75 pills

◎Swan, you're dead!◎

"Waaah!" Madam Guo sobbed, "Your Majesty, now the matter is clear. The eldest princess..." She suddenly knelt on the ground, her eyes fixed on Sima Hong, who hadn't uttered a sound yet, "To marry Lord Sima, she actually devised such a conspiracy! When the drugging failed, she tried to frame Rong'er and Xiao Jiu..."

With tears welling in her eyes, she looked at the Empress and said, "Your Majesty, now that the matter has been investigated, are you still going to protect the eldest princess?"

"Mother!" Before Madam Guo could finish speaking, the Second Princess knelt down beside her. "Mother, I will not pursue what happened tonight. Let's just let this matter pass."

Madam Guo, cooperating with the Second Princess, frowned and said, "Rong'er, Rong'er, you are so kind-hearted." Just as the mother and daughter were preparing to "forgive" the First Princess, they heard Sima Hong speak lightly. This sound drew everyone's attention to him.

Emperor Jin Yuan's face darkened. "Xiuyuan, what are you laughing at? Today's matter concerns my worthless daughter, and you..."

Sima Hong interrupted the emperor, saying, "Your Majesty, I only mean to say that if the eldest princess wants to marry me, there is really no need for such a complicated process. I... would be more than happy to accept it." This clearly meant that the plan was completely unnecessary.

Upon hearing this, everyone, including the Empress who hadn't reacted much even after Honghu said something detrimental to Qigu, couldn't sit still any longer and looked at Sima Hong with some confusion.

As for Madam Guo and the Second Princess Zhao, they stared wide-eyed at Sima Hong in disbelief.

Is this still the same Sima Hong who was indifferent and aloof to everyone, as if he were not a human being on earth but a celestial being banished from heaven? How could he say such a thing?

Even Qi Gu was so frightened by his words that she lost her words. No, was Sima Hong really crazy? Was she not clear enough, or did Sima Hong think she would sit idly by and wait to die, as foolish as she was in her previous life, and easily fall into someone else's trap?

However, his method of helping people was really subpar. When did Sima Hong ever help someone in such a crude way? He really underestimated her.

Hmph, Sima Hong is just like he was in his past life, he still thinks she's as stupid as before!

The Second Princess didn't believe Sima Hong had truly fallen for that village girl, and immediately said, "Xiuyuan, I know you're concerned for the Empress and the greater good, and you want to protect your elder sister, but you can't joke about something like this. The evidence is irrefutable..."

However, everyone present, seeing the way Sima Hong looked at Qi Gu, understood that this youngest head of the Sima family could not be forced to say such things if he did not want to, not even the Emperor or the Empress.

The second princess looked at Sima Hong, biting her lip, "Xiuyuan, although my elder sister is your sworn sister, you don't need to say such things to protect her. I wouldn't have pursued today's matter anyway."

The emperor looked at Qi Gu, his eyes devoid of any fatherly affection. He had always felt complicated feelings towards this daughter. He said in a deep voice, "Qi Gu, kneel down now! Look at the mess you've made today! Do you know your mistake?"

Seeing that the emperor looked ready to reprimand her, the empress said to him, "Your Majesty, are you prepared to punish this person severely for what happened today?"

Chu Pei felt somewhat uncomfortable under the Empress's gaze: "Sisters should love each other, but Qi Gu did such a thing just to fight for a man. What kind of behavior is this? All the ministers are here today. If I don't punish her, wouldn't I become a laughing stock?"

Taking advantage of a moment when no one was paying attention, the second princess gave Honghu a wink.

Honghu kowtowed heavily. “Your Majesty, I am the eldest princess’s maid and should not have said this. But now that things have come to this, I dare not hide it from the eldest princess any longer. The eldest princess has more than one pill. There is another one hidden in the eldest princess’s palace dressing case. The eldest princess said, said, that it was for a rainy day.”

Emperor Jin Yuan felt utterly humiliated in front of his old brothers. He slammed his hand on the armrest of his chair and said, "Qi Gu, you are simply audacious! Since you entered the palace, what haven't I rewarded you with? Yet you have done such a shameless and immoral thing for a man, and even tried to frame your sister. You have utterly disappointed me!"

The Emperor was furious. Honghu's words made today's events a reality. Seeing the Emperor's anger, Zhang Tian stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, Qi Gu has just returned to the palace. Besides, let's talk about what happened back then..."

"Brother!" Empress Li Sheng stopped him. The events of that year could not be mentioned. If it were other matters, the Emperor might still be somewhat considerate if they were brought up now. However, the matter of the Emperor abandoning his wife and two children off the carriage back then must not be mentioned, otherwise it would only further enrage Chu Pei, who was now the Emperor.

Zhang Tian couldn't help but look at his younger sister, who looked confident and gave him a reassuring look.

Could it be that my sister has another way? If so, let's wait and see. In any case, he won't let anyone bully his niece today!

Madam Guo only had a vague understanding of Honghu's words. Her original plan was to use the pills to make Sima Xiuyuan and her daughter get together, so that Sima Xiuyuan would have no choice but to marry her daughter. However, her daughter rejected this plan and refused to tell her the complete plan, only instructing her people to do as she said.

Now that she knew her daughter's complete plan, she couldn't help but feel secretly proud. Her daughter was indeed her daughter; this plan, which killed two birds with one stone, was simply brilliant. Not only did it make Zhang Shi, that poisonous woman, lose face, but it also made Sima Xiuyuan despise the Ninth Princess.

With the situation so favorable to her side, Madam Guo was in high spirits. Now, all that was left to crush the Empress and the eldest princess was to give them that final push. Let her be the one to do it!

Therefore, she said impatiently, "Your Majesty, the Empress just said that she wanted to get to the bottom of what happened today. In that case, please ask Your Majesty and the Empress to send someone to find the pills in the Princess's palace, so that my sister can be convinced."

Although Qi Gu was kneeling, her body was upright. She glanced at Madam Guo behind her and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

Sima Hong noticed Qi Gu. He already knew when Qi Gu climbed over the wall that she probably had some idea of ​​what was going to happen today. He wasn't trying to help her out, but... he understood that Qi Gu really didn't want to marry him, but he was determined to marry her.

Wei Xin glanced at the Empress and saw that she still did not intervene. What was she up to?

Prince Yi, who had remained silent throughout, suddenly said, "Your Majesty, why don't we leave it at that? This is, after all, Your Majesty's family matter, and it can be handled privately. Besides, back then... Your Majesty still owes the Eldest Princess..."

If the matter hadn't been brought up, it would have been fine, but bringing it up seemed to have touched a raw nerve with Emperor Jin Yuan. "Outrageous! I have already granted her three fiefdoms, two prefectures and one county. How else can I compensate her? Is she going to continue to blackmail me like before? If I had known that day, I would have preferred to die and be done with it!"

"Your Majesty, that's too serious. Let's hear what the Grand Princess has to say," Wei Xin hurriedly advised the emperor, who had lost his temper. He couldn't help but look at Prince Yi, "Honest Minister, why are you..."

Looking at the already enraged emperor, Qi Gu's lips curled into a sarcastic smile. She looked at her mother, wondering if in her past life her mother had been walking on thin ice, maneuvering and playing games with the ministers, concubines, and her husband in the court and the harem.

Qi Gu closed her eyes. It was a pity that her understanding came a little late, but it wasn't too late.

When she opened her eyes again, Qi Gu said, "If Father wants to punish someone, then there must be complete evidence and witnesses. Please send someone to search my palace. Whatever the result, Qi Gu will accept it."

The Empress coldly looked at the Emperor beside her. "Chu Pei, I've known for many years that you are selfish and cold-hearted. It doesn't matter. When you die, I will definitely help my son sit on that throne and make your favorite concubine wish she were dead. I will let you see how my son and I will govern this country more prosperously than you did during your reign. I will let you see that you are not as good as me and do not deserve this country!"

“Your Majesty, even if we are to convict Qi Gu, we should at least verify whether what Hong Hu said is true or false,” Zhang Tian said.

"Do you really think I wouldn't dare!" Chu Pei looked at the Empress, enraged by the contempt flashing in her eyes. "Guards, go to the Grand Princess's palace and search it!"

The emperor's chief eunuch immediately ordered people to go to the Jade Flower Palace. The already secluded palace fell silent after the commotion.

"Your Majesty!" The eunuch who went to search has returned.

Just then, a eunuch rushed in, and Emperor Jin Yuan asked, "Have you found it?"

The eunuch's smile was somewhat forced, as if he didn't know whether he should speak or not. Emperor Jin Yuan, seeing him like this, frowned and said, "Your tongue is cut off, speak!"

The eunuch knelt down and glanced in the direction of Madam Guo. "Your Majesty, this servant had people search the entire palace of the First Princess, but we still couldn't find the pill that Honghu mentioned."

"What!" Chu Pei stood up from his chair in shock, looking in Honghu's direction with eyes as sharp as a knife.

After hearing the eunuch's words, Honghu couldn't believe it. How could this be? She clearly put the pills in... Honghu suddenly looked up at the back of Qi Gu kneeling in front of her.

Just then, she saw the eldest princess turn around and look at her, a slight smile on her lips, as if to say: Honghu, you're dead.

Honghu suddenly realized something was off about tonight. Why did the eldest princess arrest her before she even entered the palace? Why did she let her tell all her plans without stopping her from the start, and even intentionally push the emperor to search the palace?

The second princess stared at Honghu, only to see that her kneeling figure suddenly seemed to have all its strength drained away, collapsing like a puddle of mud.

The Second Princess, who was capable of orchestrating all of this, was certainly not stupid. With the eunuch's words and Honghu's demeanor, the Second Princess was truly starting to panic this time.

The Emperor stared with his gloomy eyes at Honghu, who was now lying in a puddle of mud. "Honghu, is that right? Where are the pills you mentioned?"

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, perhaps the eldest princess has hidden elsewhere. This servant truly does not know, truly does not know!"

"You don't know? You don't know why you spoke so emphatically just now!" Zhang Tian, ​​a grown man, suddenly had tears welling up in his eyes. "Alas, back then, in such difficult circumstances, our family was separated because of the war. We risked our lives with His Majesty, fighting through countless trials and tribulations, just so that our family could be reunited and live a peaceful life. But as soon as Qi Gu returned, she hadn't even had a few days of peace before suffering such a great injustice. Alas, it was better back in Yu County..." He wiped away his tears as he spoke, making Wei Xin's heart ache as well.

Zhang Jun pulled his father aside and said, "Father, don't be sad. Her Majesty is your cousin, how could he not feel sorry for her?" The father and son wiped away their tears, while the father comforted him.

Wei Xin looked at Qi Gu, who was kneeling but had a calm expression, and Sima Xiuyuan, whose gaze had never left the eldest princess since entering the palace.

Yu Guang glanced again at the Prince Yi standing beside him. Was the Prince Yi's words just a way to avoid suspicion in the outer city?

Lady Guo and her daughter, though outnumbered and outmatched, were ultimately suppressed by the steadfast Empress.

He knew that the Empress had won this round. Who said this was a trivial matter concerning the women of the inner palace? It was clearly closely related to the political landscape of the court.

[Author's Note]

I wanted to update earlier, but I've been putting it off since the National Day holiday. I'll try to update earlier tomorrow [laughing and crying emoji].