Chapter 368: Hidden Agendas

Chapter 368: Each with Their Own Schemes

Concubine Li hated Ji Yuntang with a burning passion, and upon hearing this, she couldn't help but chime in.

"If she's not a fox spirit, how else could she know so much?"

"I won't even get into everything else—just look at her medical skills. Does Her Majesty really think a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl should have skills like that?"

The Empress narrowed her eyes and cast a cold glance at her. "That's an interesting thing to say, Concubine Li. Isn't Princess Ye using her medical skills to save people? When has she ever harmed anyone?"

"Let me be blunt—if it weren't for her, Prince Ye would probably be dead right now. Instead of thanking Princess Ye for saving your son, you go out of your way to make her life difficult and oppose her at every turn. So what exactly is going on in that head of yours, Concubine Li?"

A flicker of panic flashed in Consort Li's eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.

She knelt down and wiped a tear from her eye. "Her Majesty is wise. I'm also worried that someone with bad intentions might be lurking around my son to hurt him."

"After all, you all know that before Ji Yuntang came into the household, He Er had already married four wives. Every single one of those women was terrified just looking at him. I don't believe any woman would really accept him. I'm afraid he might go through that again..."

Before she could finish, Emperor Jingyang cut her off harshly. "Enough! Is this the place for your nonsense?"

He was afraid that if she kept going, people would start saying he, as the father, had treated Luo Junhe badly.

Emperor Jingyang felt guilty about Luo Junhe, so of course he didn't want the Empress bringing up his name in front of him.

The Empress shot Emperor Jingyang a cold look but didn't say anything else.

Concubine Li, on the other hand, let out a sigh of relief.

God knows how nervous she'd been just now, terrified that one wrong word would make her slip up.

But she had to admit—that old witch of an Empress seemed to have already caught on to something!

She'd always been polite to her before, but today she'd openly turned on her in front of so many people.

It would be a lie to say Concubine Li wasn't angry, but at the same time, she realized some things needed to be set in motion.

She went back to her seat and cautiously glanced at Luo Jingshen.

She saw him sitting there chatting with Ji Nanchuan, both of them looking delighted.

Concubine Li knew Luo Jingshen planned to marry Ji Qingqing. She looked down on Ji Qingqing, thinking she was stupid, foolish, and brainless.

But she also knew this was the most suitable match for Luo Jingshen right now.

Luo Qianxue couldn't help Luo Jingshen anymore, so he had to win over the Marquis Yongning's household.

Not to mention, his Eastern Palace was already packed with concubines and bed servants.

Any other woman who married into that situation probably wouldn't be able to handle it.

Ji Yuntang didn't pay any attention to Concubine Li's little schemes. At that moment, she stepped forward and kicked the blabbering Taoist to the ground in one swift move.

"Your Majesty, this man has some nerve, setting a fire right in the imperial palace. How should he be punished?"

Emperor Jingyang: "..."

Emperor Jingyang: "!!!"

He seemed caught off guard by Ji Yuntang turning the tables on him, and said furiously, "Wasn't it you who started the fire in the palace?"

"Everyone here just saw you chasing Master Yuqing with talismans and setting him on fire, and you almost hurt other people in the process."

"Princess Ye, you've got some nerve!"

Ji Yuntang smiled slightly. "He called me a fox spirit and tried to burn me alive. But has Your Majesty ever wondered—why would these talismans just catch fire on their own in my hands?"

Her question stumped Emperor Jingyang, because he'd never thought about it that way.

"Since Your Majesty doesn't know, let me give you the answer."

Ji Yuntang picked up a talisman and held it between two fingers, her voice cold.

"That's because these talismans are coated with scale powder, which is why they catch fire on their own."

"As for why the compass in the Taoist's hand pointed at me—"

"It's because he tampered with the compass too, adding mercury to the needle. Mercury is odorless and colorless, and it makes the needle heavier. He could make the compass point at whoever he wanted."

Master Yuqing's heart skipped a beat when he heard that. He reached for his waist and found the cloth pouch was already gone!

And the compass was now in Ji Yuntang's hands.

He watched helplessly as the compass spun a few times, and the needle pointed right at him.

At that moment, someone asked, "Then how did those crows in the sky show up? Surely they couldn't have been summoned by human means?"

Ji Yuntang snapped her fingers. "Congratulations, you guessed it!"

"He had eel blood in his pouch. Eel blood has a strong fishy smell, and with a bit of beast-attracting powder, it can summon flocks of crows."

"Likewise, a bit of beast-repelling powder can drive the crows away."

Ji Yuntang tossed the talisman into the air. As it caught fire, a strange fragrance wafted out.

The flocks of crows scattered right away.

Everyone suddenly understood.

Xie Jinrong stepped forward and shouted angrily, "So this Master Yuqing turned out to be a fraud, pulling his tricks all the way into the imperial palace! If Your Majesty doesn't bring him to justice today, it won't quell the anger in this old minister's heart!"

Master Yuqing dropped to his knees in terror, his body trembling like a leaf in the wind, but his eyes unconsciously darted toward Ji Nanchuan.

Ji Nanchuan quickly turned his head away, cursing Master Yuqing inwardly for being a fool—so sloppy in his ritual that he'd left loopholes everywhere and let that bitch Ji Yuntang catch him red-handed.

If the Taoist ratted him out, it would all be over!

Emperor Jingyang's expression was grim. He felt as though he had been made a fool of, and there was also a hint of disappointment.

He had placed so much trust in Master Yuqing, only to see him toyed with like a dog by Ji Yuntang.

"Guards! Take this Taoist out and behead him!"

The moment Master Yuqing heard that Emperor Jingyang wanted him dead, he panicked and blurted out, "Your Majesty, spare me! It was all the Yong..."

Before he could finish, his eyes suddenly bulged wide. He clutched his throat and began rolling on the ground.

Before anyone could react to this sudden turn of events, Master Yuqing collapsed to the ground, blood spilling from his mouth.

Eunuch Zhang stepped forward to check his breathing, then reported, "Your Majesty, Master Yuqing is dead!"

Emperor Jingyang's face turned ashen. At this moment, he had a vague sense that this was a conspiracy.

Someone knew of his belief in Daoism and wanted to use him to kill Ji Yuntang.

When the plot was exposed, they killed the witness to cover it up!

Ji Yuntang had countless enemies, and Emperor Jingyang was well aware of this.

Never mind those outside the palace—even inside the palace, countless people wanted her dead.

Especially the Crown Prince, Concubine Li, and Luo Qianxue—which one of them didn't hate her to the bone?

Regardless of which of them was behind it, this matter could not be investigated further.

If he dug deeper, the royal family would lose face!

Not to mention that Ji Yuntang was now a Laureate, and she'd earned her laurels.

If he mishandled this, people would just see him as an unfair emperor who was out to get the poetry laureate.

With this in mind, Emperor Jingyang ordered, "Take Master Yuqing's body out and throw it into a mass grave."

"As for today's events, no one is to speak of them outside, or face execution."

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