Chapter 22 Why Hasn't the Emperor Severely Punished Consort Su?
Chapter Twenty-Two: Why Hasn't the Emperor Severely Punished Consort Su?
Zhuang Shuran didn't know how she got back to the Prince Ning's residence.
The icy, piercing gaze of her elder sister, Consort Zhuang, the gold silk incense ball she placed in her hand, emitting a faint yet eerie fragrance, and her scheming words haunted her like a nightmare.
She wandered aimlessly through the familiar corridors, ignoring even the servants' greetings, until a gentle yet worried voice rang in her ears.
"Ranran?"
She snapped back to her senses and realized that she was standing under the porch of the main courtyard. Prince Ning, Li Qianfan, had appeared in front of her at some point and was looking at her with a slight frown. His eyes, which always held a gentle smile, were now filled with concern.
"Your Highness..." Zhuang Shuran opened her mouth, her voice dry and hoarse.
Li Qianfan reached out and gently grasped her icy fingers. His hand was covered in cold sweat, and his brows furrowed even more. He led her into the warm inner room, helped her sit down on the cushioned couch, and personally poured her a cup of hot tea.
"Why are your hands so cold, and your complexion so pale?" His voice was deep and gentle, filled with obvious tenderness. She must have been thinking of Sheng'er when she went to the palace today.
"But... I thought of Sheng'er again?" When she mentioned her youngest son, Li Wensheng, who died young, her voice involuntarily lowered, carrying an unhealed pain.
Upon hearing her son's name, Zhuang Shuran's tears, which she had been holding back, finally burst forth. She didn't answer, but simply put down her teacup and threw herself into Li Qianfan's arms. Her shoulders trembled violently, and her silent weeping was more heartbreaking than any loud wailing.
Li Qianfan gently patted her back, as if comforting a frightened child. His heart was also filled with unspeakable sorrow. The pain of losing his son was like a piece of flesh being torn from his heart, and it was still bleeding to this day.
After crying for a long time, Zhuang Shuran finally raised her tear-blurred face, grabbed Li Qianfan's sleeve as if it were the last straw, and said in a sobbing voice with a hint of barely perceptible resentment: "Your Highness...why? Why hasn't the Emperor punished Consort Su severely? Our Sheng'er...is he just going to die like this? Does the Emperor...does the Emperor not care about our child's life at all?"
Her question pierced Li Qianfan's heart like a needle. He remained silent for a moment, a complex emotion flashing across his face. He was not without resentment, but as a subject and a member of the royal family, he thought more and understood the young emperor better than his wife.
“Ranran,” he carefully chose his words, trying to comfort his wife, “Your Majesty… is not the kind of person who would disregard blood ties and family affection. This matter… may have other motives.”
"Strange?" Zhuang Shuran suddenly raised her head, a hint of resentment flashing in her eyes. "What strange thing could there be? My elder sister said that Consort Song was just a scapegoat found by the Emperor! It was just to exonerate Consort Su! If she wasn't guilty, why was Fuqu, the old servant who used to serve Consort Su, assassinated as soon as she was released from the palace? Isn't that murder to silence her? Consort Su must have been afraid that she would reveal the secret, so she did this!"
She poured out all the ideas that Consort Zhuang had instilled in her, her emotions running high.
Looking into her eyes, blinded by hatred and sorrow, Li Qianfan sighed inwardly. He held his wife's shoulders, making her look into his eyes, and said in a calm and steady tone, "Ranran, calm down and think carefully. First, if it really was Consort Su who wanted to silence her, why did she choose that exact moment when Fuqu had just left the palace and she herself was about to leave as well? At that time, she had already requested to leave the palace and was about to escape this place of trouble. Why would she do something so unnecessary and arouse suspicion? This doesn't make sense."
He paused, then continued his analysis: "Secondly, as far as I know, that Fuqu was not yet of legal age to be released from the palace. How could Consort Su, who had been demoted to a low-ranking concubine, have the ability and authority to release a palace maid who was not yet of legal age? This is simply illogical. If you think she went to the Empress Dowager, although the Empress Dowager is her aunt, it involves palace rules, and it happened right after she was demoted for allegedly plotting to harm the imperial heir. Would the Empress Dowager easily grant her such an irregular request? The Empress Dowager has always prioritized the imperial heirs."
Zhuang Shuran was taken aback by his question. She had never thought deeply about these details before, but her elder sister would not lie to her: "But... my elder sister said..."
“Your Highness!” Li Qianfan interrupted her, his tone unusually forceful. “We should trust His Majesty’s wise judgment. Since he has already dealt with Consort Song, who led the way, it means he has not given up the investigation. This matter may involve many things, and there may be other hidden stories behind it. Let’s… give His Majesty some more time, okay?”
Looking at his wife's pale and haggard face, he felt a pang of pity. He softened his voice, pulled her back into his arms, and gently rested his chin on the top of her head. His tone was firm and full of promise: "I assure you, if His Majesty ultimately... really does bend the law for personal gain and disregard our child's injustice, I, Li Qianfan, will risk everything, even my title as prince, to seek justice for our Sheng'er!"
His words were firm and resolute, carrying the determination of a father and husband. Zhuang Shuran nestled in his arms, feeling his familiar and unwavering heartbeat, and her agitated emotions seemed to be calmed down a little.
However, the cool touch and faint fragrance of the golden incense ball hidden in her sleeve lingered in her mind like a venomous snake, reminding her of her elder sister's irresistible command.
She closed her eyes, tears silently streaming down her face once more. On one side was her husband's analysis and promises, and on the other was her elder sister's coercion and the mad obsession brought on by the pain of losing her son. She stood on the edge of a cliff, caught between a rock and a hard place.
Meanwhile, in the Imperial Study in the palace.
Just as Li Qianche finished approving a memorial concerning the allocation of military funds in the southwest, he rubbed his throbbing temples. Ye Ying appeared silently before the imperial desk like a ghost, kneeling on one knee.
"Speak." Li Qianche didn't look up, his voice carrying a hint of weariness.
“Your Majesty,” Night Shadow reported in a low voice, “At noon today, Princess Ning entered the palace and went to Changxiu Palace to talk with Consort Zhuang. They talked for about an hour. When Princess Ning left the palace, she looked dazed and her steps were unsteady, as if she was restless.”
Li Qianche paused slightly as he held the pen. Princess Ning and Consort Zhuang... he didn't believe that the sisters really had that many intimate things to say to each other.
"Besides summoning Princess Ning, has Consort Zhuang acted strangely recently?" Li Qianche asked in a deep voice, his sharp gaze fixed on Ye Ying.
"Your Majesty, everything is as usual in Consort Zhuang's palace. However, with the plum blossom banquet approaching, Changxiu Palace seems unusually busy. Consort Zhuang herself has been in charge of the banquet arrangements and the pastry menu." Ye Ying paused briefly before continuing, "In addition, I have made a new discovery regarding the case of the Prince of Ning's heir. The extremely faint fragrance that lingered in the side hall that day has been confirmed, after extensive investigation, to be called 'Ru Meng Ling,' a special spice secretly made in the southwestern border region. Due to the rarity of its raw materials and the complexity of its preparation, it is extremely rare in the Central Plains, and almost no one recognizes it."
Li Qianche's gaze sharpened: "Source?"
Nightshade lowered his voice even further: "My investigation has revealed that this item has only appeared in the residence of Grand Tutor Zhuang Shijie in the past six months. There have been extremely secretive records of its circulation. According to the investigation, the Zhuang family purchased a small number of 'Dream Orders' through special channels."
A deathly silence fell over the imperial study, broken only by the crackling of the candlelight. Li Qianche's fingers tapped unconsciously on the desk, his eyes sharp as an eagle's.
The Zhuang family! It's the Zhuang family again! "Like a Dream"... a secret medicine from the southwest... the son of Prince Ning murdered... palace maids silenced... Consort Song leads the way... Consort Zhuang urgently summons Princess Ning...
Like scattered beads, the clues are now subtly connected by the thread of "the Zhuang family mansion".
He recalled yesterday at Qinfang Pavilion, the undisguised hostility Consort Zhuang showed towards Su Su, and her seemingly caring yet subtly probing approach towards Mu Hanyan. Consort Zhuang had only "coincidentally" met her in the Imperial Garden yesterday, and today she was already urgently summoning the recently deceased and emotionally unstable Princess Ning? And she seemed quite enthusiastic about the plum blossom viewing banquet.
"Keep a close eye on Changxiu Palace, especially Consort Zhuang and her maid Yingchun." Li Qianche's voice was as cold as ice, carrying an undeniable air of murderous intent.
"I want to know who they came into contact with, what they passed around, especially things like spices, and what they said before and after the plum blossom viewing banquet!"
"Your subordinate obeys!" Nightshade accepted the order, and with a flicker, disappeared into the shadows once more.
Silence returned to the Imperial Study. Li Qianche looked out the window at the deep night. The plum blossom banquet... what exactly did Consort Zhuang want to do with that "Dream Order"? Did she want to use the same trick again, or was she going to play an even more vicious scheme?
A terrifying storm suddenly gathered in Li Qianche's eyes, and his knuckles turned white from the force.
What a mastermind behind this scheme! What a seemingly loyal Grand Tutor Zhuang, a veteran of two dynasties! What a ruthless Consort Zhuang, who has cultivated her power in the palace for many years!
Do they really think he, the emperor, is a muddle-headed and incompetent ruler who can be easily fooled? First, they framed Su Su, plotted against members of the imperial family, and undermined the foundation of the state; now, it seems they've even set their sights on Consort Wan, whom they believe is carrying the imperial heir! What are the Zhuang family planning to do? Do they intend to seize the entire Li dynasty for themselves?!
A cold, rusty anger surged in his chest. Since his ascension to the throne, although he knew that the Zhuang family was powerful and that the Empress Dowager's faction needed to be checked, he had not investigated many things deeply, considering that Zhuang Shijie was, after all, a veteran minister who had assisted in governing, and that Consort Zhuang was considered "well-behaved" in the palace. He only sought to maintain a balance between the court and the harem. However, he never expected that his "tolerance" would nurture such a treacherous and audacious person!
How dare they! How could they possibly dare!
Li Qianche slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his eyes were like a bottomless pool of cold water. The plum blossom banquet might not only be a poisonous scheme set up by Consort Zhuang, but also the beginning of him exposing the Zhuang family's true colors and settling accounts!
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