Chapter 785 Fate (Third Update)

These little figures are mostly thanks to Xiao Jiu.

Xiao Jiu couldn't bury the little person like they did; she would hang it in a tree, throw it into a bird's nest, or leave it on the roof.

Ordinary people don't hide things like this, so the fact that they were able to find them shows how capable the guards of the Commandant's Office really are.

These little figures have been exposed to wind and rain and are quite dirty, but you can tell they were only made a few days ago.

Consort Han was speechless with accusations: "Your Majesty! Please believe me!"

No, His Majesty only trusts himself.

As expected, the king once again began his elaborate brainstorming.

These little figures were made recently. From him to Shangguan Yan, and then to Shangguan Qing, they were all pricked by Consort Han. This shows that Consort Han's anger was directed at the three of them.

Just a few days ago, he deposed the crown prince and restored Shangguan Yan's status as the third princess.

These two events are directly related, and it is not an exaggeration to say that Shangguan Qi lost his position as crown prince because of Shangguan Yan.

Her son was deposed, so she harbored resentment, hating the culprit Shangguan Yan, as well as the biased king. She was so angry that she wanted to harm Shangguan Qing, who didn't have much time left.

This shows just how vicious she is!

Seeing the king's face darken, Xiao Heng knew that the king had believed most of it. Who told him to be so suspicious? Even the Xuanyuan family, who were loyal to the Great Yan, could become victims of his suspicion, let alone the restless Consort Han?

However, the story of pinning voodoo dolls actually has flaws.

It remains to be seen whether Consort Han will be able to discover this.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

In the midst of utter panic, a sudden inspiration flashed in Consort Han's mind: "Your Majesty! I will not only make half!"

Xiao Heng: "That half-figure is His Majesty. You want to tear His Majesty to pieces."

Consort Han: "...!!"

Consort Han: "Your Majesty! I am innocent! I have no reason to do this! I understand that Your Majesty feels that I am standing up for the Second Prince, which is why you are resentful! But Your Majesty, I hate Shangguan Yan because ever since she returned to the capital, she has been doing everything she can to oppose my son! I have reason to hate her and deal with her, but what reason do I have to deal with Your Majesty? My son is no longer the Crown Prince, and even if something happens to Your Majesty, it will not be his turn to inherit the throne!"

More importantly, the crown prince was deposed on charges of assassinating the king. Since his crimes have not been cleared, he remains the prime suspect in any event that happens to the king.

His chances of inheriting the throne are the lowest.

Unless Consort Han has lost her mind, she wouldn't do something so thankless and exhausting.

The king believed she harbored resentment towards him, but he did not believe she was willing to sacrifice herself for another prince.

Looking at Consort Han, who had come up with a quick thinking, Xiao Heng once again sighed that none of the women in the harem were stupid.

My aunt predicted it all.

The king gave Consort Han a deep look, his eyes sharp, and asked, "That's right, why do you insist on my death?"

Consort Han was completely dumbfounded.

I was even more bewildered than when I saw seven or eight little figures.

Is that what she meant?

What you mean is not important; what matters is what the ruler thinks you mean.

The king said coldly, "Continue searching! See if there's anything else suspicious in this palace!"

Very well, here comes the part about framing someone on the spot.

Xiao Heng coughed three times.

This is a code.

The sky overlord, Xiao Jiu, swiftly flew into Consort Han's bedchamber—

Because all the palace servants had been summoned, the room was now empty.

Little Jiu swaggered along, looking every bit the part of a chicken, on the gleaming floor, with something dangling from its beak.

It came to the large, intricately patterned bronze mirror on the ground, showed off its non-existent biceps with its wings, admired its own imposing little figure for a moment, and proudly raised its eagle head.

"You guys go over there! You all come with me!"

Little Nine Birds bristled, flapped its wings and flew up, stuffing what it was beaking into the bookshelf.

The Commandant's Office was the king's trusted confidant.

Some of the cases that were publicly known were handled by the Court of Judicial Review, the Ministry of Justice, and the Prefectural Capital, but the cases that couldn't be brought to light were all handed over to the Commandant's Office.

So they are professionals at searching for filthy things.

They had only been looking for the little man, so they focused on finding him. Now they were checking everything, and the bookshelves and books became their main targets.

"Boss! Look here!"

A guard from the Commandant's Office discovered a suspicious book on a bookshelf.

The two went to the garden and handed the books to the king.

After reading it, the king was furious!

Tucked inside the book was a “royal edict” written on white paper and a letter addressed to the Han family.

It is the handwriting of Consort Han.

The gist of the statement is that the king's decision to depose the crown prince deeply saddened Consort Han, and that the king's favoritism towards Shangguan Yan suggests that he will not pass the throne to Shangguan Qi again.

They couldn't let all their years of hard work go to waste, so they had no choice but to take the initiative.

She wrote a decree of succession in the emperor's voice, asking the Han family to find a way to collude with the Directorate of Ceremonial and bribe the Grand Eunuch and the Secretary Eunuch to forge an imperial edict based on the above content.

Imperial edicts are certainly not so easy to forge, and the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs is by no means easily bribed.

However, some people oversimplify things or overestimate the power of their maternal family.

"Was this letter not sent out in time?" Xiao Heng added sarcastically.

Since he was a dying man and not going to inherit the throne, the struggle for succession was none of his business. His words were the most unintentional, and the ones the king was most likely to listen to.

When the king looked at Consort Han again, his face showed an expression of "I understand now".

Consort Han was so eager to curse him to death because she had already planned to let Shangguan Qi usurp the throne!

Actually, if this letter had been found in the Han family or in the Directorate of Ceremonial, it wouldn't have been as convincing.

After all, while Consort Han, a concubine in the harem, could be momentarily confused and foolish, Old Master Han and the head of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs could not be foolish.

Consort Han cried, "Your Majesty! It wasn't me... I never wrote these things..."

The king said with disgust, "Do you think I wouldn't recognize your handwriting! Look for yourself!"

The king threw the letter to Consort Han.

Consort Han stared at the handwriting on the letter, her mind going blank for a moment.

This really is my mother's handwriting!

—When the old priest takes action, even Allah cannot tell the difference between the real and the fake; he has been a professional forger for a hundred years!

"The Imperial Concubine is wicked; she shall be demoted to a commoner and banished to the Cold Palace!" The king was so angry that he couldn't even be bothered to use his literary skills anymore.

Consort Wan was at least demoted to Noble Lady, but Noble Consort was directly stripped of her title and reduced to a commoner, which shows how furious the emperor was.

"Your Majesty—Your Majesty—Your Majesty—" Consort Han rushed over and grabbed the hem of the king's robe, but the king turned away in disgust.

It took Consort Han forty years to rise from a sixth-rank noblewoman to where she is today, but it only took her four days to fall from grace.

Consort Han could not believe it was real.

Can a person really fall that fast?

Xiao Heng glanced at her indifferently. He hadn't planned for her to fall so quickly, but she insisted on delivering herself to his doorstep.

Whose fault is it?

Monthly votes may torment me a thousand times, but I will still love you all as much as my first love.

It's past midnight again. Without further ado, please vote!

(End of this chapter)