Jiang Yiyun looked at the scene of collusion before her and sneered. “Isn’t it a little premature to jump to conclusions based solely on a servant’s speculation?”
Gu Hanjue’s smile grew even broader. “This seat’s Eastern Depot has always been effective in handling matters. If you wish to verify whether someone is innocent, why not search the imperial harem? Wouldn’t we know once we see who is hiding a large amount of arsenic?”
His smile told Jiang Yiyun that he had come prepared, causing her heart to tighten and worry to gradually arise within her.
The two treated everyone around them as though no one else existed and simply gazed deeply at each other. Ruthlessness was hidden in his eyes, while stormy fury raged in hers.
The empress dowager sighed deeply. “Mm, it seems this is the only way. Someone…”
“There is no need to trouble the empress dowager. The imperial palace has the Embroidered Uniform Guard, who are the most effective at handling such matters. Someone!”
Although Gu Hanjue’s words sounded considerate, they carried an unmistakable refusal to brook contradiction, leaving no room for discussion.
One of his subordinates, clad in an embroidered uniform with a cold and stern face, knelt before him. His bearing was rather like that of Jiang Yiyun’s Shadow guard, An Jue.
“Han Cheng, you know what to do. Go!” He turned his head toward Chu Yinheng. “Emperor, the answer will be revealed before half an incense stick has burned.”
Chu Yinheng nodded. “Thank you for your trouble, Minister Gu.”
A large group of people, carrying an aura of murderous violence, conducted an orderly search throughout the imperial palace, frightening everyone into breathing even more carefully.
Before the time it takes for one incense stick to burn had passed, Han Cheng came to report, “lord, there are already results.” He presented a ledger recording the palace affairs of every palace in meticulous detail.
Gu Hanjue opened it directly without even presenting it to the emperor. He looked only at the page he had opened, then revealed a satisfied smile.
“It says here that the empress once sent someone to obtain a small amount of arsenic because there were rats in the palace hall.” Han Cheng stated everything one point at a time.
When Jia Yinger heard this, her heart blossomed with joy. She knew this had been arranged by Gu Hanjue.
Although she did not know why, everything benefited her, so she directly set aside the question of why Gu Hanjue had secretly helped her.
At that moment, Han Cheng spoke again, and his words instantly erased the smile that had spread across Gu Hanjue’s lips.
“However, no arsenic was found in the empress’s palace. According to the palace attendants, it was only used to get rid of rats and had long since been used up. Yet arsenic was discovered in Noble Consort Li’s palace. There is no record of when it was obtained or of the dosage.”
Gu Hanjue’s dark eyes narrowed slightly. He had delayed matters only to manipulate things in secret, but he had not expected Jiang Yiyun to have acted long ago as well, leaving herself a contingency plan.
What a tenacious Enemy!
He marveled inwardly. He had deliberately left the woman before him untouched all this time because he truly wanted to see how she would grow, slowly closing the distance with him and contending against him.
Now that he thought about it, perhaps not eliminating her early on had not been the correct choice.
“How is that possible?” Jia Yinger had still been gloating moments ago, but after hearing the latter half of Han Cheng’s statement, she plummeted from heaven to the depths of despair.
Jiang Yiyun was also stunned. She had indeed left herself a contingency plan, arranging for her own people to guard the bedchamber. If someone secretly placed arsenic there to frame her, they would remove it immediately.
But she had never tampered with anything in Jia Yinger’s palace. What was going on?
“Your subject and consort has never used arsenic in her palace. I hope the emperor will investigate this clearly.”
Chu Yinheng rubbed the space between his brows. He was not a fool either; pursuing the evidence would be useless at this point. Thus, he asked Qiying, who was kneeling on the ground, “What exactly is going on? Confess truthfully. Otherwise, without waiting for the person behind the scenes to act, I can execute your entire clan.”
Qiying’s entire body trembled violently. She was speechless for a moment, so frightened that she could not make a sound.
Her mind was in chaos. She struggled to calm herself, then glanced at Jiang Yiyun, who was coldly looking at her from the corner of her eye, before secretly looking at Jia Yinger, who was staring at her.
She had always believed Jiang Yiyun to be gentle and easy to bully, never expecting her to possess such formidable ability.
“Qiying, I have never treated you or your family unfairly. Do you still remember that I was the one who brought them out of that dilapidated, narrow room and arranged for them to live prosperous and worry-free lives? Yet you have betrayed me now. It truly breaks my heart.”
Qiying was greatly shocked and stared at Jiang Yiyun in disbelief.
Her family had always lived in that dilapidated house. Now that Jiang Yiyun claimed she had already settled them elsewhere, it was clear that her family had long since been brought under control.
Jia Yinger was so furious she could hardly speak. She had intended to use Qiying’s family as a bargaining chip, never expecting Jiang Yiyun to have thought even further ahead and moved one step before her!
Even more unexpected was when Jiang Yiyun had become so ruthless.
Qiying wept bitterly. She knew that no matter which side she offended, her fate would certainly be miserable. She only hoped that her family could retain a sliver of hope.
One side had already taken control of her family. Although she did not know whether it was true, she could not risk gambling on it.
The other side was equally difficult to provoke and seemed to have Gu Hanjue, whose power covered the entire court, as its backing.
After a moment, she made up her mind.
“This servant will speak. This servant will tell you everything. Sob… It was all this servant’s doing.”
Everyone present was already in turmoil. Today’s spectacle was not only more exciting than singing and dancing; unexpected developments had emerged one after another.
They all considered it worthwhile to risk their lives to watch such an exciting dispute within the Six Palaces.
Qiying looked at Jia Yinger, who was gently dabbing away her tears with a silk handkerchief, then gritted her teeth and said, “this servant drugged the tea, intending to frame the empress and Noble Consort Li.”
“Then I ask you, why did you do this?”
Qiying had already thought of an answer.
“In reply to the emperor, this servant serves in the empress’s palace and has always worked diligently without complaint, yet has never been promoted. Earlier, this servant merely made a small mistake, but Noble Consort Li severely punished this servant. Resentful, this servant took advantage of this opportunity to frame both imperial consorts. Unexpectedly, this servant made a mistake and left evidence behind, allowing the matter to be uncovered. This matter has nothing to do with either imperial consort. I hope the emperor will investigate this clearly.”
By now, Chu Yinheng had regained his reason, and this answer sounded rather forced to him.
“According to what you said earlier, everything pointed directly at the empress. Without the subsequent body search, Noble Consort Li would not have been implicated. Yet just now, you said you targeted both of them?”
Chu Yinheng felt that the matter was not so simple. He faintly sensed that if the investigation continued, the result might not be what he wanted, yet he still wanted an explanation.
People were contradictory creatures. The more afraid they were, the more they wanted to investigate.
“Isn’t it obvious? If plotting to harm the empress failed, she could still shift the blame onto the noble consort. Perhaps she even intended to kill two birds with one stone. This servant is not lacking in cunning.” Gu Hanjue followed the development of events and placed all the blame on Qiying.
Qiying trembled continuously and said despairingly, “That is correct. It was all intentional on this servant’s part. If harming the empress failed, this servant could still shift the blame onto Noble Consort Li.”
One person had committed the crime, yet the result became an offense involving the attempted murder of two people, all of which Qiying shouldered.
However, there were still many suspicious points. Before anyone could think deeply or investigate further, one person had already settled the crime.
“Now that the truth revealed, does the emperor or the empress dowager have any further questions?”
Gu Hanjue appeared to be asking for everyone’s opinion, but in reality, he was delivering a verdict.
Such a convoluted and complicated matter had been resolved so effortlessly. Anyone would have been filled with endless suspicion.
Yet no one could pursue it openly, because such matters were taboo in the imperial palace.
How could a palace maid have been so bold? Obtaining such medicine and successfully carrying out the act within the strictly regulated imperial palace could not possibly have been so simple.
Although Qiying had opportunities to approach Noble Consort Li, how could she have placed the medicine in her bedchamber so easily?
Just because her master reprimanded and neglected her, she developed murderous intent? Which servant in the imperial palace was not hardworking and uncomplaining? How could anyone be so narrow-minded?!
…There were too many suspicious points.
Chu Yexuan, who had been silent for a long time, also spoke calmly. “She said the medicine was placed on the empress, yet it was found on Noble Consort Li. How strange.”
This alone caused many people to grow suspicious. No matter how one looked at it, it seemed that Qiying had only targeted Jiang Yiyun, with an unexpected turn of events occurring afterward.
Chu Yinheng had even more suspicions, so he frowned and said, “Are you certain that no one instructed you and that you…”
“Emperor, now that the verdict has been reached, this servant must receive severe punishment. Leave her to me to deal with; there is no need for the emperor to worry.”
Gu Hanjue interrupted him without the slightest courtesy. After speaking, he sidelong glanced at Chu Yexuan with smiling eyes for a moment, an intrigued smile appearing at the corner of his lips.
At the same time, the empress dowager gently tugged at Chu Yinheng’s sleeve, signaling him to let the matter go.
The empress dowager was not very old and still retained her charm. However, she had seen too much of the filthy thoughts of the imperial harem: outward harmony and covert power struggles were an unchanging “rule.”
This layer of “protection” could not be broken. One had to know when to stop appropriately.
Chu Yinheng had not wanted to be led around by Gu Hanjue. Seeing that he was determined to obstruct him, and with the empress dowager secretly signaling him to stop, he could only pretend to believe this matter was settled.
After remaining silent for a long while, he suppressed his emotions and said amiably, “Since that is the case, I shall trouble you, Minister Gu.”
“Serving the emperor and all the imperial consorts is This minister’s duty.”
The man in the embroidered uniform and tall crown smiled exceptionally brightly and responded with satisfaction.
“Wait.” Jiang Yiyun drew everyone’s attention.