Chapter 730 Scandal

Xie Shang said in a deep voice, "You all wait outside the hall first."

Xie Qi and Zhang Anyu exchanged a glance. "Yes."

Once the two had left, Xie Shang said to Jiang Fenghua, "I remember now, the Fourth Princess Consort did wear a pair of red earrings that day."

Jiang Fenghua said, "Your Majesty really saw things clearly. Oh, I remember now. That day, her daughter pushed Yan'er and Xiao Chu into the pond. Your Majesty approached them to comfort them and even gave them a jade pendant."

Xie Shang quickly explained, "Ruan Ruan, you're still saying things like that. The jade pendant is just something to coax children. My relationship with Zhang Yurou is completely innocent. Back then, it was impossible for me to have had any affair with Zhang Yurou because..."

Jiang Fenghua stared into his eyes and smiled slightly: "Why?"

Xie Shang's expression turned serious, and he said in a deep voice, "Even if it is confirmed that Madam Li was killed by the Fourth Prince's wife, it does not prove that the Fourth Prince was involved. It is difficult for me to handle this matter without evidence. The testimonies and autopsy results brought by Prince Qi and Zhang Anyu do not prove that the Fourth Prince's mansion was involved. He had no motive to kill."

Jiang Fenghua knew he was just making excuses again and didn't bother arguing with him. At that time, the late emperor hadn't bestowed a marriage upon them, and Xie Shang's love interest was Su Tingwan. He couldn't marry Su Tingwan as his principal wife, but he married her instead. Perhaps Xie Shang even resented her back then.

His rejection of Zhang Yurou's advances was probably also for Su Tingwan's sake. She suddenly asked, "Is Su Tingwan really dead? What did she look like? Was she pretty? Back then, you actually rejected Zhang Yurou for her sake. I really wonder if she was really that good?"

Xie Shang felt a thin layer of sweat on his back and felt embarrassed. "We were discussing the Fourth Prince's residence. Why did you bring her up?"

"Your Majesty, what if I suddenly regain my memory and remember how you neglected me back then..." Based on Jiang Fenghua's deduction of the timeline, the only conclusion he could draw was that at that time he did not love Zhang Yurou and did not marry her. The person he liked was Su Tingwan. He liked her and should have wanted to marry her, but then she intercepted him and became the Princess Consort of Heng.

Thinking this way, she overturned all the lies Xie Shang had told her. He said that he had liked her first, that they were very loving after they got married, and that he later took Su Tingwan as a concubine.

Xie Shang was stunned. "Ruan Ruan, what did you say? When have I ever neglected you? I love you too much to wait." These were all things from his past life. Had she truly regained her memories, or was she testing him?

He poured himself a glass of water, took a big gulp, and then asked Jiang Fenghua, "Are you thirsty?"

Jiang Fenghua smiled slightly, "Not thirsty." She seemed guilty again.

Lin Yu is back. They have been busy investigating Jin Ji's case. When she returns, she will slowly ask her why she made her lose her memory and then took her away. Hong Xiu, Lian Ye, Granny Wang, and her eldest brother all seem to have been bribed by Xie Shang. She always feels that what they say is half true and half false.

Xie Shang called out to the outside, "Come in!"

The two had no idea what the Emperor and Empress were saying inside, but they sensed that something was off.

Xie Shang said in a deep voice, "Based on the current investigation, Jin Ji is most likely not the murderer. You should clear Jin Ji's name as soon as possible and find the real culprit."

Zhang Anyu then asked, "What should we do with that ruby ​​bead?"

Xie Shang said, "Let's follow the clues!"

Xie Qi remained silent, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

Xie Shang asked, "Does the King of Qi have anything to say?"

"Just now, Her Majesty the Empress speculated that the death of Young Madam Li might be related to the Fourth Prince's Consort. I remembered something I wanted to discuss with Your Majesty privately." Xie Qi didn't know whether he should say it or not. It concerned the royal family's reputation, so he should keep it to himself.

Xie Shang said, "Come with me!"

Jiang Fenghua said, "I also have something to ask Lord Zhang. Lord Zhang, please come with me!"

She took Zhang Anyu away directly.

Over here, Xie Shang listened to Xie Qi's story, and disbelief flashed in his eyes. "Are you telling the truth?"

"I dared not speak recklessly. The wet nurse's body was thrown into the dry well in the West Palace. I was only a few years old at the time, and I was afraid, so I didn't dare to tell anyone. Another reason is that Consort Chang was very kind to me, so..."

Xie Shang said, "Who else knows about this?"

Xie Qi shook his head, "Only Consort Chang should know. Fourth Brother... so many years have passed, and he is in good spirits. This is just my guess."

“You were only a few years old at that time, how can you remember it so clearly? Could it be that you remembered it wrong?”

"No, although I am young, that incident is still fresh in my memory and I keep having nightmares about it."

Xie Qi's birth mother was of lowly status and died young, so he lived like an orphan in the palace. He was often bullied by palace maids, eunuchs, and Xie Xin, but he felt that he was not as pitiful as his fourth brother, who was forced to drink milk by Consort Chang when he was a teenager.

Xie Shang said, "Don't reveal this matter yet. If a prince of the royal family has that kind of fetish, it will also affect the reputation of the royal family."

"What if it really was Fourth Brother who killed someone?" Xie Qi asked again.

Xie Shang said in a deep voice, "Eighth brother, do you know why I made you study law under Commandant Lu?"

Xie Qi said, "I suspect that Your Majesty wants the Great Zhou Dynasty to become better and better. It is very important for a country to have a strict legal system. If the slogan of 'princes are punished the same as commoners' is just empty talk, then the royal family will have no standing in the hearts of the people."

Xie Shang smiled with satisfaction. Xie Qi had learned very well, but his eyes were also full of worry, concerned that no one in the Xie family would be able to shoulder the heavy responsibility. He then changed the subject, saying, "Father values ​​the Jiang family highly, which is why he gave the position of Minister of Revenue to Jiang Jinyan. However, what I value most in the Jiang family is the brotherly love and respect, the filial piety and compassion between father and son. They all think of each other, without any scheming, and live in harmony. Such an atmosphere in the Jiang family will never exist in our royal family. The more I know about the disgusting things hidden deep within the royal family, the more disappointed I become..."

He even knew that the Great Zhou Dynasty had already perished, so now he was trying very hard to save the Great Zhou and the Xie family's empire, but every one of his relatives was harming the empire he wanted to protect.

Seeing that the emperor's mood had suddenly turned somber, Xie Qi said, "Your Majesty, I will study hard and do my best to help Your Majesty protect the Great Zhou Dynasty."

Xie Shang said, "I was right. We brothers will work together for the Great Zhou Dynasty." Whether it's the fourth prince or the Prince Kang, he will root out these pests.

Xie Qi paused. Was the Emperor telling him all this because he considered him a brother? For some reason, he suddenly felt very happy. In his more than twenty years of life, this was the first time he had experienced what it felt like to have family.

Having lived for twenty years, all he wanted was to escape the iron cage of the palace. He had no relatives, no parents, no brothers or sisters. Although they shared the same blood, they were worlds apart.