be smiling so happily when she finds out what happens to her tomorrow.

This woman is indeed vain; she's been in the palace for so long, yet she doesn't even want to see her own daughter.

Moreover, she struck poses and acted indecently, which was truly disgusting.

I don't know why Cen Xi went back to Lijia Village and provoked such a woman. And he's so good to her children.

The thought made me feel even more nauseous, and I lost all desire to sit any longer. I stood up, brushed off non-existent dust from my sleeves, and uttered a single sentence:

"Someone will take you to Chengde Gate early tomorrow morning. If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving now."

After the woman left, Shen Jinchen felt that he shouldn't have come. He thought that such a woman should have been arrested and put to the execution ground tomorrow. Why did he have to come and test her?

"this…"

Seeing Shen Jinchen leave without looking back, Su Nianniang's smiling face gradually froze.

What does he mean?

Why don't you stay when everyone else has come? Even a meal would be nice, let alone a night with him.

Unable to understand why, she chased after him, wanting to find out the reason.

But as soon as she stepped out of the palace, she found that a large number of imperial guards had suddenly surrounded her palace, and each of them had a cold and stern face.

She suddenly seemed to understand something, and was so frightened that her legs went weak.

She was always clever. Recalling the look he had unintentionally revealed earlier, his deliberate or unintentional disdain and scrutiny, she understood Shen Jinchen's purpose in coming today.

The most precious man in the world must have figured something out.

Tomorrow... tomorrow she might face a terrible disaster.

What should I do? What should I do?

Does she have to compromise like this and become fish on the chopping board?

Su Nianniang now deeply regrets listening to the words of Duke Ji and Duke Shen and going back to the palace to indulge in wishful thinking.

But it's too late for regrets now. She can only rack her brains to save herself. Unfortunately, she is now like a caged bird, unable to fly even if she grows wings. How can she escape this palace?

No, I have to find a way. That's right, she still has Xiaoyu. She's Xiaoyu's mother. If I beg Xiaoyu, she'll definitely find a way to save her.

Thinking of this, Su Nianniang immediately stopped Zhuque, the head maid assigned to her by the Imperial Household Department, and said to her:

"Little Fish Princess, where does she live? I'd like to see her. Could you please pass on a message for me?"

"The area is already surrounded by the Imperial Guards. Is it possible for Your Highness to get out?"

Zhuque looked at Su Nianniang with complete bewilderment.

When Zhuque was transferred to this palace, she thought that this empress would be favored. Unexpectedly, when His Majesty saw her today, he had people surround the place three layers deep before leaving.

What kind of charter is it?

Why does she not quite understand?