Chapter 79: Putting Eye Drops on the Sixth Prince
Jiang's heart was in agony.
Everything that happened tonight hit her hard.
How could Lu Zhiran be the owner of Taicang Trading Company? Why didn't she tell me earlier?
She obviously did it on purpose, deliberately trying to make fun of the Marquis' Mansion and even put the Marquis' Mansion to death!
No, she won't succeed!
The emperor will not do anything to the Marquis' Mansion for her. At most, he will just sacrifice Zhao Shuning!
Unexpectedly, Chu Yian actually scolded Chu Yunqing.
"Yunqing, you must have heard wrongly! How could Shu Ning do such a thing?"
Chu Yunqing was about to retort, but he gave her a stern look, and she shuddered and didn't dare to speak.
Chu Yian kowtowed heavily, his voice heavy and sad.
"Your Majesty, there is another misunderstanding in this matter. It is because I failed to control my servants properly that they acted arbitrarily under the banner of the Marquis' Mansion and did such a shameful thing as slandering the meritorious officials. There are many mistakes, all of which are my fault. Please punish me, Your Majesty!"
Chu Yian was also annoyed with Zhao Shuning, but he also knew that now was not the time to push her out to take the blame.
First, she was his wife, and he should protect her. Second, Zhao Shuning and the Marquisate were one and the same. Not only was she his wife, but she was also married to him by the Emperor. If she did something wrong, wouldn't that be a slap in the Emperor's face? The Marquisate would be held responsible, too!
Chu Dingfeng also came back to his senses and spoke.
"Your Majesty, this is because I failed to manage my household properly. This is why I made such a huge mistake and damaged the reputation of the Princess of Pingle County. I deserve death!"
If there is a problem at home, they can deal with it behind closed doors, but they cannot blame each other outside and make a fool of themselves!
Especially in front of His Majesty, it would be easy to push a woman out to take the blame. This matter was originally Zhao Shuning's fault, but what would outsiders think? I'm afraid they would think that the Marquis' Mansion was selfish and narrow-minded, and would they still have the face of the Marquis' Mansion? Besides, Zhao Shuning was a real talent. They had already lost Lu Zhiran, and they must not lose another arm.
Emperor Defeng looked at them, but his eyes were dark and unclear.
"You all have your own stories, and I'm confused. Xiaoqi, what have you found out?"
Xiao Yanci said in a gloomy tone, "Father, please see for yourself. Their empty words are not to be believed. This is all solid evidence, and it cannot be denied by anyone who wants to."
As soon as these words were spoken, Chu Yian and Chu Dingfeng turned pale, and cold sweat broke out on Zhao Shuning's palms.
Emperor Defeng took the evidence presented to him, but did not open it immediately. His eyes fell on Zhao Shuning neither lightly nor heavily.
"Doctor Zhao, do you have anything to say?"
The heavy majesty finally crushed the last bit of hope in Zhao Shuning's heart.
Either admit it yourself, or be exposed in public.
There is no other way.
Zhao Shuning spoke with a trembling voice, "This matter was done by me, your wife. I am guilty!"
There was an uproar among the crowd.
Chu Yunqing straightened his back and instantly felt proud.
She just said that it was Zhao Shuning who did it, but no one believed her!
Emperor Defeng's voice was as cold as ice. "How dare you!"
Zhao Shuning bowed deeply. "Recently, I've been working at the shelter. I've witnessed the plight of the disaster victims firsthand and felt compassion for them. Later, I heard that the Lu family had hoarded charcoal but hadn't sold or donated it. This preconceived notion led to a misunderstanding. Furthermore... I have a personal grudge against the Princess of Pingle, which gave rise to my petty thoughts."
"Tonight, I realized that I have made one mistake after another, truly outrageous ones. The Princess of Pingle cares about the people and is broad-minded. Her actions are far beyond my reach. In front of her, my humble contributions are worthless. I feel ashamed of my past actions! This foolish act was my fault, and I am willing to accept any punishment without hesitation!"
Xiao Baozhu snorted, "Your words sound nice, but I'm afraid you don't really mean it. Otherwise, why didn't you come out and admit it right away?"
She originally complained quietly, but the surroundings were too quiet and her voice was clearly heard by everyone.
Empress Sun cast a look at her, and Xiao Baozhu immediately shrank her head and shut up like a quail.
Zhao Shuning's expression froze. Just as he was about to open his mouth to make amends, Xiao Yanci spoke first.
"Doctor Zhao, according to what you just said, this was all done by you alone, and was it probably caused by a personal grudge?"
"yes."
Xiao Yanci raised an eyebrow. "I've discovered that a mysterious visitor entered and exited the Marquis' Mansion during the night a few days ago. Is this incident related to that person?"
When these words were spoken, Chu Yian and Zhao Shuning were both shocked.
She quickly denied it, "It has nothing to do with that person."
After denying it, he bit his lip in frustration.
Xiao Yanci let out a long "Oh," and said, "It seems the Marquis's Mansion really did have a mysterious visitor. According to my investigation, the person headed towards Yinghua Street after leaving the mansion. May I ask who that person is?"
Xiao Yanqing's back stiffened slightly.
There is only one mansion on Yinghua Street, and that is his Sixth Prince’s Mansion!
Emperor Defeng glanced at the faces of several people with a gloomy look in his eyes.
Xiao Yanqing lost his temper. "Xiao Qi, what do you mean by that? Do you suspect this matter is related to the Sixth Prince's Mansion?"
"Sixth Prince, why are you so anxious? When did I ever mention the Sixth Prince's Mansion?"
Xiao Yanqing's eyes were gloomy. "Everyone knows that my Sixth Prince's Mansion is the only one on Yinghua Street. What's the difference between what you said and calling me by name?"
"Sixth Brother, are you too sensitive? Someone who doesn't know me would think you're really involved in this matter."
"you……"
Xiao Yanqing was choked to death by his sarcasm and didn't know how to explain it.
Lu Zhiran lowered her head, hiding the faint smile at the corner of her lips.
The Seventh Prince was indeed a wonderful person. Regardless of whether his words were true or false, they impressed the Sixth Prince in front of the Emperor.
Emperor Defeng interrupted them in a deep voice, "Well, now is not the time to listen to your bickering."
He turned his eyes and looked at Lu Zhiran, his tone softening a little.
"Pingle County Lady, you have been wronged in this matter. If you want to vent your anger, please tell me."
Lu Zhiran said with deep trepidation, "Doctor Zhao is a rare female physician in the court, and a truly invaluable talent for Great Qi. The grudge between me and Doctor Zhao is personal, and I absolutely cannot allow Great Qi to lose such a valuable talent simply because of my own selfish motives. Furthermore, I have not suffered any harm in this matter, so it's not a matter of injustice."
Lu Zhiran knew that the higher the position, the less likely one was to have decisions made for them by others.
At least, she is not qualified yet.
This tactic of retreating to advance will allow Emperor Defeng to severely punish Zhao Shuning and make amends to her.
As expected, Emperor Defeng spoke in a deep voice, "As the saying goes, once a day, twice a day, three times a day. This isn't the first time Doctor Zhao has made a mistake. Last time, she disregarded medical ethics and slandered you for being pregnant, nearly ruining your reputation. This time, she's used underhanded tactics behind your back, placing you in a position of disloyalty and injustice. With such a despicable character, no matter how skilled she is, I dare not use her again."
"Ms. Zhao's behavior is immoral and unfit for important positions. However, considering her contributions to the shelter, I will grant her a lighter sentence. Effective immediately, she will be stripped of her position as a female doctor to serve as a warning to others."
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