Chapter 37: Solving the Case
"A drug?" Su Mingli seemed to have heard a funny joke. "That drug will only make her limbs weak, but her mind will be clear! I want her to stay awake, feel the cold lake water pouring into her mouth and nose, and feel suffocated! Let her sink in despair! This is the fate of the daughter of a traitor!"
Her laughter stopped abruptly, and her eyes were like poisoned ice spikes, piercing Yun Zhao fiercely, "More importantly, her identity must be revealed to the world!"
The taut string in Yun Zhao's mind completely broke! She finally understood Su Mingli's most crazy and vicious ultimate goal!
They had known each other since childhood, and she had thought she was just jealous and always wanted to have it all, but she hadn't expected her to be so vicious.
"Su Mingli!" Yun Zhao cried out, his voice distorted by extreme fear. "You're going to make her identity as Lin Xiao's daughter public? At this time? With refugees everywhere, starving people everywhere, and people in turmoil! What if they knew that the daughter of their beloved 'Chief Lin' died in the palace, or was murdered?"
"So what?" Su Mingli interrupted her abruptly. "The blood of refugees is the best nutrient for watering power! I want to ignite this fire! The stronger it burns, the better! Let everyone in the world see who is sheltering the rebels in the palace? It's the beauty offered by the Zhang family! Who killed the rebel's daughter? It's the imperial concubine of the Zhang family! Let those refugees who can't survive hate! Let them make trouble! Let them attack the counties! Let them besiege the prefectures! Let the entire Jingxiang..."
"Shut up! Don't say any more."
If what Su Mingli said came true, the court would be in turmoil and the emperor would be overwhelmed. Who could stop the King of Qin from going south to quell the rebellion?
Who dares to prevent the Su family from taking greater power?
Concubine Zhang? The Zhang family? Just the first chess piece to be crushed in Su Mingli's game!
Crazy! She's crazy!
This isn't a fight for favor at all! She's using the refugees' flesh and blood as stepping stones to drag the entirety of Daye into the flames of war! If Jingxiang becomes a chaotic mess, with war raging everywhere, how can the capital remain safe? This vicious woman is determined to drag the entire dynasty down with her!
Xiao Jin doesn't even know that the Su family and the King of Qin don't want Concubine Zhang's life, they want chaos in the world!
A strong feeling of nausea rose in my throat.
Yun Zhao subconsciously clenched the cold jade pendant in his sleeve, as if it was the only piece of driftwood.
"This plan is too dangerous," Yun Zhao said with difficulty, trying to grasp the last bit of rationality. "If the anger of the refugees gets out of control, it will be like a flood and a beast, and it may backfire on us! The court will criticize..."
"Dangerous?" Su Mingli sneered, her eyes contemptuous as if she were looking at an ant. "Those who achieve great things don't care about trivial matters! Yun Zhao, just remember your mission - prove Concubine Zhang's guilt! Find the 'evidence' that she 'murdered' Concubine Wang! The rest is none of your business! Otherwise, you will really die in the palace! This is also what His Majesty meant, isn't it?"
She suddenly turned around with her back to Yun Zhao, her voice cold and resolute: "The three-day deadline is under your watch. Think about your brother Yunfeng. His return to the capital to visit his family... It all depends on your decision. Go away. I am exhausted."
Yun Zhao didn't know how he walked out of the Zhaixing Tower, which was like a devil's cave.
[No! We must not let her succeed! Concubine Zhang's death is not a pity, but if Jingxiang falls into chaos, how many lives will be lost? When war breaks out, countless lives will be lost...]
The night was as dark as ink, and the flickering candlelight in the Yanying Hall reflected Xiao Jin's stern silhouette.
He was deeply immersed in the rosewood dragon throne, his fingertips unconsciously grinding the brocade belt hanging from his waist - a warm white jade should have been hanging there.
Spread out on the desk was an urgent report about the huge number of refugees and starving people in Jingxiang, every word of which was heartbreaking.
This mess is the shackles left to him by the late emperor.
He ascended the throne at the age of eighteen and worked tirelessly day and night, but he could not withstand natural disasters, man-made disasters, an empty treasury, and infighting in the court.
Civil officials were constrained, military generals were declining, and refugees poured into Jingxiang like a tide, becoming a blunt knife hanging at the throat of the empire.
The old story of Yun Guogong's chaos seems particularly ironic at this moment.
The palace door slid open silently, and the dim light outlined Yun Zhao's slender figure.
Xiao Tao, who was serving tea, huddled outside the door, her face pale and her voice trembling, "Sister Yun... Your Majesty... Your Majesty is in a very bad mood. Just now, a young eunuch tripped and was... beaten with twenty sticks and carried away..."
Yun Zhao took the slightly swaying teacup from her hand, his fingertips steady as a rock. "No problem, wait." She stepped into the hall. The flickering candlelight stretched Xiao Jin's figure, sometimes longer, sometimes shorter. The low pressure emanating from the emperor practically solidified, weighing heavily on people's hearts. Yun Zhao held her breath and gently placed the teacup on the corner of the imperial desk. The warm porcelain cup touched the cold red sandalwood, making a subtle sound.
"Your Majesty," she knelt on the cushions, her voice low but clear enough to penetrate the oppressive silence, "I have made some inquiries into Concubine Wang's death."
Xiao Jin finally raised his gaze from the report and fixed it on her. His bottomless eyes were like ripples in a cold pond, and his brows relaxed for a moment, barely perceptible. "Why?"
[Let's be honest. Su Mingli's threat is like a knife hanging over her neck, but the Yun family's daughter doesn't have the word 'fear' in her spine!]
Yun Zhao's mind raced, but her expression grew calmer. "Your Majesty, please issue an immediate decree to strictly suppress the news of the talented Wang's death!" She spoke quickly, her voice filled with undeniable urgency. "The talented Wang was born into a refugee population from Jingxiang! If this news were to leak out and reach Jingxiang, it would be like adding fuel to a fire! The refugees are furious, like a powder keg, all they need is a spark... Your Majesty, this news must not be leaked until a complete solution is found for their safe disposal!"
Xiao Jin stared at her silently, tapping his fingertips twice on the table. Then he suddenly pushed the report on the refugees from Jingxiang in front of Yun Zhao and said, "Look."
Yun Zhao held the book in her hands, her eyes scanning the lines like lightning—refugees swarmed, food supplies dried up, local officials were helpless, every word was a sign of national destruction! Her face suddenly darkened, and her eyes gleamed coldly.
[Zhang Jingzhi, the Minister of War! You are just sitting there doing nothing but eating and drinking. You deserve to be put to death!] Rage surged in his heart, and murderous intent nearly burst out of his chest.
"What do you think?" There was no emotion in Xiao Jin's voice, but it was like a heavy hammer hitting Yun Zhao's heart.
Yun Zhao took a deep breath, met the Emperor's scrutinizing gaze, and said firmly, "Your Majesty, if unforeseen events truly occur in Jingxiang, I, your humble servant, would like to recommend my father, Duke Yun, to lead the troops! He has commanded the capital's army, quelled civil unrest, and defended against northern invaders. He is well versed in the art of war! If Your Majesty trusts me, the Yun family is willing to serve you and the country once again!"
Xiao Jin looked at her deeply, with light and shadow flickering in his eyes. In the end, he just nodded lightly without saying a word.
That silent affirmation is more important than thousands of words.
You could hear a pin drop in the hall, and only the occasional popping of candle wicks.
Yun Zhao lowered his head, anger boiling in his heart: [Some people, standing in the way of the people, truly deserve to die!]
Xiao Jin picked up another memorial, read only two lines, and suddenly spoke, his voice as low as an ice blade breaking through the air: "As for Concubine Su... has it been found out that the murderer is Concubine Zhang?" He asked abruptly, but his eyes were as sharp as a hawk, locking his gaze firmly on Yun Zhao.
[Xiao Jin! You truly have a clear mind!]
Yun Zhao's heart was shaken, and she almost blurted out. She instantly understood that the emperor had already seen through the chess game, and his question was a test, and more importantly, a request for her to clearly state her position!
She lowered her head, her voice clear and resolute, "Yes, Your Majesty! The evidence... points to Concubine Zhang."
She paused, as if exhausting all her strength, and spoke word by word, "I have the audacity to... Minister of War, Lord Zhang... I fear I cannot escape the blame! These pests of the state, if not eradicated, will lead to endless troubles! I will die a thousand times, Your Majesty, for your understanding!"
A trace of extremely cold and sinister light suddenly flashed across Xiao Jin's eyes, as if a crack had appeared in the abyss, and murderous intent filled the air.
He stood up suddenly, and the dark dragon robe brought up a gust of cold wind.
"Return to Zichen Palace." These three words were cold, decisive, and carried a heavy pressure of impending storm.
When he reached the door, he said, "Zhang Fu'an, pass on my command. If anyone in the palace leaks a single word about Concubine Zhang's death, they will have their tongues pulled out and their skin peeled off!"
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