Kong An took it and looked at it, then clasped his hands together and said, "Your Majesty, this is the prayer scripture written by my master, Master Ci'en."
"In addition to wishing Her Majesty a long and blessed life, I also wish that the Great Zhou Dynasty will be stable and enjoy a prosperous and peaceful era."
"I wonder who asked for this? My master rarely agrees to let anyone write prayers, unless they are extremely sincere."
Censor Chen looked at Su Qingyu suspiciously: "The round fan that Madam Shen San gave to the Concubine Chen is already valuable enough, why would she think of putting this prayer scripture on it?"
“Could it be that Madam Shen San changed her mind at the last minute and stuffed that evil thing somewhere else?”
"I heard that the Empress Chen and the Emperor met at Prince Ning's Mansion that day. Did Madam Shen San hold a grudge against the Empress Chen because of this, which led to this incident?"
“If it is really Mrs. Shen San who caused trouble out of hatred, then how did the curse rune end up in the Li family’s gift, and how did the things in the Shen family’s gift end up being replaced with blessing scriptures? This still needs to be investigated in detail.”
Su Qingyu thought to herself that the person who became the Left Censor-in-Chief was indeed a very sharp-minded person.
She smiled at Censor Chen and asked, "Censor Chen, why do you think I would hold a grudge against Concubine Chen just because she and the Emperor met at Prince Ning's mansion?"
Censor Chen didn't think much about it and answered without hesitation, "Is there any need to ask? Madam Shen San is the brother of Prince Ning, and the Concubine Chen almost ruined Prince Ning's wedding ceremony that day. How can you not bear a grudge?"
As the saying goes, even a good horse can stumble sometimes. Censor Chen, who has always been cautious in his words and actions, said the wrong thing today because he was in a hurry.
Before Censor Chen could react, Su Qingyu sternly demanded, "Master Chen, what do you mean? What do you mean by 'The Concubine Chen nearly ruined Prince Ning's wedding ceremony that day?'"
"The Empress Chen entered the palace because there were many vacancies for the position of Consort in the harem, so the Ministry of Internal Affairs screened the young ladies of the right age in the capital. The Empress Chen was chosen because of her outstanding talent, learning, dignity and intelligence."
"As for Prince Ning's wedding ceremony that day, although the Emperor and Empress Chen both attended the ceremony, they did not do anything inappropriate in private."
"What Censor Chen said is an attempt to frame the Emperor and ruin his reputation. Rumors have been circulating in the capital lately. Could it be that Lord Chen spread them?"
Su Qingyu's words were so powerful that Censor Chen's expression became increasingly grim, until finally cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
He was careless and only thought about linking this matter to the Shen family, forgetting to consider the face of the royal family.
Emperor Xuande also looked at Censor Chen with displeasure, "Chen Xiuwen, what nonsense are you talking about?"
Censor Chen quickly knelt on the ground and pleaded guilty, but he knew that based on what happened today, he had already lost the emperor's favor. He took a deep breath. Since his official career was already on the line, the Shen family would be destroyed today.
When the prince ascends the throne in the future, Princess Yongjia will hold great power. As long as he can save his life, he will still have a chance to turn things around.
Censor Chen, who was kneeling on the ground, was not panicking at all. He was thinking over and over again about what to do next.
Su Qingyu glanced at Censor Chen, then knelt on the ground with a serious face and said to the emperor, "Your Majesty, Censor Chen just asked me why I put prayer scriptures inside the fan, since it is so valuable."
"That's because in my opinion, no matter how expensive the gift is, it's not as good as my sincere prayers."
"As the Third Lady of the Shen Family, I must present the round fan. Your Majesty can understand this as giving face to the Shen Family."
Her words were sincere, and Emperor Xuande was not displeased at all. Instead, he felt that what she said made sense. Not only her, but everyone present today was trying to save face.
Su Qingyu continued, "As for the prayers for the Empress Chen and the Great Zhou within the fan, they express my and my husband's gratitude to Your Majesty. My husband often said that the greatest blessing in his life was meeting a wise ruler when he wanted to do something."
"During the reign of Emperor Ming of the previous dynasty, the country was plagued by internal and external troubles. Even with the efforts of renowned ministers, the decline could not be reversed. Every time my husband reads this passage in history books, he feels deeply moved. As a minister, if he could live to see the Holy Lord's arrival, it would be a blessing earned through several lifetimes."
"So the scripture on this fan not only blesses the Empress Chen with long-lasting blessings, but also prays for the stability of the Great Zhou. I believe this is what Your Majesty wants to see most."
Su Qingyu's words really touched Emperor Xuande's heart. He was now preoccupied with these two things.
The country is stable and the concubine is safe.
If he had some doubts about Shen Zhixiu before, they had mostly dissipated by now. Just because Shen Zhixiu had such a sensible wife, he wouldn't do anything outrageous.
"Get up, Shen Qing has good eyesight."
Su Qingyu stood up and stepped aside.
A moment later, Zhao Xingchao, the chief clerk of the Honglu Temple, went up to the main hall.
This Lord Zhao is a branch of the Zhao family of the Duke of Weiguo. The Zhao family has a lot of dealings with the Miao area, and he also learned the Miao language by chance.
After Zhao Xingchao went to the hall, he took the silk paper handed to him by Hu Lu and read it carefully.
Then he said, "Your Majesty, this totem is the Miaojiang witchcraft totem. Many witchcraft techniques use this totem as a background."
"As for the words on it, I...I dare not say."
When Emperor Xuande heard him say this, he said in a cold voice: "Speak, I will forgive you."
Zhao Xingchao hesitated for a moment, then spoke, "These are filled with curses, extremely vicious. I curse the Empress Chen to die young and not be blessed with the emperor's grace. I curse the Great Zhou to be in turmoil from now on, and the people to suffer."
Emperor Xuande's face darkened upon hearing this. He looked at Princess Yongjia and Li Chaoyun, "What are you, the Li family, planning to do? I demoted the Li family's titles and stripped Chaoyun of her title. Are you seeking revenge against me?"
Li Jingchuan and Princess Yongjia could no longer sit still after hearing this, and the three of them knelt in the middle of the hall.
Before Emperor Xuande could punish the Li family, Censor Chen spoke again, "Your Majesty, even if Madam Shen San did not bring evil things into the palace, it is true that Lord Shen has close ties with the Miao border, and it is also true that he is harboring Mr. Zhou who practices witchcraft."
"With Mr. Zhou's status and means, who knows if he will harm the emperor one day?"
Seeing this, the Crown Prince also spoke up, "Father, why don't we first investigate Lord Shen's case? Lord Shen is the pillar of the country. If anything goes wrong with him, it will affect the entire Great Zhou."
"As for the Li family's affairs, we can investigate them in detail later. I think it's likely a frame-up. My aunt is a princess of the current dynasty, and the fall of the Great Zhou would not benefit her."
Censor Chen looked at Su Qingyu with a solemn expression, "Madam Shen San, could it be that Lord Shen has received the news and quietly ran away?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a handsome and tall figure suddenly walked into the hall.
"Who did Censor Chen say ran away?"
"You, Censor Chen, accepted bribes and enriched yourself. The Chen family members committed many evil deeds and oppressed the people. The Chen clan members lent money at high interest rates, forcing countless people into despair."
"Even Censor Chen didn't run away, so why should I run?"
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