Chapter 127 Once the arrow is released, there's no turning back.
The people from Yongshou Palace were all present, except for Nian Shilan, who had been absent from public view for a long time, and Consort Duan, who had been ill for a long time.
The one who reacted the most to Consort Cao's words was Consort Hui. Shen Meizhuang frowned and looked up angrily at Cao Qinmo, but seeing her timid and hesitant appearance, she turned angrily to look at the Emperor at the head of the table. Although she had long since given up on the Emperor, she still hoped that he would severely punish that wicked woman at this moment.
But reality always disappoints her. Yinzhen remained calm, barely even glancing at her. He gently stroked the cushion on the chaise lounge, his tone indifferent and unreadable—"Go on."
Cao Qinmo felt a chill run down her spine from the Emperor's gaze as he looked down from above, but since things had come to this point, she had no choice but to continue speaking.
"At first, I was unaware of the truth. It was only when I witnessed her instructing her servants to frame Consort Li that I learned the truth. I was filled with anxiety and fear. Consort Nian threatened me with Wen Yi, so I had no choice but to keep quiet."
"Furthermore... Consort Chun was pushed into the water, which was also done by Consort Nian!" She looked up at the Emperor, her words earnest and her voice filled with anguish—"Consort Chun was so young, and she died in the pool just because she heard about Consort Nian's secrets. I am truly terrified. Consort Nian is capable of anything!"
The more she spoke, the more obvious the fear on her face became. Tears streamed down her face like broken beads, and her voice trembled with sobs.
“Wenyi was born after I carried her for ten months. After all, mother and child are of one heart. Even if the imperial genealogy is changed, I still have to think twice for Wenyi’s sake. I dare not speak out even though I have seen Consort Nian’s many evil deeds. But even so, I am not even allowed to see Wenyi.”
When Chun'er was mentioned, Zhen Huan's expression differed from Shen Meizhuang's indignation. Her face was a complex mix of emotions. Nian Shilan had committed countless evil deeds. But Cao Qinmo was not necessarily any cleaner. With just a few words, she cleverly disguised herself as a coerced mother.
Yinzhen remained unchanged, his eyes lowered and expressionless, without even altering his posture. He had already been shocked by these events once before, and had already punished and scolded them; there was really no need for him to perform again in front of everyone.
He's still patiently sitting here, simply wanting to see what Cao Qinmo, who usually keeps a low profile, can actually come up with.
Seeing that the Emperor still had no reaction, Cao Qinmo's already uneasy heart sank even further. Could it be that neither buying and selling official positions nor matters of life and death could make the Emperor make a fuss about Nian Shilan? She had a feeling that something must have gone wrong, but once the arrow is released, there is no turning back. She gritted her teeth and mustered her courage to continue speaking.
"Moreover... I personally heard Consort Nian send people outside the palace to find smallpox scabs and mix them into the Crown Prince's clothes. Your Majesty, this matter concerns the fate of the nation, you cannot fail to uphold justice for the Crown Prince!"
Upon hearing this, Lü Jiaying was the first to speak, as she was naturally the most anxious since Hongzhao had almost been harmed. However, upon hearing Cao Qinmo's accusation, her first reaction was disbelief—"This is no small matter. How could Consort Nian have let you know? Could it be that you were involved too?!"
Yinzhen's gaze suddenly turned dangerous and cold. The person who wanted to harm Hongzhao had not yet been found. He now looked at everyone in the court and the harem with a sense of wariness. This matter was like a sharp sword hanging over his heart. This time, it was only because of Heaven's protection that Hongzhao was safe and sound. If there were any mishaps in the future, he was afraid that even the most careful precautions could have a fatal flaw.
Cao Qinmo was unaware that, at the very moment she decided to use this matter to utterly destroy Nian Shilan, in the Emperor's eyes, she was already no different from a dead person.
"I would never dare!" She waved her hands repeatedly, clutching her chest and shaking her head in panic. "It was because I often went to Yikun Palace to request an audience, hoping to catch a glimpse of Wenyi from afar. I overheard it by chance, and the more I thought about it, the more frightened I became. The matter of plotting against the Crown Prince, Consort Nian is far too audacious!"
Seeing the Emperor remain silent, Shen Meizhuang could no longer contain herself and spoke out coldly with a hint of sarcasm, "Consort Nian's actions are unrestrained and completely disregard palace rules and etiquette. If she is not severely punished, how can we quell the public's anger!"
Yinzhen looked towards the source of the voice, and upon meeting her tense, angry face, his irritation intensified. He had always disliked the entanglements of the court and the harem, and he disliked others scheming against him. Since Hongzhao's birth, he disliked even more these people constantly bringing up Hongzhao for no reason, everyone trying to interfere in his son's life.
He irritably flicked his robes and spoke in a low voice, “This matter involves the Crown Prince and is of utmost importance. It is not merely a matter of the inner palace. Since someone has reported it, I will naturally investigate it thoroughly.”
"Su Peisheng, bring that palace maid named Zhi, who serves Consort Nian, to us and interrogate her thoroughly. Since we're going to investigate, then..."
As he spoke, he turned his gaze to Lü Jiayingfeng beside him, looking at her with a hint of inquiry. Lü Jiayingfeng was naturally not stupid; it was better to speak up herself to maintain a proper image. "Anyone on my side who has come into contact with this garment will be thoroughly questioned. If there is anyone with malicious intent to harm my You'er, then we must not let them off lightly."
"Hmm." Yinzhen nodded in satisfaction with her answer, and then his voice softened a bit—"The people around you are all respectable, so there's no need for you to go to the Censorate. You will handle Su Peisheng's interrogation personally, along with the people around Consort Nian."
Su Peisheng knew that the Emperor was saving face for the two empresses on the one hand. After all, it wouldn't sound good if word got out that their personal attendants had been interrogated by the Censorate. With the coronation ceremony approaching, it was best to avoid any trouble.
Another point is that Su Peisheng, being an outsider, clearly saw that the Emperor had not believed a single word that Consort Cao had said. Putting aside what this son meant to the Imperial Noble Consort, even setting aside the mother-son relationship, no one in Yongshou Palace wanted anything to happen to such a reliable person.
Take the day the Crown Prince was injured on the forehead, for example. The way Consort Nian looked at the two children with such heartache was not only a sight for the Emperor, but even he, a eunuch, couldn't help but sigh. Humans are not plants or trees, and the Emperor is certainly not made of gold and jade.
After arranging this matter, Yinzhen got up to leave. Cao Qinmo, who was kneeling on the ground, barely managed to straighten up and cried out mournfully, "Consort Nian's evil deeds are too numerous to count. Is Your Majesty really going to let her off so easily?!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
