Chapter 38: Inciting the former subordinates of the General of the North to rebel.
Just then, the palace doors opened, and the Third Prince helped Consort Li out. Consort Li was dressed in a simple palace gown, with perfectly placed tear tracks on her face, making her look pitiful.
"My lords," the Third Prince cleared his throat, "Father's sudden illness must be an attempt to kill him. I have already sent people to investigate, and we will have results soon."
The Third Prince gave Pei Zhi a veiled look: "Especially those who have recently been in contact with Father Emperor, they should all be investigated."
Pei Zhi stepped forward: "Does the Third Prince mean to imply doubt in me?"
"Don't overthink it," the Third Prince said with a forced smile. "It's just routine."
Consort Li suddenly burst into tears: "It's all my fault! I personally stewed the bird's nest for the Emperor last night. If anything happens to him, I'll go with him..."
"Yes, yes, Sister Li, please stop crying." The ministers immediately echoed, each casting a pitying glance at her.
Ye Wanning watched the mother and son's back-and-forth singing with cold eyes, her anger burning in her heart.
"Does Consort Li need to blame herself?" Ye Wanning suddenly spoke, her voice clear and crisp. "Bird's nest is not poisonous; perhaps someone put other poisonous substances inside?"
Consort Li's crying stopped abruptly, and she glared at her fiercely: "What do you mean?"
"It's nothing," Ye Wanning smiled slightly. "I just heard that the 'Qianji Yinyu Heat' dissolves in liquid, becoming colorless and odorless. I wonder if anyone else was present when Your Majesty was stewing the bird's nest?"
The Third Prince roared in fury: "Ye Wanning! Stop talking nonsense! How could my mother possibly harm my father?"
“I never said Your Highness harmed the Emperor,” Ye Wanning said neither servilely nor arrogantly. “I just find something suspicious. Perhaps we could have the imperial physician find the remnants of the bird's nest; maybe we can discover something.”
The ministers also advised the Third Prince, saying that it would be good to investigate and see who dared to frame him and his mother.
The imperial physician returned quickly, carrying a small porcelain bowl. "Your Excellencies," he reported, "there is indeed a 'tethering agent' in this bird's nest residue, and..." He paused, "...there's also pearl powder, made from Eastern pearls. No one else in the world, except perhaps in the Empress's palace, would possess such a thing!"
Everyone's gaze involuntarily turned to Consort Li. Consort Li's legs went weak, and she nearly collapsed: "It wasn't me! I didn't poison her!"
"With witnesses and physical evidence, you still dare to deny it?" Minister Ye stepped forward. "Guards, seize Consort Li!"
Just as the Third Prince was about to call for help, Pei Zhi suddenly drew his sword: "Who dares! Who dares to touch my mother!"
Pei Zhi met the Third Prince's gaze without flinching: "Third Prince, things have come to this point; there's no use in making excuses!"
The third prince was furious: "I will personally capture you, you traitorous scoundrel! Seize them all!"
The Imperial Guards behind him drew their swords and confronted the Imperial Army brought by Pei Zhi. The atmosphere outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation was extremely tense. Ye Wanning also took a step back and secretly gave Ye Chengjing a wink. Ye Chengjing understood and quietly led a few trusted guards to surround Consort Li from behind.
"Your Highness, Consort Li," Ye Wanning suddenly raised her voice, "you might as well confess. Last night, when you delivered the bird's nest to the Emperor, did you have Zhang Mama from the kitchen add something to it?"
Consort Li was startled and subconsciously looked into the crowd. Ye Wanning followed her gaze and saw a nanny in gray clothes squeezing out of the crowd.
"Grab her!" Ye Wanning shouted.
Ye Chengjing and his men rushed over and pinned Zhang Mama to the ground. Zhang Mama was terrified and kept shouting, "It wasn't me! It was Her Majesty! Her Majesty told me to put the medicine powder in the bird's nest!"
With irrefutable evidence, Consort Li completely collapsed. The Third Prince still tried to resist, but Pei Zhi kicked him to the ground and took his sword.
"Lock the Third Prince and Consort Li into the Imperial Prison!" Pei Zhi shouted. "No one is allowed to visit them without my order!"
Several guards carried the crying mother and child out, and the ministers finally breathed a sigh of relief. Ye Wanning looked at the closed palace doors and silently prayed: Your Majesty, please hold on.
The Emperor remained unconscious for three days and three nights, finally waking up on the morning of the fourth day. His first act was to issue an edict ordering the execution of Consort Li and the demotion of the Third Prince to commoner status, confining him to a secret chamber. Having dealt with the mother and son, the Emperor's spirits improved considerably, and he began investigating the case of the General Who Guards the North from years ago.
Ye Wanning took out the account books and letters left by her mother. The emperor looked at the records and trembled with anger.
"What a wicked Third Prince! What a wicked Consort Li!" The Emperor slammed his hand on the dragon throne. "For his own selfish gain, he has persecuted loyal officials and shaken the very foundation of the nation!"
He said to Minister Ye, "Minister Ye, it's all thanks to your wonderful daughter. You deserve immense credit for this."
Minister Ye quickly kowtowed to express his gratitude, his eyes filled with satisfaction as he looked at Ye Wanning.
The Emperor then turned to Pei Zhi and asked, "Minister Pei, what do you think is the best way to compensate the family of the General Who Guards the North?"
"Your Majesty, the General of the Northern Garrison should be exonerated, his reputation restored, and his family given a grand funeral. The general's grandson is currently serving in the army at the border; he can be summoned back and entrusted with important responsibilities," Pei Zhi said.
The Emperor grunted in approval: "Granted."
It seemed that things had come to an end, but Ye Wanning still felt empty inside, as if her mother had left behind more than just account books and letters.
That day, Ye Wanning was sorting through her mother's old belongings when she suddenly noticed that the bottom wooden board of her mother's dressing table drawer was loose. She pried it open with force, and something wrapped in oilcloth fell out.
Ye Wanning picked it up; it was a piece of sheepskin, yellowish in color with patterns drawn on it, and its shape resembled a rubbing of a token.
"This...this is..." Ye Wanning was a little nervous. She remembered the thing that Xue Lin'an had forced her to hand over in her previous life, and this was it!
Chuntao walked in and saw the pattern on the sheepskin: "What is this?"
"A military tally!" Ye Wanning's voice trembled slightly. "This is a rubbing of the military tally!"
So Mother really did steal the rubbing of the military tally back then! No wonder the Third Prince and Consort Li were so determined to kill her!
"Quickly, take this to Lord Pei!" Ye Wanning carefully wrapped the sheepskin again. "This is the strongest evidence to prove the innocence of the General of the Northern Garrison!"
Just as Chun Tao was about to leave, Ye Chengjing rushed in, shouting, "Ningning, something terrible has happened! Before the Third Prince was imprisoned, he sent a rubbing of a military tally to the border, claiming it was a secret imperial order instructing the former subordinates of the General of the North to rebel!"
Ye Wanning was stunned, as if struck by lightning: "What?"
"The border is in chaos now; many cities have been occupied by the rebels," Ye Chengjing said anxiously, sweating profusely. "The Emperor is furious in court, saying he will send troops to suppress them."
"They're trying to use someone else to do their dirty work! If the imperial court really sends troops to suppress them, it will confirm the charge of treason against the former subordinates of the General of the North!" Ye Wanning gripped the sheepskin in her hand. "So what do we do now?"
Ye Chengjing asked.
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