At the head of the hall, the Emperor rested his head on his hand, his elbow propped on the armrest of the dragon throne. His eyes were closed, and he remained unmoved as the court officials argued fiercely amongst themselves.
Master Jing, having already countered Yan the Censor, fell silent. Jiang Yankun, who had been ready to unleash his sharp tongue, was abruptly silenced by Master Jing’s intervention.
Yan the Censor, who had been prostrating on the ground, expressing his loyalty for quite some time, noticed that the Emperor had not uttered a single word.
After a long pause—
The Emperor opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping across the room. The officials standing at the front suddenly felt as though their throats had been gripped, and the cacophony of arguments ceased instantly.
As the front row fell silent, so did the rest of the court. Only Yan the Censor continued to kowtow, his voice pleading, “Your Majesty, my admiration for you is as boundless as the endless flow of a great river. How could I possibly be a spy for the enemy? Everything I have done has been for Your Majesty, for the sake of The Great Yan Dynasty!”
“Thud!”
An open memorial was thrown down from the high platform, landing beside Yan the Censor’s knees. The Emperor’s authoritative voice rang out, “Someone has submitted a memorial impeaching Yan the Censor, accusing you of favoring your concubine over your wife, allowing your concubine to abuse your wife and mistreat your legitimate children, driving your wife to hang herself. Is this true?”
The Emperor’s tone was calm, his voice devoid of any fluctuation, yet Yan the Censor felt an overwhelming pressure emanating from his words.
The hall was deathly silent. Beads of sweat trickled from Yan the Censor’s receding hairline, soaking the back of his official robe in moments.
The Emperor… how could he know?
How did the Emperor learn about his household affairs?
No, who had impeached him and informed the Emperor of these matters?
Master Jing raised an eyebrow at Jiang Yankun, a hint of pride in his voice as he whispered, “What do you think? This move of cutting off the enemy’s retreat is quite effective, isn’t it? I told you not to waste time on meaningless arguments. Just seize their weakness, and they won’t be able to make a fuss anymore.”
Jiang Yankun nodded in admiration, “Master Jing’s tactics are indeed brilliant. I am in awe.”
Master Jing had been teaching and nurturing students ever since the death of Consort Jing. His academy was a dream destination for many scholars.
Jiang Yankun had once studied at Master Jing’s academy in his youth. Later, he moved his family to the capital to prepare for the imperial examinations.
Thus, it was only natural for him to refer to himself as a student.
Master Jing also treated him as one of his own, always looking out for him and supporting him.
Most importantly, Jiang Yankun was the maternal grandfather of the Crown Prince, making them family.
“Yan the Censor?”
The Emperor straightened up, his cold gaze fixed on the trembling Yan the Censor, “Why are you silent now? Weren’t you quite eloquent earlier? Was your mistreatment of your wife and children also for my sake, for the sake of The Great Yan Dynasty?”
Yan the Censor was so panicked that he could barely think straight. If he hadn’t already been kneeling, his legs would have been shaking uncontrollably.
“Crack!”
A jade ring shattered at Yan the Censor’s feet, the shards grazing his cheek and leaving a thin line of blood.
Before he could even raise his hand to wipe it away, the Emperor’s reprimand thundered through the hall, “The Empress has been in the palace for over three years. She is kind-hearted, reasonable, and has earned the praise of everyone in the palace. She has adopted the Fourth Prince, given birth to the Crown Prince, and is now pregnant again. She has managed the imperial harem with great order, allowing me to focus on state affairs without worry. I can honestly say there is no better partner than her. Yet you, the officials who live off the Emperor’s bounty, instead of assisting me, are here causing trouble. What? Are your own households so spotless?”
“If you are so concerned about my harem, perhaps I should help you all clean up your own households, hmm?”
These officials who opposed Jiang Xinyue’s position as Empress and demanded her removal were simply jealous of the rapid rise of the Jiang family, which had encroached on their interests.
But among these officials, whether corrupt or upright, which of their households was truly without fault?
If they couldn’t even manage their own family affairs, how dare they meddle in the Emperor’s harem?
Who gave them the audacity?
With the Emperor’s wrath, no one dared to speak further.
Meanwhile, in Shunan Palace, Jiang Xinyue had gathered all the palace servants in the courtyard. Even Huang Yanyu, who had been poisoned and was lying in bed, was helped to sit on a chair to wait.
The maids, eunuchs, and servants were being questioned one by one.
Shuang Jiang, with a stern expression, exuded an air of authority, “Who suggested making the ganoderma chicken soup for Consort Huang?”
“It was the kitchen maid, Zhang. She said Consort Huang had caught a cold, and the ganoderma in the storeroom could be used to make soup to clear her lungs and stop her cough.”
“Your Majesty, I only heard it from Auntie Zhou. She said Consort Huang seemed unwell after returning from outside. When I saw the ganoderma during the storeroom inventory, I suggested it.”
The cook, Auntie Zhou, quickly added, “But I wasn’t lying! I did hear Consort Huang coughing, so I mentioned it. I had no idea the ganoderma was poisoned, and I didn’t make the soup. I…”
“Enough!”
Shuang Jiang cut her off, “We’re asking you to recount what happened that day, not to make excuses. Who is at fault and who isn’t will be determined by Her Majesty.”
Auntie Zhou mumbled and fell silent.
Shu Xiang glanced at Huang Yanyu, her suspicions growing, though she dared not voice them openly.
“Your Majesty, Consort Shu and Consort Ru have arrived with Noble Consort Ye, Tong Xiuyuan, and Shi Xiuyi to visit Consort Huang.”
At the entrance of Shunan Palace, a large group of consorts and their servants entered. Consort Shu and Noble Consort Ye, genuinely concerned about Huang Yanyu’s condition, hurried inside after paying their respects to Jiang Xinyue.
Consort Ru, however, was clearly there for the spectacle. She stood behind Jiang Xinyue, not moving, and said with a smile, “Your Majesty, are you interrogating criminals?”
The courtyard full of maids and eunuchs bristled with indignation.
They weren’t criminals, so why were they being treated as such?
It was clear that the Empress herself was guilty. If she hadn’t poisoned the ganoderma, how could Consort Huang have vomited blood after drinking the soup?
This was a case of the thief crying “Stop thief!”
Consort Ru had not been in the palace for long, and in her mind, Jiang Xinyue had always been a sweet, charming kitten who had won the Emperor’s favor through coquetry and flattery.
The Empress had always been kind to the other consorts, never putting on airs. She often skipped the daily greetings and was lenient with those who made mistakes.
This had given Consort Ru the impression that Jiang Xinyue was a pushover, someone who could be easily bullied.
The Empress was only eighteen, while Consort Ru was in her twenties. In her mind, she was the elder.
In her homeland of Goguryeo, even a single day’s difference in age made one the elder, and the younger had to show respect.
