The emperor confirmed Jian Yang's conjecture.

It turned out that Shen Xin was indeed a power-hungry man. Even as the Minister of War, he could not satisfy his desire for power, so he set his sights on the position of the Emperor's father-in-law.

If Jian Yang dies, his daughter will have a chance to become empress.

At that time, his career will be able to reach new heights.

Thinking of Consort Wan, who is now in the Cold Palace, eating vegetarian food and chanting Buddhist prayers, Jian Yang couldn't help but feel a little regretful.

She was a woman who was indifferent to worldly affairs, but because of her greedy father, she became a political sacrifice for no reason!

It's such a pity.

"Your Majesty, where is Shen Xin being held now?"

"The Dali Temple will soon execute him."

Jian Yang understood and asked gently, "Your Majesty, may I go to the Dali Temple tomorrow?"

The emperor laughed and said, "Of course."

The next day.

Jian Yang rushed to the Dali Temple prison.

The once illustrious and high-ranking Lord Shen is now dressed in prison clothes.

He squatted on the straw pile in the prison cell, disheveled and dirty.

He still can't accept the reality of losing everything and keeps shouting that he wants to get out.

The jailer respectfully led Jian Yang to the door of the cell where Shen Xin was being held and asked, "Your Majesty, would you like me to open this cell door?"

"Open it."

The jailer immediately and swiftly opened the door.

Shen Xin never expected that the first person to come to see him would be the Empress. He squatted on the ground, his face full of surprise.

The jailer went up and kicked him: "You actually dared not bow before the Empress!"

Shen Xin snapped out of his daze, got up from the ground, and angrily shouted, "You audacious servant, how dare you kick me!"

The jailer spat, "You think you're my official position? You're a death row inmate now, stop daydreaming."

"Alright, enough of this noise." Jian Yang said calmly, and the jailer quickly shut up.

Then she looked at Shen Xin and asked with a smile, "Lord Shen, are you surprised to see me?"

Shen Xin snorted coldly and ignored him.

The jailer was about to kick him again, but Jian Yang stopped him in time.

She wasn't angry, but just smiled gently: "Lord Shen, do you know that the poison you had someone feed me back then really harmed me?"

Shen Xin stubbornly replied, "I only regret that I didn't have someone feed the Empress more, otherwise I wouldn't be in this predicament today."

Jian Yang shrugged: "As expected, a leopard can't change its spots. I was originally thinking of seeing if you would repent, and if you did, I would give you a quick death, but who knew that Lord Shen would not appreciate it at all."

She made all of that up; her main purpose in coming here today was to avenge the original owner of this body.

I'm saying all this purely to annoy Shen Xin.

Sure enough, Shen Xin said angrily, "I'll repent for the hell! My only regret is not poisoning you, you poisonous woman, to death!"

Jian Yang: "???"

When did she become a poisonous woman?

“Lord Shen,” Jian Yang said, too lazy to argue with him, “You’ll be glad you died, but have you thought about your daughter? She did nothing wrong, yet you, her unreliable father, dragged her down with you.”

Upon hearing her mention her daughter, a crack finally appeared on Shen Xin's expression, which was in a state of frenzy.

"How is Wan'er?"

Jian Yang said expressionlessly, "He was banished to the Cold Palace by the Emperor, and he will likely grow old and die there."

Shen Xin remained silent for a while, then began to chuckle coldly, "Wan'er is my daughter, and she should naturally make sacrifices for my career. Today, my Shen family has suffered this calamity, and we can only blame her for her bad luck."

Upon hearing this, Jian Yang almost blurted out "Holy crap!"

What kind of insane thing is this?!

Now she had no desire to talk to him at all.

She's a lunatic; she wouldn't even waste a word if I said another.

"Lianxia, ​​where are the things?"

Lianxia quickly pulled a porcelain bottle from her bosom: "Your Majesty, it's here."

Jian Yang didn't even look at it and said, "Give it to this prison guard."

Upon hearing the Empress address him as "little brother," the jailer accepted the item with trepidation, asking, "May I ask, Your Majesty, what is this?"

“It’s the poison that Lord Shen used to try to kill me,” Jian Yang said calmly. “Please give it to Lord Shen.”

The jailer had worked in this prison for decades and had seen all sorts of things. He immediately understood that the Empress had come to settle a personal score.

In an attempt to impress Jian Yang, the jailer immediately took the porcelain bottle and forcibly pressed Shen Xin down.

They poured most of the bottle of medicine into his mouth!

He only let go after seeing that he had swallowed it completely.

"Cough cough cough, you poisonous woman!" Shen Xin coughed so hard it was heartbreaking.

His vicious gaze seemed to want to devour Jian Yang.

But Jian Yang couldn't be bothered to pay him any attention; explaining to someone like that would be a waste of time.

So she gave the jailer only a gold ingot and then left the prison with Lianxia.

Stepping out of the cell and looking at the bright sunshine outside, Jian Yang suddenly felt a sense of relief.

Finally, she avenged the original owner of this body!

"Your Majesty, let's go back to the palace."

Jian Yang nodded slightly, then suddenly asked, "What's the situation at the Cold Palace right now?"

Lianxia said, "This servant has done as Your Highness instructed and has made arrangements with the people serving in the Cold Palace. They will definitely not make things difficult for Consort Wan."

Jian Yang hummed in agreement: "Consort Wan loves to read. If you're quick on your feet, send her a few books every month."

Lianxia replied, "Your Majesty truly has the heart of a Bodhisattva."

Jian Yang curled her lips into a smile.

She wasn't some compassionate bodhisattva; she simply felt some pity and sympathy for this woman who had no control over her own destiny.

If she hadn't been born into such a family, someone as pure and insightful as Consort Wan would probably have lived a happier life.

However, everything she did could not escape the emperor's watchful eye.

When Eunuch Zhang told the emperor that Jian Yang had poisoned Shen Xin, he thought the emperor would be displeased.

But to my surprise, his smile deepened even further.

"My good Empress, your temperament has indeed changed drastically. Only with this temperament can you keep order in the harem and truly deserve the title of Empress."

At the same time, the emperor became increasingly convinced that the empress was no longer the incompetent woman she once was.

Zhang Gonggong was surprised.

So this is what the Emperor likes; he certainly has a rather strong palate.

"Your Majesty, should we also proceed with the Cold Palace as the Empress has instructed?"

The emperor glanced at him and said, "From now on, you shall follow the empress's orders and decisions."

"This servant obeys the order."

After returning from Dali Temple, Jian Yang resumed her life of seclusion.

The emperor didn't force her; he would just come over for a meal every day.

But she had long since lost the desire to work.

The only reason I stayed here was to find the person who poisoned her a second time!

However, the other party's methods were too subtle.

Furthermore, the Tangli Palace's deceptive tactics completely severed her connection to the trail.

But she wouldn't be satisfied until she found it!

...

The day was clear and crisp with autumn air.

Jian Yang was forcibly dragged out of the bedchamber by Lian Xia and Xi Qiu.

"Your Majesty, the chrysanthemums in the Imperial Garden are in full bloom! They're so beautiful!"

"If you don't go out soon, mushrooms will grow on your body."