Xia Miaoyuan looked at Xia Zhengqi's panicked expression and covered her mouth with her hands, laughing secretly.
[Hahaha, I didn't expect Daddy to care so much about this rumor!]
Kezun Meng was a little amused and put down her teacup. She said softly, "Your Majesty, there is no need to explain like this."
"I believe it."
"If I didn't trust you to this extent, I wouldn't come even if Ruoyu sent someone to pick me up."
Mrs. Meng's words were quite sincere and her voice was full of love.
As soon as these words were spoken, Xia Zhengqi's frown immediately relaxed.
Seeing this, the prince said at the right moment: "Since the Queen Mother and Grandmother have no misunderstandings, let's quickly discuss and deal with the person who spread the rumors."
Xia Zhengqi's bright eyes turned around, and he said in a deep voice: "Cheng Wan, you don't have to worry about investigating the rumormongers. I have your mother and I to take care of you."
"It's getting late today, you and Chu Yue should go back home first."
"Your mother and I will investigate this matter. Once we find out, we will not let you off lightly!"
Seeing Xia Zhengqi's firm attitude, the prince felt relieved and took the princess' hand and left.
That night, Xia Zhengqi and the Queen each ordered their confidants to send people to the palace to conduct a thorough investigation.
In the next few days, Xia Miaoyuan and Xiao Wanyin took the opportunity to find a few little princes to talk to them while they were studying in the main hall.
Five days later, after this investigation, the culprit of the rumor surfaced, and that was the Empress Dowager of Shoukang Palace.
The one who acted as the Empress Dowager's lackey and spread rumors in the palace was Concubine Li.
[Jiang Hui, this old witch, really underestimated her. The Jiang family is already on the verge of collapse, but she still won't stop.]
[How dare you attack your mother! ]
Xia Miaoyuan was very surprised when he heard the news.
"Your Majesty, how do you plan to deal with the Queen Mother?" asked the Queen in a deep voice.
Xia Zhengqi's eyes widened in anger: "I've given her chances several times before. This is intolerable. This time, I absolutely cannot let her stay!"
After saying that, Xia Zhengqi pulled the queen over and ordered Debao to go to Shoukang Palace.
"We want to go together too!" Xia Miaoyuan shouted anxiously, pulled Xiao Wanyin up, and ran behind the emperor and empress.
【Don’t miss this exciting show! 】
When the emperor arrived at Shoukang Palace, the empress dowager was in the courtyard, leisurely drinking tea.
When the Empress Dowager saw the Emperor and Empress coming together, she said lovingly, "Didn't I tell you that you are all busy with your duties, so there is no need to come and pay your respects every day."
When she saw Xia Miaoyuan and Xiao Wanyin following the Emperor and Empress, the Empress Dowager laughed and said, "Oh, even my granddaughter and Xiao Wanyin are here!"
"Come on, sit down, and don't be so restrained!"
The emperor, empress and two children stood there motionless, not moving an inch.
The Empress Dowager's eyes quickly swept across the four people's faces and found that they all had gloomy expressions. She shuddered in her heart and thought, this is not good!
Xia Zhengqi said coldly, "Mother, you misunderstood. We are not here to pay our respects today!"
"But I'm here to call for justice!"
The Empress Dowager was so shocked that she stood up immediately and stammered, "Zhengqi, what nonsense are you talking about with your mother?"
"I am old and can't stand such jokes!"
Xia Zhengqi chuckled twice and spoke slowly, "Mother, I recently heard someone in the palace say that a thunderstorm is coming from heaven, threatening to kill the Queen. This indicates that the Queen has lost her moral integrity. Therefore, I wish to depose the Queen and the Crown Prince as well."
"Even to the point of cleaning up the entire Xiao family."
"He also said that I brought Kezun into the palace only to use him as a hostage."
"What's strange is that I, the person involved, don't even know about these thoughts, but many people in the palace know about them."
"I wonder if the Queen Mother has ever heard of these words?"
The Empress Dowager's face changed drastically, her body swayed twice, and she almost fell to the ground.
Nanny Ji quickly stepped forward to support her.
"I, how could I have heard of this?" The Queen Mother smiled awkwardly.
"These rumors in the palace are really ridiculous!"
Xia Zhengqi took two steps closer to the Empress Dowager and emphasized his tone: "My mother said she hadn't heard it, but why did Concubine Li say that you said these words to her?"
The Empress Dowager shook her head like a rattle. "That Lipin is talking nonsense. How could I have ever told her that?"
"Bring him up!" Xia Zhengqi shouted sternly.
Just as the sound of orderly footsteps was heard, four strong and powerful Akabane soldiers walked in, dragging two women.
As she approached, the Empress Dowager trembled noticeably.
"Miao'er and Ayin, don't look at it, you will be scared!" The queen coaxed them softly, holding them both in her arms, protecting them and not letting them look.
[Oh, how can I be that fragile!] Xia Miaoyuan secretly complained in her heart. When the queen was not paying attention, she used her small hands to pick at it, made a crack, and secretly looked out.
[Wow! I didn't expect that Daddy and Mommy would do things so well!]
The two women who were dragged up were Concubine Li and her personal maid.
The two men seemed to have been tortured, both kneeling on the ground listlessly.
"Princess Li and her confidants have confessed. What else does mother have to say?" Xia Zhengqi's eyes were stern.
The Empress Dowager cried, "This bitch must have made up something."
"I don't know anything!"
"I have never done that!"
At this time, Debao brought over a tray in due time.
Xia Zhengqi grabbed a golden hairpin from the tray and threw it at the Empress Dowager's feet, saying in a deep voice, "Does the Empress Dowager recognize this?"
"This is the gift you gave to Concubine Li as a way to win her over."
"No, no, no!" The Queen Mother waved her hands in panic.
"I just gave it to her casually."
[The old woman is really stubborn! ]
At this time, Xiao Luzi came up with a tray.
Xia Zhengqi pointed at a few silver ingots on the tray and asked, "Are these also casual gifts from the Empress Dowager?"
"What a generous gesture! He gave Concubine Li three hundred taels of silver at once, and asked her to use it to bribe the head aunt and the chief eunuch in the palace, asking them to spread rumors."
"These silver ingots were seized from them. They confessed everything, saying that the maids around Concubine Li gave them."
"And Concubine Li has always been extravagant with her money. Even her own private savings don't have this much!"
The Empress Dowager's face turned pale.
At this time, Lipin forced herself to raise her head and pointed at the Empress Dowager and said, "The Empress Dowager asked me to do this."
"She said that if the queen was ever deposed, she would recommend me as the successor."
【Oh my god, how stupid! 】
[How did you survive to this day in the palace, being so stupid? ]
"I don't have any!"
"I really don't have any!"
"Bitch Lipin, why are you slandering me like that?"
The Queen Mother was completely panicked, but she was still struggling and refusing to admit it.
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