Although the Emperor was not in perfect health, he was far from the frail, incapable ruler he would become years later. Even now, he still held control over the court.
“Your Majesty, what I wish to report is closely related to County Princess Muhua’s poisoning,” Consort Shu continued, turning to Ning Qin Wang. “With Ning Qin Wang here, some things can be witnessed by Wangye.”
Ning Qin Wang snorted. “Consort Shu, the matters of the harem hold no interest for me.”
Consort Shu’s expression was stern as she replied, “This is not a matter of the harem, Ning Qin Wang need not worry.”
The Empress sensed something amiss and spoke slowly, “Consort Shu, His Majesty has summoned you regarding the poisoning of Muhua. She has been raised under both His Majesty’s and my care, and we feel deeply for her suffering. Do not take this lightly.”
Upon hearing the Empress, Consort Shu turned and spoke directly to her, “Since the Empress has mentioned this, I shall be blunt. The Mid-Autumn banquet was held at Kunde Palace, and all arrangements were handled by Kunde Palace. Since this is the case, if County Princess Muhua was poisoned from food at the banquet, it is Kunde Palace’s responsibility to explain. I fail to understand why the Empress had Duan Mingxi summoned to the palace, locked in a side hall, and subjected to harsh interrogation by the powerful Momos of the Punishment Bureau?”
The Empress’s gaze narrowed slightly, though her face remained innocent. “Consort Shu, what are you talking about? Why would I do such a thing? I summoned Duan Mingxi to the palace simply to inquire about the poisoned food she served. Shouldn’t I be asking questions?”
“Empress, I never said you couldn’t question her,” Consort Shu retorted, anger filling her face. “I am asking why the maids were allowed to force a confession! If I hadn’t arrived in time, Duan Mingxi would have likely been tortured to death by the people from Kunde Palace. The Momos of the Punishment Bureau are ruthless and incredibly strong—few could withstand their methods. Your Majesty, I have always adhered to palace rules and respected the Empress. I do not understand why she would treat Muchen’s fiancée in this way. The food served to Duan Mingxi was poisoned. Shouldn’t the Empress explain that to me? Instead, she turned the situation around, using torture to force Duan Mingxi to confess. I ask His Majesty to intervene and give Duan Mingxi justice!”
The Emperor, still unaware of the matter, scanned the room with his slightly cloudy yet sharp eyes.
“Is this true?”
“Your Majesty, it is true that I summoned Duan Mingxi to the palace, but I only wished to understand why the food at the banquet was poisoned. I did not instruct anyone to use torture. Please, Your Majesty, investigate the truth,” the Empress stepped forward, gazing at the Emperor. “I have been married to His Majesty for decades; I would never do such a thing. I cannot accept these accusations from Consort Shu.”
Ning Qin Wang, listening intently, glanced at Duan Wang from across the room.
Duan Wang’s face was solemn, lips pressed tightly together, his eyes carrying a trace of anger. Beside him, Duan Mingxi had a tense expression with a hint of grievance in her eyes.
Ning Qin Wang thought carefully but did not speak, instead focusing on the Emperor.
The Emperor stared at both the Empress and Consort Shu for a long moment, before turning to Consort Shu, saying, “Consort Shu, since you accuse the Empress of favoritism, do you have evidence?”
Consort Shu blinked, forcing back the tears in her eyes, took a deep breath, and replied, “Your Majesty, earlier the Empress spoke of decades of marriage, but I have also been by His Majesty’s side for decades, and I have never lied before. I would never dare to accuse the Empress without evidence. If I have wronged the Empress, I will bear the consequences.”
The Empress gripped the handkerchief tightly, her thoughts racing. She had been in the palace all this time and still did not know what had really happened in Kunde Palace.
But hearing Consort Shu’s words, the Empress began to feel a bad premonition.
“Then tell me, what evidence do you have?” the Emperor asked, his voice calm but stern.
“I have already captured the matron who tortured Duan Mingxi for a confession. Your Majesty can investigate this matter thoroughly. But since these three are acting under orders, they must have someone backing them. Please, Your Majesty, appoint someone to conduct a fair investigation.”
The Empress’s eyes tightened. What is this….
What had Lu Momo and Zhang Mingde done?
With a swift turn of thought, the Empress immediately turned to the Emperor, her expression solemn as she said, “Your Majesty, I had the people from the Punishment Bureau conduct the questioning to avoid suspicion. However, from what Consort Shu has said, it seems there may have been some misconduct on their part. I do not know the truth of the matter, and I ask Your Majesty to investigate and grant me justice.”
She dared to use the Punishment Bureau’s people, so naturally, she was not afraid of an investigation.
“Duan Mingxi,” the Emperor asked, “the dishes at your table that day were poisoned. Were you aware of this?”
Hearing the sudden question, Mingxi took a step forward and respectfully replied, “Your Majesty, I was not aware.”
“Oh?” The Emperor narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at Mingxi. “Then what do you have to say about it?”
Mingxi’s heart skipped a beat. What does he mean by that?
The Empress and the Consort were both present, yet the Emperor asked her what she had to say.
Having experienced the previous life, she had already learned that the Emperor was suspicious by nature. Although he supported the Crown Prince, he was always wary of him. Otherwise, when the time came for him to pass away, Duan Wang would not have been able to contend with the Crown Prince.
The more the Emperor acted this way, the more cautious Mingxi became. With a perfectly timed look of confusion on her face, she spoke slowly, “When I first heard of this, I was very shocked. At first, I was worried about the safety of County Princess Muhua, and then I felt a wave of fear.”
“Fear? Why?”
“Your Majesty, the plate of poisonous food appeared on my table. If it weren’t for Consort Shu asking me to offer a toast to you and the Empress, I would have unknowingly eaten the poisoned food. I heard from Duan Wang that as soon as I left, County Princess Muhua came to find me. She happened to be hungry, so she casually ate some of the food. I couldn’t have predicted that Consort Shu would ask me to offer a toast, nor could I have foreseen County Princess Muhua coming to find me and using the food on my table. Thus, the accusation of poisoning is truly unjust. I ask Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly, find the true culprit, and give justice to both County Princess Muhua and me.”
The Emperor looked at Mingxi’s calm face. Aside from a trace of grievance in her eyes, there was no hint of anger or dissatisfaction.
He nodded slightly, noting that despite having grown up in the countryside, she still carried herself with the demeanor of a nobleman.
In the face of such an event, she remained composed, acted with propriety, and spoke sensibly. Most other young ladies would behave differently.
Moreover, the incident took place in Kunde Palace, and even Consort Shu had stated that since the banquet occurred under the Empress’s watch, she bore responsibility.
However, Duan Mingxi never once mentioned the Empress in her words, nor did she bring up the matter of coercion that Consort Shu had accused them of.
The Emperor slowly withdrew his gaze and turned to his son. “Old Four, what do you think?”
