Shou Kang Palace.
The Empress Dowager sat on the phoenix throne, closing her eyes to rest. Although her eyes were closed, her face showed signs of exhaustion.
Granny Zhao was serving her when a palace maid brought over the medicine. Granny Zhao called softly, "Empress Dowager, it's time for you to take your medicine."
Princess Huyang had only one son, who was born prematurely and nearly died along with her unborn child. Although she managed to give birth despite her own life-threatening injuries, she was unable to have any more children due to severe bleeding.
Princess Huyang was the flesh and blood of the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager doted on the princess and also cherished her grandsons. When the bad news came, although the Empress Dowager did not fall ill like Princess Huyang, she was still greatly shocked. In recent days, the Empress Dowager has hardly eaten anything and has been relying on the medicine prescribed by the imperial physicians to get by.
The Empress Dowager waved her hand, and Zhao Mama advised, "At this hour, the Prince of Yanping has already been executed, and the young master can rest in peace in the afterlife. If you don't eat or take your medicine, how can your body withstand it?"
After much persuasion from Granny Zhao, the Empress Dowager finally agreed to take the medicine. Granny Zhao quickly brought the medicine to the Empress Dowager, but just as the Empress Dowager was about to drink it, a young eunuch ran in and said, "Empress Dowager, something terrible has happened! The Yun family has used a pardon to save the Prince of Yanping's heir..."
The Empress Dowager's face instantly turned ashen, and Zhao Mama blurted out, "How is this possible?!"
The Yun family's pardon is in the hands of Princess Huyang, so where would they get a pardon to save Prince Yanping's heir?
If they had taken it out earlier, they wouldn't have waited until today.
The young master found Zhao Mama's words strange. The Yun family had a death-exemption token, and they even used it as a betrothal gift to marry the Princess of Qinghe County. Isn't it normal to use the death-exemption token to save the Prince of Yanping's heir?
The young eunuch said, "When the Prince of Yanping was about to be executed, the eldest young master of the Yun family arrived in time with his pardon and saved the Prince of Yanping. Prince Ling guarantees that the Prince of Yanping has already returned to the Prince of Yanping's residence."
The Empress Dowager was furious and began to cough violently. Zhao Mama quickly patted the Empress Dowager's back to help her catch her breath.
As soon as the Duke of Maoguo entered the main hall, he heard the Empress Dowager coughing. The Duke of Maoguo stepped forward, but before he could even bow, the Empress Dowager asked, "What exactly is this 'golden token of immunity from death'?!"
The pardon was in the hands of her daughter, Princess Huyang, and it was about to be stolen back. There was no way she wouldn't be informed.
The Empress Dowager had her suspicions, but she didn't believe that the Yun family and Xie Jingyan would have the audacity to forge a pardon.
The pardon was in the hands of the Duke of Maoguo. He presented it to the Empress Dowager and said, "This is the pardon that the Yun family brought to save the heir of the Prince of Yanping. Please take a look, Your Majesty."
After examining the pardon, the Empress Dowager flew into a rage. "What a fine Prince Ling! What a fine family of Yun! How dare they forge a pardon?!"
...
The Imperial Study.
The emperor sat on the dragon throne, reviewing memorials.
Little Xizi stepped forward and whispered a few words in Yuan Gonggong's ear.
Eunuch Yuan waved his hand, and Xiao Xizi withdrew.
After the Emperor finished reviewing a memorial, Eunuch Yuan said, "Prince Ling has retrieved the imperial pardon, saving the heir of Prince Yanping..."
Previously, the Right Chancellor knew that the Crown Prince of Yanping had a conflict with the son of Princess Huyang because of his daughter. He asked the Emperor to spare the Crown Prince of Yanping's life. However, the Emperor suppressed the Right Chancellor for the sake of the Empress Dowager and Princess Huyang's reputation. Later, Cheng Yao learned that the Yun family's pardon had been stolen, so she went to the Ministry of Justice to testify. The Minister of Justice took her testimony to the palace to see the Empress Dowager, which inevitably alarmed the Emperor.
After the morning court session, the emperor summoned the Right Chancellor to the Imperial Study for questioning and learned that the imperial pardon had been stolen.
The Emperor said, "Yan'er did not come to the palace to find me, so he must be confident that he can save the Prince of Yanping."
Eunuch Yuan laughed and said, "His Majesty understands Prince Ling best."
However, the fact that the stolen pardon could be recovered shows that Prince Ling is truly capable. But the Empress Dowager must be furious.
Thinking this, Xiao Xizi, who had just gone out, returned anxiously and said, "Your Majesty, it seems that the Yun family's pardon for saving the Prince of Yanping's heir is fake. The Empress Dowager is very angry and wants to imprison Prince Ling and the Yun family together!"
The get-out-of-jail-free card is fake?!
Eunuch Yuan was stunned.
The emperor frowned deeply.
Meanwhile, Shen Wan and Xie Jingyan were riding in a carriage when they ran into the eunuch sent by the Empress Dowager to summon them to the palace.
Even though she knew Xie Jingyan wouldn't do anything he wasn't sure of, Shen Wan still felt a chill for him. After all, the Prince of Yanping had killed the Empress Dowager's own grandson, and the Empress Dowager was the Emperor's birth mother. The Emperor respected the Empress Dowager greatly, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he would support her with the resources of the entire country.
The Empress Dowager would never allow Xie Jingyan and the Yun family to use a fake pardon to save the Prince of Yanping. She probably wished she could have Xie Jingyan and the entire Yun family beheaded along with the Prince of Yanping.
Shen Wan looked worried, and Xie Jingyan held her hand and said, "Trust me, everything will be alright."
Shen Wan nodded slightly.
Once inside the palace, Xie Jingyan helped her down from the carriage, and the two walked together toward the Empress Dowager's Shou Kang Palace.
Upon entering the main hall, one sees the Empress Dowager sitting on the phoenix throne with an angry expression, along with the Emperor and Empress Song.
The two men stepped forward, but before they could even bow, the Empress Dowager unleashed her fury, shouting, "How dare you and the Yun family forge an imperial pardon to save the Prince of Yanping?!"
These words made Shen Wan's heart burn with anger.
If they hadn't stolen the Yun family's get-out-of-jail-free card, would they have bothered to make a fake one?!
Shen Wan didn't dare say these words aloud, but if she didn't dare say it, then a certain gentleman beside her did. Xie Jingyan looked at the Empress Dowager and said, "The Yun family has an imperial pardon bestowed by the Emperor, so why would they forge it?"
The Empress Dowager's gaze was icy, and the Duke of Maoguo said, "If they were truly still alive, there would be no need to fabricate anything."
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