Sure enough, Yinzhen led his entourage through several palaces as if on a sightseeing tour, and finally returned to the Empress Dowager's residence: "Su Peisheng, search this place as well."
The Empress Dowager intervened, saying, "Your Majesty, I am the one who suffered the most. What do you mean by this?"
"Your Majesty, I was just worried that something might be going wrong right under your nose. Since we've gone to such lengths, we must be careful not to overlook anything. Su Peisheng, hurry up and go."
When the Empress Dowager saw that Yinzhen was determined to search, her displeasure was written all over her face, and at the same time, a hint of unease flashed in her eyes.
"Green Granny, you stay with Su Peisheng and don't let them defile my belongings."
"Yes." Seeing that Yinzhen did not object, Granny Green quickly followed.
Su Peisheng wandered around the house, glancing at the back alleys a few times. Suddenly, he became interested in a narrow-mouthed vase. He leaned closer and looked inside, and his expression suddenly changed.
He carried the vase out, and the Empress Dowager stared at Su Peisheng: "Eunuch Su, be careful. This was a gift from the late Emperor. If you break it, you'll lose your head."
Su Peisheng raised his hands and said, "Your Majesty and Empress Dowager, this servant thinks there seems to be something inside this vase."
Yinzhen peeked inside and said, "If this were an ordinary vase, we could find out what's inside by smashing it. But since the Empress Dowager says it's a gift from the Emperor, Su Peisheng, bring me a hook."
Yinzhen carefully hooked the contents out of the bottle little by little, without touching the inside of the vase at all.
"What is this?" Granny Green was very shocked. How could there be something in the vase!
The Empress Dowager was right; this was indeed a gift from the Emperor. The palace maids had wiped it very carefully; no one would dare to throw anything in it.
"Bring over the dolls we found in the Nian family's palace." Yinzhen compared the two. "The workmanship and materials are exactly the same, and the notes on the note are also from the Nian family."
"It seems the Nian family made more than one of these things," Yinzhen declared definitively. "This birth date and time is mine!"
"The Nian family is incredibly audacious. Not only did they plot to harm the Empress Dowager, but they also tried to frame her for plotting against me. What clever schemes they have," Yinzhen said calmly, staring at the disheveled and disheveled Consort Nian.
Ms. Nian could no longer stand and knelt on the ground, repeatedly shouting that she was innocent.
"Your Majesty, the matter has been thoroughly investigated. What do you think should be done with Lady Nian?" Yinzhen asked.
The Empress Dowager took a deep breath and declared, "She dares to harm the Emperor; she should be executed!"
"If my life could be taken by a puppet, then I am no longer the Son of Heaven," Yinzhen sighed. "Considering the loyalty of the Nian family, you are hereby banished to the Cold Palace from this day forward, never to be seen again. The Nian family's descendants for three generations are barred from holding official positions."
"Your Majesty must be tired today. Please rest well. Your son will come to see you another day."
"Everyone, disperse." Yinzhen led Yihua back to Yikun Palace.
Yi Hua looked at the two dolls with similar stitches over and over. The material was the most common linen in the palace, and the thread was the most ordinary kind that even lower-ranking palace maids could use. If it weren't for the note, it would be hard to tell which one it was.
"Where is Her Majesty the Empress's masterpiece? I just glanced at it hastily and didn't find it interesting." Yinzhen tugged at Yihua's sleeve, seemingly wanting to rummage through the locked boxes inside.
"Your Majesty, you didn't see anything today." Yi Hua's face turned red again, and she no longer cared about the two dolls.
"Nonsense, not only did I see it, but the Empress Dowager saw it too," Yinzhen said with a smile.
"emperor!"
"Alright, I won't say anymore. Once this box is full, I'll give you an even bigger one."
Yi Hua turned her head away, not wanting to pay him any attention. Of course, the box didn't contain any serious articles. They were all sequels that Yin Zhen had insisted she write last time. They were erotic and explicit, and Yi Hua's practice pieces. She originally only intended to write one or two pages, but unexpectedly, her inspiration flowed and she created many new scenes.
The thought that her writings would be seen by the Empress Dowager made Yi Hua wish she were dead.
Yinzhen looked at her and burst into laughter.
A short while later, a message came from the Hall of Mental Cultivation, saying that Lord Zhang Tingyu requested an audience. Yinzhen straightened his clothes, took the rag doll with him, and left.
"Su Peisheng, burn these two things."
"yes."
******
Seeing that Yinzhen had left, Honghui quietly slipped into Yikun Palace: "Empress Mother, are you alright?"
"Don't worry, Mother is fine." Yi Hua waved to Hong Hui, afraid of frightening him.
“Consort Nian instigated the Empress Dowager, and the Emperor, bound by filial piety, could not punish the Empress Dowager, so he vented his anger on her. It was just bad luck for the Nian family,” Yi Hua said.
"This is all the Nian family's choice. They want to rely on the Empress Dowager and oppose the Emperor, so this is quite normal." Honghui saw it clearly. Consort Nian had tripped up the Empress Dowager more than once, and the Emperor only took action against her now, which was obviously out of consideration for the Nian family.
"With your father's reprimand this time, the Empress Dowager has finally quieted down, and no concubines in the palace will go to her for support anymore," Yi Hua said with a smile. "Our family can finally live in peace."
Honghui unconsciously curved the corners of his mouth into a smile: "My son thinks so too."
“Honghui, after your eldest sister’s wedding is over, it’s your turn.” Yihua felt sorry for him, as he was not even twenty yet and was already getting married. “Although your marriage is up to your father, your mother can still give you some encouragement.”
"Do you have a girl you like?"
"No matter your status, your mother will make your wish come true."
"Mother, why are we talking about this again?" Honghui said somewhat embarrassedly. "Your son will listen to Father and you in everything."
"Silly child, marrying a wife is no ordinary matter. You'll be spending your whole life with her. If you don't like her, it's not only unfair to you, but also to that girl." Yi Hua still hoped that Hong Hui could have a confidant by his side.
"By the way, what do you think of that young lady from the Fucha family?"
The eldest princess had always been in contact with the youngest daughter of the Fucha family. Yihua accidentally discovered that Honghui would sometimes send things to the Fucha family under the eldest princess's name, which was quite interesting.
Honghui thought for a moment: "It's a bit silly."
"In your eyes, who isn't stupid?" Yi Hua rolled her eyes. This child was exceptionally intelligent from a young age and thought everyone else was incredibly stupid. Her eyes were practically on her head.
"Mother, I think she's wonderful," Honghui said with a laugh, then ran off in a flash. "Mother, Little Wolf is still at the training ground, I'll go keep an eye on him."
After admiring her son's dashing figure as he fled in disarray for a while, Yi Hua began to ponder how to bring it up with Yin Zhen.
The young lady of the Fucha family was not favored at home and had not received proper education since childhood. Yinzhen might feel that she was not worthy of the position of Honghui Fujin.
Hmm, we need to send someone else to get a comprehensive understanding of the Fucha family.
Although the Fucha family was full of high-ranking officials, it was precisely because of this that the relationships were more complicated. When choosing a wife's family for their son, they did not expect them to be helpful, but they certainly did not want them to be a hindrance at crucial moments.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
