Chapter 47: Counterattack

Qian Deng nodded and said, "What a coincidence! The wealthy Jin family in Chang'an has a timber warehouse in Zheliu Lane. To help my family repair the house, they were moving things through the lane yesterday, and they hadn't finished yet at 3 p.m. I think they couldn't have missed a young man in Hu clothing, wearing a mask, and a female official from the princess's mansion conversing for a long time at the entrance of the lane. So, let the officials find the workers to confirm whether they really saw you and that man!"

A look of panic flashed across the female official's face. She said, "For things like this, we naturally... naturally avoided people. When the workers came, we moved to another deserted alley next to it."

"Oh? So you hid when the workers passed by, so they didn't see you?"

"Yes, it's definitely not seen..."

"Of course they couldn't have seen them," Qian Deng interrupted her coldly. "Because the Jin family doesn't have a warehouse in Zheliu Lane, and we only purchased the materials for the renovations a while ago! There were no workers in Zheliu Lane at the time. So, may I ask, aunt, how did you and that young man avoid the workers?"

"Yes, I remembered it wrongly. I was at..." The female official was dumbfounded and her face turned pale as she tried hard to recall the route near the West Market. But in such a hurry and panic, how could she blurt out a word to make up for her mistake?

"Mistakenly remember? You just blurted out your words without thinking. It's clear you had pre-planned your story and were just trying to smear me!" Qian Deng raised his voice and retorted fiercely, "It's obvious you're lying! You weren't even in Zheliu Lane at 3 p.m. yesterday. The so-called conversation and transaction, and the young man, are all fabricated by you! Tell me, who ordered you to slander the imperial princess?"

The female official trembled, knelt on the ground, and dared not speak.

Qian Deng raised his gaze, fixed on the sullen face of Princess Gao for a moment, raised the corner of his lip towards her, and then kowtowed before the Queen, saying in a clear voice: "The Princess of Lingling County, Changhua Palace, has an important matter to report to Her Majesty the Queen. Please allow me to speak."

The Queen held the tea calmly and said, "Talk."

"Lingling reported that the Grand Princess of Gao State had ulterior motives and was plotting to murder loyal officials. She colluded with Yang Huaijiang to recommend such a person of bad character as a candidate for the husband of the Changhua Palace. She also sought opportunities to steal the imperial gifts from the palace and fabricate slanderous accusations, intending to damage the reputation of the imperial princess. Your Highness, please intervene for the Changhua Palace!"

The prince opened his mouth, his eyes moved slightly when he looked at Xiao Fuyu and Princess Gao, but in the end he said nothing.

Mrs. Cui couldn't help but open her eyes wide, looking at Qiandeng and then at her son. Seeing that they were both dignified and calm, she felt relieved and proud for a moment, and the corners of her lips painted with rose lipstick couldn't help but rise.

"You're slandering me! You little bitch, do you know what you're saying?" The Grand Princess of Gao State flew into a rage. She slammed the table in front of her and angrily said, "I, the Grand Princess of Gao State, am the eldest sister of the late emperor and the aunt of the current saint. Who the hell are you? Do you think you're worthy of my attack?!"

The Queen knew that the Princess Gao was arrogant and domineering because she was the Emperor's aunt and had made great contributions in helping the late Emperor ascend the throne. However, she did not expect that she would dare to roar in front of the palace again and again today. She frowned slightly and coughed lightly.

Princess Gao was so furious that she lost her mind. When she came to her senses and was about to make amends, she heard a cold voice echoing in the palace, like ice jade hitting water, without a trace of warmth.

"Since the false accusations against the county lady by the female official of Princess Gao's residence have been proven, and the Nine-Tree Golden Flower produced by the Princess' residence has been confirmed to be a gift from the Emperor, I now have solid evidence in my investigation and can report it to Her Majesty the Queen for her decision."

The one who spoke was Cui Fufeng.

"Recently, incidents have frequently occurred at the Changhua Palace. Two fires have claimed two lives, including the Imperial Household Department's Chief of Cuisine and a descendant of the Hongnong Yang family. The Dali Temple has dispatched additional personnel to investigate the truth, and has now begun to uncover the whereabouts of the person behind the incident. I have come to ask Her Majesty the Queen for permission to summon the suspect for detailed questioning."

The Empress ruled over the harem, but she also had to show some respect to the officials of the previous dynasty, especially the three judicial departments. "I wonder which imperial relative or noblewoman is the one behind the murder that Cui Shaoqing mentioned? Why do you need to consult me?"

Cui Fufeng clutched the dossier and looked at Princess Gao and Xiao Fuyu. His voice was calm, yet resonated clearly within the hall. "According to current investigations, the true culprit is likely within Princess Gao's residence."

Hearing him pointing directly at her, Princess Gao's face turned pale. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, staring at Cui Fufeng in front of her.

He stood silently in the hall, his crimson official uniform reflecting off his slightly pale face, making it look even more radiant like jade.

This reminded her of the time three years ago when, after the palace coup, she entered the palace as the emperor's aunt to assist with affairs and passed him by in the Purple Palace.

At that time, when she and the other female officials were attracted by his graceful demeanor, they also heard the desperate curses of his future father-in-law who was being dragged away.

And the expression on his face when he reported the rebellion of his fiancée's family and the killing of the entire clan was not much different from what it looks like now.

The young man who was as clean as Hsinchu back then was not easy to mess with, and now this Shaoqing of the Dali Temple who is as bright as a spring pine is even more difficult to mess with.

But at this time she had already started the attack, the arrow was on the string and had to be shot. The eldest princess who had experienced more than 30 years of ups and downs was naturally not afraid.

"Why, Cui Shaoqing has entered the Changhua Palace's backyard, and even before we're married, you're already acting like a husband? Lingling County Lady is accusing me, and Cui Shaoqing is also accusing me of the Princess's Mansion. If you can't produce any evidence and try to harass the royal family, how can I, a princess who has served three dynasties and is the aunt of the current emperor, allow you little brats to throw mud at me?"

The Queen also spoke in a stern tone: "The Grand Princess's words are reasonable. If you don't have solid evidence, Lingling County Lady and Cui Shaoqing, you dare to frame the Imperial Aunt? The court and the national law will certainly not forgive you!"

"Since we dare to speak before Her Majesty, our words are certainly more than just empty talk." Cui Fufeng raised the case file in his hand and spoke loudly. "According to the Dali Temple's investigation, the turmoil in the Changhua Palace began when Yang Huaijiang entered the palace as a candidate. He had ulterior motives and often bullied the princess, but because they were cousins, the princess tolerated him. Unexpectedly, on the second day after his arrival, he got into an argument with Shi Jingning, the Minister of Cuisine of the Guanglu Temple, in the kitchen. Yang Huaijiang was injured, and Shi Jingning, an official of the imperial court, perished in the fire. The next day, Yang Huaijiang suddenly had a hysterical attack, splashed paint in the storeroom, and burned himself to death. This resulted in two fires in the palace and two deaths."

The female official took the file from him and handed it to the queen.

The Queen took a quick look and frowned slightly: "Hysteria?"

"Yes, Yang Huaijiang committed three unusual acts during his lifetime. First, he found a silver flower tree and drugged someone in a brothel. He then tried every possible means to persuade the county lady to accept it. After being rejected, he then tried to drug the county lady's food and drink, intending to do something bad to her. Shi Jingning found out about this, and the two of them argued in the kitchen, which then caught fire. Yang Huaijiang suffered facial injuries, and Shi Jingning died."

The palace was most wary of witchcraft and drugs. When they heard the word "drug", not only did the ladies gathered in the palace cry out in disbelief, but even the queen's face changed color.

"Secondly, after Shi Jingning died in a kitchen fire, Yang Huaijiang developed a hysterical attack and later burned himself to death, screaming Shi Jingning's name."

When everyone in the hall heard this, they all thought to themselves, this is almost said out loud, it is obvious that Yang Huaijiang killed Shi Jingning, and then died at the hands of the wronged spirit!

Cui Fufeng, being the Junior Minister of the Dali Temple, naturally refrained from discussing supernatural phenomena. He continued, "Thirdly, the silver jewelry Yang Huaijiang drugged bore a striking resemblance to the imperially bestowed Nine Trees of Golden Flowers. However, he had only recently arrived in the capital from Guozhou, so how did he acquire the imperial flower pattern? It so happened that someone had seen a servant of the Eastern Palace meeting Yang Huaijiang in Pingkangfang, and they had given him a box large enough to hold a set of jewelry."

The prince was startled and immediately asked, "Which servant? How did you know he was from my mansion?"

Cui Fufeng said in a clear voice: "It is indeed His Highness's servant from the Eastern Palace. He is also with you in the palace today."

Princess Gao was filled with shame and indignation, and even laughed in anger: "Someone in the East Palace is involved with Yang Huaijiang, what does this have to do with my Princess Mansion?"

"Because he was witnessed. The box he had given to Yang Huaijiang in Pingkangfang has just reappeared in his hands and handed over to the female historian of the Princess's Mansion."