Chapter 104 The Truth Comes to Light
Consort Tan raised a brow with her phoenix eyes slightly. "That is indeed a good way to cover things up, but it's rare for Prince Xie to pledge allegiance to us. How will you explain this to him?"
Pei Shaoqin's eyes flashed with a hint of interest, "A woman's world revolves around her husband's family. Whether she marries into the Prince Rui's mansion or the Marquis of Dingyuan's household, she must be one of us, otherwise..."
He could only ruthlessly destroy the disobedient "lucky person".
"Furthermore, since the Xie and Dou families have already broken off their engagement, it is almost impossible to force them to reunite under the Qin family name through normal means. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures."
Consort Tan naturally understood his deeper meaning and nodded, "My son is indeed very thoughtful, but this matter still requires a clever approach."
Pei Shaoqin took a sip of tea and smiled, "Mother, didn't you say his headache would make him increasingly bloodthirsty and cruel? Has anyone died in the Eastern Palace recently?"
The topic shifted abruptly, and Consort Tan immediately understood, her eyes widening in surprise. "Since Steward Sun's incident, no one has died. Do you suspect that Pei Siyan secretly cured the poison? Impossible. That's the most rare and deadly poison in the world. Doctor Ge is already dead. How could he possibly cure it?"
Previously, they all thought that Pei Siyan, the short-lived crown prince, was not worth mentioning, and that the position of crown prince was already in their grasp. But in the last two years, Pei Shaoqin has clearly felt that the favorable situation has quietly changed.
Pei Shaoqin shook his head and said gently, "Mother, I'm afraid the people from the Imperial Hospital can't be trusted. Pei Siyan is not to be underestimated; he may have had some extraordinary encounter. We must be on guard."
Consort Tan frowned slightly. She naturally noticed that Pei Siyan's behavior was somewhat strange. It was the same when he left the palace. Even though he had fallen for the trap, he was still able to get Dou Mingyan into bed to clear his name. It was as if he had anticipated their plan!
What exactly went wrong?
Thinking about this, Consort Tan wondered if it was really as her son said, that Dou Wenyi was the one plotting behind the scenes.
...It seems she still needs to find an opportunity to test the waters!
——
In the following days, the palace remained calm and peaceful, and no shocking events were reported.
Dou Wenyi finally breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the power struggle between Consort Zhang and Consort Tan hadn't caused much of a stir. However, she had a vague feeling that undercurrents were lurking beneath the calm surface, and that a storm might break out at any moment.
Dou Wenyi felt inexplicably uneasy, so she picked up her pen and wrote a letter to Shen Yanzhou, asking him to keep an eye on important events in the court.
Two days later, she received his reply. She eagerly tore open the envelope, and a government gazette fell out from the exquisite envelope.
She lowered her eyes and looked closely. It said that He Yun, an assistant director of the Ministry of Revenue, had been arrested and imprisoned. Officials in the Ministry of Revenue had real power, and their duties involved not only various miscellaneous taxes, but even the coordination of military supplies had to go through the Ministry of Revenue.
Dou Wenlian stared at He Yun's name, feeling that it looked familiar. Suddenly, she remembered that He Yun was Zhang Chengxian's uncle, and his position was naturally recommended by Zhang Chengxian's father!
In his previous life, the Zhang family was implicated and their entire household was raided because of his accusations of selling official positions and embezzling military supplies.
So, has what was bound to happen come again this time?
In that instant, her heart sank to the bottom.
Dou Wenyi's expression changed several times before she made a quick decision: "Cuizhi, go and get me the 'Imperial Garden Jade Sprout' that the Crown Prince bestowed upon me recently. I'm going to visit the Zhang family."
Cuizhi was taken aback. That Imperial Jade Bud Tea was a top-grade tribute tea for the emperor. Ah, why would the young lady just give it away like that?
However, she had no right to interfere in her master's affairs, so she quickly took out the tea leaves and placed them in an exquisite gift box.
Dou Wenyi rushed straight to the Zhang family's house.
When Madam He heard that Dou Wenyi had come to visit her so abruptly, she was preoccupied with the matter of her brother being imprisoned. She tried to politely refuse her entry.
The gatekeeper brought in the gift box, his voice filled with apprehension, "Madam, Miss Dou says this tea is extremely rare. Please, for the sake of the tea, grant me a meeting with her."
Frustrated, Madam He impatiently opened the gift box, only to find 'Imperial Garden Jade Sprouts' inside. She froze instantly.
The reason is simple: this is a precious gift from the palace, luxurious and valuable, worth a fortune. There are no more like it in the entire Tianning City. Last time she visited Consort Zhang at Jingren Palace, she had the good fortune to taste a few bites.
Why would Consort Zhang give Dou such a gift at this time of year?
No, at that time, Consort Zhang even smiled and told her that she didn't have this good tea anymore, and if she wanted to drink it next time, she would have to ask His Highness the Crown Prince for some!
So, did Dou Wenyi come on behalf of His Highness the Crown Prince?
Madam He looked serious and quickly ordered someone to welcome her into the main hall. "Miss Dou, it's not that I wanted to neglect you, but something has happened at home. There's a reason for it, so I hope you won't take it to heart."
Dou Wenyi glanced around discreetly, then smiled slightly. "I've come precisely for this matter, Madam He. Please, let's speak in private."
Madam He raised her hand to dismiss the servants, "Fourth Miss, please speak freely."
Dou Wenyi's smile faded, and her tone turned slightly cold. "Madam He, are you trying to send a petition to the palace to have Consort Zhang intervene and get people out of trouble? The people behind this are Consort Tan and Prince Rui. I'm afraid Consort Zhang is powerless to help."
"You prioritized brotherly love and did everything you could to rescue He Yun, but did you ever consider that one day he might turn around and bite the hand that feeds him in order to escape punishment?"
Hearing this, Madam He felt a chill run down her spine, her face filled with rage. "No, impossible! My brother would never be so ungrateful!"
"I'm not exaggerating, but Prince Rui's actions were aimed at the Zhang family. People's hearts are unpredictable. He was driven to a dead end, and in order to escape punishment and save his life, he would do anything against his conscience."
Anger is anger, hatred is hatred.
Madam He's hands and feet were ice-cold. Her mind raced back to all the things that had happened between He Yun and her family. In the end, she didn't dare to risk the entire Zhang family. "Am I just supposed to stand by and watch my brother die?"
Dou Wenyi's expression turned slightly cold, and she narrowed her eyes. "Corruption of military supplies is a serious crime, but your brother is only an assistant director in the Ministry of Revenue. His authority is limited. Even if he misappropriated the funds, it's not his sole responsibility. He doesn't deserve to die, but this is a matter of factional strife!"
"He dares not betray the powerful clans, so he can only harm you. The emperor already wanted to strike at the crown prince, so this is the only way to make an example of him!"
In his previous life, he betrayed his country at the last minute, catching the Zhang family, who were actively searching for evidence and trying to rescue him, off guard. It was precisely because of his confession that the Zhang family was convicted.
"Hesitation will only lead to chaos. Madam, you must first protect the Zhang family. Make plans for their shops, savings, and other assets as soon as possible. Also, send young master Cheng'an away from Tianningcheng as soon as possible!"
Madam He's face fell, her lips trembling. "Is it that serious? Is this His Highness's intention?"
Dou Wenyi paused for a moment, then nodded. She was of low status, so she could only make her words more convincing by placing all the blame on Pei Siyan.
One night, as dusk deepened, the sound of the wind, mixed with the clatter of horses' hooves and bursts of sharp cries, drifted into Yilan Courtyard.
The maids and servants were so frightened that their faces turned pale and their legs went weak. The bravest servant peeked out from the side gate and hurriedly reported, "The Zhang family is surrounded by the Imperial Guards, and the Zhang family patriarch has been taken away."
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