Plan 73
◎You think you can use me, Xiao Jiu, to shield your daughter from harm? Not a chance!◎
"The Second Princess has indeed worked hard." The Empress looked at her with disdain: "Go back and get some rest. However, all the palace servants who serve the Second Princess shall remain."
The second princess could barely stand, and she cast a pleading look at Madam Guo.
Madam Guo knew that the Empress would not let this opportunity pass and would punish the mother and daughter. She gave a look to Aunt Zhong behind her, and Aunt Zhong nodded slightly.
Madam Guo stepped in front of her daughter, saying, "Your Majesty, you may investigate however you wish, but if the palace servants are detained, who will take care of Rong'er?" She steadied her daughter with one hand and then glanced at the eldest princess standing beside Sima Hong. "Besides, the eldest princess was also involved in today's events. If an investigation is to be conducted, shouldn't the eldest princess's people also be investigated?"
"Hehe," the Empress laughed. "Consort Guo, you are so eloquent. However, the investigation hasn't even started yet. How can you be so sure that you will find something? Your eagerness makes me quite curious."
With her mother's support, the second princess leaned on Madam Guo's shoulder, looking at the Empress with tears welling up in her eyes, "Your Majesty, I know that my eldest sister is your biological daughter, but you can't just protect her like this..."
Before the second princess could finish speaking, she buried her head in her mother's arms, looking as if she had suffered a great injustice. If someone who didn't know the situation saw this, they would definitely think that the Empress was abusing her power and trying to frame Madam Guo and the second princess in order to protect her own daughter.
Madam Guo took out a handkerchief and wiped her daughter's tears. "I know that Her Majesty the Empress has always regarded us three as thorns in her side, but sister, I have always respected you. Even if you are dissatisfied with His Majesty's favor towards me, you can't just throw all the dirt on us three!"
For a moment, Madam Guo and her daughter embraced and wept. Madam Guo was frail, and when she cried, her tears streamed down her face, her voice mournful and plaintive. The second princess choked back sobs as she held Madam Guo, saying, "Mother, don't cry. We... we'll go to Father and ask him to stand up for us."
Qi Gu watched as the mother and daughter cried so spontaneously and in such perfect unison, it was truly a spectacle. They were merely questioning the palace servants according to the rules, but the way the mother and daughter acted made it seem as if the Empress Dowager was coercing them. Even if the Second Princess's people were arrested and interrogated, whatever the outcome, it would only be that the Empress Dowager was resentful of Lady Guo's favor and deliberately framed her.
The Empress, perhaps numb from seeing so much over the years, remained unmoved. "According to Consort Guo and the Second Princess's wishes, I, as the head of the palace, am not even allowed to investigate? If I were to investigate, it would be as if I were protecting my own daughter?"
Madam Guo turned slightly, a smug smile playing on her lips where no one could see. She quickly suppressed the smile and looked at the Empress. "Your Majesty's impartiality is known to everyone in the palace, and naturally, I trust you. However, the Second Princess was only acting out of sisterly affection, escorting her drunken sister back to the palace. The Ninth Princess, drunk, ran back to the palace on her own, causing Rong'er a great deal of trouble. What does this have to do with her? Even if she was wrong, it was because she wasn't calm enough and failed to stop the Ninth Princess from her drunken rampage!"
"Shut up! Madam Guo, you still want to pin the blame on my daughter! Do you think I, Zhao Fu, am dead?!" Madam Guo was trying to extricate herself and her daughter from today's events by dragging Xiang'er down with her, but Zhao Ji would never allow that.
Madam Guo said aggrievedly, "Sister Zhao, I didn't want to make a big deal out of this, but Her Majesty the Empress insisted. I had no choice. If Xiao Jiu hadn't been drunk, how could so much trouble have happened?"
Lady Zhao's family didn't have much influence in the court, so Lady Guo wasn't afraid of her.
Lady Zhao's family originally belonged to a general's family in the previous dynasty, who were horse grooms. The emperor took a liking to the dozens of horses that the groom was guarding, and also saw that Lady Zhao was beautiful. So the groom, along with the horses and his daughter, presented them to the emperor.
After the emperor unified the country, he rewarded those who had contributed to the country. Her father was granted the title of Grand Master of Ceremonies, and her brother is now serving as the Cavalry Commander in the Court of Imperial Stud.
When Lady Zhao was young, she rode horses and practiced martial arts with her brother. She had a fiery temper and would crack a whip at the slightest provocation. If she hadn't entered the palace and tempered her temper, she would have immediately drawn her whip and given that shameless Lady Guo a lash.
"Guo Yuan, what are you up to? Do you think everyone knows? You want to use me, Xiao Jiu, to shield your daughter from harm? No way!"
Zhao Ji seemed to have returned to the time when she was still the daughter of a stable boy, picking out the most offensive words to curse: "A filthy slut with a belly full of male thieves and female prostitutes, yet she pretends to be soft and begging, just like a dog! Trying to win His Majesty's favor, listen to that barking, ugh! How disgusting!"
Madam Zhao, behaving like a shrew from the streets, hurled her grievances without restraint. Before the Guo family prospered thanks to Madam Guo, they were already considered wealthy, but they had never been as unrestrained as Madam Zhao.
If Madam Zhao's words were spoken on the streets of the capital, the onlookers would love to watch. But this was in the palace, and the one being scolded was a favored concubine. For a moment, the palace servants wished they could cover their ears and lower their heads to the ground.
Madam Guo's face turned ashen and humiliated. How despicable! Even back when she was outside the palace, she had never suffered such a humiliation. Yet now she was being scorned like this by a woman who was not as favored as herself.
Madam Guo stood up, trembling all over, not knowing how to retort and regain her lost face.
Qi Gu resisted the urge to applaud and cheer for Madam Zhao, and secretly cast an admiring glance at Madam Zhao. Her cursing manner was truly reminiscent of Granny Wu from Li Family Village back in the day.
Back then, she and Gouwa climbed over the wall to steal pears from Aunt Wu's house. When Aunt Wu discovered them, Gouwa tripped over a stone and fell flat on his face while trying to escape. Aunt Wu grabbed him by the ear and scolded him from one end of the village to the other. Meanwhile, she, who had run away, watched with pity as Gouwa was being dragged by the ear and grimaced.
Thinking of what happened in Lijia Village, Qi Gu couldn't help but burst out laughing amidst the tense atmosphere.
Startled by the shrill laughter, Madam Guo snapped back to reality. Just then, the figure outside the door made her straighten up; she had finally found her greatest ally!
"Waaaah... Sister Zhao, you have insulted me like this today! The Second Princess was only trying to help the Ninth Princess out of kindness, out of consideration for sisterly affection, but you have slandered her so much, causing Her Majesty the Empress to misunderstand her. I... I will not live today, but I will seek justice for my daughter!"
"What are you doing here, making such a racket and crying?!"
Everyone turned around and saw that it was the emperor who walked in from outside the door, accompanied by Zhang and his son, Wei Xin, Prince Yi, and a group of others.
As soon as the Emperor entered, Lady Guo rushed into his arms without a second thought, her face streaked with tears. "Your Majesty," she cried, "you must do justice for me and Rong'er! I... I will die today to protect our daughter! Waaaaah!"
Lady Guo spoke unclearly and before she could finish, she burst into tears in the Emperor's arms, completely disregarding the fact that there were other people present besides the Emperor.
For a moment, Zhang Tian, Wei Xin, and the Prince of Yi all turned their gazes toward the emperor, who was holding a beauty in his arms.
Wei Xin, in particular, couldn't hide the mockery in his eyes. No, he didn't intend to hide it at all. His sarcastic smile clearly said: Your Majesty, your harem is on fire, and it was set on fire by three women together.
Chu Pei coughed a few times and grasped Madam Guo's shoulders with both hands. "My dear concubine, what's wrong?"
"emperor……"
The Empress stepped forward, her voice authoritative without being angry, "I never expected such a small matter to alarm His Majesty." She then addressed Wei Xin and the others behind her, "I apologize for making you all laugh. It's all my fault. I intended to handle this privately, but I never expected it to escalate so badly."
She abandoned her previous nonchalant attitude, her face turning cold and stern, her gaze towards Madam Guo sharpening. "I originally intended to save face for you and your daughter, but Madam Guo, you insisted on making a big scene, even alarming the Emperor. Now, even if I wanted to downplay the matter, I'm afraid it's impossible."
Lady Guo boasted that she had the Emperor's backing, and besides, the Ninth Princess was unharmed. She pouted with grievance, and even though she was a woman in her forties, she still evoked the Emperor's pity.
"Since that's the case, I have no choice but to expose our family scandals today. Everyone here is a brother who followed His Majesty in conquering the world, so they are not outsiders. My elder brother is also family." The Empress then said to Sima Hong, "As for Xiuyuan, he is also a victim today, and I should give you an explanation."
The second princess lowered her head, her eyes were deep and mysterious, the corners of her mouth were slightly raised, and her eyes were sparkling with excitement. If she didn't make a big scene today, how could she ensure that Chu Qigu would never be able to marry Xiuyuan?
"Bring a seat!" The Empress ordered people to bring chairs, and in an instant, the secluded palace was brightly lit.
Seeing the Empress's interrogation-like demeanor, Madam Guo said, "Is Your Majesty treating Rong'er and me like criminals?"
"Why are you in such a hurry, Consort Guo? If you haven't committed any crime, how could you be a criminal? If you have, why are you obstructing me in every way? Are you feeling guilty? Otherwise, why are you stopping me from investigating again and again?"
The Empress's gaze gently fell on the Emperor. "Or is it that Your Majesty intends to protect Consort Guo even if she has violated the laws of the country and the rules of the palace?"
Chu Pei felt a lump in his throat when his wife looked at him like that. The Empress was the head of the palace, and besides, his brother-in-law was right there. Even if he wanted to, he wouldn't have the guts.
"You, Empress, are fully responsible for matters concerning the harem," Emperor Jin Yuan said awkwardly.
The second princess's hands clenched tightly involuntarily. Her plan was unfolding step by step, and this was the very opportunity she had been waiting for...
The Empress withdrew her gaze and looked at Madam Guo. "Since that's the case, Madam Guo, you just said that others have wronged you and the Second Princess. In order to silence these gossips, I will make you admit your guilt."
"Bring them up here," the Empress said.
Outside the door, a maidservant escorted Honghu and the eunuch who had just been knocked unconscious by Atai into the room.
Fuming brought out a basin of water from somewhere and poured it all over the face of the unconscious eunuch.
"Ah!" The eunuch was awakened by the water. When he opened his eyes, he saw a room full of people, with the emperor and empress sitting above him. He was so frightened that he wished he could be knocked unconscious again.
Unfortunately, he can't faint now, even if he wants to.
"You two, tell me, what were you supposed to do today, and who ordered you to do it?"
Bang! Bang! Bang! The young eunuch was so frightened that he kowtowed repeatedly until his head bled. If he hadn't been blinded by those fifty taels of gold, how could he have...
"Aren't you going to talk? Do you know you only have one life, but there are more than a dozen lives in your family!" The Empress's words were casual, but to the young eunuch, they sounded like the Grim Reaper demanding his life.
He knew he could no longer hide it. "I...I dare not do it again! Please, Your Majesty, spare my family! It was all the Ninth Princess who made me bring Sima Langjun here to change clothes! I dare not do it again! Please, Your Majesty, spare my life!"
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