Chapter 112: The Art of the Emperor

Chapter 112: The Art of Kingship

The state’s foundation must remain unshaken.

Eunuch Chen’s gaze wavered slightly, his expression toward Noble Consort Mi a mix of fear and guilt as he lowered his head and said, "It was Zi Ling, the maid by Noble Consort Mi's side. She has served Her Highness for several years—not some newly assigned, unreliable servant—and often handles the monthly allowances for Noble Consort Mi. Had it not been for this, how could this lowly servant have trusted her so readily? I beg Your Majesty to see the truth!"

Zi Ling?

Noble Consort Mi could scarcely believe her ears.

His words were not false. Zi Ling had been by her side since the Tianyuan 1st Year, when she first entered the palace—a long-serving maid, dependable and efficient.

Aside from her personal attendants like Yu Ling and Mo Ling, who had accompanied her as part of her dowry, Zi Ling had earned her deep trust in the Jiangyun Palace. She had always been above reproach, and she was even granted free access to the storerooms.

She had known there must be a traitor among her people, but she never imagined it would be Zi Ling conspiring with outsiders to betray her!

Noble Consort Mi's phoenix eyes widened, flames of fury burning within as she spat, "Treacherous wretch! How dare you scheme with outsiders against me!"

Talent Lady Yu cast a gentle glance, her eyes reddened from tears, her frail frame only heightening her pitiable air. "The Inner Servants Bureau is crowded and full of prying eyes. Surely others in the bureau saw this too. Your Majesty could question his subordinates—ask if they heard these words, if they saw Zi Ling—so it wouldn’t just be his word alone."

With that, two tears slipped down her cheeks, her voice faint, almost despairing. "Zi Ling is a trusted maid by Noble Consort Mi’s side. If the truth were exposed, she might shield her mistress at all costs. If she insists it was all her doing, unrelated to anyone else, then today’s matter must be my own overthinking—that I was harmed by a maid I’ve never even met."

Su Jiaojiao frowned at Talent Lady Yu. She was clearly trying to sow the idea in His Majesty’s mind that Noble Consort Mi had deliberately sought to harm the royal heir in her womb, using reverse psychology to push for a thorough investigation.

She shot a cold glance at Eunuch Chen. Now she understood—this had been the plan all along.

Likely, Eunuch Chen and Zi Ling were in cahoots, unraveling things step by step to lead His Majesty’s suspicions straight to Noble Consort Mi.

Otherwise, if Eunuch Chen truly knew nothing, he could have distanced himself entirely the moment he was brought before His Majesty without all this trouble.

The harder a truth was to uncover, the more easily it was believed. Had Talent Lady Yu and Eunuch Chen laid everything out plainly from the start, it wouldn’t have been as difficult as it was now.

At this point, no matter how eloquent Su Jiaojiao might be, the fact that a spy had emerged from within Jiangyun Palace—one of Noble Consort Mi’s trusted aides—left no room for defense, even with endless excuses.

Moreover, these were matters under Noble Consort Mi’s jurisdiction. Without knowing the full situation, if Su Jiaojiao rashly spoke in her defense, it would only make His Majesty suspect they were colluding, obscuring the truth before His Majesty and disregarding the safety of the royal heir.

Only now did Su Jiaojiao fully grasp the Empress’s determination to reclaim power.

Eunuch Chen was a key figure in the Inner Servants Bureau. Regardless of whether he could clear himself today, His Majesty would never trust him again. And Zi Ling had been lurking by Noble Consort Mi’s side for years.

The Empress had discarded two key pawns at once—proof of her unwavering resolve to seize power this time.

Yet Su Jiaojiao hated to see Noble Consort Mi fall into the trap.

She had just gathered her thoughts to speak when Shu Jieyu, silent until now, discreetly pulled her sleeve.

Su Jiaojiao closed her parted lips and glanced over, only to see Shu Jieyu step forward and say coolly, "Your Majesty values the royal heir and is investigating thoroughly for Talent Lady Yu’s sake. Since Noble Consort Mi’s maid has been implicated, summon her for questioning. Your Majesty’s wisdom ensures the truth will emerge. Yet before Your Majesty has even spoken, Talent Lady Yu acts as though His Majesty is determined to shield Noble Consort Mi at the expense of the royal heir. Is she suggesting His Majesty cannot tell right from wrong? Such a grave accusation—can Talent Lady Yu bear the consequences?"

With that, Shu Jieyu stepped forward and bowed to His Majesty, her voice icy. "Talent Lady Yu’s miscarriage is a grave matter, and Noble Consort Mi’s reputation is equally important. There are still many unanswered questions in this affair. To uphold the discipline of the inner palace, I beg Your Majesty to investigate fully and leave no room for schemers to exploit."

"Having listened for so long, I’ve grasped some of it, but there are still a few points I don’t understand. Let me raise them for all present to consider."

Shu Jieyu cast a faint glance at Eunuch Chen and said, "Eunuch Chen, you claimed earlier that Zi Ling conveyed Noble Consort Mi’s order—that Her Highness could not bear to slight Talent Lady Yu and thus gave up some of her own stock, instructing you to deliver it. Is that correct?"

Eunuch Chen, kneeling in the center, looked up at Shu Jieyu. Caught off guard, he stammered, "Y-yes, Zi Ling delivered it personally."

Having gotten her answer, Shu Jieyu no longer spared him a glance, turning instead to His Majesty. "Initially, Talent Lady Yu argued that the most dangerous place is the safest—that under Noble Consort Mi’s management, sending poisoned rouge from the Inner Servants Bureau was risky but had high chances of success. That reasoning made some sense. But now, Eunuch Chen claims the rouge was handed over by Zi Ling, taken directly from Noble Consort Mi’s own supply. This undermines the earlier claim."

She knelt on one knee before His Majesty and bowed her head. "Using one’s own maid to deliver poison—something that would be traced back immediately—what person with even a shred of sense would do such a thing? Once the poison was discovered, the trail would lead straight to Eunuch Chen, then Zi Ling, and so on. It’d be like Noble Consort Mi announcing her guilt in the streets."

"Only a complete fool would do something like this."

"Moreover, Noble Consort Mi has just turned twenty, in her prime, and is the Emperor's favorite. Why would she worry about not bearing her own child? Even if she dislikes a certain consort, she could simply call her in for a scolding. Why resort to such crude methods?"

Yu looked at Shu Jieyu, her eyes widening in panic.

She had always known Noble Consort Zhen was eloquent, but as an ally of Noble Consort Mi, she would surely refrain from speaking too much. Unexpectedly, Shu Jieyu was not one to mess with—this ice-cold Beauty who poked holes in everything she said!

Yu glanced at His Majesty, hoping to see displeasure or suspicion on his face. Yet, His Majesty remained impassive, his face as unreadable as ever.

Now unable to read the Emperor, Yu could only say tearfully, "If Sister Shu questions me, how could I not question myself? If not for the evidence before me, how could I possibly accuse any sister, let alone Noble Consort Mi? Either way, we need to question Zi Ling to proceed with the investigation."

At this point, Noble Consort Mi couldn't hold back any longer. Suppressing the urge to strike, she sneered, "Yu has truly gone to great lengths. How commendable that you found Eunuch Chen and Zi Ling, these backstabbing servants! One slip-up from me, and now I’m painted as the killer of your baby! Why would someone of my rank stoop to such elaborate schemes against a mere Talent Lady, broadcasting it to everyone that I cannot tolerate you?"

"What a joke!"

Noble Consort Mi was known for her sharp tongue, every word a dagger. Yu shrank back, tears welling up: "Must Your Ladyship be so cruel? I merely seek the truth. I'm nobody important, how could I possibly command Eunuch Chen or Zi Ling from your palace?"

Seeing this, Su Jiaojiao frowned slightly.

Shu Jieyu’s words had already taken some heat off Noble Consort Mi. Bringing Zi Ling in for questioning might reveal flaws in her testimony. But Noble Consort Mi, unable to swallow her anger, just handed Yu more ammunition.

Her outburst made it clear that Yu lacked the influence to command Eunuch Chen and Zi Ling, rendering Shu Jieyu’s earlier arguments futile.

After a moment’s thought, Su Jiaojiao spoke gently, "Guessing gets us nowhere. Let us summon Zi Ling for questioning."

Having listened for so long, Shen Huai saw right through this distraction.

Though Yin Shihuai was spoiled and bossy, her nature was not wicked. Apart from frequent reports of her scolding Imperial Consorts and palace servants, she wasn't one for dirty tricks. Moreover, Shu Jieyu’s points were valid.

At twenty, Noble Consort Mi had risen to the rank of one of the Four Consorts, the Emperor's favorite. She would surely bear children in time. Having lost her baby, Yu wasn’t going to threaten her standing.

Even if she disliked Yu, she would never employ such a foolish method.

Though pained by the loss of the child, Shen Huai recognized today’s events as a diversion. Yin Shihuai’s lax governance had brought trouble upon herself, while Yu, having lost her baby, demanded justice to soothe grievances.

Regardless, today’s matter must be resolved to quell the turmoil and give Yu closure—and to show the court and commoners that imperial justice was impartial, unswayed by power or status.

If Zi Ling’s testimony still pointed squarely at Noble Consort Mi, he would have no choice but to act.

Moreover, recent unrest in the court over the civil examinations for commoners remained unresolved. Left Minister, leader of the noble factions, had been particularly active lately.

Meanwhile, Su Chang’s faction sought to curb the influence of the noble families led by Left Minister, beginning with the Yin clan, submitting memorials condemning their recent misdeeds.

Among these were complaints that Noble Consort Mi’s ruthless governance during the Empress’s illness had provoked discontent. Petitions urged that favoritism toward consorts’ families not be tolerated, lest one faction dominate, and stressed the need to stabilize the central palace to rectify the trend of concubines overstepping—the very foundation of the state.

Amidst such debates, Shen Huai had his own calculations.

The civil examinations for commoners were his unwavering goal. Left Minister, as head of the noble factions with numerous allies, would not yield power willingly. Yet this very fact necessitated Shen Huai’s balancing act, ensuring mutual restraint among factions to prevent any single clan from overshadowing the throne.

Though Noble Consort Mi might not have caused Yu’s miscarriage, the evidence pointed to her. Without new developments, he could not shield her.

To the court, this would serve as a warning to the Yin clan; to the inner palace, a demonstration of imperial fairness.

Over the years, the Empress had been a source of ease for him. Though not without minor faults, her virtues far outweighed them.

All humans err. Having convalesced so long, she must have reflected deeply.

Certain grievances must be reined in, lest the world decry His Majesty as an unjust ruler who favored concubines over his wife.

Weighed down by these tangled considerations, Shen Huai glanced outside and said coolly, "Summon Zi Ling."

Whether Yu had offended someone or someone sought to frame Noble Consort Mi using her child, these were secondary. What mattered was stability in the court and the unshakable foundation of the state.