si-mexico Chapter 349 Palace Change 2
Chapter 349 Palace Change 2
"Consort Li is a very good woman," Shen Lan sighed before leaving.
Li Ge remained expressionless and said softly, "Whether she is well or not is none of my business."
"Desolate..."
Li Ge interrupted her, saying, "If Lord Xiao can find out the cause of Consort Li's death, the murderer will naturally have to pay with his life."
On the other side, Xiao Ji finished interrogating all the servants of Shuyu Palace, including the palace servants who served Consort Lin in the side hall.
Consort Li was feeling unwell today and rested after dinner.
The court assembly was delayed for a long time, and everyone in the harem stayed obediently in their palaces, not daring to go out.
Bai Zhi tried to invite the imperial physicians, but Consort Li refused, because all the imperial physicians were gathered in Kunning Palace at that time.
She didn't want to make a fuss about her minor ailments, lest she be ridiculed for being pretentious.
Bai Zhi was originally supposed to stay inside and watch over Consort Li, but Consort Li said she wanted to drink the bird's nest and snow pear sweet soup that Bai Zhi had personally stewed, so she went out.
In just about half an hour, Consort Li was murdered.
"Lord Xiao, you know my mistress's temperament best. How could she possibly commit suicide out of the blue?"
Xiao Ji nodded. No matter how well the disguise was done, he couldn't close the case if he couldn't find a motive for Consort Li's suicide.
Liu, the eunuch serving the Crown Prince, was captured and subjected to severe torture. He only admitted that he had come to invite Consort Lin on the Crown Prince's orders and had not been to the main hall.
There were many servants in Consort Li's palace, and they could also testify that Eunuch Liu had never entered the main hall.
Consort Li used a shawl to hang herself. It was the shawl that she wore with the palace dress she was wearing that day, which she had casually draped over the screen in the room before going to bed.
The house was deserted. She had inspected it inside and out many times. Consort Li was afraid of noise, so before she went to bed, Bai Zhi closed all the windows and locked them from the inside. There was only one door that could be used to enter and exit.
Even if there were no servants guarding the room, no one could enter or leave freely.
The Marquis of Pingyang rushed to the palace that very night. He heard that the Marquis's wife had fainted upon hearing the news and had not yet woken up.
He did not go to see the emperor immediately, but went to Shuyu Palace first.
Consort Li lay peacefully in the coffin, her body cleaned up, as if she were asleep.
"Uncle, please accept my condolences." Xiao Ji was at a loss for words to offer his comfort.
The Marquis of Pingyang asked coldly, "Did His Majesty really say that the case would be closed as a suicide by hanging?"
Yes, but I don't believe it.
"Ha, I don't believe it either. I'm entrusting your cousin's case to you to investigate. Don't have any reservations. It's only right for me to avenge my daughter!"
He took out a jade pendant from his sleeve and pressed it against Consort Li's chest, smoothing out the wrinkles on her collar.
"Tell me honestly, is there anyone you suspect?"
Investigating a case requires evidence, but revenge does not.
Xiao Ji wasn't entirely sure, but he felt that Consort Li's death was related to what happened in the court today.
"I heard that Shen Lan beat the drum today to appeal her grievances, accusing the Tong family of robbery and murder?"
"Yes."
Although Marquis Pingyang was already the Vice Minister of War, he still often skipped court sessions, finding it most boring to argue with a group of civil officials every day.
"To harm the Tong family is tantamount to harming the Crown Prince. You are truly audacious. If the Emperor protects the Crown Prince, what major case could bring him down?"
"It is obvious that the Emperor is greatly disappointed in the Crown Prince."
"You are gambling with your lives. Before this, were you so sure that the Emperor would be disappointed in the Crown Prince?"
Xiao Ji said with certainty, "The Crown Prince has made enough mistakes, and they are serious enough. The Emperor's indulgence of him also has its limits."
Marquis Pingyang looked down at his daughter in the coffin and said in a deep voice, "I don't care what you want to do, my daughter cannot die in vain. I want the entire palace to be buried with my son!"
Marquis Pingyang turned and left; he still had to see the Emperor.
If the emperor doesn't give him an explanation, then he shouldn't be blamed for disregarding the proper etiquette between ruler and subject.
The Tong family father and son were still kneeling outside the emperor's bedroom.
Marquis Pingyang stood before Tong Yiwen, cupped his hands in greeting, and asked, "Headmaster Tong, how is my son doing at Yishan Academy?"
One of them was standing and the other was kneeling, yet they were asking the question with such seriousness.
Headmaster Tong raised his head and answered him with his back straight: "Your son is doing very well at the academy. He is diligent and hardworking, and all the teachers praise him highly."
“That’s good. I’ll go pick him up tomorrow and take him home. His sister has died, and as her brother, he should come back to pay his respects.”
"Human nature."
"Why is Headmaster Tong kneeling here for so long?"
"Why do you ask questions you already know the answer to, my lord? You have children, and I also have children and grandchildren."
"So you did this for the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince has truly failed your teachings."
Tong Xiuqing retorted angrily from the side: "It's not up to Marquis Pingyang to comment on what the Crown Prince is like."
At this moment, the door of the Hall of Mental Cultivation opened, and Eunuch Wu came out.
"My lord, His Majesty has been waiting for a long time."
Tong Xiuqing grabbed Eunuch Wu and asked, "Steward Wu, when will the Emperor see us?"
Eunuch Wu glanced at them and said in a neither humble nor arrogant manner, "His Majesty is busy, please leave, gentlemen."
In the past, Eunuch Wu would never have dared to treat the Tong family this way; he would have been at least polite, if not flattering.
Eunuch Wu was the closest servant to the emperor, and his attitude represented the emperor's attitude.
Once the two entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Tong Xiuqing, enraged and embarrassed, demanded, "Father, what does the Emperor mean by this? Does he really intend to depose the Crown Prince?"
"Can't you see it yet? This is a conspiracy against us, implicating the Crown Prince through the Tong family, and uprooting the Crown Prince's entire lineage. What a brilliant scheme!"
Tong Xiuqing lowered her voice and asked, "Father, are we just going to wait here? What if the Emperor refuses to see us?"
He had been pampered since childhood and had never suffered such hardship.
Tong Yiwen was also getting old, and kneeling for two hours was already his limit.
He stood up shakily, then pulled his son to his feet as well. "Let's go, let's leave the palace!"
The crown prince is imprisoned in the imperial prison, and they need to find a way to see him before he is interrogated.
The first order that Marquis Pingyang heard after entering the Hall of Mental Cultivation was: Take over the Imperial Guards and defend the Imperial City!
"What does Your Majesty mean? The Imperial Guards have always been under the command of Commander Zhao. If we rashly change the commander, I'm afraid I won't be able to command them on the battlefield."
"This is an imperial edict. You don't need to worry about those things. I only trust you."
The emperor's trust did not earn the Marquis of Pingyang's heartfelt gratitude, but a show of submission was still necessary.
If you put him in charge of the Imperial Guards, then don't blame him for being impolite.
"Your Majesty, I wonder if Consort Li can be buried with the rites due to a Noble Consort?"
"That's right."
The emperor already felt guilty towards Consort Li, so he was willing to grant her this small request.
"Ahem... It's getting late. You can stay in the palace tonight. Wu Xuan... Prepare a room for Marquis Pingyang."
"promise."
When Marquis Pingyang walked out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, his face darkened.
"My lord, please follow me."
"Steward Wu, has Commander Zhao committed any wrongdoing?"
"Probably not, but with the series of murders in the palace today, the Emperor may be blaming Commander Zhao for his inadequate protection."
The Marquis of Pingyang's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Commander Zhao is probably going to be heartbroken right now."