Chapter 21 The Heartless and Unfeeling Top Scholar

Eunuch Su looked at the emperor.

"Speak," the emperor said coldly.

The young eunuch knelt on the ground: "Last night, I bumped into a suspicious person under the oleander tree, so I was just hesitating about whether to tell him or not."

Consort Jiang's heart skipped a beat: "What are you doing there so late at night? Could it be..."

The young eunuch knelt on the ground: "No, there is an oleander tree in front of my hometown, so whenever I am bullied or miss home, I go there for a while."

"Truly, this servant would never lie!"

Eunuch Su urged in a high-pitched voice, "Then hurry up and tell me!"

“I don’t know that person, but I…” The eunuch who was tasting the food glanced at Consort Jiang.

It was this look that gave Consort Jiang an ominous premonition.

"explain!"

The young eunuch kowtowed on the ground: "When I came over just now, I saw him enter Consort Jiang's palace."

"impossible!"

Consort Jiang knelt on the ground in a panic: "No, Your Majesty!"

"You scoundrel! Why did you frame me?"

Ji Huaizhi glanced at the emperor and raised an eyebrow. So that's what he was waiting for.

This little eunuch who's tasting the food must have been prepared long ago.

“I’m not lying. I had an argument with a fellow eunuch yesterday and he even scolded me. I was feeling down, so I went to stay over there for a while. Not long after, another eunuch came over. I saw it all clearly.”

Consort Jiang refused to believe it: "You dog of a servant, you're lying!"

That person wasn't from her palace at all; it was someone from another of her father's palaces who went to pick it.

"Bring all the eunuchs from Consort Jiang's palace here. Not a single one can be left out," the emperor said in a cold voice.

"Your Majesty, you must believe me!"

"If there is no suspicious person in your palace, why are you afraid?" The emperor stared into her eyes.

But in that one glance, Consort Jiang felt as if the Emperor knew everything.

Jiang Xinyue was too frightened to speak.

Before long, all the eunuchs from Consort Jiang's palace were brought in.

Eunuch Su asked the young eunuch who was tasting the dishes to come over and point him out. The young eunuch's gaze fell on the eunuch at the back with his head bowed: "That's him!"

This person is the eunuch who delivered medicine to Consort Jiang before.

Consort Jiang exclaimed incredulously, "Impossible!"

The eunuch who was accused also knelt on the ground, crying out, "I'm innocent!"

"Your Majesty, please investigate thoroughly! It couldn't be him!" Consort Jiang knelt on the ground in a panic. "I clearly remember him helping me in the palace that day; he didn't go out. So he's lying!"

The emperor twirled the thumb ring on his thumb: "How do I know whether what you're saying is true or false?"

The Empress stood silently by his side, watching the spectacle unfold.

Looking at Consort Jiang's expression, she guessed that what she said was probably true.

Consort Jiang panicked; why did it have to be him?

He wasn't the one who went that night; he was in the palace the whole time, so how could he have been seen by other eunuchs?

Consort Jiang was startled.

Looking up at the emperor's indifferent face, he suddenly collapsed to the ground, exhausted.

His Majesty knows everything...

"Do you have anything to say?" the Emperor asked Consort Jiang.

Now that things have come to this, Consort Jiang knows that nothing she says will make a difference.

"I have nothing to say."

"In that case, first lock Consort Jiang in the palace and await her fate."

The words "awaiting her fate" resonated in her heart.

Jiang Xinyue was stunned.

She felt she shouldn't have come with her.

"Your Majesty..." Consort Jiang felt a chill run through her body. She looked at the emperor pleadingly, hoping to rekindle his past love.

"Take him away."

"No!" a childish voice cried out, "Mother, you're not allowed to bully my mother!"

"Lin'er!" Consort Jiang looked at the emperor pleadingly, hoping he would grant her a final moment of dignity.

"Father, why are you punishing Mother?" the Third Prince asked, puzzled.

"Could it be that Mother Consort has done something wrong?"

Consort Jiang held the child, knowing that she could not escape this calamity and what would happen to her son in the future.

What will become of her precious son in this deep palace?

"From now on, the Third Prince will be raised by Consort Xian. Consort Jiang is not allowed to visit him."

Consort Jiang's eyes widened.

"Take them all away."

After the others were led away, the emperor, with his hands behind his back, issued an edict: "Shen is gentle, kind, virtuous, and gentle, with a nature as pure as a secluded orchid. Her husband, Ji Huaizhi, is diligent in his duties at court, which is also due to the help of his virtuous wife."

"In accordance with precedent, Lady Shen is hereby conferred the title of Third-Rank Imperial Lady."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Ji Huaizhi expressed his gratitude.

The emperor's expression was neither good nor bad: "Madam Ji has truly been wronged in today's events."

Ji Huaizhi lowered his head and remained silent.

Just then, a sound came from the side hall, and it seemed that Chen Zhiyi had woken up.

The Empress comforted Shen Zhiyi, explaining that while today's events appeared to be the Prime Minister's revenge against Ji Huai, they were also part of the Emperor's plan.

Consort Jiang was stripped of her title of Consort and demoted to a lower-ranking concubine. She was also deprived of many privileges and benefits and was imprisoned in a relatively remote courtyard.

When the Prime Minister learned the news, he could no longer control his expression.

If this matter is exposed, the Prime Minister's residence will also be held accountable.

Even the Imperial Censor and others were implicated.

The Prime Minister didn't know when the eunuch's identity was exposed, because Consort Jiang was imprisoned, and he couldn't ask her about many things in detail.

He dared not send messages to anyone in the palace.

After all, this was precisely the time when the emperor was furious.

Just when everyone thought the emperor wouldn't let it go, the palace suddenly fell silent again.

Even the morning court session was suspended.

The incident happened suddenly.

News from the palace was suddenly blocked, and only trivial information could be leaked out.

Most importantly, there are more guards and patrols in the palace recently, and Ji Huaizhi and Prince Rong are frequently entering the palace, so there is a sudden tension in the air.

Then I heard that the Empress Dowager was going to pray for blessings.

at night.

The Imperial Censor suddenly appeared at the Prime Minister's residence.

"News has come from the palace that the Imperial Medical Academy is in complete chaos."

The Prime Minister's eyes lit up with surprise: "Really?"

"You can have your informants pass on the message, otherwise do you think that matter was handled so lightly before? It was because His Majesty suddenly fell seriously ill."

A glint of light appeared in his eyes as he looked at the image.

Could it be that the medicine I gave to Jiang Yingying before worked?

Regarding the Hundred Flowers Banquet, he thought His Majesty had been prepared all along and that the emperor had not taken the medicine at all.

Otherwise, why would there have been no movement for so long?

Logically, the illness should have started much earlier.

I never expected this, it's truly a stroke of luck!

"Your Excellency, this is an opportunity."

During this period, Ji Huaizhi returned home very late, and each time he came back looking tired.

Shen Zhiyi hired many strong men to manage the affairs of the mansion.

"There have been a lot of rumors lately."

Shen Zhiyi, holding the child, said to Ji Huaizhi.

"Hmm, but don't worry about it. You shouldn't leave the manor on weekdays. I'll take you out for a good stroll after things are over."

Shu Yang saw his father eating a late-night snack at the table and his mouth watered.

"Don't worry about your work, Shuyang and I will be waiting for you to come home."