The emperor told Jiang Xinyue not to worry, but how could she truly not worry?
Miao Linlin's waist drum was something Jiang Xinyue had her adoptive father steal and burn.
She may not have eaten pork, but she had seen pigs run.
In a world as interconnected as the modern internet, all sorts of strange questions could be found answers to on search engines.
The popular Gu arts of the Miao region were no exception; there were those who had revealed their secrets online, and Jiang Xinyue had been fortunate enough to read some of it.
It was said that those who cultivated Gu would carry their most important mother Gu with them at all times, placing it in the most conspicuous and easily accessible spot.
For skilled Gu masters, the mother Gu was as vital as their own life, and they needed to keep it within reach, where they could feel its presence, to feel secure.
So, she had her adoptive father keep an eye out for Miao Linlin, observing whether she had any unusual ornaments around her neck, wrists, or waist. If he found anything, he was to steal it and find a way to burn it.
Nothing could withstand a blazing inferno.
A maid named Sparrow, with a joyful expression, entered from outside: "Your Majesty... Qingyu just brought me an apple and told me that the entire Minister Pei of the Privy Council's family has been thrown into prison. Truly, evil begets its own punishment."
The fall of the Pei family was only a matter of time. The emperor had long been displeased with Minister Pei of the Privy Council, and this time, many officials from the Pei faction would likely fall as well, leading to a new round of reshuffling in the court.
The position of Minister of the Privy Council would likely go to someone from the Jing Family, as the Jing Family of Longxi was the emperor's true maternal family.
With the Jing Family being brimming with talent, it was only natural for the emperor to favor them.
Master Jing had already agreed to become the tutor of the Sixth Prince. Xuanwu Emperor's intention was to announce the decree to appoint the Sixth Prince as the crown prince during his first birthday celebration, and simultaneously issue an edict to confer the title of empress on Jiang Xinyue.
This way, the identity of the crown prince would be more legitimate and prestigious.
As for the grand coronation ceremony for the empress, it would be postponed until after Jiang Xinyue gave birth and her child's full moon ceremony.
He didn't want the little one to suffer any grievances, wanting to give him the best of everything.
Jiang Xinyue had carefully considered the current state of affairs in the palace. The situation was indeed very favorable for her, and she had the strength to ascend to the position of empress. Among the princes, the Third Prince's birth mother had committed a grave mistake and was already dead, while the Fourth Prince's mother was a remnant of the previous dynasty and had also passed away. The Fourth Prince was under Jiang Xinyue's care.
The Fifth Prince was even less of a concern; his birth mother had been of low status and was removed by the former empress, who then failed to protect him, leading to his current situation of serving at the imperial mausoleum for at least seven years before he could return to the capital.
Seven years was more than enough time for the Jiang family to rise in power, ensuring the Sixth Prince's position as crown prince was firmly established.
Moreover, the former empress had entrusted the Fifth Prince to her before her death, even though he wasn't raised in her palace, there was still a sense of care and responsibility.
If she didn't become the empress, then who else could?
Although there were those who might plot against the Sixth Prince, the truth was that all princes in the palace faced great danger from birth to adulthood, and those who survived were truly exceptional.
If being a prince meant being targeted, then why not aim to be the crown prince?
At least as the crown prince, there would be more people serving and protecting him, and the palace maids and eunuchs who knew they were serving the future heir would be even more dedicated, even willing to sacrifice their lives.
This was undoubtedly a good thing for the Sixth Prince.
The act of poisoning a crown prince was of an entirely different nature than poisoning a mere prince.
Few would dare to harm the Sixth Prince... no... he should now be called the Little Crown Prince.
With the Pei family already fallen, officials from the Pei faction were in a state of panic. At this moment, the emperor issued a decree to appoint the Sixth Prince as the crown prince, and these officials, in an effort to show their loyalty, dared not defy the emperor's will, all praising the emperor's wisdom.
They extolled both the Sixth Prince and Jiang Xinyue to the heavens, making the emperor quite pleased.
It turned out that a few officials who had managed to escape unscathed from the Pei family's downfall believed it was because their flattery had hit the mark with the emperor.
In reality, the emperor had his own considerations, retaining only those who were capable and had only superficial connections with the Pei family, never deeply involved.
"Miao Linlin has confessed."
Xuanwu Emperor stroked Jiang Xinyue's hair as she lay in his arms: "Minister Pei of the Privy Council had her capture Jiang Yulin to cultivate Gu, with the intention of sending Jiang Yulin back one day. When the Gu entered your parents' bodies, they would come to the palace, and she could further control you. This time, when I took you to visit your family, it was completely unexpected by them, so they decided to go all out and try to control both you and me."
At that point, not only would they have wealth and honor, but the entire Great Yan Dynasty would be within their grasp.
"Did she only say that?"
Jiang Xinyue looked up at him, her small hand stirring mischief on his chest: "I thought she would mention that my father deceived her of her antidote and try to drag him down with her!"
Xuanwu Emperor, tickled by her actions, caught her hand and pinned it above her head, punishing her with a kiss as he spoke: "You guessed right. In fact, she provided two testimonies. One was that she claimed Lord Jiang had made a deal with her, asking her to infiltrate the Pei family and find an opportunity to destroy it. The other was what I just told you."
As for which one was true, that depended on the emperor's intentions.
And now, it was clear that the emperor had burned Miao Linlin's testimony, keeping only the one that implicated Minister Pei of the Privy Council.
Jiang Xinyue dodged Xuanwu Emperor's lips, rising from the imperial couch and walking to the window: "I heard that the fourth daughter of the Pei family has sought refuge with the Su Family, asking Second Young Master Su to marry her!"
According to the laws of the Great Yan Dynasty, even if a family was to be exterminated, it did not affect the daughters who had already married.
On the day Minister Pei of the Privy Council was imprisoned, a heavy snowfall began in the capital. Initially, officials from the Pei faction claimed it was a sign of injustice from heaven, suggesting the minister had been wrongfully accused.
However, those who made such claims were sent to the Imperial Astronomy Bureau, where they were made to study the heavens and weather patterns alongside the Bureau officials.
After two days of this, these officials clearly understood that thunder, lightning, rain, or snow had nothing to do with anyone, and certainly not with Minister Pei of the Privy Council's alleged injustice.
Now, after three or four days of continuous snowfall, it showed no signs of stopping.
It was said that a timely snow heralds a bountiful harvest.
Finally, good news arrived from Yu Province: Zhu Qianyi reported that it had begun to rain in Yu Province.
Upon hearing this, the people of Yu Province, connecting it to Minister Pei of the Privy Council's imprisonment, suddenly realized: "So the drought in Yu Province was a sign of heaven's displeasure with the Pei family's overreach. Look, as soon as the Pei family fell, it started raining in Yu Province. Can't this prove anything?"
Xuanwu Emperor, worried that the wind might chill Jiang Xinyue, fetched a fox fur from the screen and draped it over her shoulders, then placed a warming stove in her hands before standing beside her: "The fickle wife of the Su Family is bound to bring ruin to the Su Family sooner or later. Second Young Master Su has had two failed engagements, and there are already some unfavorable rumors about him. Did you know he has shaved his head and become a monk?"
Ah!
Could it be that, unable to marry Jiang Yunxia, he has renounced the world?
