Chapter 66 He'll get his hands on Shen Chu sooner or later
Shen Chu's gaze swept through the crowd before settling on something.
Standing in the middle of a group of women, Chen gave her a smug smile.
Chen Chu couldn't help but rub her fingers together. Chen was the Empress's cousin. It must have been Chen who went to the palace to ask the Empress for help before the Empress came up with this plan that killed two birds with one stone.
He could use her to ruin the Third Prince, thus eliminating a political enemy for the Crown Prince, and he could also use the Third Prince to ruin her, thus removing an obstacle for the Chen family.
With the Empress in the palace, it wasn't difficult to obtain her writings and imitate her handwriting.
There is a ready-made index in the palace.
The plan was good, but no one expected her to jump into the lake.
Now, the Third Prince has turned the tables on him. His earlier tearful complaint was clearly an implication to His Majesty that he and the Empress conspired to frame him.
She is now known as the illegitimate son of the Marquis of Changning, and Chen is the Empress's cousin. The Emperor will definitely suspect that she has become part of the Crown Prince's faction.
Sure enough, as soon as the Third Prince finished speaking, Emperor Longqing's face darkened.
The Third Prince's sobbing continued, "Your Majesty, I went to see Chen Chu on a whim. Why did Your Majesty suddenly come in and assume that I insulted and forced Chen Chu?"
Emperor Longqing looked at Empress Feng with a gloomy expression, seemingly lost in thought.
"Yes, I am also very curious. How did the Empress know that the people in the room were the Third Prince and Shen Chu?"
Could it be that the Empress can predict the future? Or has the Empress and Shen Chu already reached an understanding on this matter?
Empress Feng's expression changed slightly. "Does Your Majesty suspect that I conspired with the Marquis of Changning's household to frame the Third Prince?"
The Longqing Emperor said, "I have no doubts. Now I want to hear what the Empress has to say."
Empress Feng sighed, "I heard that someone was committing adultery here in broad daylight, and I was furious. I was afraid that such a sordid thing would offend Your Majesty's eyes."
That's why I wanted to deal with it quickly before His Majesty arrived. I didn't know that the people inside were the Third Prince and Shen Chu when I went in.
Upon entering, they saw the Third Prince disheveled and then witnessed Chen Chu jumping into the water, which led them to misunderstand the Third Prince.
The Longqing Emperor frowned. "Just a misunderstanding?"
Empress Feng said, "Your Majesty, if I really wanted to frame the Third Prince, I could have found anyone. Why did I have to choose Shen Chu?"
Who in the entire court doesn't know the relationship between the Marquis of Changning's mansion and me? Shen Chu is my cousin, and I'm even hoping he can help the Crown Prince.
Why should I ruin Shen Chu's future with such a scheme?
Emperor Longqing felt that Empress Feng's words made sense.
She really didn't need to ruin Shen Chu's future to frame the Third Prince.
"Then tell me, what exactly happened?"
Empress Feng's eyes flickered slightly. "I don't know either."
She looked at Chen Chu with a troubled expression, "Why would you suddenly think of writing love poems to the Third Prince? Did something happen that made you misunderstand?"
Shen Chu understood that Empress Feng was implying that she should take this opportunity to frame the Third Prince.
She pursed her lips and shook her head, saying, "I have only been in the capital for a little over two months and have never had any private dealings with the Third Prince, nor have I written any love poems with him, so there is no misunderstanding."
Empress Feng's face immediately darkened. "You child, I asked you a few questions out of kindness, and you don't know what's good for you. I really misjudged you. I never thought you would be such a lecherous and shameless person."
Seeing that the plan had failed, he simply blamed everything on Shen Chu.
Although the Third Prince was unwilling to accept that his plan to turn the tables had failed, seeing Empress Feng's hint to Shen Chu to falsely accuse him, he quickly took out more than a dozen pieces of flowered paper from his bosom and handed them to Emperor Longqing.
“Every word I have said is true. Father, please look. These are all love poems that Shen Chu wrote for me. I originally intended to return them to him.”
As he spoke, he turned and gave Chen Chu a sinister smile.
Since turning the tables was ineffective, they might as well confirm Shen Chu's guilt in seducing him.
As long as his father dismisses Shen Chu from his post, he will be able to get his hands on Shen Chu sooner or later.
Emperor Longqing glanced at the letter with a stern face, then frowned and looked at Shen Chu: "Shen Chu, tell me what's going on with these love poems?"
Shen Chu knelt on the ground, her voice calm: "These love poems were not written by me."
"The letter is here; what excuses do you have?"
A dozen or so sheets of paper hit Shen Chu on the head, then scattered in the air and drifted slowly to the ground.
Emperor Longqing was both angry and anxious. "This is all your handwriting. I saw that you were full of poetry and literature and had great talent. I appointed you as the top scholar and as an imperial censor, not so that you could seduce my son."
These words were practically tantamount to condemning Shen Chu outright.
For a moment, everyone in the pavilion looked at Chen Chu with a strange expression.
"Could it be that Lord Shen is actually gay?"
"When he was parading through the streets on horseback, so many girls threw silk handkerchiefs at him, but he didn't react at all. Maybe he really does have some special fetish."
"Tsk, how dare they covet the Third Prince? They've got some nerve."
"She even uses fancy paper. Chen Chu is really too girly."
Shen Chu lowered her eyes, her gaze falling on the flower-patterned stationery that had fallen to her feet. She slowly picked one up and twirled it.
It reads: "My heart goes unnoticed, but my feelings come uncontrollably."
The handwriting is bold and vigorous, revealing a strong character; at first glance, it is indeed her handwriting.
She raised her head, her back ramrod straight. "At first glance, the handwriting on this does indeed look very similar to my own, but it is definitely not written by me. I beg Your Majesty to see the truth."
Emperor Longqing: "Are you saying someone imitated your handwriting to frame you? Who is it?"
Shen Chu lowered his eyes, "I do not know, but this stationery is of the finest quality, with a faint image of maids washing flowers, understated yet elegant."
Your Majesty, I usually only use ordinary Xuan paper and have never used Huanhua paper. Your Majesty can have someone inquire with the servants of the Marquis's residence; the answer will be clear immediately.
Emperor Longqing looked at Marquis Changning.
Marquis Changning immediately knelt down, "Your Majesty, my household has never purchased Huanhua paper, only the finest Xuan paper."
The Third Prince scoffed, "It's just Huanhua paper, not some expensive kind of paper. You can buy it anywhere."
The Marquis didn't follow Shen Chu every day, so how could he know that Shen Chu hadn't secretly had someone buy Huanhua stationery?
Marquis Changning could not refute it.
A smile appeared in Chen's eyes; if there hadn't been so many people around, she would have laughed out loud.
The Empress obtained Shen Chu's handwriting, and Chen brought the Huanhua stationery into the palace. She had someone imitate Shen Chu's handwriting and then sent a servant from the Marquis of Changning's residence to deliver it to the Third Prince in Shen Chu's name.
The reason for specifically choosing Huanhua stationery is that it is so common that its origin is impossible to trace.
She and her cousin, the Empress, had originally planned a dual strategy. If things went well, it would be best if both the Third Prince and Shen Chu were destroyed.
If the plan fails, blame it all on Shen Chu and let Shen Chu appease His Majesty's anger.
Today we must make His Majesty furious with Shen Chu; it would be best if he were dismissed from his post and beaten to death.
Chen gave a wink.
A servant in the crowd knelt down far away, trembling, "Your Majesty, spare me! Lord Marquis, spare me! These stationery letters were forced upon me by the eldest son to be delivered to the third prince."
The crowd erupted in uproar.
Marquis Changning was furious and kicked Shen Chu hard.
"You unfilial son, have you lost your mind? How dare you write such erotic poems to insult the Third Prince? Why don't you kowtow and apologize to the Third Prince right now?"
Shen Chu's attention was focused on Hua Jian, and she was caught off guard, receiving a heavy kick from Marquis Changning in the back.
She straightened up, supporting herself on the ground, and looked coldly at Marquis Changning.
"His Majesty is willing to listen to his son's explanation, yet his father is so quick to label him as a homosexual and shameless?"
Marquis Changning's face turned ashen. "The evidence is overwhelming, what more do you want to say?"
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