This was something he hadn't expected.
Of course, from then on, the General's Mansion and the Prince Xian's Mansion would truly lose all contact and interaction.
"Son...son..." Yuwen Xian seemed lost. After speaking for a long time, he finally had no choice but to kneel down and bow his head. "Son thanks Father for his great kindness."
"As for you..." The Emperor glanced at Xie Lingyu, who was slumped on the ground, but then looked away and turned to General Xie. "Rest assured, my dear minister, I will find your true daughter for you."
"Your Majesty, I thank you greatly." General Xie immediately kowtowed in gratitude.
"Then Your Majesty, who do you intend to entrust with this matter?" The Empress always spoke at the most opportune moment, without causing the Emperor the slightest displeasure.
"Xie Lingqin, I suppose." The Emperor pointed, showing no disrespect for the Empress, but also no affection for her.
"Xie Lingqin?" General Xie looked puzzled. "Does His Majesty intend for Xie Lingqin to come and find my second daughter?"
The Emperor nodded, his eyes as deep as the sea. "Thank you, my dear minister. Since things have come to this point, I shall announce it as soon as possible."
Announcement?
Inside the council hall, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment, and even the guards and eunuchs held their breath.
Of course, except for Xie Lingqin.
She already guessed what the emperor was going to do.
"In recent days, too many things have happened in the General's Mansion. Previously, the Prefect of the Capital also reported that someone had secretly sent a letter saying that the death of the former second concubine of the General's Mansion, Xiao, was related to the eldest daughter of the General's Mansion, Xie Lingqin. However, although the letter seemed very convincing, upon closer inspection, there were quite a few loopholes."
The Emperor, having finished speaking, glanced around the hall. "I believe Xie Lingqin is definitely not involved in this matter, and I also think she is quite capable. I also believe that a daughter with such abilities cannot be far behind, so..."
The Emperor's two words, "neither too light nor too heavy," immediately piqued everyone's interest.
The Emperor, hands clasped behind his back, raised his head, a wry smile playing on his lips. "Therefore, I decree that Xie Lingqin be entrusted with investigating the death of the Second Concubine, Xiao, in front of the General's residence, as well as the body of the maidservant found at the gate. Everyone must agree to all requests. And today, General Xie's search for his daughter will also be entrusted to Xie Lingqin. I trust her; she will certainly accomplish it well. I have already spoken to Xie Lingqin about this in the Imperial Study beforehand." The Emperor finished speaking, his expression softening as he looked at Xie Lingqin. "Xie Lingqin, do you have confidence?"
Although Xie Lingqin felt a mix of emotions, she showed joy at being valued by the Emperor. She stepped forward gracefully, curtsied, and said, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your trust. I will do my utmost and will not fail you."
Not to mention that there have been very few women in power who investigated cases throughout history, let alone the supreme honor that the emperor suddenly bestowed upon them.
This news was even more surprising than the fact that the Prince Xian slept with a female demon, or that the General's daughter wasn't actually from the General's family.
Apart from the Empress, Consort Lan and Yuwen Xian exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes.
No wonder the Emperor transferred three years' worth of his salary to Xie Lingqin; he was actually planning to give her an important position.
I told her before, but he didn't know. Could it be that it was when he ordered people to capture her?
Qingyi has not shown up yet, and we don't know where he went.
At the head of the table, the Emperor waved his hand to signal Xie Lingqin to dispense with the formalities, and then said, "Xie Lingqin, since you have entrusted the matter of finding your sister to me, then this little kitten impersonating Xie Lingqin, and this man named Xiao, are all yours to deal with."
What?
Xie Lingyu, who had been in a state of utter despair, suddenly awoke. She looked up and met Xie Lingqin's cold and indifferent gaze. She immediately shook her head, looked at the Emperor, and desperately refused, "No, Your Majesty, I don't want to, I don't want to! Xie Lingqin will kill me. I hurt her like that before."
"Yes, I intend to hand you over to her. You have bullied her for so many years, scheming and plotting. If she kills you, I will praise her greatly. General Xie will probably even help her."
The Emperor clearly favored Xie Lingqin, and General Xie blushed with obvious shame upon hearing the Emperor's last words.
For so many years, to allow an imposter to humiliate his legitimate daughter is indeed a huge embarrassment.
Afterwards, the Emperor glanced around and left the council hall with Eunuch Ni.
The tall, imposing figure cast an ever-longer shadow in the sunlight until it disappeared from sight.
"Consort Lan, shall I have someone escort you and Prince Xian back, or would you like to speak with Prince Xian a little longer?" The Empress then slowly rose to her feet.
Consort Lan met the Emperor's eternally gentle and dignified face, which remained unmoved and unchanged even after so many years of fighting in the harem. Suddenly, she gave a cold laugh.
Her delicate brows furrowed, sorrow filled her heart, and a cold smile shimmered within her. "Today, I have made a fool of myself in front of the Empress. It was truly my fault as the younger sister. From now on, I will definitely discipline my son properly, and he will be careful with his words and actions, so that I will not make a fool of myself in front of the Empress again."
The Empress seemed oblivious to the sarcasm in her words. Instead, she remained dignified and composed, lightly nodding her chin. "I am delighted that Consort Lan has come to this realization. I believe His Majesty is also pleased. You need not be sad. Although you have made mistakes in raising your son, His Majesty's love for you and for Prince Xian still remains."
An elegant, noble, kind, and gentle emperor, and a bright, domineering, and aloof imperial concubine.
Their back-and-forth banter and their quick wit are truly impressive.
Consort Lan has already been defeated to this point. Even though she is unwilling, she knows when to stop. This mental strength is beyond the reach of ordinary people.
"Then thank you very much, sister. I will go back to the palace to reflect on my mistakes. Xian'er..." Consort Lan said, then looked at Yuwen Xian, "Go back to the manor. Don't do anything wrong again, and don't make Father Emperor angry again."
Yuwen Xian looked at Consort Lan, and no matter how much resentment he felt, he finally managed to hide it at Consort Lan's prompting. He raised his hand and said, "Son, I understand."
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