Chapter 131 You madman, you madman!
Shen Qingci was stunned.
Chu Jichen's seemingly flippant remark, "I can't bear to die like this," struck her like a thunderclap.
She was no naive young girl; she could already discern the complexities behind the words.
He was clearly implying something.
She suddenly looked up and met his smiling yet unfathomable eyes.
In that instant, she suddenly understood everything.
His excuse that he "hadn't had enough of his honeymoon" was just a gentle pretext.
What he really wanted to say, what he was truly worried about, was her.
He knew that although she was now the Regent's Consort, her foundation was not yet stable, the old guard of the Shen family had not been fully integrated, and her own power had not yet been truly established.
If he were to feign death and retreat into the background at this moment, it would seem to give the enemy an opportunity to fight amongst themselves, but in reality, it would also push her, an orphan girl who had just found someone to rely on, back into the storm.
At that time, without his strongest shield in front of them, how will Emperor Yongming, Prime Minister Liu, and the Huo family, who are like mad dogs, launch a frenzied counterattack?
They will use every means to tear her to pieces.
not to mention……
Shen Qingci's fingertips curled slightly as she recalled Old Madam Huo's vicious curse—a jinx that would bring misfortune to her father, mother, and husband.
When news of Huo Yunzhan's death in battle arrived, such rumors were already rampant.
If Chu Jichen were to "die unexpectedly" shortly after she married into the Regent's Palace, then the accusation of being a jinx would be firmly established, becoming a sharp blade that would nail her to the pillar of shame, never to rise again.
He didn't want her to face those things alone.
He couldn't bear it.
At that moment, Shen Qingci's heart was struck hard by a surge of warmth, a mixture of bitterness and emotion that left her almost speechless.
It turned out that he had already thought of everything for her, even in a way she hadn't considered.
"Your Highness..." Her voice was slightly hoarse, but the rest of the words caught in her throat.
With her great revenge yet to be avenged, she dared not make too many promises.
Shen Qingci took a deep breath, suppressing the surging emotions in her chest, and pretended to misunderstand Chu Jichen's meaning: "I'm about to fall apart, and Your Highness hasn't had enough yet?"
Chu Jichen laughed heartily, a smile curving his lips: "How can that be enough?"
...
The carriage drove all the way into the palace and arrived at the Taiji Hall.
As soon as Shen Qingci followed Chu Jichen into the hall, she saw that Prime Minister Liu was already waiting there. He was dressed in court robes and had a gloomy face. He had obviously received the news and came to intercept her.
Chu Jichen's gaze met that of Prime Minister Liu in mid-air, and in the blink of an eye, it seemed as if invisible swords flashed by.
Then, Chu Jichen smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes; it was filled with cold mockery: "The Prime Minister's information network is quite impressive."
Without waiting for Prime Minister Liu's reply, he went straight to the point and said, "Yesterday, all the officials interrogated her overnight, and with both witnesses and physical evidence, they all pointed to Consort Shu as the one who instructed her trusted palace maid to put the drug in the incense burner."
"I did not participate in the entire interrogation of this matter; it was handled jointly by the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and the Minister of Justice. I presume... Your Excellency has no objections?"
"Your Excellency the Prime Minister personally promised yesterday that after the interrogation, the mastermind would be handed over to me for punishment. Now that the evidence is irrefutable, Your Excellency the Prime Minister... surely you're not going to go back on your word?"
Prime Minister Liu was rendered speechless by his words, his old face turning a deep purplish-red. Just as he was about to retort, a series of unsteady footsteps suddenly came from behind the palace!
"Outrageous! It was clearly her! It was that bitch Shen Qingci who drugged me!"
Emperor Yongming, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, was pale-faced but his eyes were filled with resentment and madness. He rushed out from behind the hall, pointed his finger at Shen Qingci, and roared hysterically.
Shen Qingci raised her eyes, her face showing just the right amount of bewilderment and innocence: "Your Majesty? You mean... that I went to Jingren Palace myself, put medicine in Consort Shu's incense burner, then drugged myself, and finally, with great skill, secretly slipped the remaining medicine packet into Consort Shu's trusted maid?"
She furrowed her brows slightly, looking puzzled: "Your Majesty... aren't you overestimating me?"
"You!" Emperor Yongming was so choked by her words that he almost couldn't catch his breath. He glanced at Chu Jichen beside him, but in the end, he didn't dare to lash out directly. He just said fiercely, "Anyway, it's you!"
Chu Jichen smiled, slowly raising his eyes and looking coldly at Emperor Yongming: "What Your Majesty really wants to say is that this matter... was orchestrated by me, isn't it?"
Driven to this point, Emperor Yongming decided to throw caution to the wind: "Isn't that right? Besides you, who else has such audacity!"
The smile on Chu Jichen's face vanished instantly, replaced by a chilling aura.
"All of you, step back." His voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable authority.
Upon hearing this, the palace servants and eunuchs inside the hall felt as if they had been granted a pardon and scrambled out of the room.
"Qingqing, go to the side hall and wait for me for a moment." After saying this to Shen Qingci, he turned his wheelchair slowly toward Emperor Yongming. "I would like to have a good talk with Your Majesty."
Upon seeing this, Prime Minister Liu immediately stepped forward, attempting to stop him: "Regent, you..."
Chu Jichen turned his head sharply, his deep phoenix eyes filled with murderous intent: "Does the Prime Minister also want to stay and listen to my private conversation with His Majesty?"
"As the Regent and His Majesty's uncle, it is only natural for me to have a few words with His Majesty alone... right? Surely not," he scoffed, "does the Prime Minister think that I would commit regicide in public right here in the Taiji Hall?"
Prime Minister Liu was startled by the undisguised murderous aura emanating from him and ultimately dared not say anything more. He could only glance at Emperor Yongming with resentment before slowly retreating from the Taiji Hall.
The heavy palace doors slowly closed before him.
Inside the hall, only Chu Jichen and Emperor Yongming remained for a moment.
Emperor Yongming, seeing Chu Jichen approaching him step by step, shouted with a fierce but weak voice, "Chu Jichen! What do you want to do?!"
Before he could finish speaking, his neck was gripped tightly by a hand as strong as an iron clamp!
"Help...help me..." Emperor Yongming's feet left the ground, his face instantly turned bluish-purple, and his eyes were filled with terror.
Chu Jichen pinned him against the cold dragon pillar, his face filled with undisguised madness and contempt: "I just want to tell you that if I really wanted to kill you, I could do it anytime, without needing those underhanded methods."
"Believe it or not, I could snap your neck right now and walk out of this palace unscathed. Do you think Liu Wenyuan's small force can stop me?"
Emperor Yongming was almost suffocated by the choking, and could only make hoarse sounds, his eyes filled with fear.
"You're insane! You're a madman!"
Upon hearing this, Chu Jichen laughed, a cold and cruel laugh: "Am I crazy? No, you're the one who's stupid."
"You're not convinced?" Chu Jichen released his grip, letting Emperor Yongming collapse to the ground, coughing violently.
He looked down at him, his eyes as if he were looking at an ant: "I'll tell you why you're stupid."
“If you really want to rule in your own right, you should directly demonstrate to me your ability to handle government affairs, let me know that you are capable of being a good emperor, and then come directly to me and say that you are old and hardworking, and can shoulder this great responsibility of the world.”
"Although I am the regent, this world is still your world. As long as you have the ability and competence, you will not have to worry about not having supporters."
"But you didn't. You chose to associate with a wolf like Liu Wenyuan, thinking you could use him to get rid of me. Didn't you think about it..."
A hint of pity flashed in Chu Jichen's eyes: "I, Chu Jichen, am your royal uncle. My legs are crippled, and... I am unable to have children. Even if I rule as regent for my entire life, this empire will eventually be returned to you or your descendants. I can sincerely assist you and ensure the stability of your empire."
"But what about Liu Wenyuan?" he sneered. "He's strong and healthy, and he has sons. If something really happens to me, do you think you can protect this country? Do you think he'll be content to just be a prime minister assisting you?"
"By then, you'll be nothing more than a puppet in his hands that he can depose at any time!"
Chu Jichen's words were like a bucket of ice water poured over Emperor Yongming's head, instantly sobering him up from his anger and fear.
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