Chapter 366 Who is lying on the ground?
The Imperial Study.
Xiao Yu leaned weakly against the dragon throne, his lips were pale, and he had clearly lost a lot of weight.
Wu Panpan carefully carried a small box forward, opened it, and inside was a pill about the size of a thumb joint.
Consort Chun, Song Zhuran, took out the pills from the box and gently brought them to Emperor Xiao Yu's lips. She then picked up a freshly brewed cup of tea and said, "Your Majesty, please have some water to soothe your palate."
After taking the pills and pausing for a while, Xiao Yu spoke, "Achuan, what brings you here today?"
"And who is lying on the ground?"
"Your Majesty, save me! The Prince of Langya wants to kill me, Your Majesty!" Qin Zhaolin finally couldn't hold back his words any longer and shouted out.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yu squinted and looked at himself, feeling somewhat strained as he tried to sit up straight.
"Your Majesty, you have just taken medicine and your body is replenishing its energy, so you may feel tired and weak. Let me help you sit up." Song Zhuran helped Xiao Yu sit up.
Xiao Yu then recognized the person lying face down. "Isn't this Minister Qin, the Vice Minister of Revenue? Why is he lying down like this?"
Wu Panpan whispered the whole story in her ear.
"Such a thing actually happened?" Xiao Yu turned to look at Wu Panpan. "People dare to cheat on the imperial examinations?"
Wu Panpan bowed her head and replied, "This servant only heard it from the bodyguards who have been following the Prince and Princess."
Xiao Yu's voice was weak, "That guy... Qin Zhaolin, right?"
"Your son is boasting that he can become the top scholar?"
"Your Majesty, it's not about this matter. I can explain it. It was all a scheme orchestrated by someone with ulterior motives, all to frame me and my son, Your Majesty."
Qin Zhaolin tearfully complained.
Xiao Yu felt a headache coming on and rubbed his temples. Wu Panpan immediately said to Qin Zhaolin, "Lord Qin, let's talk this out. Your crying and wailing are disturbing His Majesty."
Qin Zhaolin then stopped crying and wiped his nose. "Your Majesty, the Princess Consort of Langya is narrow-minded. She tricked my daughter into going to a restaurant and drugged her with aphrodisiacs, forcing her to share a room with my son."
Qin Zhaolin spoke with another wave of grief, "The Prince of Langya even sent my daughter to a brothel. This marriage was personally bestowed by Your Majesty. I beg you to do justice for me."
"Not only that, when I went to demand an explanation, the Prince of Langya actually broke both my legs and my son's."
"How can I share Your Majesty's burdens in the future? Right now, the Ministry of Revenue is facing a lot of trouble."
Xiao Yu, annoyed by the noise, said, "In that case, you should rest at home for now. I will find someone else to fill the position of Vice Minister of Revenue."
Qin Zhaolin's heart tightened upon hearing this. "Your Majesty, that's not what I meant. What I meant was that the Prince of Langya is far too arrogant and lawless."
"Your Majesty, please do justice for this treacherous minister!"
Xiao Yu rubbed his temples impatiently, and Consort Chun, Song Zhuran, got up to rub them for him. "Your Majesty has just taken medicine and is currently at his weakest."
"Why don't I help Your Majesty with this matter?"
Xiao Yu looked up at Song Zhuran. Although Consort Chun was currently reviewing some memorials on his behalf, he couldn't hand over this matter to Song Zhuran to handle in the near future.
Qin Zhaolin secretly hoped that the emperor would agree, as this would be more beneficial to him.
"I am fine, but this is no small matter," Xiao Yu said coldly. "The harem must not interfere in politics."
Song Zhuran immediately realized that she had been too hasty, and knelt down, saying, "Your Majesty was in great pain, so I thought of sharing your burden. I was wrong."
"Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
Seeing Song Zhuran in this state, Xiao Yu's heart softened again. He reached out and helped her up, then patted the seat next to her, gesturing for Song Zhuran to sit down.
Song Zhuran obediently leaned against Xiao Yu, her eyes defiantly fixed on Jiang Wanning and Pei Yanchuan.
"A-Chuan, what else do you have to say about this?" Xiao Yu looked at Pei Yanchuan with a serious expression.
Pei Yanchuan glanced at Mo Ran beside him.
Mo Ran took out a thick stack of letters from his pocket and handed them to Wu Panpan.
"Your Majesty, these are the details of the events, the testimonies of witnesses, and at the very least, the amount of silver the Qin family has embezzled over the past year."
Xiao Yu frowned. The national treasury was empty, yet people were still embezzling.
Xiao Yu took the testimony, glanced at it a few times, and slammed it on the table. "So, Qin Zhaolin, this is what you call your wish?"
Qin Zhaolin glanced at Consort Chun subconsciously.
"What do you think of Consort Chun's behavior?" Xiao Yu said coldly.
Qin Zhaolin immediately lowered his head, and Song Zhuran also quickly distanced herself, saying, "Your Majesty, please investigate. I do not know the Qin family."
"I suppose they think I'm easy to talk to, but this matter concerns state affairs, and I dare not say anything more."
Emperor Xiao Yu gently patted Song Zhuran's hand, "What are you doing, Consort Chun? Of course I believe you."
Song Zhuran finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Xiao Yu's body is often weak and powerless. He has asked himself several times whether the pill is really effective. He also wants to live forever, so he has been easily fooled each time.
I was indeed too hasty today.
Qin Zhaolin met Song Zhuran's warning gaze and quickly denied it, "Your Majesty is wise, there is nothing between this humble subject and Consort Chun."
"Then you'd better explain to me what's going on here?"
Xiao Yu threw the testimony on the dragon table away. Qin Zhaolin struggled to crawl forward, picked up the letter from the ground, and glanced at it. Pei Yanchuan had actually investigated everything about him in just one day.
"Your Majesty, the servants and family members of Lord Qin's residence have been brought under control, and their testimonies are also available."
"This Qin Yasu is the concubine that His Majesty bestowed upon me. It was Consort Chun who acted as matchmaker."
"As soon as he was brought into the manor, he was already plotting with others to frame the princess, but unexpectedly, he was the one who was poisoned instead."
"If it weren't for my queen's quick thinking, the Qin family would probably be reduced to ashes by now."
As Pei Yanchuan spoke, the cold aura emanating from him made everyone present shiver. Even Xiao Yu couldn't help but feel uncomfortable.
He was clearly the emperor, and Pei Yanchuan was just a subject.
However, the chill emanating from Pei Yanchuan made him uncomfortable and even evoked a sense of fear.
"Your Majesty, I am innocent!" Qin Zhaolin said. "It was clearly the Princess Consort who took my daughter Yasu there."
"If Your Highness does not wish for my Ya Su to become your concubine, you may simply inform His Majesty. Why humiliate the Qin family in this way?"
“The group of witnesses I brought are waiting outside, including the restaurant manager.” Pei Yanchuan looked at Song Zhuran. “The manager finally couldn’t help but confess the truth.”
“Successor's certificate!” Xiao Yu said coldly.
“Your Majesty,” Consort Chun, Song Zhuran, interjected, “it is already clear that this matter is the Qin family’s problem.”
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