Chapter 99 Stealing Her Luck
Upon hearing this, Emperor Zhaoheng abruptly stood up, emanating a terrifyingly low pressure.
"Wu Xuan! Do you know what a heinous crime it is to slander the imperial heir and spread alarmist rumors—a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family?!"
When the emperor is enraged, millions will die!
The Hall of Supreme Harmony, which had been filled with the sounds of string and wind instruments just moments before, was now completely silent, and everyone was as quiet as a cicada in winter.
Except for Wu Xuan, the Imperial Astronomical Observatory Chief in the main hall, who seemed to have suddenly lost his will to live and stubbornly insisted:
"Your Majesty! The celestial signs indicate that the fault lies not with Her Highness the Princess herself, but with... but with someone defiling the inner palace, using... using someone of non-royal blood to impersonate a member of the imperial family!"
These words shattered the deathly silence in the hall, replaced by countless suppressed gasps of surprise.
Almost all eyes, filled with a mix of emotions, turned to the princess's birth mother—Consort Jin.
A scandalous affair in the imperial harem? A bloodline disorder?
Doesn't this imply that Consort Jin is having an affair?!
"How dare you!"
Emperor Zhaoheng was so angry that he picked up the wine cup beside him and smashed it at Wu Xuan in the palace.
The emperor's joy at celebrating his daughter's birthday was shattered by the sudden falsehoods from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, which involuntarily fueled his anger.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, and amidst the mocking gazes of the other concubines around her, Narcissus remained neither hysterical nor flustered.
She slowly rose, her movements still maintaining the demeanor of a noble consort, only her slender frame appeared exceptionally frail at this moment.
Shui Xian walked step by step to the center of the main hall, met the gaze of the emperor and empress, and knelt down deeply.
"Your Majesty...I am innocent! My loyalty to Your Majesty is as clear as heaven and earth, as bright as the sun and moon!"
Crystalline tears rolled down her pale, beautiful cheeks, and her shoulders trembled slightly from suppressed sobs.
Narcissus looked at the man on the throne through teary eyes, "Yongning is Your Majesty's only bloodline! It was I who risked my life, endured the danger of postpartum hemorrhage, and narrowly escaped death to snatch this child back from the brink of death!"
Even now, the perilous nature of her postpartum hemorrhage remains a vivid memory for Emperor Zhaoheng.
A hint of pity flashed in the man's eyes, and then he heard Shui Xian say humiliatingly, "Such slander not only threatens my life, but also denies Your Majesty's only bloodline!"
These words struck a chord with Emperor Zhaoheng.
The Imperial Observatory's nonsense was not only implying that Shui Xian had committed adultery in the harem, but also that he would be childless!
He finally had a child, and now it has to be because of an affair with a concubine?!
"Your Majesty, please investigate thoroughly! This must be a frame-up by someone with malicious intent. Their malice and cunning are beyond reproach!"
Seeing that the emperor was somewhat swayed by Narcissus, Wu Xuan suddenly straightened his back and shouted sharply:
"You vixen! Stop trying to use your sweet words and bewitch the emperor!"
"If you hadn't used evil sorcery and witchcraft to forcibly alter your own lowly fate by borrowing the luck of others, how could someone born into a lowly household slave have risen so high in just one year to become a Noble Consort?!"
As he spoke, he bowed deeply to the emperor and empress at the head of the table.
"Your Majesty and Empress, please investigate!"
witchcraft!
It is the deepest taboo within the palace! Once you are tainted by it, you will be doomed forever!
At this moment, the court officials stepped forward one after another.
The first to step forward was Ruan Chen, the father of Consort Li, who was considered the head of a prominent family and a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet.
"What the Imperial Astronomical Bureau Chief said is shocking, but the celestial signs are a warning that concerns the fate of the nation and the country, and are of no small matter! Your Majesty, I implore you to investigate this matter thoroughly!"
As soon as Ruan Chen finished speaking, Liu Hongru, the Empress's father and the Grand Tutor of the court, also stood up.
"Your Majesty! Minister Ruan is absolutely right! Witchcraft and sorcery have been taboo in every dynasty, and those who practice them will die! I implore Your Majesty to investigate this matter thoroughly!"
Led by two high-ranking officials, the relatives and ministers of powerful clans in the hall, as if receiving a signal, rose and knelt down, their voices rising like a tidal wave.
"We second that request! We urge Your Majesty to thoroughly investigate witchcraft and sorcery to set the record straight!"
"This matter concerns the very foundation of the nation and cannot be compromised! Your Majesty, please investigate thoroughly!"
......
Shui Xian knelt in the hall, her cold gaze slowly sweeping over the indignant court officials and relatives.
Aristocratic families... almost exclusively aristocratic families!
Where are they concerned about the country and its people? They are clearly using this opportunity to eliminate her, this outcast from humble origins who threatens their interests!
Her gaze swept across the crowd and finally landed on the young figure in the blue official robe.
Lian Chenxi, the newly appointed top scholar in the imperial examination, is now on duty at the Hanlin Academy.
Lian Chenxi looked angry, as if he had also noticed something from the aristocratic families who had stepped forward.
Just as he was about to rise and step forward to defend Consort Jin, Lian Chenxi vaguely sensed Shui Xian's gaze.
He looked up, and their eyes met briefly in the air.
Narcissus shook her head at him almost imperceptibly.
Lian Chenxi hesitated for a moment, then slowly stepped forward, his voice calm.
"Your Majesty, the accusations made by the Imperial Observatory Commissioner are appalling. However, as you gentlemen have said, this matter concerns the imperial bloodline and the very foundation of the nation."
"In my opinion, mere words are insufficient; we must rely on concrete evidence. Only when the truth comes to light can the innocent be exonerated, and... the world be convinced!"
Shui Xian didn't want Lian Chenxi to get involved. She hoped he could secretly develop his influence among the common people in the court and have as little contact with her as possible, so as not to arouse the emperor's suspicion.
But unexpectedly, as expected of the top scholar, Lian Chenxi's words, while seemingly agreeing, actually emphasized the importance of evidence, meaning that if there is no evidence, then it is slander!
On the throne, Emperor Zhaoheng's expression was unreadable, making it impossible to discern his thoughts.
He refused to believe that Narcissus would betray him and confuse their bloodlines.
But the Imperial Astronomical Bureau spoke with absolute certainty, which infuriated the entire court and even brought up the taboo of witchcraft!
As the emperor, he had to conduct a thorough investigation! He had to give an explanation to the court and the people!
"Feng Shunxiang!"
Emperor Zhaoheng's voice was as cold as ice, rising in a deep, resonant tone.
Feng Shunxiang knelt down deeply: "Your servant is here!"
Emperor Zhaoheng's gaze swept over the fragile Narcissus once more, finally settling on Feng Shunxiang. He said in a deep voice, "You, personally lead my imperial guards to... Consort Jin's Yongle Palace and conduct a thorough search for me!"
He ordered Feng Shunxiang to lead a search of Yongle Palace, which was itself a form of protection.
Just as Feng Shunxiang was about to carry out the order, he heard Wu Xuan kowtow urgently and say:
"Your Majesty! This ominous star is borrowing fortune; its evil magic can only be effective if it is linked to the fortune of those in high positions!"
"Kunning Palace is where the Empress's aura gathers, and Zhaoyang Palace was once the residence of the Imperial Concubine! In order to ensure fairness, we humbly request Your Majesty to search both palaces!"
Emperor Zhaoheng looked down at Wu Xuan, who seemed to be fighting desperately today, with a cold and deep gaze, as if a storm was brewing.
"Kunning Palace! Zhaoyang Palace! Search them thoroughly! Feng Shunxiang, you personally oversee the search! If anyone dares to take this opportunity to frame someone..."
Emperor Zhaoheng's icy gaze swept over Wu Xuan in the hall, and he said, word by word, "No matter who it is, I will exterminate their entire family! I will grind their bones to dust!"
"Your Majesty, I obey! I will certainly not fail in your trust!"
Feng Shunxiang kowtowed deeply, his expression solemn and dignified. He then led a group of imperial guards and quickly left the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Narcissus remained kneeling on the cold gold bricks, her head bowed, tears silently streaming down her face.
But from an angle unseen by anyone, beneath her tear-streaked eyelashes, her eyes were unusually calm as she rapidly considered the situation of the day.
After an unknown amount of time, Feng Shunxiang finally returned with his guards.
Feng Shunxiang walked into the hall, knelt down with a thud, and said in a heavy voice:
"Your Majesty...we...have found it!"
He presented four crudely made dolls with a grim expression.
The doll was covered with countless silver needles, and on its chest were cut pieces of yellow paper, each in pairs with two birth dates clearly written in bright cinnabar!
The words written on the pair of dolls were none other than the Empress's birthday!
The other pair of dolls had Li Pin's birthday written on them!
"Your Majesty... We found two dolls in the bedroom of Consort Jin in Yongle Palace, each bearing the birthday of the Empress and Consort Li respectively."
Feng Shunxiang sighed, "The other two are hidden in Zhaoyang Palace and Kunning Palace respectively."
Wu Xuan immediately stepped forward, examined the area, and then said firmly:
"Your Majesty! This is the witchcraft of the bewitching concubine!"
"By using this method, she not only borrowed the Empress's good fortune, but also the noble aura of the former Consort Li!"
Wu Xuan said with great distress, "With a mother who is so skilled in witchcraft, how can the princess be a true member of the royal family?! This vixen must be corrupting the palace, having affairs with outsiders, and bringing disaster to our Great Qi dynasty!"
"Demon Consort!"
Consort Li stood up, her face showing grievance. "Your Majesty! So she used such insidious methods to steal my fortune and my position as Imperial Consort!"
The Queen looked at the doll on the tray with her birth date written on it, and her gaze toward Narcissus was filled with disappointment.
"Consort Jin...how could you have done this! The Emperor has treated you well, and I have treated you like a sister, yet you...how could you commit such a treasonous act?!"
The previously silent Consort Tuoba suddenly stood up. She was strong-willed and could not stand such slander and framing.
"Your Majesty is wise! Consort Jin is definitely not that kind of person. This frame-up is full of loopholes! I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly!"
Consort Wan gave a light snort and slowly said, "Sister Tuoba, you are mistaken... You can know a person's face but not their heart."
"Moreover, my sister and Consort Jin live in the same palace and have a deep friendship. How much evidence can your words serve as?
Chaos erupted inside the hall, with various voices mingling together, and almost all the criticism directed at Narcissus.
Right in the center of this noisy vortex, the narcissus slowly raised its head.
It turns out that the 100-day celebration was such a grand affair.
As Shui Xian listened to the noisy commotion of court officials, relatives, and concubines around her, which sounded like a marketplace, she felt a tightness in her chest and a wave of nausea welled up from the bottom of her heart.
She didn't look at the hysterical Consort Li, nor at the "heartbroken" Empress, nor even at the witchcraft dolls covered in silver needles.
Her gaze seemed to pass over everyone present, landing on the man on the throne who controlled everything.
She spoke, her voice not loud, yet strangely overwhelming all the noise in the hall, clearly reaching Emperor Zhaoheng's ears:
"emperor."
"Your Majesty, I have only one question for you."
Her eyes were red, as if she was about to burst into tears, and her voice trembled slightly with barely suppressed emotion.
"Do you believe what the Imperial Observatory says?"
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