Xia Zhengqi turned to the Empress Dowager and said in a strong voice, "Mother, I think it would be inappropriate to let this matter go unmentioned."
"Your son understands that you value the Jiang family's reputation as much as your life. But now the facts are before us. The royal family and the ministers have all seen it. How can we just cover it up? Do I have to issue an edict forbidding anyone from discussing Jiang Zhichang's scandal?"
"Things have come to this point. If Queen Mother truly cares about the Jiang family's reputation, she should act righteously and investigate thoroughly. She should reveal the truth to everyone. Jiang Zhichang should be punished for his own mistakes."
"Only by doing so can we convince the public, demonstrate the Jiang family's strict family tradition, and safeguard the Jiang family's reputation."
After saying this, Xia Zhengqi's eyes were determined and he bowed to the Empress Dowager.
[The Emperor is so majestic! Oh my god, I suddenly admire the Emperor so much!]
"That's not right. Doesn't the book say that Daddy is most afraid of the Empress Dowager pleading for mercy? Is the plot broken?"
Xia Miaoyuan sucked his fingers and complained to himself.
"You... now you don't even take your mother seriously!?" The Empress Dowager held her forehead with her hand, her face full of pain, and she fell crookedly onto Concubine Jiang.
"Oh no, the Empress Dowager has fainted!" Concubine Jiang screamed in shock.
"Your Majesty, please don't force me so much. My mother is so angry that she fainted!" Concubine Jiang raised her eyes and looked at Xia Zhengqi pitifully.
[Hahaha, if you can't convince your son, just pretend to faint! Woqu, isn't this too old-fashioned? Old woman, can't you come up with something new?]
[Look at your niece, she's working so well with you. Just looking at you two, you must have been working together a lot. Tsk tsk tsk.]
Xia Miaoyuan grinned secretly in the Queen's arms.
When the queen heard this, she laughed secretly in her heart, thinking that this little guy knows a lot.
At first, Xia Zhengqi felt a little soft-hearted when he saw the Empress Dowager faint, but after hearing his daughter's voice, he immediately came to his senses.
Thinking back, it was true that the Empress Dowager had fainted in front of him many times before, and almost every time it was Concubine Jiang who was crying beside her.
Every time the Empress Dowager fainted, Xia Zhengqi would feel extremely guilty. Not only would he agree to the Empress Dowager's request unconditionally, but he would also feel sorry for her for a long time.
It was really strange that the Empress Dowager fainted every time. She fainted quickly and woke up quickly. As long as Xia Zhengqi knelt in front of the bed and cried and agreed to the Empress Dowager's request, she would wake up immediately.
Wow, it turns out he was pretending to be faint!
Xia Zhengqi clenched his fists in anger at this thought. He glanced at the Empress Dowager and said in a deep voice, "The Empress Dowager faints easily when she gets excited. It's an old problem. She'll wake up soon. Someone, carry the Empress Dowager back to Shoukang Palace and ask two imperial physicians to take a look."
Several young eunuchs came forward and carried the empress dowager out in a sedan chair.
The crowd outside the courtyard watching the excitement immediately made way for the Empress Dowager.
Everyone looked at the Empress Dowager who was being carried away, and talked about it in a flurry.
"Oh my, the Queen Mother is so angry that she's fainted!"
"The guy doing the dirty work inside is her own nephew. How can she not feel dizzy?"
"The Empress Dowager always talks about propriety, righteousness, integrity and self-discipline, so how could her own nephew behave like this?"
The Empress Dowager lay in the sedan chair with her eyes closed, listening to the guests' discussions, her teeth clenched with anger.
Concubine Jiang knelt on the ground, staring at the emperor blankly with her mouth open.
The emperor's behavior today is really hard to understand.
Why don’t you respond to anything, no matter how soft or hard it is?
Is this still the emperor who is easy to manipulate?
"Tell the truth about what happened, and don't hide anything!" Xia Zhengqi said in a deep voice to Jiang Zhichang.
"Brother-in-law, I was really just drunk and confused... Your Majesty, please have mercy on me!" Jiang Zhichang cried.
"Your Majesty, please show mercy! Please be merciful to my third brother since this is his first offense. After all, it is his alcoholism that caused all the trouble. From today on, I will discipline him strictly and let him drink less!" Concubine Jiang grabbed the corner of Xia Zhengqi's robe and cried.
[Is this his first offense? Are you kidding me, Concubine? How many maids in your palace haven't been touched by him?]
[Humph, teasing and molesting are all very common. Even if he dragged me into the house and raped me, as long as I wasn't pregnant, you would just pretend not to see it.]
Even if she accidentally gets pregnant, if she's weak and vulnerable, you can force her down with a bowl of abortion pills. If she's stubborn and unruly, have your trusted henchmen strangle her with a rope and throw her into a dry well in a deserted garden.
[Jiang Qiqiu, you have done too much evil!]
The queen was just in a state of enjoying watching the show, but when she heard her daughter telling her about the evil deeds of Jiang Zhiyuan and Concubine Jiang against the palace maids, she was shocked and angry, and broke out in a cold sweat.
When Xia Zhengqi heard this, veins on his forehead throbbed.
After calming himself down, he asked again, "Jiang Zhiyuan, tell me the truth, apart from what happened today, have you ever done anything evil like forcing a woman to death?!"
"I...no, no...no, this is my first offense today..." Jiang Zhiyuan stammered.
"Ying Chen! Gather ten secret guards. You will be in charge of interrogating Jiang Zhichang on the spot. If he doesn't behave honestly, you can use the same tactics you used against stubborn prisoners on him."
"Debao, go and gather ten eunuchs and a few maids with experience in midwifery, and immediately gather all the palace maids in Jinxiu Palace together. Then gather a few more maids with experience in midwifery, and examine these palace maids one by one and interrogate them one by one. You also take the palace maid on the bed away for interrogation." Xia Zhengqi ordered with a dark face.
Ying Chen and Debao took the order and left.
Concubine Jiang's hands, which were clutching the corner of the dragon robe, suddenly loosened and she collapsed to the ground.
[Woohoo! The Emperor is getting up!]
[This princess is proud of you, long live daddy!]
After hearing Xia Zhengqi's decision, Xia Miaoyuan also excitedly grabbed her hands and kicked her feet, babbling loudly.
Xia Zhengqi calmed down, shook his robes, and tried to soften his gloomy expression. Then he turned and said to the outside of the courtyard, "Dear guests, I am truly sorry that there was a small incident at the little princess's full moon banquet today."
"Dear guests, please calm down and return to the main hall to continue enjoying the palace banquet."
"As for Jiang Zhichang, please rest assured. Later, after the facts are clarified, I will deal with him impartially in front of everyone."
"Your Majesty is wise!"
"Oh my, your Majesty is so strict with his brother-in-law. You are really admirable."
"Wait and see how His Majesty will deal with that fellow."
As soon as Xia Zhengqi finished speaking, the people outside the courtyard started talking at once.
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