125 Purge (2)

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The Empress had used Lu Ning’s journey to Cloud Peak Mountain to eliminate Han Feiyue on behalf of Gong Wue, clearing the way for her to take her rightful place as Crown Princess. Once I looked at it that way, everything fell into place.

No wonder the Empress had suddenly summoned Zhang Bitong to the Imperial Garden today. In every word she had spoken, she seemed to be thinking of Zhang Bitong’s interests. Zhang Bitong was not particularly deep-minded, and these past few days she had happened to suffer grievances at the Empress Dowager’s hands. With only a few words, the Empress had drawn Zhang Bitong to her side.

If anything happened to Han Feiyue now, Zhang Bitong would not come to her aid because of her ties to the Empress Dowager. Moreover, if Han Feiyue could not escape this calamity, then apart from the Empress herself, Zhang Bitong would also bear the blame alongside her. As the mother of the empire, the Empress could not be dealt with lightly by the Empress Dowager. Zhang Bitong, however, was another matter entirely. Should the Empress Dowager wish to vent her anger, she could take it out on Zhang Bitong.

Once the Empress Dowager made her move, the Empress would have killed two birds with one stone—not only eliminating Han Feiyue, but also using the Empress Dowager’s hand to dispose of Zhang Bitong. Once Zhang Bitong fell, Jiang Huan would no longer pose much of a threat, and another obstacle would be cleared from Jiang Yun’s path.

The depth of such scheming made my heart tremble. Truly, no one in the inner palace was simple. The Empress appeared calm and unruffled, yet she had everything under control, calculating against so many people at once.

Zhang Bitong had been used by her, yet I could not warn her directly. All I could do was hope that Han Feiyue’s affair would not develop in the direction the Empress had envisioned.

I glanced around and spotted Little Dezi. Quietly, I stepped back and found him.

“Little Dezi, who knows how far this matter will go. Hurry and bring His Highness the Crown Prince here.”

Little Dezi nodded. “I was thinking the same thing. Her Highness the Crown Princess has always treated servants like us kindly. Besides, I believe she would never do such a thing. She cannot be made to suffer this injustice for nothing. I’ll go find His Highness at once.”

“Go quickly, and return quickly. We cannot delay.”

When I walked back from Little Dezi’s side, I met Yun Qing’s gaze. She had probably seen what I had done. Being noticed by her was better than being noticed by the Empress.

I returned to stand behind Zhang Bitong. Yun Qing said nothing.

The Empress glanced at the things in Ming He’s hands and asked Han Feiyue, “Crown Princess, these items are not meant for a woman’s use. How do you explain them?”

Han Feiyue cast a disdainful look at the man’s robe and gave a cold laugh. “If someone wishes to frame me, I have nothing to say.”

The Empress said, “Are you saying that neither of these things belongs to you?”

Before Han Feiyue could answer, Gong Wue impatiently cut in. “The physical evidence is already here, and together with what I saw, the proof is conclusive. Aunt, she has no way to deny it, which is why she cannot say anything. Aunt, tell me—how should she be punished?”

Zhang Bitong said, “As the Crown Princess, she secretly consorted with another man. What other punishment could there be? Naturally, it is a capital offense!”

Gong Wue smiled smugly and turned to the Empress. “Aunt, please uphold justice.”

The Empress looked at Han Feiyue. “Crown Princess, I will give you one final chance. If you can explain where these two things came from, I will consider investigating the matter anew. But if you cannot say anything at all, then the evidence is as solid as a mountain. Do not blame me for showing no mercy.”

Han Feiyue stood straight, neither humble nor arrogant. “I have nothing to say. In the end, the innocent will remain innocent. If I did not do it, then I did not do it.”

“Very well. Guards, confine the Crown Princess to her chambers for now. After I report this to His Majesty, we will decide what is to be done.”

“Aunt,” Gong Wue protested unwillingly, “the evidence is already conclusive. The laws of the inner palace should be applied as they dictate! Did Consort Zhang not just say that this is a capital offense?”

Gong Wue was afraid that delay would give rise to complications. If the Empress Dowager returned, eliminating Han Feiyue would not be so easy.

“Wue, do not worry. His Majesty will handle the matter impartially. I know his temperament. He detests such affairs arising in the inner palace above all else. Do you know why no one has been sent to the Cold Palace until now?”

“Wue does not know.”

“It is not that no one has ever committed a mistake. For minor offenses, His Majesty merely demotes the offender and lets the matter go. But in the past, there were those who committed grave offenses in the inner palace. His Majesty showed them no mercy—he sent them a cup of poisoned wine directly.”

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So that was His Majesty’s inviolable boundary; no one was permitted to cross it. No wonder I had never heard of anyone being sent to the Cold Palace.

After hearing this, Gong Wue finally relaxed somewhat. She then said, “Aunt, why do I not go and summon His Majesty?”

“There is no need. I have already arrived.”

At those words, the Emperor appeared in a dark brocade robe, dragons coiling across it. His presence was imposing.

“We pay our respects to His Majesty.”

At once, everyone in the courtyard knelt.

I saw Jiang Yun, Jiang Chen, and Jiang Huan following at the Emperor’s side. It seemed that when Little Dezi went to find Jiang Yun, the Emperor had been with these three princes.

And naturally, Long Zhan had come with them as well.

“Empress, what has happened now? Why are you having Feiyue confined?”

“Your Majesty—”

The Empress had only just begun to explain when Gong Wue stepped forward and hurriedly interrupted her.

“Your Majesty, Crown Princess Sister has been secretly consorting with another man. I saw her with him last night, and today we found a man’s robe and this wineskin in her chambers. The evidence is conclusive.”

The Emperor glanced at the robe and wineskin. “On the strength of these things alone, you dare claim that the dignified Crown Princess has been consorting with a man? That is far too hasty. Gong Wue, are you certain you saw her with a man last night? Why were you there? And if you saw them, did you clearly identify who he was?”

Gong Wue replied, “Last night, I happened to see the Crown Princess leave the palace, so I followed her. I was too far away and could not see who the man was.”

“If you could not see who he was, how do you know he was a man? Moreover, it was dark. You cannot even be certain that the person was the Crown Princess.”

The Emperor had been the one who had insisted on making Han Feiyue the Crown Princess. With the Empress Dowager’s influence as well, it was clear from his words that he intended to help Han Feiyue.

Gong Wue was suddenly unable to say anything. The more she spoke, the more flaws she would reveal.

The Empress therefore stepped forward. “Your Majesty, Wue would not falsely accuse the Crown Princess without reason. Nor would I convict the Crown Princess based solely on Wue’s word. That is why I came here myself. Yet when we searched the chambers, we found these items. I repeatedly asked the Crown Princess to explain where they had come from. If she could offer a convincing explanation, I naturally would not pursue the matter further.”

The Empress’s words were flawless; the Emperor could find no fault in them.

Then she changed tack. “But the Crown Princess looked utterly disdainful. I asked her several times, yet she refused to say a word. I had no choice. If I did not confine her first, it would be difficult to satisfy the court. Besides, this matter is of the utmost importance, and I cannot settle it carelessly. Since Your Majesty has arrived, I ask that you decide the matter.”

The Emperor placed one hand behind his back and let the other hang at his side. He walked slowly to Ming He, lifted the robe and the wineskin, and examined them. Then he asked Han Feiyue, “Feiyue, do you recognize this robe?”

Han Feiyue replied, “I have never seen it before.”

“And the wineskin?”

As Han Feiyue answered, she glanced at Long Zhan before quickly looking away. For a moment, she said nothing.

Suddenly, a guard behind them spoke. “I believe I have seen that wineskin before.”

The Emperor turned and asked, “You have seen it? Speak quickly. If you utter a falsehood, I will show you no mercy.”

The guard hurriedly said, “I would never dare to lie. It was during the days after the Crown Princess returned to the palace. While I was making my rounds, I saw her holding this wineskin and appearing delighted as she headed somewhere. I know nothing more, Your Majesty. I swear I have not spoken a single false word.”

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“So the wineskin does belong to the Crown Princess. Your Majesty, this proves that Wue did not falsely accuse her, does it not? How could a young woman come to possess a wineskin? It must belong to some man, must it not?”

“Feiyue, tell me. What is the story behind this wineskin?”

Han Feiyue said, “I bought this wineskin last year when I traveled through the northern frontier.”

It was indeed an item from the northern frontier, and that explanation was convincing enough.

“You are lying! You do not drink, so why would you buy it? Oh, I know. Even if it was not given to you by some man, you must have intended to give it to one. His Highness has been married to you for quite some time, yet you have never given it to him. Then the man must be someone else, must he not? And you still claim that you have not been secretly consorting with another man?”

Gong Wue had unexpectedly shown some intelligence this time, and her analysis happened to be correct.

But because she was right, the matter became even harder to resolve.

I looked toward Long Zhan. Given his temperament, he would never allow Han Feiyue to shoulder the blame alone. I feared that if he rashly stepped forward, the matter would become even more impossible to explain.

I seized the opportunity and hurried over. Long Zhan was indeed about to step forward and say something, but I secretly caught hold of him.

Long Zhan stopped, but I saw that Gong Wue had noticed us. She suddenly said, “Your Majesty, I remember that during the Fourth Prince’s wedding, the Crown Princess and Lord Long were alone together in one room. His Highness the Crown Prince, the Fourth Prince, the Sixth Prince, and the Ninth Prince all saw it with their own eyes.”

That Gong Wue had actually kept this matter in mind all this time.

Even if I held Long Zhan back now, it was useless. Gong Wue had already dragged him into the affair.

“Yun’er, Chen’er, Huan’er, tell me—is that true?”

Jiang Yun bowed and nodded. “Your son did indeed see them come out of the room together that day. It was the Fourth Prince who told me about it.”

Jiang Chen also did not dare say much. Only Jiang Huan spoke. “Father, Lord Long and the Crown Princess were indeed there that day, but there was another person in the room as well—Little Xiao. Little Xiao already explained what happened. It was not as the Consort imagined.”

“Long Zhan!”

The Emperor clearly remained skeptical of Jiang Huan’s words, so he called for Long Zhan.

Long Zhan walked to the Emperor’s side and cupped his hands. “This general is here.”

“Was the matter that day as Huan’er has said?”

Long Zhan glanced at the wineskin. “Your Majesty, actually—”

“Your Majesty!” Han Feiyue interrupted him. “This wineskin was indeed meant as a gift for a man.”

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