The next day, Duan Huirou entered the palace to see Zhang Jieyu. Although Consort Gui had been demoted, the Emperor hadn’t forced her to relocate to a different palace—she had only moved from the main hall to a side hall.
This gave Zhang Jieyu a glimmer of hope. Since the Emperor hadn’t completely cast her aside, there was still a chance for her to turn things around.
Wearing a plain palace robe, no longer adorned in her usual lavish attire, Zhang Jieyu leaned against a soft cushion and looked at her daughter-in-law. “Who taught you to say that?”
Duan Huirou wasn’t truly foolish. She looked at Zhang Jieyu and said, “No one taught me. I just saw how Wangye spends his days lost in thought, and I grew terribly anxious. I thought, Side Consort Qian really didn’t cherish her blessings—His Highness treated her with such deep affection, yet she still betrayed him. Then I started wondering, all these years, how come Side Consort Qian never once pleaded for any favor for her own Father?”
Having been in the palace for years and weathered its many ups and downs, Zhang Jieyu immediately noticed the flicker in Duan Huirou’s eyes and realized that her words probably weren’t as pure as they sounded. There was certainly resentment toward Side Consort Qian, but the insight she showed still caught Zhang Jieyu’s attention.
Yes—something wasn’t right. She had always assumed it was her own suppression that kept Side Consort Qian from acting.
But if Side Consort Qian dared to help the Empress frame her, what wouldn’t she dare do?
There must be something more behind it.
She just didn’t know what it was yet. Thinking this, Zhang Jieyu looked at Duan Huirou and said, “You’re a good child. It’s hard on you to speak up for that useless man.”
Duan Huirou quickly responded, “We’re husband and wife—it’s only right that I do so.”
Zhang Jieyu nodded in satisfaction. “There’s a lot to deal with at Wangye’s manor right now. You need to hold things up on your end. The people left behind by Side Consort Qian—dismiss who needs to be dismissed, clean up what needs to be cleaned up. Reorganize the household, and carry yourself with the presence befitting a princess consort.”
Duan Huirou thought to herself, I’m no fool. With Side Consort Qian gone, of course I should take this opportunity to sweep the place clean and grip the entire manor in my hands.
With the Lan couple backing her, and Jin Wang absorbed in his grief, he didn’t even notice that Duan Huirou had already replaced many of the household’s stewards with her own people.
Now that she had Zhang Jieyu’s words to support her, if Jin Wang questioned her later, she could answer with even more confidence.
After leaving the palace, Duan Huirou followed Zhang Jieyu’s instructions and visited the residence of Zhang Gelao to pay respects to the madam of the house.
Old Madam Zhang was quite elderly, so Eldest Madam Zhang, the main wife, personally came out to receive her and led her in to meet the old madam.
Back when Duan Huirou was merely the second daughter of the Marquis household, a woman of Madam Zhang’s status wouldn’t even glance at her. But now, she had to come out and personally welcome her and show her the way.
Duan Huirou only stayed at the Zhang residence for half an hour before leaving. Not long after, the old madam had someone summon Zhang Gelao back home.
Within a few days, an impeachment memorial against Qian Zhifu was presented to the Emperor.
The final clue from the Qiping case had finally been matched up. Where had all the missing grain from the Qiping warehouses gone?
It turned out they had secretly been delivered into Qian Zhifu’s hands. He then sold the state grain and delivered the silver to the Eastern Palace.
The whereabouts of the missing grain had finally been uncovered, but the results stunned the court officials.
The Emperor was so enraged he fainted on the spot. Ding Zhao turned pale with fear.
Xiao Muchen immediately sent for the imperial physician and personally carried the Emperor into his sleeping quarters. Qi Wang tried to follow, but Kang Wang, now no longer foolish, caught the look in his fourth brother’s eyes and rushed forward to shout that he also wanted to go in.
As chaos broke out, it was still the seasoned and imposing Zhang Gelao who stepped forward to stabilize the scene and silence both Qi Wang and Kang Wang.
Yu Wang, who had just lifted his foot to step forward, quickly pulled it back. After finally regaining favor thanks to his son, he now acted much more cautiously.
In the imperial family, there are no true Father and sons.
Zhang Gelao cast a long look at the retreating back of Duan Wang entering the sleeping quarters. While Zhang Jieyu didn’t believe Duan Wang was involved, he himself wasn’t so sure.
Jin Wangfei was Duan Wang’s wife’s biological younger sister—and the two had once quarreled so fiercely they nearly cut ties. One had grown up under her parents’ care in the capital, while the other, raised away from home, was now so obedient.
And after her birth parents were cast out of the Marquis household, Duan Wang had treated her with such deep affection. That alone showed how formidable she was.
How could Jin Wangfei have come up with such a scheme on her own? Clearly, someone had been advising her.
And the evidence his men gathered on Qian Zhifu had come too easily. If not for help behind the scenes, how could it have gone so smoothly?
Zhang Gelao felt a heaviness in his chest. Glancing at the useless Jin Wang, he sighed deeply.
As for Side Consort Qian’s affair, Duan Wang had likely long since discovered something was off. He just kept it hidden, waiting for the Empress and Zhang Jieyu to destroy each other.
Now, he would even owe Duan Wang a favor for extending help at this critical moment. The thought alone was suffocating.
What a pair of vicious husband and wife!
When the Emperor opened his eyes, all he saw were shifting shadows. Zhang Gelao and several other cabinet ministers stood by his side. Seeing the Emperor awake, they immediately stepped forward to pay their respects.
The Emperor steadied himself. Ding Zhao came forward slowly to help him sit upright against the cushions and said softly, “Your Majesty, please drink some water first.”
The emperor’s throat was dry and parched, and it felt as if a heavy stone was pressing on his chest, making it hard to breathe. He nodded lightly.
Ding Zhao personally brought over a cup of tea that had cooled to a suitable temperature, carefully helping the emperor drink half a cup before softly saying, “Several Gelaos are waiting here, and the Crown Prince along with the other Wangyes are standing guard outside the hall.”
In just one sentence, he made the situation perfectly clear.
The emperor had a sense of things now and turned his head to look at Zhang Gelao.
Zhang Gelao immediately stepped forward and said in a low, steady voice, “Your Majesty, what are your orders?”
Though the emperor’s gaze was already clouded, it was still sharp. He looked at Zhang Gelao and asked, “What do you think should be done with Qian Zhifu’s case?”
Zhang Gelao understood well—this wasn’t just a question about Qian Zhifu, but also a test of his stance toward Zhang Jieyu and Jin Wang.
His heart tightened slightly before he replied, “In response to Your Majesty, Qian Zhifu’s actions are of grave and unforgivable nature. He must be dealt with according to the law of the land.”
The emperor had never intended to forgive Qian Zhifu; what he wanted was a clear stance from Zhang Gelao.
Zhang Gelao made no mention of Zhang Jieyu or Jin Wang, so the emperor slowly withdrew his gaze and, after a long pause, said, “I have always trusted in your fairness and judgment. I leave this matter to your thorough investigation.”
“Yes, this humble servant will not fail Your Majesty’s trust.”
Zhang Gelao finally felt some relief. With the emperor assigning him to investigate, it seemed clear he had no intention of shielding the empress and her son. To avoid suspicion, Zhang Gelao himself would certainly not resort to false accusations either.
News that Zhang Gelao had taken over the investigation spread quickly. In Kunde Palace, the empress’s face turned ashen.
She had never expected such a reversal.
Good old Zhang Gelao—truly a biting dog that doesn’t bark!
At that moment, in the Eastern Palace, Bai Shixi was looking at the new beauty who had just entered the palace—Xie Muhua, the eldest legitimate daughter of the wealthiest family in Xuanzhou, brought back three days ago by the Crown Prince himself.
Xie Muhua wasn’t exceptionally beautiful, but what stood out most was the dowry provided by the Xie family—half their family fortune.
For the current Eastern Palace, this generous dowry was truly a gift in desperate times.
The Qian Zhifu case hung over the Eastern Palace like a sword suspended above their heads.
Want to show your support? Go donate at Paypal or Ko-fi to show your appreciation! Want to get early access to the rest of the book? Go to my Patreon to join now! :)
