eurekapd Chapter 197 The situation calmed down
Chapter 197 The situation calmed down
“Your Majesty… I’m not being nosy. The three wet nurses in Yongfu Palace have all been poisoned. If one of them hadn’t been poisoned quickly… if the Empress hadn’t investigated quickly, then the Second Prince…” Concubine Zhuang stopped talking halfway through.
The rest of the words are very clear. If these things were done slowly, the second prince would probably die sooner or later.
"This... Your Majesty is absolutely right... I... was wrong..." Chen Ang knelt there, beads of sweat the size of beans dripping down his face, and even his hands on the ground were shaking.
"Zhou Guang...died again? What about the hidden ring in Yongfu Palace?" Bo Muxi asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Qianhuan is an accomplice, and I did act with some restraint..." Chen Ang didn't even dare to raise his head while speaking.
"Your Majesty, do you want to bring the person up here for further questioning?" The Queen turned to look at Bo Muxi.
"Bring him up for questioning!" Bo Muxi frowned and waved his hands.
Chen Ang replied yes and hurried down to lead the group.
After a while, Qianhuan, who was tortured beyond recognition, was dragged into the hall.
Because they were going to Fengyi Palace, it was apparent that they had taken the time to wash Qianhuan and change her clothes. The Ministry of Punishment was renowned for its swift action.
Even so, Qianhuan, who was dragged up, still looked like a ghost, and even her pretty face was covered with wounds.
Everyone was terrified by what they saw, and their fear of the Ministry of Punishment increased by two levels.
As soon as Qian Huan was dragged to her knees, she suddenly felt as if she had a last burst of energy. She cried out, "I was also brainwashed. I was deceived... I was deceived so badly! I don't know anything!"
"Qianhuan, if you don't confess quickly, the emperor might show mercy and spare your life!" the queen asked in a stern voice.
"Empress...it's all Zhou Guang's fault...he's the one who bewitched me, I hate him...I hate him...wuwuwu...I really don't know anything...I beg the Emperor and Empress to have mercy..."
His subconscious was in a mess, and he could only cry out for injustice over and over again. He couldn't explain anything clearly, as if he had gone mad.
Bo Muxi's eyes were wide open with annoyance. Chen Ang saw it and was so scared that he quickly signaled to his men to shut Qianhuan's mouth. Only then did the hall return to peace.
"I didn't use any torture. Who could have known that this maidservant would be... so fragile..." Chen Ang knelt down again to explain.
"Qianhuan is an old man in the palace after all. If he is really so fragile, he would have gone crazy long ago without even having to go to the Ministry of Punishment, right?" Shen Zhiyao sneered.
Shen Zhiyao was holding a grudge in her heart. She had been plotted against several times, but each time it was the Ministry of Punishment that ruined the situation. Now that she had the chance, she wanted to take revenge.
"Lord Chen is truly the pillar of our Great Zhao Kingdom!" Bo Muxi looked coldly at Chen Ang who was kneeling on the ground, his words full of sarcasm.
"I am guilty...I beg Your Majesty to forgive me..." Chen Ang banged his head on the ground, and soon blood began to seep from his forehead.
"No wonder Jin Shuyi said such harsh words..." Bo Muxi sneered, "This Ministry of Punishment is really cowardly..."
"Yes, I know my crime..." Chen Ang apologized again hurriedly.
"Since you admit your guilt, you should stop managing my Ministry of Punishment. I will not exile you because you have served the late emperor for many years... Just stay in the capital and be a deputy director of the Ministry of Personnel..." Bo Muxi said coldly.
"My lord, thank you for your grace..." Chen Ang knelt down to express his gratitude.
After this incident, Chen Ang was demoted from a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Punishment to an idle fifth-rank official without any real power. It was a pity.
"Where is Qi Tong?" Bo Muxi asked loudly.
A powerful male voice came from the crowd: "Your humble servant Qi Tong pays respect to His Majesty."
"You will take over the position of the head of the Ministry of Punishment. Now that this matter has come to this, it will come to an end for the time being. Although Qianhuan was not the mastermind, he dared to participate in the murder of the royal heir. He cannot escape the death penalty. The Ministry of Punishment will supervise the execution and execute the death penalty by beheading. You are responsible for investigating the servants serving in Yongfu Palace and replacing all suspicious ones!"
"I accept your command and thank you!" Qi Tong kowtowed.
Concubine Zhao watched the whole process with fear and trepidation, but now she finally breathed a sigh of relief. She had truly survived a dangerous situation and passed another test!
"Empress Wan, I see that you don't like to cause trouble. I think you have been framed for no reason. I will ask Qi Tong to check all the servants in Zhong Jin Palace carefully. Those with clean backgrounds will be replaced. You are also pregnant, so as to avoid any more accidents." Bo Muxi said in a gentle voice.
"Thank you very much, Your Majesty, for your insight!" Seeing that the emperor trusted her so much, Concubine Wanxian hurriedly knelt down to express her gratitude.
"Empress Zhuang, you and the Third Prince were both frightened. I will reward you and your son handsomely as a token of comfort. However..." Bo Muxi changed the subject and said, "You should learn from your mistakes. You should also carefully screen the servants serving you. If the Second Prince makes any mistakes again in the future, I will also punish you for not disciplining him properly."
"I thank the emperor for his grace and will follow his instructions!" Concubine Zhuang also knelt down to express her gratitude.
"Pass on my order, Zhou Guang... Oh, no, You Guang, plotting to murder the royal heir, and execute all nine generations of his clan." Bo Muxi said in a solemn voice.
"The Ministry of Punishment is a place that intimidates the harem. I cannot tolerate even a grain of sand in my eyes. Qi Tong, if you do not enforce the law strictly in the future and act in a biased manner, it will not be as simple as a demotion."
Bo Muxi glared at Qi Tong, and the cruelty in his eyes frightened everyone.
"I will absolutely be loyal to the emperor and enforce the law impartially!" Qi Tong kowtowed again to show his loyalty.
Chen Ang, who had just been demoted, stood aside with his head hung, looking as pale as death, unable to even raise his head.
"Jin Shuyi, you can take the initiative to share the Queen's worries. I have seen your hard work and I will reward you handsomely." Bo Muxi looked at Shen Zhiyao and said softly.
"It is my duty to take the initiative to share the worries of the Empress. Thank you very much for your grace, Your Majesty!" Shen Zhiyao bowed to express her gratitude.
She answered in a very gentle and obedient manner, without any of the fierceness she had shown when she questioned Chen Ang just now. Bo Muxi, who was watching, sneered in his heart.
"Okay, I'm tired, you guys should go back and rest early."
Bo Muxi waved his hand, then turned and left. From his back, he looked extremely tired.
After everyone respectfully saw the emperor off, the queen waved her hand, signaling everyone to disperse.
After the turmoil in the harem these past few days, peace has finally returned temporarily, but everyone was still frightened by the incident of Qianhuan being beheaded.
Although the emperor did not pursue the matter of Concubine Wanxian's servant carrying the poison feathers, saying that she was framed, there is still one point in the matter, and she was not completely cleared.
Concubine Wanxian naturally felt aggrieved, but she had no choice but to endure it. After all, she had the Queen to support her, and no one else dared to humiliate her for this matter.
A new official has three things to do upon taking office. Chen Tong acted extremely quickly. Within seven days, he had replaced all the suspicious servants in Yongfu Palace and Zhongjin Palace. The newly dispatched servants were selected by the empress, so there was no future trouble.
As for the kitchen, Chen Tong checked it thoroughly and found that almost all of the people there were replaced by the queen's own people. The queen had long wanted to clean up the kitchen, but she just never had the right opportunity.
Now, it would not be so easy for Concubine Zhao to cause trouble in the kitchen again.
In Renshou Palace, Queen Mother Zhao sighed, "I'm afraid this matter cannot be hidden from the emperor's eyes."
Seeing the Queen Mother so upset, Nanny Wang could only advise, "These things in the harem are all normal. During the time of the previous emperor, things were even more rampant than this, and the harem was much more chaotic than it is now! Although our Concubine Zhao is not very favored, she has the support of you and the Zhao family, as well as the eldest prince. Her position is still stable. Even if the Emperor knows about it, it is not a big deal."
"Humph, how can the late emperor compare with my son? Look at the harem now that the emperor and the empress have worked together to manage it. It is truly a hundred flowers blooming. The emperor has used all the methods he used to govern the previous dynasty in the harem, allowing the various forces to check and balance each other, so that no one person can dominate. Coupled with the empress's methods, the harem can be considered stable."
When talking about this matter, Queen Dowager Zhao felt complicated. While she felt relieved, she also felt that her hands were tied.