Chapter 138 Ma Jia Shi's Close-Up Attack
Upon hearing this, Jiang Nan picked up her child, got up, and walked over, her words sharp and slightly coquettish.
"Oh dear, Empress Dowager, you've wronged me! I'm overjoyed that you care about my little prince so much. It's just that this awful weather is so hot it's like I'm melting. I'm afraid I'll burn your precious great-grandson. That would be such a sin!"
As he spoke, with a somewhat clumsy manner, he placed the sleeping little one into Xiaozhuang's arms.
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang quickly caught it, beaming with joy, but then lightly scolded her, feigning complaint.
"Slow down, you're so impulsive. The Emperor always says that you, as his mother, are unreliable, and I think he's right."
Jiang Nan straightened up with a grin.
"Your Majesty, look at Erhe! He's so chubby and healthy, he eats and sleeps well, and his cries are louder than anyone else's. He's doing great! Chunlan checks his pulse every day and says he's as strong as a calf, very healthy. I'm so tired of hearing that!"
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang looked down at her great-grandson, who was smacking his lips in her arms. The more she looked, the more she loved him, and her wrinkles beamed with joy.
"Alright, alright, you're right, girl. I can't argue with you. When the weather gets cooler, you must bring him to Cining Palace often. I miss Erhe terribly if I don't see him for a day."
"Your Majesty, I will obey." Jiang Nan readily agreed.
Just then, Liang Jiugong's drawn-out, high-pitched chanting once again resounded throughout the hall.
"The Emperor has arrived!"
Everyone in the hall, including Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang who was holding her child, rose to greet her respectfully.
Emperor Kangxi, dressed in a dragon robe, entered the hall with great spirit, his gaze sweeping across the entire hall.
He paused briefly on the son in Jiang Nan and Xiaozhuang's arms, a pleasant smile on his face.
"Your Majesty, we respectfully welcome Your Majesty!"
The mountain calls out again.
When Kangxi walked to the throne, he raised his hands slightly and spoke in a clear voice.
"All of you, rise. Today is the full moon celebration of the Crown Prince Erhe. Let us celebrate together as ruler and subjects, and there is no need to be overly formal."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Everyone expressed their gratitude and took their seats.
Emperor Kangxi bowed to Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang and the Empress Dowager, then looked at the son in Xiaozhuang's arms and asked softly.
"Grandmother, is Erhe being well-behaved? Has he not cried or made a fuss?"
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang responded with a kind smile, but her eyes never left the baby's face.
"Sleeping soundly, this little guy is so well-behaved."
Kangxi nodded. He had been taking care of the children at Yongshou Palace whenever he had free time for the past month, and he didn't compete with his grandmother for their attention. He asked directly.
"It's almost time, Grandmother. Would you like to begin the banquet now?"
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang looked around and saw that all the guests had arrived and the atmosphere was lively, so she nodded and said.
"Let's begin, so as not to keep you all waiting."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Kangxi nodded slightly to Liang Jiugong.
Liang Jiugong immediately stepped forward, gathered his strength, and shouted loudly.
"By imperial decree—the full-month celebration banquet for the eldest prince, Prince Erhe, shall commence—"
The melodious sounds of string and wind instruments filled the air, and the palace servants, who were already prepared, presented delicacies one after another in a flowing stream.
The grand full moon banquet has officially begun.
————————
Jiang Nan ate her meal slowly and deliberately, but her mind was entirely on the big show that was about to begin.
She glanced at Ma Jia, who was sitting uneasily to her left.
The other person looked at her anxiously, asking a question.
Jiang Nan thought to himself, "We can't let all these princes and ministers go hungry to watch this good show, can we?"
She turned her head to the side, her voice low but clear.
"Eat something first to fill your stomach. When the time comes, I will let you know."
Upon hearing this, Ma Jia barely suppressed her unease, nodded, and picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks, barely tasting it.
Across from them, Niohuru also cast an inquiring glance.
Jiang Nan returned a reassuring look and nodded slightly.
Knowing that the plan would proceed as scheduled, Niohuru sat quietly and waited.
After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere in the hall became even more lively, and Jiang Nan felt that it was about time.
She gracefully wiped the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief.
Then, he calmly turned his gaze to Ma Jia and nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
Ma Jia received the signal and her body trembled almost imperceptibly.
She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, her face was filled with long-suppressed grief.
She abruptly pushed away the bowl and chopsticks in front of her.
Amidst the astonished gazes of the surrounding guests, he staggered to the open space in front of the throne.
He knelt down heavily, shouting loudly with a sob in his voice.
"Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, I have a grievance to redress. I beg Your Majesty and Empress Dowager to do justice for me."
"Whoosh—"
This piercing cry instantly silenced the noisy hall, leaving it deathly still.
Everyone stared in disbelief at Ma Jia, who was kneeling in the center of the hall, her whole body trembling with excitement.
Whispers spread like a tide.
Emperor Kangxi was speaking in a low voice to Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang beside him.
Upon hearing this, his brows immediately furrowed, perfectly conveying the emperor's displeasure at being interrupted from his grand banquet.
He knew in his heart that this was Nan Nan's arrangement.
But as an emperor, there are some things he has to do to get right.
He first glanced at Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang beside him.
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang was just playing with her great-grandson in her arms when she heard the sound, and her face darkened with displeasure.
How could she cause trouble at her great-grandson's one-month celebration?
She looked at Kangxi with a hint of anger, only to see her grandson shake his head slightly, his eyes signaling her to calm down.
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang suppressed her displeasure and pursed her lips.
Emperor Kangxi cast his majestic gaze upon Lady Magiya, who was kneeling on the ground, his voice carrying the oppressive weight of an emperor.
"Ma Jia, today is the full moon celebration of the Crown Prince Erhe, a time for the emperor and his subjects to rejoice together. What great injustice do you have that you must cause trouble at this moment? Speak, what exactly is your injustice?"
Ma Jia seemed to be completely overwhelmed by the accumulated grievances. She looked up with tears streaming down her face and cried out in a voice full of sobs.
"Your Majesty, my... my Prince Chengrui died unjustly. He did not die young due to congenital weakness. He was... he was murdered."
"What?"
"Killed him?"
"This...this is impossible!"
These words caused an uproar in the hall, filled with shock and disbelief.
When Empress Hesheli saw Lady Magiya kneeling and pleading for justice, her heart sank.
When she heard the words "murdered," her pale face instantly lost all color.
Her sharp gaze suddenly shot towards Ma Jia, then quickly turned to Jiang Nan, who was watching with amusement.
Seeing her expression, the Empress understood that this was no accident, but a trap set for her.
Kangxi feigned a livid expression, slammed his hand on the imperial desk, and roared angrily.
"Ma Jia, you are outrageous! The imperial physicians have already diagnosed that Cheng Rui died young due to congenital defects. Who in the harem would dare to harm the imperial heir? I think you have lost your mind, spouting nonsense and slandering the palace in such a setting. What is your punishment?"
Ma Jia was so frightened by Kangxi's rebuke that she trembled all over.
But this reprimand only ignited the last bit of fighting spirit in her bones.
Once the arrow is released, there's no turning back. She'll fight to the bitter end to bring this to justice, even if it costs her her life.
She banged her head against the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Your Majesty, if I have uttered even the slightest lie, may I be struck by lightning. My child is indeed born with a deficiency, but this deficiency was caused by someone poisoning me during my pregnancy. I have been secretly investigating for many years and have only now discovered that it was the Empress who harmed me. It was the Empress who instructed someone to poison my food over a long period of time, which caused damage to Chengrui's fetus and resulted in his birth with a deficiency."
"Buzz..."
The hall erupted into chaos once again.
Although everyone had already guessed, they were all amazed to hear Lady Ma Jia accuse the Empress by name.
It still caused a huge uproar.
The nobles and high-ranking officials looked at each other in bewilderment and ordered the women and their families to cover their mouths and gasp softly.
A mixture of shock, doubt, panic, and schadenfreude gazes fell upon the Empress.
Emperor Kangxi's face was ashen. He leaned forward slightly and asked, word by word.
The sound was not loud, but it instantly silenced the entire hall.
"Where is the evidence? Ma Jia, you have accused the Empress and framed the Queen Mother. This is a crime punishable by the extermination of your entire family. I will ask you one more time: where is the evidence? If you cannot produce any solid evidence, I will immediately punish you for deceiving the Emperor and disrupting the palace."
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