Xu Junzheng was appointed Prime Minister, and His Majesty also bestowed upon him the honorary title of Prince Taifu, which meant that when the Crown Prince ascended the throne in the future, Xu Junzheng would still be relied upon. Not to mention that he was also the Empress Dowager's uncle, and often traveled between the palaces, enjoying unmatched honor and favor.
For a while, the threshold of Xu Mansion was almost trampled down by people. It was a prosperous time, but Xu Junzheng was unusually low-key. Apart from being busy with state affairs, he seldom interacted with others.
He was the chief judge of the eldest princess's case of treason. He was busy until the beginning of winter and finally concluded this shocking case before the New Year.
The eldest princess's crime is unforgivable. Your Majesty, out of consideration for the dignity of the royal family, has allowed her to commit suicide.
Xu Junzheng took the emperor's decree to the Ministry of Justice to sentence the eldest princess to death.
The eldest princess was wearing gray prison clothes, her face was haggard, and she looked like an old woman. Without the brocade clothes and pearls and jade embellishments, she was just an elderly woman.
Now she has no children, and the royal family avoids her like the plague. Princess Qiao Yue, who was once favored by her, has never even looked at her. Instead, she took the initiative to expose her crime of "disrespecting the emperor" for fear of being implicated.
Xu Junzheng read out the imperial edict in a serious manner. He would not sympathize with his enemies and only felt happy in his heart. However, he was an upright person and would not do anything to take advantage of others' misfortune.
"After you die, I will collect your remains. Even though there will be no tombstone or grave, it's better than leaving your body exposed in the wilderness."
A glimmer of light flashed in the eldest princess's cloudy eyes, "You...you still have me in your heart..."
Xu Junzheng immediately interrupted her, "I hate you! I hate you more than anyone else in this world! Only when you die can I be happy. Don't be delusional. I'm only doing this because you returned my younger brother's body."
"I, Xu Junzheng, don't want to owe you anything. In this life, forever, even in the underworld after death, I don't want to have anything to do with you!"
A sharp cry from the eldest princess came from behind, sounding like crying and laughing. Xu Junzheng didn't have time to tangle with a dying person, so he left the poisoned wine and left.
The next day, Xu Junzheng was stopped by the Minister of Justice as soon as he went out. The Minister of Justice had a bitter face and said that the princess refused to die. He smashed the poisoned wine, tore the white silk, and insisted on seeing Xu Junzheng again.
The eldest princess is a member of the royal family, and His Majesty's decree is to allow her to commit suicide. The Minister of Justice did not dare to take the responsibility for killing the eldest princess, so he begged Xu Junzheng to go to the Ministry of Justice prison again.
Ji Yunhuan also arrived at the Ministry of Justice prison after hearing the news. She stopped Xu Junzheng and sneered:
"She can see whoever she wants. Does she think she's the most precious princess? She's just a convicted woman. Uncle, don't worry about her. Just leave her to me."
Xu Junzheng wanted to stop him but couldn't, he could only watch Ji Yunhuan rushed into the innermost cell surrounded by the crowd.
The eldest princess's curses were heard from the cell, followed by sharp cries, and finally silence.
Not long after, Ji Yunhuan came out. She was dressed warmly, with a snow-white fox fur coat on the outside. The furry fur set off her pretty face, which looked cold and majestic.
"Uncle, I was afraid you wouldn't be able to adapt and allow a dying person to act recklessly. Look, it's solved now. It's such a simple matter. The princess committed suicide, and the minister can close the case."
The Minister of Justice breathed a sigh of relief. The Empress had solved a big problem for him, so he naturally would not go against the Empress.
"Your Majesty is right. The Princess felt guilty towards His Majesty and committed suicide by drinking poison last night."
Xu Junzheng said nothing. After they left the Ministry of Justice prison, Ji Yunhuan got on the carriage and Xu Junzheng followed.
The carriage was spacious and warm, so Ji Yunhuan took off her fox fur coat. She was slim to begin with, and even with so many layers of clothing wrapped around her, her pregnancy was not noticeable.
But Xu Jun knew that his niece was pregnant, so he became even angrier and scolded her with a stern face:
"This is sheer nonsense! The Minister of Justice doesn't dare to take action, but don't I, your uncle, know what to do? Is it really necessary for you to come to a place like this in the cold weather?"
"Your Majesty won't blame me for such a small matter, but you are a woman, and it is right for you to be gentle and virtuous. You are also pregnant, so you shouldn't interfere in such a bloody matter!"
Ji Yunhuan shrank his neck and whispered in defense, "Your Majesty knows."
Xu Junzheng raised his voice, his hands shaking with anger. "How dare you let His Majesty know? When you return later, tell His Majesty that the eldest princess was already dead when you arrived. I was the one who killed her, and it has nothing to do with you."
Ji Yunhuan knew that his uncle was worried about him, and he felt warm in his heart. He smiled and coaxed his uncle all the way.
"Your Majesty knows that I hate her to the core. She killed my mother and almost killed the Crown Prince. Your Majesty specifically allowed me to witness her end with my own eyes, fulfilling my wish."
"Don't worry, uncle. His Majesty treats me very well. Now that my great revenge has been achieved, from now on, I can finally live a carefree life. It's time for you to let go."
The carriage drove all the way into the palace. Thinking that there were people waiting for him in the palace, Ji Yunhuan couldn't help but smile softly.
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The closer the birth got, the more anxious the emperor became. Although the eldest princess had been eliminated, there was no guarantee that someone else might have other ideas in the future. He planned to move all the concubines to the temporary palace.
Concubine Hui bid farewell to the Empress and went to the temporary palace happily. The temporary palace had been redecorated and was more spacious and elegant than the palace. If she wanted to find another job in the future, His Majesty would agree.
Even if some people are not happy about it, they cannot go against His Majesty's decision and can only leave the palace.
After the emperor accomplished this great task, he immediately ran to Ji Yunhuan to take credit for it. Seeing that Huan'er was about to give birth, the emperor wished he could stay by her side all the time.
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