When Zhao Shu woke up, the sun was already high in the sky. Xiao Zhu had been pacing back and forth outside for an hour, and he was getting dizzy from all the walking.
"Can you not leave? What's more important than the princess's rest? Let me tell you, if you disturb the princess's rest, I'll never forgive you!" Chu Chun said rudely.
Xiao Zhu Zi said with a bitter face, "My dear, Jiang Yue has been caught! How can I not be anxious? The Empress Dowager and the Emperor are about to interrogate her, and the Princess hasn't gotten up yet. If we miss this opportunity, she'll twist my head off and use it as a chamber pot!"
Upon hearing this, Chu Chun also became excited, grabbing Xiao Zhu's arm and asking, "Did you really catch it? Where did you catch it?"
"She was injured and needed to buy medicine. The imperial court sent people to guard the major pharmacies, so her people went out of the city to collect herbs and were discovered by the villagers," Xiao Zhuzi said in detail.
Chu Chun gritted her teeth and said, "Serves you right!"
Zhao Shu overheard their conversation. He stretched, then got out of bed. "Come in."
Having received good news in early spring, she entered with a beaming smile, saying, "Princess, it's still early, why don't you sleep a little longer?"
Zhao Shu also admired her ability to keep her eyes open, "Only you think it's still early, Xiao Zhu probably thinks I got up too late."
"This servant wouldn't dare, this servant wouldn't dare." Little Zhu Zi's face fell again. The joy he felt upon hearing Zhao Shu's words vanished. He slapped his mouth and muttered, "Serves you right for being so cheeky!"
"Alright, let's go to the palace. We can talk as we walk." Zhao Shu was just teasing him. He had been feeling rather down for the past few days, and it was only when something good happened that he became more lively.
Xiao Zhu knew that Zhao Shu was joking; he was just trying to appease her.
After quickly washing and dressing, the group entered the palace in a grand procession. Of course, Prince Yong did not go.
When something rises to the level of being brought to the forefront, it is no longer a personal matter, but a matter for everyone.
Upon arriving at the Taihe Hall, Zhao Shu saw that all the civil and military officials were present, including even the nobles and relatives who had been enfeoffed and were only required to attend the grand court assembly.
Before Zhao Yi could hold his coronation ceremony, the Empress Dowager ruled from behind a curtain. Zhao Shu entered through a side door and was summoned to the Empress Dowager's side by Zhang Chu.
As soon as I sat down, I heard someone say, "Such a vicious woman must be severely punished as a warning to others!"
"I second that proposal!"
"I second that proposal!"
After listening for a few moments, Zhao Shu asked Ji Yun beside her in a low voice, "Is the interrogation over?"
"She was interrogated by the Ministry of Justice as soon as she was caught. She readily admitted to being drunk, but showed no remorse and even thought she had done the right thing, which is why the officials are so angry," Ji Yun said.
Zhao Shu nodded. She had always known that Jiang Yue would not admit her mistake, and in her opinion, killing Jiang Ying would be the most satisfying thing to do.
"What crimes were they?" Zhao Shu asked again.
Jiyun replied, "It is a crime of treason and plotting against the royal family."
In Dayong, serious crimes such as disrespect for one's parents, not shaving one's head, and harming one's own siblings were punishable by death. They would also be recorded in history books and proclaimed to the world so that future generations and all people could take this as a warning.
"Did she implicate anyone else?" This was Zhao Shu's biggest concern.
Ji Yun shook his head. "She's very stubborn. The Ministry of Justice hasn't come up with a solution yet, but it will be soon. Once you've been subjected to the Ministry of Justice's tortures, even an iron man couldn't withstand it."
That's true. If a woman goes to jail, even if she's released without charge, she'll be ashamed to show her face in public. What's more, she confessed to the crime, so her life will probably be even harder.
"Then today?" she asked, somewhat puzzled. Logically, it would be better to discuss the matter together after capturing the accomplices.
"With the new emperor ascending the throne and the capital in chaos, it's good to use this to divert the people's attention." This time it was the Empress Dowager who spoke.
Zhao Shu lowered her eyes, "Grandmother, should this matter be resolved before the coronation ceremony?"
"No need. This matter is of great importance. We can deal with it slowly. The coronation ceremony is the day after tomorrow. There's no time to spare." The Empress Dowager's brows furrowed with worry. It seemed that the capital was indeed in alarming chaos.
At this moment, Zhao Yi suddenly said, "Grandmother, please make the decision."
The Empress Dowager did not refuse, as it was inappropriate for the new emperor to decide on such a bloody matter.
"As you request, my dear minister, this matter will be handled by the Ministry of Justice, with Minister Liu assisting in the trial," the Empress Dowager said.
Zhao Shu hadn't listened and didn't know how they were going to handle the situation, but she didn't have to wonder for long. After leaving the palace, the Ministry of Justice immediately wrote notices and posted them all over the streets.
Xiao Zhu and the others found this quite enjoyable, but Zhao Shu felt rather indifferent, perhaps because everything was going in the direction she wanted to see, so she didn't feel any surprise.
As the carriage passed through the street, people could be heard discussing the matter from time to time.
"I never expected this woman to be so vicious, even harming her own sister. She has no conscience. I heard her mother died young, and she was raised by the princess herself. She always gets the best of everything, and even the princess and the marquis have to step aside. She has no conscience at all." said the former tofu seller who was quite popular on the street.
“That’s right. You can do without anything else, but you can’t do without a conscience. If you don’t have a conscience, you’ll be punished. Look, you’re getting your comeuppance now,” said the old lady next to the former tofu seller.
"I heard that the Marquis of Yiguang's mansion had already expelled her from the family. They didn't spread the news to save face for her. Sigh, how vicious do you think she must be to be so estranged from everyone? She must be really vicious, otherwise how could the old Marquis bear to do it? After all, she is the eldest daughter."
Hearing these comments, Zhao Shu smiled faintly. This was exactly the effect she wanted. Sitting in the carriage, she said to the driver, Xiao Guozi, "Go to the Xie family."
"Yes, Princess." Xiao Guozi immediately turned his horse around and soon arrived at the Xie family's residence.
The Xie family seemed to be a little different. After Zhao Shu entered the mansion, she could feel that the maids were much nicer to her. Old Madam Xie also came out to greet her personally. Zhao Shu was startled. Although she was of high rank, Old Madam Xie was, after all, an elder. Since the two families had decided to be on good terms, the distinction between elders and juniors should naturally be made clear.
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