Dowager Consort Meng’s expression had already become so ugly that words could not describe it. She stared at the people kneeling on the ground, her lips trembling twice, yet she could not utter a single word.
“Dowager Consort, have you forgotten them?” Jiang Zhaoxue put down her teacup and pointed at Uncle Xu with a smile. “This person put something inside the Prince’s pillow. You can ask him what it was.”
Xu Bo’s mind had already collapsed from fear. After being frightened like this, he immediately began kowtowing repeatedly.
“Spare my life! This old servant was blinded by greed! I accepted the Dowager Consort’s money and stuffed those incense materials into the Prince’s pillow. This old servant deserves death! This old servant deserves death!”
The entire hall erupted into an uproar.
Several of the uncles of the imperial clan also lost their composure and lowered their heads one after another.
Dowager Consort Meng suddenly stood up and shouted angrily:
“This old thing has gone mad! He is spouting nonsense! This consort has never ordered him to do anything!”
“Never ordered him?” Jiang Zhaoxue pointed at Chunxia and Qiudong again, giving them a mocking smile.
Chunxia trembled all over and collapsed on the ground, crying bitterly.
“Princess Consort, please spare my life! It was the Dowager Consort who sent us! The Dowager Consort said that as long as we drained the Prince’s last bit of yang energy, we could take the money and leave! We didn’t dare disobey!”
Qiudong also cried and nodded, unable to even speak clearly.
“Yes, it was the Dow… Dowager Consort.”
The expressions of the imperial clan members in the hall all changed.
If Uncle Xu’s matter could still be explained as an old man losing his mind, Chunxia and Qiudong were clearly not insane, and they had personally identified her.
Dowager Consort Meng’s face turned red and then pale. The hand holding her teacup tightened more and more.
Jiang Zhaoxue pulled out several sheets of paper from her sleeve and slammed them onto the table.
“These are the records I copied from the accounting room. In the third month of the seventh year of Tianqi, two pieces of top-grade aged ginseng were purchased. The account recorded a cost of three thousand taels of silver, but the entire amount went into the Meng family’s private treasury. In the fifth month of the eighth year of Tianqi, ten thousand taels were allocated for the renovation of the main courtyard, but in reality, only three hundred taels were spent on inferior wood, and the remaining…”
She continued reading them one by one. With every item she read aloud, Dowager Consort Meng’s expression became increasingly uglier.
When she reached the end, Jiang Zhaoxue raised her head and put on a stern expression.
“Six hundred and fifty thousand taels. Dowager Consort, did you mistake the Jing Prince’s residence for the Meng family’s money bank?”
This time, the members of the imperial clan looked at each other. None of them dared to speak first.
Lord Zhao from the Imperial Clan Court put down his teacup, took out a document, and placed it on the table.
“Princess Consort of Jing, this subordinate has a report from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau here. It states that the Princess Consort’s fate clashes with the royal family’s fortune and is detrimental to the nation. This matter is of great importance. This subordinate is merely carrying out orders, so I ask for the Princess Consort’s understanding.”
Jiang Zhaoxue took the report and lowered her head to glance at it.
“Lord Zhao, my Eight Characters of Birth are incorrect.”
Lord Zhao was stunned.
“Incorrect?”
Dowager Consort Meng could no longer hold back. She pointed at Jiang Zhaoxue’s nose and cursed.
“What nonsense are you talking about? How can one’s Eight Characters of Birth be changed so casually?”
“That’s right! Everything mentioned just now was merely private matters of the manor. But this matter regarding a fate that clashes with the royal fortune is the real important issue.” Third Great Uncle finally found a way to counter her, and his voice rose once again.
Suddenly, the sound of wooden wheels rolling came from outside the door.
“This prince heard that someone is discussing this prince’s Princess Consort at the imperial clan banquet?”
Everyone turned their heads at once.
Xiao Chenghuai was sitting in a wheelchair, pushed inside by Laifu.
Today, he wore a dark ink-colored robe with subtle patterns, with a white jade belt around his waist. Although his face was still slightly pale, the imposing aura of a ruler shocked everyone present.
Lord Zhao hurried forward and bowed respectfully.
“This subordinate pays respects to Your Highness! Has Your Highness fully recovered? This is truly a great blessing! This subordinate has always been concerned about Your Highness’s illness, but due to being occupied with official duties, I was unable to visit often. I have truly felt guilty in my heart…”
Xiao Chenghuai glared at him.
Lord Zhao shuddered in fear and immediately dropped to his knees.
“Your Highness, spare this subordinate’s life! Your Highness, please spare this subordinate!”
“When did your Imperial Astronomical Bureau become so careless? How dare you casually take out a report and spout nonsense!”
Xiao Chenghuai slammed his hand heavily onto the armrest of his wheelchair.
“Who gave you the courage?”
Lord Zhao became even more panicked. At first, after investigating and learning that the Prince had not fully recovered, he thought Xiao Chenghuai would be unable to appear, so he had acted arrogantly and domineeringly.
But now that he saw Xiao Chenghuai in person, where did Lord Zhao still have the confidence he had before? He immediately kowtowed repeatedly.
“This subordinate has carefully examined it. The Eight Characters of Birth on this report are indeed questionable. How could such a thing that deceives the emperor and violates the law be considered valid? This subordinate will return and report to the Imperial Clan Court immediately and investigate this matter thoroughly!”
Xiao Chenghuai nodded, his tone cold.
“Then I’ll trouble Lord Zhao.”
“Not at all, not at all! This is this subordinate’s duty! This subordinate will definitely restore the Princess Consort’s innocence. As for the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, this subordinate will also notify them and have them verify the Princess Consort’s Eight Characters of Birth again. I absolutely will not allow such slander to happen again!”
Lord Zhao stood up and deliberately turned toward Jiang Zhaoxue, his face full of flattery.
“Princess Consort, you have been frightened. This subordinate will take this false report away for you. Please rest assured, this subordinate will handle this matter properly!”
After saying that, Lord Zhao was just about to leave when Xiao Chenghuai slammed his hand onto the wheelchair armrest again.
“Crawl out!”
Lord Zhao’s face turned deathly pale. Looking at the imperial clan members filling the room, he wanted to refuse but did not dare. In the end, he could only crawl out in humiliation.
Jiang Zhaoxue had a sharp sense of smell. She caught a whiff of urine and looked over in that direction. She couldn’t help but laugh.
Lord Zhao really had wet himself!
Laifu pushed Xiao Chenghuai forward. Xiao Chenghuai held Jiang Zhaoxue’s hand.
“Are you alright?”
Jiang Zhaoxue pouted, turned her head away, and squeezed out a few tears.
“Hmph, how could I be alright? Husband! Look at those uncles. They joined forces to bully me!”
Xiao Chenghuai turned his head, his gaze landing on Third Great Uncle.
“I heard that you were the first to stand up just now and accuse my Princess Consort of being jealous and cruel?”
Third Great Uncle broke out in cold sweat, his lips trembling.
“Y-Your Highness, this old man has been wronged. I was merely…”
“Only what?” Xiao Chenghuai interrupted him. “The estate outside the city that Third Great Uncle owns… was it bought for you using the Jing Prince’s residence’s money by the Dowager Consort?”
Third Great Uncle’s face instantly turned deathly pale, looking as if all his blood had drained away.
Xiao Chenghuai said coldly, “You are an elder, and this prince has always respected you. But if you continue getting involved in these matters with others, don’t blame this prince for showing no mercy.”
Third Great Uncle collapsed back into his seat with a thud. The beads of sweat on his forehead dripped down one after another, and he no longer dared to say another word.
Xiao Chenghuai’s gaze then shifted toward Fifth Uncle and Seventh Uncle.
“Do the two of you have anything else to say?”
The two immediately lowered their heads in unison, wishing they could bury their faces into the table.
Xiao Chenghuai ignored them and turned his wheelchair to face Dowager Consort Meng.
Dowager Consort Meng’s entire body stiffened, and she was unable to say a single word.
With an expression that seemed to be for her own good, Xiao Chenghuai smiled slightly.
“Your health has always been poor. From today onward, you should rest and recover properly in Shoukang Courtyard.”
Dowager Consort Meng’s fingers trembled.
“Xiao Chenghuai! How dare you place this consort under house arrest?”
“If the Dowager Consort feels wronged, this prince can send you to the Dali Temple and let the Minister of Dali Temple investigate the matter of those six hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver!”
Xiao Chenghuai stared at her, his eyes flashing with a chilling coldness.
Dowager Consort Meng slumped into her chair. The confidence and elegance she once possessed had completely disappeared, and she looked as if all the strength had been drained from her body.
The flower hall remained silent for a moment.
Suddenly, Third Great Uncle stood up, raised his wine cup, and cupped his hands toward Jiang Zhaoxue.
“Princess Consort, this old man offended you earlier. I hope you are generous enough not to take it to heart. This old man offers you a toast!”
After saying that, he tilted his head back and finished the wine in one gulp.
Fifth Uncle and Seventh Uncle also hurriedly stood up and raised their cups.
“Princess Consort, please do not blame this old man. We were also deceived by the Dowager Consort!”
“Yes, yes, that’s right. This old man knew nothing at all. I only came here to drink!” The members of the imperial clan spoke one after another, pushing all the responsibility away as if the people who had just pointed at Jiang Zhaoxue’s nose and scolded her were not them.
Jiang Zhaoxue picked up her teacup and slowly took a sip, not even raising her eyelids.
“Third Great Uncle, you’re too polite.” She put down the teacup and said with a smile, “I don’t hold grudges.”
Third Great Uncle had just breathed a sigh of relief when he heard her add:
“Usually, I settle grudges on the spot.”