Chapter 733 Overturning the Verdict
Shu Yan was a little embarrassed. "Actually, our family doesn't have much contact with my cousin's family. I'm not very close to my cousin either. She didn't grow up in Shengjing, and her family isn't from Shengjing either. They moved here later..."
Shu Xue's father was also a minor official who got his position through her father's connections. Shu Xue was good at flattering people from a young age. Later, she became close to the Fourth Princess Consort. She didn't like to fawn over or please the Fourth Princess Consort. Her father was the Vice Minister of Revenue, which was not a low-ranking official position.
Sometimes, even the prince would ask the Vice Minister of Revenue to do things for him!
"You met with Shu Xuemin privately on the Lantern Festival, didn't you? She died on the Lantern Festival." That's the deduction, and he wanted to know if Shu Xuemin knew.
Shu Yan quickly stood up. Why was the Emperor talking to her about Shu Xue? She said, "I have met my cousin Xue because she wanted to ask me..."
She hesitated, wanting to speak but daring not to.
Xie Shang slammed the chess piece down on the board and said coldly, "What do you want to ask?"
Shu Yan was startled. "Ask about Consort Han."
Xie Shang continued, "What did you ask? Tell me everything. I heard that Consort Shu cares a lot about Consort Han. Does Consort Shu have any objections to my decision?"
"I wouldn't dare, I'm not..."
"To be honest, when she asked you about Consort Han's identity, did you tell her, or did she ask on her own initiative?"
Shu Yan dared not hide anything. "She asked me. She even asked me if Bai Yuhan was Consort Han. I said she definitely was. Everyone is afraid... afraid of Her Majesty the Empress, so they dare not admit it. Your Majesty, I know my crime and beg for your forgiveness."
Whether I spare you or not depends on whether you tell the truth.
"Everything I said is true, Your Majesty. I would never dare to deceive you." Shu Yan continued, "At the time, I even asked her why she was targeting Minister Jiang, whether she had a grudge against him. She didn't say, only that her father would be promoted in the future, and that the Shu family would get better and better, and that..."
Xie Shang's gaze was authoritative and cold. "Continue."
"She also said it didn't matter if I didn't receive the Emperor's favor, and told me not to be afraid of the Empress's displeasure. She also said that as cousins, she would protect me in the future." Shu Yan hadn't taken her words to heart and didn't know what Shu Xue meant by saying these things.
Xie Shang then asked, "Where did she go after you broke up?"
"She must have gone to see the Fourth Princess Consort. My cousin and the Fourth Princess Consort have a good relationship." Shu Yan confirmed. "That's right, she went to see the Fourth Princess Consort. She was quite happy when she found out that Bai Yuhan was really Consort Han. I don't know what she was so happy about."
Xie Shang asked again, "You didn't tell Shu Xue Bai Yuhan's true identity beforehand, but rather on the night of the Lantern Festival."
"I live deep in the palace and don't usually have much contact with Shuxue. Before that, I thought Consort Han was dead. I was also startled when she suddenly appeared."
Xie Shang sneered, "I heard that you were trying to deliberately stir up trouble and frame the Jiang family."
Shu Yan was so frightened that her legs went weak, and she immediately knelt down: "Your Majesty, please investigate thoroughly. I really did not frame Lord Jiang. Some things happened in the plum garden that day. I felt that Shu Xue was deliberately provoking Zhang Yumo. Later, outside the palace, she accused Lord Jiang. It was clearly the Fourth Princess who instructed her to say such things. Shu Xue is also foolish and always follows the Fourth Princess's lead. I don't know why the Fourth Princess insists on going against Her Majesty the Empress." All of this was told to her by Shu Xue.
Xie Shang thought to himself: "It seems that Shu Xue didn't return to the Li residence after going to find Zhang Yurou, until her body was found at the Fulai Inn outside the city."
"If I ask you to testify that Shu Xue went to see the Fourth Princess Consort before she disappeared, do you dare?" Xie Shang said this deliberately, knowing that Vice Minister Shu would continue to make trouble. Shu Lang didn't even involve his daughter in the palace. Was he trying to protect his daughter?
Shu Yan didn't know why the Emperor wanted her to testify.
Xie Shang said gently, "Get up!"
Shu Yan was completely immersed in the Emperor's tenderness. The Emperor was not only the Emperor, but also powerful and influential. More importantly, he was very handsome, the most handsome man she had ever seen. She had fallen in love with the Emperor from the first day she entered the palace, but no matter how hard she tried over the years, she could not attract the Emperor's attention.
Xie Shangchao winked at her without thinking, then said to Shu Yan, "It's too late tonight, so Shu Ronghua can stay in my Qianqing Palace for the night!"
Shu Yan's heart pounded, and her cheeks grew increasingly red. "Your Majesty... I thank you... for your grace."
What Shu Yan didn't know was that as she undressed and went to bed to wait for the emperor's favor, the longer she waited, the heavier her eyelids became, and she soon fell into a deep sleep.
Wu Xin said, "Consort Ronghua's maid is still waiting outside. She didn't go out. Tonight, everyone must think that the Emperor favored Consort Shu."
"I just don't want anything to go wrong, so let her sleep in the Qianqing Palace!" Xie Shang then said to Wuxin, "Go and tell her maid that Shu Ronghua will stay in the Qianqing Palace tonight to serve the emperor."
This news should reach Shu Lang's ears soon. He has been advocating for Shu Xue's so-called "justice." If he knew that the Shu family's daughter had been summoned to their bedchamber, what kind of face would he have?
What did Shu Xue mean by what she said to Shu Yan? Did Zhang Yurou promise Shu Xue and her family some conditions? Is Xie Yang really behind her?
The next day, at the Golden Palace.
Xie Shang sat majestically on the dragon throne, and the civil and military officials exchanged greetings and paid homage once again, the deafening sounds echoing throughout the hall.
Xie Shang glanced at the ministers, then at the princes, and finally fixed his gaze on the Fourth Prince Xie Yang, who remained as refined and timid as ever.
"If you have something to report, speak now; otherwise, the court may adjourn."
At that moment, Xie Qi stepped forward and presented a memorial, saying, "I have something to report."
Xie Shang asked in a deep voice, "What is it?"
Xie Qi said, "Your Majesty, I have already investigated and found out the cause of death of Madam Li, Shu Xue."
"Bring it here!"
After Xie Shang read it, he said, "King Qi said that Lady Li was not killed by Jin Ji."
"Yes." Xie Qi continued, "I investigated the testimonies of the servants in the Li household and also checked the timeline of Madam Li's disappearance. The matter dates back to the night of the Lantern Festival."
The ministers in the court looked at each other, and someone said, "Madam Li was murdered in an inn outside the city. What does Your Highness mean by starting from the Lantern Festival?"
Vice Minister Shu said, “Your Majesty, my niece has been murdered. The murderer has been caught. Yesterday, Prefect Zhang took the body away, and no one knows what happened afterward. Now, His Highness Prince Qi is making up all sorts of things. Isn’t it obvious who the murderer is?”
Xie Qi said, "Your Majesty, Minister Zhang, and Minister Tang were always together when investigating cases. If you, Vice Minister Shu, are not at ease, I will invite you to join us next time."
Xie Shang frowned slightly. "I know the deceased is Minister Shu's niece, which is why Minister Shu is so anxious. The case will become clearer with time, so please calm down, Minister Shu."
Shu Lang has already received the results from Minister Tang; now it's up to them to see how they will exonerate Jin Ji.
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