Chapter 376 – Investigate, Investigate

Chapter 376 - Investigate, Investigate

In the end, she was unwilling to accept her fate.

She had been the Empress for so many years, holding sway in the harem with her every word carrying weight.

Logically, she should have raised the crown prince and remained the most esteemed woman in the palace in the future.

Unfortunately, the fourth prince's health was weak.

Her current low profile was only due to her lack of leverage, not because she had truly lost the will to fight.

Now that she thought about it, the fifth prince was indeed at a disadvantage, but if he weren't, he wouldn't need anyone's support.

The emperor wasn't the Empress Dowager's biological son either, yet they had coexisted peacefully for so many years?

At least she held no grudges against the fifth prince and his mother.

To be honest, although the Concubine Xian was on friendly terms with her, the Concubine was too capable, leaving the Empress with a sense of unease at times.

Perhaps she viewed it through her own perspective: if her son were to become the future emperor, she surely wouldn't treat Concubine Xian and the others kindly.

If so, applying the same logic, how could Concubine Xian's son treat her well as an empress?

Even if she was the empress now, eventually becoming the Empress Dowager, could the mother of the emperor by birth be equated with his legal mother?

Therefore, it would be better for the future emperor to have no imperial concubine.

With these thoughts, the queen's resolve wavered.

"Mother, please consider this carefully."

The Crown Princess nodded. "Mother, please think about it for our own good. And the Xie family. I don't wish for the Qi family to have everything they desire. They still owe the Xie family a blood debt."

The queen sighed; she hadn't thought of her brother in a long time.

Everyone had their own intentions and goals. The Crown Princess had never taken a liking to the Ninth Prince.

She disliked the Ninth Prince, and she imagined that he felt the same way about her.

Indeed, she was a legitimate princess, but should the throne change hands, who would acknowledge her?

Isn't everyone's future shaped by their own efforts?

For three consecutive days, the emperor did not visit the harem.

Yet, he made no move against Yun Li. After all, the matter was still just a suspicion without concrete evidence.

Thus, it seemed deliberate that Minister Qi had yet to act and had allowed Concubine Shu to be exposed now.

On the 20th of October, Zhu Huang returned with a grim expression. "Your Highness, there are some rumors circulating outside. They're saying... that during the government's suppression of bandits, one of them confessed to being hired by you and Prince Jiuyi to commit murder. It's said that Seventh Young Master personally took care of it. It just so happened that those few days, Seventh Young Master and his young wife were staying at the manor..."

Yun Li sighed. "There's no need to panic. Wasn't this expected? What is His Majesty doing about it?"

"The emperor has yet to make a decision, but it's likely that someone has already requested for Seventh Young Master to be brought to the Ministry of Justice." Zhu Huang was worried. "The people around Seventh Young Master... Since they've set this trap outside, there's no guarantee they haven't won over others' loyalty."

Yun Li nodded, mulling over the fact that Minister Qi would undoubtedly seize the opportunity to drag Concubine Shu and her son down.

True enough, before He Jinli could do anything to Qi Xiaoming, another rumor emerged outside—that Concubine Shu and her son had staged the entire incident to eliminate Prince Jiuyi.

Rivalry among royal siblings over the throne was indeed not an uncommon occurrence throughout history. It had happened time and again.

Soon, whispers emerged, casting suspicion on the mothers of the Tenth and Eleventh Princes.

Regardless of the public's speculation, He Jinli decided to keep the princes focused on their studies, restricting them to the Guanghong Palace and Guanglong Palace unless necessary.

Everyone awaited the Emperor's response, but for days, he refused to enter the harem.

Since the matter involved Qi Xiaoming, an investigation could no longer be avoided. Eventually, they would have to summon him for questioning.

Two years prior, Qi Xiaoming had barely scraped through the imperial examinations, securing a minor position in the Censorate.

A position that did not qualify him for court attendance.

Of course, his future prospects were promising; he merely needed time to accumulate seniority.

However, with Minister Qi and Concubine Xian's influence, even the Capital Prefecture and Ministry of Justice had to show him some respect.

Regardless of his low rank as a seventh-tier official, he was still a government officer. Without a conviction, he could not be arrested.

There was no other choice but to summon them.

Qi Xiaoming had long been aware of the situation and remained relatively composed now.

With Qi Xiang's guidance, he had investigated his inner circle the previous day. His trusted people were uninvolved; the issue lay with his wife, Yu Shi's, personal maid.

She had already been apprehended.

Yu Shi was a formidable woman. Although the maid had grown up with her, betrayal left no room for hesitation.

She immediately ordered the girl's entire family to be brought to the capital. Once they faced severe punishment, there would be no choice but for them to confess.

Qi Xiaoming recounted everything truthfully, naturally sparing him any torture. He was instructed to return home and await further instructions.

As rumors intensified outside, He Jinli had no choice but to thoroughly investigate the families of imperial concubines who bore princes.

Of course, thorough investigations were also necessary for the second prince, third prince, and fifth prince's consorts.

The captured bandit was escorted to the capital, but as they approached the city, he attempted to escape and was killed on the spot.

There could be so much more to this story that needs unraveling. Yet even if her death was an unfortunate accident, the coincidence is truly staggering.

He Jinli entrusted the investigation matter directly to Zhuang Shen and the Ministry of Justice.

Yun Li suspected the Crown Princess and Lady Jiang in particular.

Qixiang shared the same suspicion, he knew the Jiang family even better than Yun Li.

The Marquis of Yongning, who resides in the Jiang household, is Grandfather to Jiang Chongyuan.

The title of Eternal Peace Marquis, Jiang Baoyi, was inherited from his ancestors.

The Jiang family's prosperity originated from Emperor Longzhong's generation, who was also He Jingen's great-grandfather.

Back then, the Great Jin and the Yuanzheng Empire were still in a constant state of conflict, engaging in battles every few years.

Emperor Longzhong was a skilled warrior, and it was under his reign that the rule was established that imperial princes must train in martial arts.

In his forties, he engaged in a major battle with the Yuanzheng, personally leading the troops and donning armor into the fray.

The Jiang family and the others had ancestors who followed him into battle. That war was fought so brilliantly that Emperor Longzhong was delighted, and all the old generals who accompanied him were rewarded with titles.

It was then that the Jiang family was granted the title of Marquis, which was passed down for three generations without demotion.

At that time, the head of the Jiang family was relatively young, just entering his forties.

It was also fortunate that the first Marquis of the family lived to be ninety years old.

Subsequent generations also enjoyed longevity, and now they are precisely on the third generation.

But when his granddaughter entered the palace as a Consort and bore the Tenth Prince, there was a chance that the marquis title would continue.

However, it was true that the elders of the Jiang family were long-lived, but apart from the first generation's military achievements, there was little else to boast about.

Due to their longevity, the family had a large population. The children born to each generation's wives and concubines, not to mention the legitimate ones, were countless.

Even in Consort Jiang's generation, her father and uncles alone had legitimate offspring numbering around seven or eight. This didn't even include the numerous children from their fathers' and uncles' concubines.

Moreover, she had another seven or eight half-uncles, and adding their offspring to the mix...

Despite its grandeur, the vast marquis's estate is, in reality, beset with severe financial constraints.

One could say that the title is merely an empty honor.

Having served in the palace for many years, she could not offer any assistance from her family.

Consequently, an elderly marquis could hardly support his entire household, and had long begun secretly selling off assets.

With such a background, what wouldn't they dare to do?

"It's laborious for me to write, but you read so swiftly."