Chapter 730 You'll be grounded for six months
Rong Qing stood to the side, his heart feeling as if it had been thrown into a pot of boiling oil.
Although she didn't leave any evidence, she was still afraid of making a mistake. If Madam Ruan had any leverage over her, how would she explain herself and get away with it?
She quickly thought of various solutions in her mind.
Suddenly, Madam Ruan's gaze fell upon her like a sharp sword.
She suddenly felt like she was being pricked by a thorn in her side.
Madam Ruan withdrew her gaze, lowered her head and said, "When my daughter was abducted by the men in black, she did not actually faint. She woke up halfway and overheard their conversation. They said that they were sent by the Princess Rongqing... In the entire Great Yu Dynasty, there is currently only one Princess Rongqing."
"This...how is this possible?" The Empress Dowager's face was full of disbelief. "There was a strong wind and snow a few days ago. Miss Ruan may have misheard."
“Miss Ruan might have misheard, but I heard it clearly as well.” Cheng Wanwan raised her head. “More than half a month ago at the Linxi Hunting Festival, I was assassinated. At that time, Prince Qin found out that it was related to Princess Rongqing, but later, without concrete evidence, the matter was dropped. Now I am in danger again, and the man in black mentioned the name of the princess. May I ask how the princess explains this?”
Rong Qing clenched his fists tightly.
If the Empress Dowager hadn't been there, she, a princess, wouldn't have bothered explaining herself to a lowly woman from the countryside.
But at this moment, the Empress Dowager was looking at her suspiciously, and she had to give a perfect explanation.
Shock and grievance appeared on her face: "Just because the man in black mentioned the princess, Madam Ruan and Lady Sui Shu have concluded that it was me. What if the man in black mentioned the emperor or the crown prince in casual conversation? Does that mean the emperor or the crown prince was the one who did it? In my opinion, the man in black deliberately mentioned the name of the princess to shift the blame. I have been framed. Who will uphold justice for me?"
As she spoke, she knelt before the Empress Dowager.
Madam Ruan continued, "The four men in black who kidnapped my daughter and Lady Sui committed suicide by biting their tongues at a farm, and the trail went cold. But I've heard that the Princess has also lost four top imperial guards!"
Rongqing suddenly gripped her handkerchief. She was missing four guards. How could Madam Ruan know what was happening in the palace?
She quickly spoke up: "A few days ago, I sent four people to Yaozhou, which is my ancestral home. I asked them to go back to pay respects to my ancestors on my behalf. This is something that is done every year, and the Empress Dowager knows about it. How can Madam Ruan conclude that I ordered the kidnapping of Miss Ruan and Lady Sui because of this incident?"
After she finished speaking, she was filled with resentment.
Those four idiots, if they kidnapped Su Su-in, why did they have to drag Miss Ruan into it?
The Ruan family were military families, wielding considerable power. Many palace guards were directly under their command, which is why they were able to easily uncover the affairs of those around her.
If the Ruan family hadn't been involved, that vile woman Sui Shuren would never have been able to find out so much, and she wouldn't be in such a passive position.
Madam Ruan's voice was cold and hard: "Whether those four people went to Yaozhou or not, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager can find out by investigating."
Rong Qing was not afraid at all.
Yaozhou is far from the capital. Even if an investigation were to be conducted, it would take at least half a month. This time would be enough for her to handle all the follow-up work.
The Empress Dowager raised her celadon teacup and slowly took a sip of tea.
After a long silence, she said, "Someone, investigate the whereabouts of all the palace servants around the princess, especially the maids who serve her personally. Find out where they have been, what they have done, and who they have met."
Rongqing looked up in disbelief: "Empress Dowager..."
If the investigation is conducted from outside, it will not trace back to her at all.
However, if we start by investigating the people around her, we will definitely find out that she has a problem.
The Empress Dowager has always doted on her, so why would she believe what Lady Ruan and Lady Sui said?
"I trusted you once during the last hunting party, so I forbade Sixth Prince to investigate further." The Empress Dowager met her eyes. "I am willing to trust you again this time, but Madam Ruan's words are not without reason. Investigate thoroughly and you will be cleared of all charges."
She watched Rongqing grow up and believed that Rongqing was kind and gentle, and that he would never do such things.
Sending people to investigate was merely to extricate Rongqing from this matter.
After all, one is Lady Nguyen and the other is Lady Suk. If these two develop a rift with the royal family, they will not serve the royal family in the future.
Rong Qing's face turned deathly pale.
Is she innocent? Absolutely not.
Her personal maids, loyal eunuchs, and trusted guards were all assigned to her by the Empress Dowager.
As long as the Empress Dowager gave the order, those people dared not disobey.
She's finished...
Rongqing gripped the handkerchief tightly, his fingers trembling uncontrollably.
The Empress Dowager sat in a chair, while Madam Nguyen, Nguyen Minh Chu, Cheng Wanwan, and Rong Qing all knelt on the ground.
During the investigation, no one spoke; the room was eerily quiet, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
About fifteen minutes later, or perhaps longer, the head maidservant serving the Empress Dowager finally entered and said in a low voice, "The four top imperial guards serving the Princess have indeed left the capital. Whether they are dead or went to Yaozhou is currently unknown... In addition, the two maids who serve the Princess personally instructed them to inquire about Consort Sui's whereabouts. The two eunuchs reported that the Princess summoned the guards several times in the past few days to handle matters... To find out what those matters were, we'll have to ask the four top imperial guards..."
The Empress Dowager's hand paused.
Her face was clear and lucid, but the veins on the back of her hands were bulging.
As the biggest winner of the previous succession struggle, her cunning and shrewdness are unmatched.
But she was actually deceived by Rongqing, the man she kept by her side.
“That’s not how it is…” Rongqing began to explain, “I inquired about Sui Shuren’s whereabouts because I look up to her and want to become a woman like her. I summoned the guards to instruct them to take good care of my clan during their trip to Yaozhou… Empress Dowager, I am innocent…”
The Empress Dowager shook her head, interrupting her: "A single coincidence can be considered a coincidence, but if there are too many coincidences, then it becomes deliberate. Rongqing, I have always regarded you as my own daughter and have given you all the honors a princess should have. Why did you deceive me like this? Deception is a small matter, but almost causing the deaths of Sui Shuren and Miss Ruan is a big deal. Tell me, why did you target them?"
Rongqing broke down and cried.
She knew that even without concrete evidence, in the Empress Dowager's mind, she was undoubtedly the person behind the scenes.
She could no longer explain, and simply broke down in tears.
The Empress Dowager sighed: "You have nothing to say, which means that you did it. Fortunately, nothing serious happened. So, I'll punish you by confining you to your quarters for six months. Reflect on your actions in the palace."
Rong Qing gasped.
A six-month ban is too harsh a punishment.
Most importantly, if the whole capital knew that she had been severely punished by the Empress Dowager, no one would ever call her the most favored princess by the Empress Dowager again.
Cheng Wanwan moved her somewhat stiff knees.
After kneeling for so long, all he got in return was a six-month house arrest. This punishment is far too lenient.
Since things have already escalated to the Empress Dowager's level, it might as well expose some things. I wonder how the Empress Dowager will react if she finds out that her most beloved youngest son is being coveted by her adopted daughter...
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