Soon, Cen Xiao and Yang Cui were summoned.
"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty and Your Majesty."
Neither the Emperor nor the Empress told them to get up, so Cen Yang and his companion had no choice but to continue kneeling.
After a long while, the Emperor slowly spoke: "Yang, do you know your mistake?"
Yang Cui was taken aback, then respectfully said, "This humble woman does not know, please enlighten me, Your Majesty."
"Hmph!" The Emperor snorted coldly, slamming his teacup heavily on the table. "The old general is your godfather and your elder. You actually made him vomit blood and forced him to kneel in front of your mansion. Do you think you deserve that? You still don't know where you went wrong!"
"emperor……"
"Shut up!" Cen Xiao was interrupted by the Emperor's stern voice before he could even open his mouth. "I haven't even said anything to you yet!"
“Your Majesty, firstly, it was not I who made him kneel, and secondly, it was not I who angered him to the point of vomiting blood. My godfather vomited blood after he learned of what Qiu Mingxuan had done, so it should be Qiu Mingxuan who angered him to the point of vomiting blood.”
"Yang, you're still alive and well, but my daughter is about to die! She's about to die, do you know that?" Qiu Tianyun roared hysterically, "Even if she did something to you, you're still alive and well!"
"General Qiu, what you're saying is ridiculous. Just because I'm not dead, does that mean she's innocent? Just because I'm not dead, does that mean I should forgive her? Should I ignore everything she did to me?"
She thinks she's right to harm me? Does she deserve to kill me? I shouldn't have been soft-hearted and covered up her crimes, thinking I could save you some face and prevent you from being branded a bad parent at your age. And now I'm the one who did something wrong.
I'll go to the Prefect of the Capital right now to beat the drum and appeal for justice, handing over all the evidence and witnesses to him. I want to see if there's any place in this world where justice prevails! I'll let the people judge! I want to see which mistress of the house is murdered and then foolishly brings the murderer into her husband's house as a concubine!
Yang Cui was furious at his shamelessness. How could someone with such values become a general? He had no principles, couldn't distinguish right from wrong, and how could he lead his troops well?
"What do you mean, Yang?" The Empress was bewildered, feeling that Yang Cui's words contained a lot of information.
"Your Majesty, regarding the assassination attempt on my wife, my investigation has revealed that much of the evidence points to Qiu Mingxuan. Furthermore, regarding the poisoning of my wife, I have conclusive evidence proving that Qiu Mingxuan was responsible..."
After speaking, Cen Xiao presented the testimonies of Qiao Mai, Tang Qiao, and others to the Emperor, which included the case of Song Yingying's murder.
Cen Xiao and Yang Cui already knew why the Emperor had summoned them, so they came prepared.
The emperor and empress were naturally aware of the serious matter of Yang Cui's poisoning, and had previously sent eunuchs to deliver many tonics to comfort her.
Cen Xiao added, "The witness is still being held in the General's Mansion. If the Emperor has any questions, he can question him at any time."
After reading the testimony, the Emperor sighed, his tone carrying a hint of earnestness: "Minister Qiu, Xuan'er did indeed make a mistake."
Regardless of whether Yang Cui was alright or not, her act of poisoning Yang Cui was wrong.
After reading the testimony, the Empress realized that she had misunderstood Yang Cui. Her gaze softened considerably as she patted Yang Cui's hand and said, "I'm sorry you've been wronged."
"Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty. I understand my adoptive father's feelings. As I said, if Qiu Mingxuan really passes away in the future, I will take care of him in his old age. However, I cannot bring a murderer who harmed me into the family no matter what."
After saying this, Yang Cui squeezed out a few tears, hoping to gain some sympathy.
Her tears, her words, and her decision not to expose Qiu Mingxuan's crimes, thus preserving Qiu Tianyun's reputation, indeed earned Yang Cui higher regard from the Empress and the Emperor.
The Empress herself was a woman, and living deep within the palace, she experienced far more struggles and dangers than Yang Cui had encountered. Therefore, she could completely understand Yang Cui's mentality.
How could I possibly let a woman into my house when she's trying so hard to kill me?
After Qiu Tianyun knelt down like that, who knows what people outside will say about Yang Cui and Cen Xiao.
The Emperor and Empress had also considered this, so the Emperor did not grant Qiu Tianyun's request. Instead, he advised, "Minister Qiu, this is a forced marriage. I think we should let it go and find a famous doctor to treat Xuan'er as soon as possible."
Since the Emperor had said so, Qiu Tianyun had no choice.
To appease Qiu Tianyun, the Emperor ordered the Imperial Hospital staff to do everything in their power to treat Qiu Mingxuan.
As a physician of the imperial court, one's medical skills must be top-notch, but even a joint consultation by more than a dozen physicians could not find a cure for Qiu Mingxuan's condition.
Qiu Tianyun aged ten years overnight, his hair turning completely white.
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