Chapter 455 Facing Emperor Xiaozhao
Watching her departing figure, Madam Wu suddenly gripped Little Madam Wu's hand tightly, her expression filled with panic.
Her voice trembled as she asked, "If what the old woman said is true, then... will we still be able to survive?"
Xiao Wu swallowed hard, her voice trembling as she answered uncertainly, "I... I should be able to survive."
"The old lady is soft-hearted. We haven't done anything to harm her, so she certainly won't just watch us die."
"As long as she doesn't die, she will definitely find a way to save us."
These words from Xiao Wu were less to comfort Wu and more to soothe herself.
However, upon hearing these words, Wu burst into tears, crying, "I... I can't live anymore! I used to oppose the old lady at every turn, and I even plotted against her several times! I deliberately spread rumors and slandered her reputation!"
"The old lady must have kept all these records for me!"
"Waaaaah... I'm not going to survive!"
While crying, Madam Wu suddenly opened her eyes wide and looked at Little Madam Wu in horror, "The Marquis is definitely not going to survive either!"
"If the Marquis wants to kill the old lady, the old lady will definitely want the Marquis to die too!"
"What should we do? Neither the Marquis nor I will survive!"
Little Wu's eyes lit up. "Mother! Compared to Father, what you did before is nothing at all. Perhaps, if Father dies, we can all live!"
"The old lady is soft-hearted; she'll beg the Emperor to spare our lives!"
As Xiao Wu spoke, her eyes grew brighter and brighter. "Mother, do you remember when the old lady told us to sell the Marquis's estate to make up for our dowry?"
Mrs. Wu was taken aback and asked in confusion, "Why are you suddenly bringing this up?"
"A dowry! A woman's dowry, even if her husband's family confiscates her property, will not be taken by the government!" Little Wu said with shining eyes, "Do you think the old lady knew something beforehand, which is why she made us replenish our dowry?"
"Yes, yes, that must be it! So, the old lady never intended for us to die along with the Marquis's family from the beginning?"
Wu was delighted, but then her expression changed again. "But I was so blinded by greed that I didn't listen to the old lady!"
"Now, the Marquis's estate is all gone, all gone!"
Wu burst into tears again.
She still believes that the property sold by the Marquis's mansion was used to bribe Min Rong.
As a result, money was spent, but the person couldn't be saved. The entire Marquis's household was also implicated.
Madam Wu glanced at Aunt He, and the two tacitly avoided mentioning the true destination of the Marquis's estate.
***
Min Qiaoshi had no idea what happened after she left.
This time, the audience with the emperor proceeded smoothly without any setbacks.
"This old woman pays her respects to Your Majesty, may Your Majesty live ten thousand years!" Lady Min Qiao knelt down and kowtowed to Emperor Xiaozhao.
After Lady Min finished her salutation, Emperor Xiaozhao did not tell her to rise, but let her continue kneeling. He simply asked in a low voice, "Do you know why I summoned you here?"
After thinking for a moment, Madam Min Qiao replied, racking her brains, "I have heard that Shang'an has been destroyed, so it seems that the matter of the marriage alliance should be put to rest."
"This is one of them."
Emperor Xiaozhao said with a half-smile, "Lady Qinghe is quite capable. Even though she was trapped in the mansion, she still managed to find out what was happening outside."
Madam Min dared not conceal the truth and reported the facts: "Commander Yu, who is in charge of besieging the Marquis's residence, is the eldest son of the Marquis of Yongning. I have some connections with the Marquis of Yongning, so Commander Yu was somewhat lenient with me."
Emperor Xiaozhao smirked, "You betrayed Yu Lei so easily?"
Madam Min Qiao retorted calmly, "It was His Majesty who ordered Young Master Yu to lead troops to besiege the Marquis's residence. Surely these things were within His Majesty's expectations, weren't they?"
"Moreover, I have spies placed by His Majesty by my side, so I suppose my every move cannot escape His Majesty's sight."
Emperor Xiaozhao smiled, did not continue the topic, and instead asked, "Continue."
Madam Min Qiao continued calmly, "His Majesty has besieged the Marquis of Xuanping's residence. It seems that the Min family's collateral branches, the Min family of Huizhou, are no longer prepared to keep the Min clan alive."
"These days, the reason why His Majesty has only surrounded the residence without issuing an edict, punishing anyone, or taking any further action is that His Majesty is waiting."
"Firstly, we'll wait for Min Ji's accomplices to slip up."
"This is fishing."
"Secondly, we are also waiting for the outcome of the joint military campaign by the two countries against Shang'an."
"This is to save my life."
Emperor Xiaozhao narrowed his eyes. "Indeed, I was fishing. But how can I possibly save your life?"
Madam Min Qiao said solemnly, "Min Ji's betrayal was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but the result of years of planning."
"Yet he betrayed us for years, and the Emperor knew nothing about it."
"Are you saying I'm incompetent?" Emperor Xiaozhao's tone was full of danger.
Madam Min Qiao shook her head: "What I meant was that Min Ji has an inside man in Dayan. I'm afraid his position isn't low!"
"If someone hadn't been there to help him, he wouldn't have been able to rise to the rank of Marquis of Pingyan so easily in Da'an, nor would he have been able to betray his country without the Emperor noticing any clues."
Emperor Xiaozhao said calmly, "So what?"
"Without being immodest, I am absolutely the person in the world who knows Min Ji better than anyone else. I can expose Min Ji's accomplices for His Majesty."
Madam Min Qiao paused for a moment, then continued with her startling statement: "I can also act as bait to lure Min Ji out!"
"Ha, wasn't Min Ji already killed by you?" Emperor Xiaozhao stared intently at Min Qiaoshi. "The Da'an region has already announced the death of Marquis Pingyan. Yet you're telling me that Min Ji isn't dead."
Emperor Xiaozhao leaned forward and asked in a solemn voice, "How do you know that Min Ji is not dead?"
Madam Min raised her head slightly and said proudly, "I have said that I am the person who knows Min Ji better than anyone else in this world. Even if Min Ji was indeed stabbed by me, even if the Crown Prince Da'e has already examined his body with the coroner and the imperial physician and confirmed that it is him, I still firmly believe that Min Ji is definitely not dead!"
At this point, Lady Min Qiao mustered her courage and looked Emperor Xiaozhao directly into his eyes, "Doesn't Your Majesty also not believe that Min Ji is dead?"
Emperor Xiaozhao laughed, "Is this how you persuaded Crown Prince Da'er?"
Min Qiaoshi twitched her lips and admitted, "I just want to leave Da'er alive."
Emperor Xiaozhao scoffed lightly, "Then can I also interpret this as you only saying Min Ji isn't dead now because you're just trying to stay alive?"
Madam Min shook her head firmly. "No! All I want now is to expose Min Ji! I have a vague unease in my heart, and I always feel that he is plotting some bigger conspiracy!"
Emperor Xiaozhao closed his eyes, concealing the gloom in them, and said loudly, "Old Madam Qiao, you are very clever. You have convinced me!"
Madam Min Qiao replied with a smile, "Thank you for your appreciation, Your Majesty. I will do my utmost to ensure that Min Ji has nowhere to hide and will show himself."
Emperor Xiaozhao smiled and did not continue the topic. Instead, he said, "Now that Shang'an has been destroyed, Dayan and Da'an are dividing Shang'an equally. Judging from the news sent back by the Earl of Enping, this trip has been very profitable."
"In terms of the outcome, the marriage alliance turned from a bad thing into a good thing."
"In this way, your merit in the marriage alliance can offset your guilt as a woman of the Min family."
Madam Min Qiao hurriedly kowtowed to express her gratitude, "Qiao Qinghe thanks His Majesty for his great kindness!"
Everything went exactly as she had predicted.
At this point, a huge weight was finally lifted from Min Qiao's heart.
Emperor Xiaozhao instructed Liu Xin, who was standing nearby, "Let the others in."
Liu Xin received the order and went to the door, loudly announcing, "By imperial decree, the Prince of Chu, the Seventh Princess, and Min Pan'er are to be summoned to an audience."
Soon, the three of them entered in response.
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