The emperor found it difficult to digest this for a moment. "Qi'er, without other evidence, this dead thing can't be used to conclude that Yongle murdered Concubine Shu."
Xuanyuan Qi looked so angry that he had lost his mind:
"Then call Auntie to confront me face to face and ask her to explain to us why she had bellflowers planted in her yard and why she picked them when Mother was poisoned! She even planted geraniums to cover it up! If she can explain it clearly, I'll believe she didn't harm Mother!"
Obviously, this was not the way to go. If Yongle was really summoned to confront Xuanyuan Qi, and it was confirmed that Yongle had poisoned Concubine Shu, it would be a scandal for the imperial family. If it was confirmed that it wasn't Yongle, wouldn't summoning her to confront him hurt Yongle's feelings?
The emperor immediately stopped Xuanyuan Qi:
"Qi'er! Yongle is my biological sister! She's the eldest princess of the Dajing Empire! How can you interrogate her without real evidence? You must not even think of doing that! I'll send someone to secretly investigate the matter. Remember, you must not make it public!"
Xuanyuan Qi was indignant: "Then can't I seek justice for my mother's poisoning? Father, I will never tolerate someone secretly waiting for an opportunity to harm my mother! I must find that person!"
"Qi'er, even without you telling me, the Emperor will definitely find the person! No one can harm you and your son! No matter who it is, as long as I find out that he dared to poison Concubine Shu, I will never let him off easily!"
Xuanyuan Qi bowed deeply and said, "Thank you, Father, for taking charge of Mother's behalf!"
The emperor firmly supported Xuanyuan Qi's arm and said earnestly, "In order not to alert the enemy, Qi'er, you must not act impulsively, and you must not cause trouble in the Prince of Qin's mansion."
Xuanyuan Qi raised his head, unwilling to accept the defeat. Under the emperor's steadfast gaze, he gave in and said, "Your Majesty, I obey you!"
The emperor patted Xuanyuan Qi on the shoulder and said, "Qi'er has made progress. He knows to tell me first when encountering important matters and does not act impulsively. I am very pleased."
Xuanyuan Qi was delighted by the compliment, but he still felt a pang of resentment towards the eldest princess. "Father, I heard from Xiao Quanzi that my aunt and cousin entered the palace one after another today."
The emperor nodded and said, "Yes, they are here to discuss the marriage of the King of Qin with me. This matter has nothing to do with you, so don't get involved."
"Is it about my cousin and Ling Xiang's marriage?" Xuanyuan Qi was very pessimistic about them. "I've seen Ling Xiang many times in the Qin Palace, and even went to school with her and my cousin. I'm not sure about other things, but what I am sure of is that there is no love between Ling Xiang and my cousin. My cousin only has Gao Zhenzhen, who lives in the Qin Palace, in his heart, and he has made things difficult for Ling Xiang many times..."
"Oh?" The emperor immediately became serious. "Yu'er, the marriage between Prince Qin and Ling Xiang is a matter of great importance. Don't make random guesses!"
"Father! I didn't say anything nonsense!" Xuanyuan Qi immediately gave examples to prove his point.
"My cousin heard a rumor from somewhere that Ling Xiang's blood could cure Gao Zhenzhen's heart disease, so he forced Ling Xiang to bleed Gao Zhenzhen to cure her. To force Ling Xiang to agree, he even resorted to violence and damaged the buildings of the Zhenguo Marquisate Mansion. Although this matter was suppressed, many people in the capital knew about the renovation of the Zhenguo Marquisate Mansion."
"How could this be true? Yu'er is so confused?" The emperor was shocked.
"Father, you find it incredible, right? Me too!
"That day when Ling Xiang went to the Prince Qin's Mansion for class, I accidentally saw the gauze bandage on her wrist. I asked her about it, and Ling Xiang immediately covered her wrist and said I was seeing things!
"How could I be wrong? I went to the Marquis of Zhenguo Mansion to inquire about it. I spent a lot of money to pry open the mouth of a little maid, and then I learned the truth!"
The emperor's expression turned serious.
Before Xuanyuan Qi came, he had considered that Ling Xiang's status was no longer what it used to be. If he asked her to break off the engagement with King Qin, it would be difficult for the royal family to interfere in her marriage.
In order to keep Ling Xiang in the royal family, he has even considered arranging Ling Xiang's marriage with King Qin.
But if what Prince Huai said was true, Prince Qin and Ling Xiang's relationship was definitely not good. It was not certain whether Ling Xiang would be willing to marry Prince Qin. Even if they were forced to get together, it was still unknown whether Ling Xiang could truly submit to the royal family...
Furthermore, if the Alchemy Palace Master knew that the King of Qin had forced Ling Xiang to bleed, would he be dissatisfied with the King of Qin? If Ling Xiang was allowed to marry the King of Qin at this time, would the Alchemy Palace Master turn against him?
This is not the result the emperor wants.
"I will investigate this matter, Qi'er. This concerns your cousin's reputation, so you must not tell anyone else."
Xuanyuan Qi assured him, "Don't worry, Father. I won't tell anyone. In fact, I had already forgotten about this matter a long time ago. If I hadn't known that my aunt might have poisoned my mother, and that they had entered the palace today, I probably wouldn't have remembered it."
The emperor rubbed his brows. He had received too much news in just one day, making him very tired. "Since you have entered the palace, you should spend more time with your mother. We will have a family dinner together tonight. Don't mention this to your mother for now."
"Oh——" Xuanyuan Qi sighed deeply and left the imperial study with his head hung.
The emperor thought for a while and went to the queen's palace.
The queen was born gentle and dignified, and always had a reputation for virtue in the harem. Even though the emperor did not like her, he treated her with respect and gave her the dignity of a mother of a country.
Upon hearing the palace servant announce the emperor's arrival, the empress, having not seen him for many days, was overjoyed and hurried to greet him: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you!"
"Queen, please get up quickly!" The emperor helped the queen up, took her hand and walked into the room, glancing at the palace servant beside him.
The empress immediately understood, found an excuse to dismiss everyone, and served tea to the emperor: "Your Majesty, it has been many days since you last visited me. Today, please stay for a while and have a good chat with me."
"It was my negligence that I neglected the Queen. I will punish myself with a cup of tea!" The emperor picked up the tea offered by the Queen and took a sip.
The Queen smiled, but then saw the Emperor open the door to the room and wondered, "Your Majesty?"
The emperor said solemnly, "There is an important matter. I have thought about it over and over again and I need the queen's help."
The Queen then became serious and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, please give your orders."
"Tomorrow morning, send someone to fetch Miss Gao Zhenzhen, who lives in the Prince of Qin's mansion. After I finish my morning court session, come to the Queen's place and interrogate her."
The emperor used the word "interrogation" and the queen immediately understood the importance of the matter. "Your Majesty, rest assured. I will definitely see to it."
"She has a heart disease, don't scare her." After giving the instructions, the emperor left.
The emperor came, said a few words, and then left. The empress was disappointed but dared not show it. "Farewell, Your Majesty."
The emperor turned around and went to Concubine Shu's palace.
Xuanyuan Qi had already made arrangements with Concubine Shu, who pretended not to know about the eldest princess's affairs and warmly greeted the emperor: "Your Majesty."
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