Chapter 132 Sowing Discord
Emperor Yongming's face turned pale and then flushed, and a hint of wavering flashed in his eyes.
However, he was naturally suspicious and his fear of Chu Jichen was deeply ingrained. Even now, he still felt that this was nothing more than Chu Jichen's trick to sow discord!
"Your words sound so grand!" He sneered, forcing himself to maintain his imperial demeanor. "You control the court and hold immense power. Would you willingly return the empire to me? Your so-called 'if I am capable of handling state affairs, I will return power to you' is nothing but a lie to deceive me!"
Chu Jichen's last bit of patience was also exhausted. He had only intended to sow discord between Emperor Yongming and Prime Minister Liu. Although Emperor Yongming was still stubborn and unyielding, he believed that Emperor Yongming was suspicious and must have already become suspicious of Prime Minister Liu. He only let out a disdainful sneer.
"Suit yourself." His voice was icy. "You can continue to listen to Liu Wenyuan's slander and continue to be his puppet."
"Don't you even bother to think properly with that brain of yours, hollowed out by wine and women?" Chu Jichen's gaze was like a poisoned ice pick, piercing fiercely at Emperor Yongming. "Your reputation for being muddle-headed and incompetent is already known throughout the land! Now, with this absurd palace scandal, your reputation is completely ruined!"
"After this incident, who is the one who benefits the most?"
Emperor Yongming raised his eyes and his gaze fell on Chu Jichen.
Chu Jichen scoffed, "Even if I wanted to set a trap for you, I would never use my wife, my queen, as bait."
It was Shen Qingci who harmed himself, not him.
"You must have summoned the imperial physician yesterday to examine her. You know perfectly well how harmful that aphrodisiac is! How could I possibly abandon the wife I finally married just to deal with you?"
His eyes were full of disdain: "However, you don't seem foolish enough to give yourself such a potent drug. You know perfectly well where the problem lies!"
Emperor Yongming clenched his teeth, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes.
What he gave Consort Shu was definitely not an aphrodisiac.
The incense he gave to Consort Shu was not poisonous at all!
It wasn't him, and it shouldn't be Shen Qingci either. That was Jingren Palace. Shen Qingci couldn't possibly have had the opportunity to put that powder into the incense burner in Jingren Palace.
Therefore, it could only be Consort Shu.
Emperor Yongming was a fool; his thoughts were written all over his face, and Chu Jichen could see it clearly: "Consort Shu is Liu Wenyuan's biological daughter! Can't you really tell whether she's on your side or her father's side?"
"Didn't you ever consider that this whole thing was orchestrated by Liu Wenyuan at the behest of Consort Shu? His aim was to ruin your reputation, completely destroy your popularity, and then stir up conflict between us so he could reap the benefits!"
Chu Jichen sat in a wheelchair, but his disabled legs did not diminish the overwhelming pressure emanating from him.
"Chu Xiao, if I really wanted to deal with you, I would have a thousand ways, or even just depose you and install a new emperor! The only reason I'm still tolerating you sitting on this dragon throne is because of the late emperor's repeated instructions before his death!"
His voice suddenly turned sharp, filled with an undeniable killing intent: "But remember this! My tolerance has its limits!"
"If you dare to lay a finger on Shen Qingci again, don't blame me for showing no mercy! Anyone who touches her, no matter their status," his gaze swept past Emperor Yongming, as if he could see the cunning face behind him, "I will personally eliminate them!"
...
On the other side, inside a side hall.
Shen Qingci was sitting upright, sipping tea, completely unaware of the tense atmosphere in the main hall next door.
Prime Minister Liu's gaze, however, was like that of a venomous snake, falling upon the faint, ambiguous red mark on her fair neck.
Those were the marks left by Chu Jichen when he lost control of his emotions last night.
He suddenly let out a sneer full of contempt: "Heh, it's really unbelievable that the eldest daughter of the Shen family, who was once famous throughout the capital and the apple of the eye of the General of Dingxi, has now fallen so low as to become a plaything on the Regent's bed."
"I just wonder, if General Shen and his wife were alive today, what would they think if they saw you like this?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Qingci slowly put down her teacup, raised her eyes, and showed no trace of embarrassment or anger in her clear phoenix eyes, but rather a beaming smile.
"What does Your Excellency consider a plaything?" she asked instead of answering.
Prime Minister Liu snorted coldly: "An object that can be manipulated and taken at will by a man is naturally a plaything."
"Oh?" Shen Qingci nodded, her smile widening. "If what you say is true, Prime Minister, then I think that the eldest daughter of the Liu family, who is of noble birth as Consort Shu, is more like His Majesty's plaything. After all..."
She tilted her head slightly, her eyes innocent yet cruel: "Although Consort Shu is a high-ranking concubine, she is still a concubine in the end. His Majesty has three thousand beauties in his harem. Today he favors Consort Shu, and tomorrow he can favor Consort De or Consort Xian. Most importantly, I have heard... and I'm sure it's not just me who has heard, that His Majesty is very... uninhibited in matters of the bedroom, and it is not uncommon for him to have sex with several women in one night."
"Your Majesty must have played games like having multiple women in one night, right?"
"I wonder what you, Prime Minister, as the biological father of Consort Shu, think of seeing your daughter being treated as a plaything?"
"You...you're being insolent!" Prime Minister Liu was so angry at her words that he trembled all over. He slammed his hand on the table and stood up, about to reprimand her sternly, when the palace doors slowly opened.
Chu Jichen maneuvered his wheelchair and slowly entered from outside the hall, followed by Yuanbao, who had no expression on his face.
"Qingqing," he said gently, without even glancing at Prime Minister Liu, and went straight to Shen Qingci. "Let's go. Come with me to Jingren Palace. It's time to deal with the culprit behind yesterday's events."
Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Liu's expression changed drastically. He immediately stepped forward, blocking the two of them: "Chu Jichen! How dare you!"
Chu Jichen finally raised his eyes, his gaze icy and devoid of any warmth: "Prime Minister, are you... going back on your word?"
"All the civil and military officials present yesterday heard clearly that you personally promised to hand over the poisoner to me for punishment. What? Has the Prime Minister forgotten overnight?"
"Your Majesty," his gaze swept over the tightly closed gates of the Taiji Palace outside the hall, a mocking smile playing on his lips, "you just agreed to hand Consort Shu over to me. What right do you, Prime Minister, have to point fingers at me here?"
“You can,” he said with a half-smile, each word deliberate and threatening, “let’s see if I dare.”
Liu Wenyuan frowned deeply. His Majesty agreed? How could that be?
What did Chu Jichen say to His Majesty?
Chu Jichen took Shen Qingci's hand and headed towards Jingren Palace. Liu Wenyuan did not follow, but waited until Chu Jichen's figure disappeared before quickly walking towards the main hall of Taiji Hall.
He was stopped just as he reached the door: "Prime Minister Liu, His Highness has ordered His Majesty to reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors, and no one is allowed to visit him."
Liu Wenyuan was furious: "I am the Prime Minister!"
The guard nodded: "His Highness said that even Prime Minister Liu cannot."
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