From her expression, it was clear that she was putting on a brave face; her voice was weak and listless, as if she was resigning herself to fate.
The morning court session had not yet begun, but the ministers had already arrived.
The emperor has not attended court for many days, and there is much discussion outside. If he does not attend court soon, trouble will ensue.
Sheng Jingyu arrived a little later. As soon as he appeared, he was surrounded by people asking him if he knew about the rumors outside.
"It's not just a rumor..." Sheng Jingyu said calmly, confirming that the Empress had indeed poisoned her.
"What?!" Everyone was shocked.
Was it true that the Empress poisoned him? Sheng Jingyu had known all along!
Then what about all that they've heard over the years?
Sheng Jingyu said in a deep voice, "I once mistakenly believed that the Empress was sincere to me. After the Princess Consort came to the Prince Chen's mansion, she rectified the entire mansion and dealt with several unruly servants. From their mouths, I learned that it was the Empress who poisoned me back then, causing me to go blind."
"Later, those few unruly servants were silenced. Since I had no witnesses, I could only let the matter drop. Now, Su Lin'er has brought it up again, and she even said that it was the Empress who said it herself."
"I thought that since we have new witnesses, we should summon them and question them to bring this matter to a close. At the same time, I also want to know why the Empress did this to me!"
First comes sadness and grief, then anger and dissatisfaction; a mix of emotions that is heartbreaking to watch.
His birth mother died early, and it was the Empress who raised him to adulthood. It's hard to imagine how much Sheng Jingyu depended on the Empress at that time.
Unfortunately, the empress was a wolf in sheep's clothing, two-faced, and secretly committed poisoning.
Some people noticed that Sheng Jingyu said he wanted to call Su Lin'er over, guessing that he was still unaware that Su Lin'er was dead.
He stepped forward and reminded him, "Your Highness, Su Lin'er is dead, and even Lord Su and his eldest son Su Xian are nowhere to be found."
Sheng Jingyu feigned surprise, widening his eyes as he asked, "Dead?"
"Yes, the Su family has reported it to the authorities. Su Yuan and Su Xian are missing, and Su Lin'er died a gruesome death."
Sheng Jingyu was stunned for a long time before finally sneering, "You acted quickly enough. Su Lin'er also mentioned the Wan family and Sheng Yuanhe, so why didn't anyone make a move against her then?"
A bystander angrily accused, "Because it's about the Wan family, which benefits some people! Now that it's not in their favor, they naturally want to quickly silence them."
Their hatred for the Empress stemmed primarily from Sheng Jingyu.
The Empress is too vicious; after poisoning someone, she can still feign affection for so many years.
Everyone has seen how many people Sheng Jingyu eliminated for her over the years, and how he supported the Seventh and Eighth Princes.
No wonder the relationship between Sheng Jingyu and the Empress was no longer the same after the Princess Consort entered the palace.
Some people speculated that Su Wenyuan was the one who stirred up trouble, but now it seems there was no need for such instigation.
The voices denouncing the Empress in the Golden Hall grew louder and louder. Before coming, they had only suspected and speculated, and dared not speak too decisively.
With Sheng Jingyu's confirmation, they would inevitably stand on Sheng Jingyu's side.
The emperor remained in his bedchamber for a long time, refusing to come out.
He knew about the Empress's matter as soon as Su Lin'er stepped forward.
However, the Emperor harbored doubts and was inclined to believe that Su Lin'er was lying and wronging the Empress.
After all, he had intervened back then, and he always believed that it was the quack doctor he had found who delayed the treatment, which led to Sheng Jingyu going blind.
How can there be any talk of poisoning? And it was done by the Empress?
Upon closer reflection, it makes sense. The emperor couldn't understand many of the things the empress had done, and he had even wondered if she was faking it.
Just thinking about this suspicion sends chills down my spine.
The empress, who appears gentle and virtuous to outsiders, is actually incredibly ruthless behind the scenes!
During all those years of her disguise, did she ever harbor any murderous intent towards the emperor?
She's just as terrifying as Sheng Jingyu; she's so good at keeping her composure.
For the two days after the news broke, the Empress showed no unusual behavior, greeting him and dining with him as usual.
The Emperor intended to feign illness for a few more days, but Sheng Jingyu disagreed and continued to submit memorials to him during his confinement.
When the Emperor lifted his confinement, he had not yet decided how to deal with the Empress.
Should we investigate or not?
An investigation would likely uncover more problems, but without one, the emperor wouldn't be able to sleep soundly with such an empress around.
He hadn't decided yet. Sheng Jingyu still had to attend court, so the emperor could only let things take their course and wait and see.
As a result, the Su family ran into trouble again!
All these events happened at once, and the Emperor was extremely agitated. He felt as if his heart was about to jump out of his chest and he was covered in sweat.
Eunuch Hu summoned the imperial physician, who fed him two pills, preventing him from collapsing.
"Your Majesty, why don't we let the officials disperse for now?" Eunuch Hu suggested.
The emperor waved his hand without saying a word, feeling much clearer-headed and his mind exceptionally clear. The dizziness he had just experienced was only momentary and nothing serious.
They just needed to rest for a while, and Grandpa Hu told everyone about the situation.
The emperor feigned illness at first, but later became genuinely ill. However, to outsiders, it appeared that the emperor had been ill for some time.
This is not a good sign. With no crown prince appointed in the court, if something happens, there won't be anyone with the right to take charge.
The emperor was just a little dizzy from anger, but in some people's eyes... he was going to die.
During his break, he figured out how to handle the situation.
Let's investigate first. The harem is managed by other concubines. Investigating the Empress won't yield results in just three to five days.
While we're at it, let's call Sheng Ziyan back and see if we can give those two brothers some credit.
In short, it all boils down to one word: procrastination!
The Emperor rose confidently, intending to have a good talk with Sheng Jingyu.
Even if the Empress poisoned him, so what? As long as he doesn't want to take action, Sheng Jingyu will have no choice but to suffer this injustice.
Before the competition even began, the emperor felt a sense of pride.
Not far after he left, a young eunuch rushed over, covered in sweat, pale-faced, and knelt before the emperor, his lips trembling.
Eunuch Hu angrily shouted, "What's all the fuss about?"
"General Shen reports urgently..."
Just five words were enough to make Eunuch Hu's expression change drastically. This general was sent by the Emperor to escort Sheng Yuanhe.
He shouldn't have shown up in the capital!
His return at this time must mean that something serious has happened to Sheng Yuanhe.
The emperor staggered and nearly fell, but fortunately, Eunuch Hu was quick-witted and reached out to support him.
The palace servants were in a panic and hurriedly escorted the emperor back to his bedchamber.
The imperial physician was summoned back once again.
The ministers still failed to see the emperor at this morning court session.
The news that the emperor had almost fallen in the palace quietly spread.
I called the imperial physician twice in one morning...
Sheng Jingyu left with a sigh, looking disappointed but secretly happy.
It took several days for news of Sheng Yuanhe's perilous encounter to reach the Emperor, thanks in no small part to Sheng Jingyu's deliberate obstruction.
Important news must be released at crucial moments to achieve the desired effect.
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