Chapter 18: Failed to pretend to faint

Xia Zhengqi turned to the Empress Dowager and said in a sonorous voice: "Mother, I think it is inappropriate to let this matter go without saying anything."

"I understand that you regard the Jiang family's reputation as your life. But now the facts are in front of you. The royal family and the ministers in the court have all seen it. How can it be covered up casually? Do I have to issue an edict to forbid everyone to talk about Jiang Zhichang's scandal?"

"Things have come to this point. If you really care about the reputation of the Jiang family, you might as well show a proper attitude, investigate thoroughly, get to the bottom of it, and reveal the truth to everyone. Jiang Zhichang will receive the punishment according to his own mistakes."

"Only by doing so can we convince the public, show the strict family tradition of the Jiang family, and maintain the reputation of the Jiang family."

After saying this, Xia Zhengqi bowed to the Empress Dowager with a firm gaze.

[The Emperor Daddy is so powerful! Oh my God, I suddenly admire the Emperor Daddy so much! ]

[That's not right, doesn't the book say that Daddy is most afraid of the Empress Dowager's plea? Is the plot broken? ]

Xia Miaoyuan sucked her fingers and complained secretly.

"You... now you don't even care about your mother!?" The Empress Dowager held her forehead with her hand, with a look of pain on her face, and fell crookedly on Concubine Jiang.

"Oh no, the Empress Dowager fainted!" Concubine Jiang screamed in surprise.

"Your Majesty, please stop forcing me. Mother is so angry that she fainted!" Concubine Jiang raised her eyes and looked at Xia Zhengqi pitifully.

[Hahaha, you can't just pretend to faint just to convince your son! Wow, isn't this too old-fashioned? Old woman, can't you come up with something new? ]

[Look at your eldest niece, she cooperates with you so well. It seems that you two must have cooperated a lot. Tsk tsk tsk. ]

Xia Miaoyuan grinned in the empress's arms.

When the empress heard this, she also laughed secretly in her heart, thinking that this little guy knows a lot.

At first, when Xia Zhengqi saw the empress dowager fainted, he felt a little soft-hearted, but after hearing his daughter's voice, he immediately came to his senses.

Thinking back, it was true that the Empress Dowager had fainted in front of him many times before, and almost every time it was Concubine Jiang Gui who was crying beside her.

Every time the Empress Dowager fainted, Xia Zhengqi felt very guilty. Not only would he unconditionally agree to the Empress Dowager's request, but he would also feel sorry for her for a long time.

It was also really strange that the Empress Dowager fainted every time. She fainted quickly and woke up quickly. As long as Xia Zhengqi knelt in front of the bed and cried and agreed to the Empress Dowager's request, she would wake up immediately.

Wow, it turned out that she was pretending to faint!

Thinking of this, Xia Zhengqi clenched his fists in anger, glanced at the Queen Mother, and said in a deep voice: "The Queen Mother faints easily when she is excited. This is an old problem. She will wake up soon after fainting. Come on, carry the Queen Mother back to Shoukang Palace and ask two doctors to take a look."

Several eunuchs came forward and carried the Queen Mother out in a sedan chair.

The crowd watching the excitement outside the courtyard immediately parted a path to make way for the Queen Mother.

Everyone looked at the Queen Mother who was carried away, and talked about it.

"Oh, the Empress Dowager is so angry that she fainted!"

"The one who did the dirty thing is her own nephew, how could she not faint?"

"The Empress Dowager is always polite and upright, how could her own nephew behave like this?" The Empress Dowager

lay on the sedan chair with her eyes closed, listening to the guests' discussions, her teeth clenched in anger.

Concubine Jiang knelt on the ground, staring at the emperor with her mouth open.

The emperor was like this today, which was really incomprehensible.

Why didn't he take any soft or hard

tactics? Is this still the emperor who is easy to manipulate?

"What's going on? Tell the truth, and don't hide a word!" Xia Zhengqi said to Jiang Zhichang in a deep voice.

"Brother-in-law, I was really just drunk and confused... Your Majesty, please have mercy!" Jiang Zhichang cried.

"Your Majesty, please have mercy! Please forgive my third brother for being a first-time offender. After all, it's all because of his alcoholism. From today on, I will strictly discipline him and make him drink less!" Concubine Jiang grabbed the corner of Xia Zhengqi's robe and cried.

[First-time offender? Are you kidding me here, my treacherous concubine? How many maids in your palace have not been touched by him? ]

[Humph, teasing and molesting are commonplace. Even if he dragged her into the house and took her body, as long as she is not pregnant, you pretended not to see it. 】

【Even if she gets pregnant accidentally, if she is weak and can be bullied, you can force her to drink a bowl of abortion pills; if she is stubborn and difficult to control, you can send your confidant to strangle her with a rope and throw her into a dry well in a deserted garden. 】

【Jiang Qiqiu, you have done too many evil things! 】

The queen was just watching the show, but when she heard her daughter telling her about the evil deeds of Jiang Zhiyuan and Concubine Jiang to the palace maids, she was shocked and angry, and cold sweats broke out. When

Xia Zhengqi heard this, veins on his forehead jumped.

After calming down, he asked again: "Jiang Zhiyuan, tell me the truth, except for what happened today, have you ever done evil things to rob women?!"

"I...no, no...no, today is my first offense..." Jiang Zhiyuan hesitated.

"Ying Chen! Gather 10 secret guards. You are responsible for interrogating Jiang Zhichang on the spot. If he is not honest, you can use the same tactics on him as you would on a stubborn prisoner."

"Debao, go and mobilize 10 eunuchs and a few maids with experience in delivering babies. Gather all the maids in Jinxiu Palace immediately. Gather a few more maids with experience in delivering babies. Check the bodies of these maids one by one and interrogate them one by one. Take the maid on the bed away for interrogation as well." Xia Zhengqi ordered with a dark face.

Ying Chen and Debao took orders and left.

Concubine Jiang's hand that was holding the corner of her dragon robe loosened instantly and she fell limply to the ground.

[Whoa! The Emperor is getting up! 】

【This princess is proud of you, long live daddy! 】

After hearing Xia Zhengqi's decision, Xia Miaoyuan also excitedly grabbed her feet and screamed.

Xia Zhengqi calmed down, shook his robes, and tried to soften his gloomy expression. Then he turned to the outside of the courtyard and said: "Dear guests, I am really sorry that there was a small incident at the little princess's full moon banquet today."

"Dear guests, please calm down and return to the main hall to continue enjoying the palace banquet."

"As for Jiang Zhichang, please rest assured. Later, when the truth is revealed, I will deal with him impartially in front of everyone."

"Your Majesty is wise!"

"Oh my, you are so strict with your brother-in-law. Your Majesty is admirable."

"Wait and see how Your Majesty will deal with that guy."

As soon as Xia Zhengqi finished speaking, the people outside the courtyard started talking about it.