The Duke of Shen's eyes dimmed. He had loved Shen Jinchen's mother dearly all his life and had vowed to be good to Shen Jinchen for the rest of his life.
But things didn't go as planned.
"Let's go! Don't gather here unless necessary. We'll deal with whatever comes our way. Anyway, we're both alone. If Jue'er wants to kill us, let her. It'll be good for her to see her mother after she dies."
After saying this, Ji Changming left the Duke of Shen's mansion.
Three days later, late at night.
In the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Shen Jinchen met with the stewards of the four people he was investigating. Under the influence of the drugs, they recounted in detail what had happened three years ago.
Shen Jinchen's face turned as cold as ice on a glacier, and the dragon table beside him shattered into pieces. He had previously harbored a sliver of hope, but after hearing these stewards' words firsthand, how could he possibly deceive himself?
Her uncle and adoptive father not only killed her wife, but also raised a woman for her three years ago. If she hadn't acted too sad, that woman would probably have been sent to the palace by them as soon as Cen Xi died.
What wrong did Ah Xi do?
They had to resort to such extreme measures to harm her.
"Fengqin, go to the Tiger Cavalry Camp outside the city immediately and mobilize 100,000 troops to surround the capital city three layers deep. Before this matter is resolved, not even a bird can fly out of the capital."
"Your Majesty, what are you trying to do?"
When Feng Qin heard that troops were to be mobilized, her heart skipped a beat. She was afraid that Shen Jinchen might do something irreversible in a moment of impulsiveness.
The Empress has already passed away. If His Majesty were to kill his maternal uncle and adoptive father, who raised him, just because of this...
I'm afraid I'll be condemned by the whole world, which would be a huge loss.
"My order is an imperial decree. Do you intend to disobey it?"
With Emperor Shen Jinchen's imposing presence pressing down, Feng Qin dared not refuse any longer and immediately said:
"Your subordinate dares not, your subordinate will go immediately."
"Shangse, you shall immediately lead the Imperial Guards to arrest the Duke of Ji, the Duke of Shen, Sun Heqian, and those ministers who frequently visit these two mansions."
Seeing that Fengqin had left, Shen Jinchen turned his gaze to Shangse.
"Yes! Shangse, go and do it right away."
Having been severely punished by Shen Jinchen before, Shang Se knew best how to behave in front of this master. Therefore, he did not hesitate and turned to carry out the order.
“Keep a close eye on these witnesses. We’ll settle the score with them tomorrow for what happened three years ago.”
Shen Jinchen glanced at the remaining two, coldly uttered his words, and slowly walked out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
His steps were unsteady, and he was filled with unbearable hatred, but he didn't want anyone to see it. Right now, he just wanted to find a place to lick his wounds in silence, so he went to Kunde Palace again, lay down on that bed, and saw if he could find a trace of Cen Xi's last breath.
Being an emperor was truly meaningless to him. If he were to be reborn, he would hope to be just an ordinary citizen, and not to be born into an imperial family again.
Beigong.
There was a place called Zhaotong Palace. The woman who had just moved in, even in the dead of night, was still touching the palace's magnificent furnishings and smiling radiantly at the respectful maids.
She finally lived a life of privilege, and with a similar face, she entered the harem of that woman's husband. She was no longer a country bumpkin; she had earned this glory.
She knew that with her beauty, she could win the favor of the most noble man in the world.
She wanted to live a fulfilling life in the capital, just like that princess, and have her man submit to her.
Right? She doesn't lack anything, so why should she accept charity from others?
Today's events prove that her choice was correct.
She eventually became a woman in the palace.
It doesn't matter if he doesn't touch her now. She's only twenty-eight and can wait. She's naturally fair-skinned and beautiful, still has her charm, and even looks eight-tenths like that woman. She's not afraid that man won't come looking for her.
It's no wonder she thinks this way; three years ago, Duke Ji, Shen Jinchen, and Imperial Physician Sun had the same idea.
They all thought that His Majesty was only interested in the Empress for her beauty. They believed that if he killed her and found someone similar to be placed in front of him, he would eventually forget about that woman.
However, things backfired. The moment Su Nianniang appeared, she reminded Shen Jinchen that it might have been a conspiracy three years ago.
This is perhaps what is called cause and effect; you have to bear the consequences of the karma you create.
Therefore, when the Imperial Guards entered the mansion to arrest people, the Duke of Ji and the Duke of Shen did not resist in the slightest.
They were all brought into the palace in a calm manner.
The moment Physician Sun was pulled out of the quilt, he knew he was doomed. His legs trembled, and he could only be carried into the palace.
Shen Jinchen slept restlessly. The next day, because he had to deal with some matters, he instructed the eunuch to inform all civil and military officials to adjourn the court session.
After tidying himself up in the Kunde Hall, he went to the East Palace, took the Crown Prince with him, and the two of them went to the Yangxin Hall.
After the father and son sat up straight, he then had Feng Qin bring the people he had arrested the day before to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
After the Duke of Ji and the Duke of Shen entered, Shen Jinchen simply looked at them coldly without uttering a word.
Finally, the young prince, unable to bear their glares any longer, mischievously spoke first:
"My two dukes, my father has summoned you here today to ask why you harmed my mother. Tell the truth, don't hide anything, or he will be angry."
"Now that things have come to this, I have nothing more to say. Please, Your Majesty, punish me!"
After the Crown Prince finished speaking, the Duke of Ji spoke first, his tone calm but without any regret.
"Why? What did she do to you? Why did you want to kill her like that?"
Seeing that his uncle still acted as if it were his right, Shen Jinchen wished he could draw his sword and chop him down.
But in the end, he managed to suppress his impulse.
"Because she disrupted the moral order, ruined the state, and even incited Your Majesty to do some unethical things, a mere palace maid has caused all the women in the land to break the rules, she should be killed!"
"If I can't let her control you, I'll have to resort to drastic measures."
At the mention of Cen Xi, Ji Changming straightened her back, her eyes filled with obvious contempt and mockery. She hadn't stopped Cen Xi back then because she thought Shen Jinchen liked her, but she never expected it to end like this. If she had known this would happen, she would have killed that woman earlier.
That woman died back then, and now she has no more stories of causing trouble for the court.
"So... Uncle, is this your reason for killing people? Do you know that she never intended to interfere in the court? When she established the National Women's Academy, it was only when I casually asked her that she gave me a suggestion."
"She said that women in this world suffer too much, and she wanted to leave a way out for women like the Su Numen who have experienced hardship. That's all. Is that considered interfering in national affairs?"
"You all say that the National Women's Prison is a scourge to the country and its people. Then let me ask you, three years have passed since the National Women's Prison was established. How has it brought any harm to the country, or caused any chaos in the world?"
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