Chapter 392 An incident occurs at the palace banquet, and Shen Lanxi enters the palace!
Emperor Renxiao had the Empress and the Crown Prince's wife jointly organize this palace banquet.
This both elevates the eldest prince and avoids offending Zhou Ruyuan.
After all, Zhou Ruyuan doesn't even have a principal wife yet.
The Crown Prince's wife has now been officially released from confinement. In order to prepare for the banquet, she enters the palace early every day and leaves only after the palace gates are locked.
Empress Qi Yingqun was busy for two days. On the third day, the Eighteenth Prince fell ill. After that, Qi Yingqun devoted herself to taking care of the Eighteenth Prince and handed over the responsibility of organizing the palace banquet to the First Prince's wife.
After Zhou Rulin learned of this, he went to the palace, and then several unmarried princesses and Shen Yuantang were arranged to help the Crown Prince's wife organize the palace banquet.
When Consort Shu learned of the news, she was so angry that she almost fainted.
"Your Majesty, why don't we find an excuse to transfer the concubine away?"
After pondering for a moment, Consort Shu said viciously, "She's just a concubine. If we only summon her away, wouldn't that arouse even more suspicion?"
The concubine is gone, so be it. We'll find a better one for her son once she recovers.
"Don't let me find out who plotted against me this time. Once I find out, I'll tear that person to pieces!"
Fortunately, the imperial physician who examined her pulse that day was one of her people. Otherwise, if the news of her false pregnancy had spread, not only might she have been banished to the cold palace, but her son might have been implicated as well.
Her son's reputation is already damaged; he cannot afford to have a mother who fakes a pregnancy to deceive the emperor.
...
On the night of the palace banquet, Shen Lanxi set out wine in the courtyard, surrounded by a few subordinates, looking up at the direction of the palace.
wait!
A lone moon hangs in the sky, and a carrier pigeon arrives.
Che Mingyuan opened the message, a smile playing on his lips.
"Just as you predicted, exactly as you predicted!"
Shen Lanxi raised her cup to the moon, tilted her head back, and drank it all in one gulp.
If something happens in the palace, all those attending the palace banquet are not allowed to leave.
The gates of the Juding Duke's Mansion were pounded open overnight.
"His Majesty has decreed that the Duke of Juding be brought to the palace at once!"
Shen Lanxi calculated the time and found that she had stayed in the manor for exactly fifteen days.
...
All those who attended the palace banquet were confined to the main hall. This matter was a family scandal, and Emperor Renxiao's intention was that family scandals should not be made public.
If we call Shen Lanxi over, we won't need to alarm the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice.
"Long live the Emperor!" Shen Lanxi kowtowed.
Emperor Renxiao was furious and had a terrible headache. Now that Shen Lanxi had arrived, someone was finally going to take care of this troublesome matter.
"Your Majesty, I already knew what happened on the way here."
Emperor Renxiao nodded, Wang Bao was always reliable in his work.
"Your Majesty's favor will not be wasted; I will investigate this matter thoroughly!"
Emperor Renxiao stood up: "Everyone is here, you can ask them slowly. I'd like to go see Consort Shu."
The Empress also rose to her feet: "I will accompany His Majesty to visit him!"
The emperor and empress left one after the other.
Shen Lanxi walked to where the Crown Prince and his wife were, nodded to the Crown Prince first, and then began to follow the procedures.
"Gentlemen, I am only acting on the Emperor's orders. If I have offended anyone, please forgive me."
Zhou Rulin's face was dark, but it softened slightly when he saw Shen Lanxi coming over.
“Lord Shen, Madam Cao has been with me for many years. Although she is usually a bit domineering, she would never cause trouble in such a situation. I urge you to make the right judgment.”
Cao was already terrified and at a loss. She didn't understand why Consort Shu had started bleeding when she had only offered her a cup of wine.
How did she become accused of murdering the imperial heir?
"I am innocent! I didn't even touch the hem of Consort Shu's clothes today!" Cao Shi had long lost her previous arrogance. Before she could even open her mouth, she broke down and wailed.
Shen Lanxi: "Every word the Crown Princess says will be recorded. If you are truly innocent, please tell the truth so that we can clear your name as soon as possible."
When Emperor Renxiao was there, Cao was only afraid and didn't care about anything else.
Now that the emperor and empress are gone, Cao Shi, having relaxed, has lost control of her emotions.
"I am innocent! I did not murder the imperial heir! I did not..."
Zhou Rulin's face darkened, inwardly cursing her as an idiot. She'd been yelling incessantly when she wasn't allowed to speak earlier, but now that she was allowed to, she couldn't utter a single word.
Useless thing. He should have listened to his father and dealt with Cao Shi.
"Cao, calm down and think carefully about what you've done today." Even though Zhou Rulin felt disgusted with Cao, he couldn't show it at this critical moment.
Cao collapsed to the ground, covering her face with a handkerchief and wailing uncontrollably. She had listened to Zhou Rulin's words, but the more she listened, the more aggrieved she felt, and the more aggrieved she felt, the more she wanted to cry.
"I've been working tirelessly from dawn till dusk these past few days, just to make the palace banquet a success. I haven't had a proper rest in days because of it."
"Why is it always my fault when something goes wrong...?"
"So many people are attending the palace banquet, why are they only targeting me..."
Zhou Rulin's face darkened with anger.
He awkwardly explained to Shen Lanxi, "She's still upset right now. Why don't you let her calm down and ask someone else first?"
Shen Lanxi nodded: "Okay."
Those present were all imperial princes and nobles; could she really make things difficult for anyone?
The remaining people in charge of organizing the palace banquet, besides the princesses, were Shen Yuantang.
After the incident, the princesses had already hidden themselves away.
When Shen Lanxi's eyes swept over them, the princesses shrank back even further.
"Who's coming first? Asking early will help us get back to rest sooner."
Zhou Ruyuan whispered a few words to Shen Yuantang beside him, and Shen Yuantang stepped forward.
“I will do it. According to popular custom, Consort Shu is my mother-in-law. I would never harm my own mother-in-law,” Shen Yuantang said righteously.
Shen Lanxi: "The imperial physician said that the wine Consort Shu drank contained musk, saffron, and other substances. Who is responsible for the wine?"
Shen Yuantang looked at Madam Cao: "It is the Crown Prince's Consort who is in charge."
Cao, who had been wailing incessantly, suddenly stopped crying.
She nimbly got up from the ground, pointed at Shen Yuantang, and started yelling.
"Consort Shen, what do you mean?"
"How could I possibly plot against Consort Shu? Don't make false accusations."
"Shen Lanxi, don't side with Shen Yuantang just because she's your sister and pin the blame on me. Many people knew about our past conflict when the Grand Duchess hosted the flower-viewing banquet. If you dare to take revenge, I'll ask Father Emperor to intervene!"
Zhou Rulin couldn't take it anymore and growled in a low voice, "Shut up!"
Cao: "You're helping Shen Lanxi too? Are you attracted to Shen Lanxi's face?"
Zhou Rulin's face was so dark that he was no longer presentable.
"Cao, don't force me to have you gagged. Don't you know where you are? If you dare to spout nonsense again, even if it turns out you have nothing to do with it, I will still request an imperial decree to have you deposed!"
Cao screamed loudly.
Shen Lanxi: "The Crown Princess is obstructing the investigation. Guards, gag her. If she dares to cause trouble again, I will petition His Majesty to have her punished the same as the murderer!"
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