Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 31: The State is the Most Important, the Sovereign’s Authority is Desecrated

Two huge storms in one day.

The emperor suffered a stroke. Before and after he regained consciousness, the empress dowager and his mother and son tacitly concealed the cause because of the prophecy and "image for future generations" that must not be passed on.

The story of the evil concubine being the cause of the disaster was kept secret for the time being due to Chen Ju's alertness and Empress Dowager Li's dilemma, and it did not cause any trouble in the palace.

However, a group of eunuchs and palace maids were replaced in Jingyang Palace, and Wei Gang disappeared without a trace. The people in the palace had sensed the situation.

The unrest in Yikun Palace reached its peak after Chen Ju arrived.

"According to the order of the Empress Dowager, no one in the Yikun Palace is allowed to go out and wait for my interrogation. All princes and princesses are requested to go to the Cining Palace first."

After the emperor suffered a stroke, the empress dowager's public and private focus inevitably shifted towards Zhu Changluo.

Now, Wei Gang’s confession alone cannot prove the future prince’s innocence in the emperor’s heart.

If Zhu Changluo did not have the impression of being the "lord destined to face disaster", what would be the situation of the eldest prince after the incident in Jingyang Palace?
The future crown prince also needs an explanation.

We can't hide the truth from the emperor for long, so we must first find out the truth clearly and have solid evidence.

Zheng Mengjing, who had just returned from an audience with the emperor but was rejected, had a cold face and asked, "Does His Majesty know about this?"

Chen Ju looked straight at her.

At present, she is still the Imperial Consort.

We cannot completely rule out the possibility that Wei Gang acted on his own to seek credit, and then tried to blame others when he saw the situation was not good.

"My Lady Imperial Concubine, I am following the orders of the Holy Mother Empress Dowager. Please don't embarrass me."

"I'm asking you, does His Majesty know about this?" Seeing that he was abiding by the rules, Zheng Mengjing took Zhu Changxun's hand and spoke in a sharper voice, "I want to see His Majesty!"

Chen Ju frowned, took two steps forward and saluted Zhu Changxun: "Your Highness, Princess, the Queen Mother has summoned you, please follow us first."

"No one can take my son away!" Zheng Mengjing hugged Zhu Changxun tightly, his expression a little crazy.

When Chen Ju saw her like this, he was even more certain that she had expected something.

So he stared at Zheng Mengjing and said solemnly, "Your Majesty, His Majesty has summoned the cabinet ministers, the nine ministers, and the Duke of Dingguo today. The imperial edict has just been submitted to the Imperial Household Department and has been approved and sealed. It will be issued to the whole country after tonight. Since I have come here with the imperial edict, Your Majesty should know why. After the ceremony of enthroning the eldest prince, the crown prince, the enthronement ceremonies of the princes will be held one after another. Your Majesty, do you really want to disobey the Queen Mother's edict and delay His Majesty? I heard that Your Majesty just went to Kunning Palace, but His Majesty did not summon you. You know why, right?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the faces of those in Yikun Palace who were not qualified to participate in important matters changed, while Zheng Mengjing's face turned pale.

When Zheng Mengjing heard Chen Ju's words, he naturally interpreted them differently.

Zheng Mengjing had no idea what came first and what came later.

She just thought that the boy and the Queen Mother had plotted against her. Could it be that the Queen Mother had previously sent servants from the Cining Palace to guard the boy in the Ciqing Palace in order to lure the snake out of its hole?
Now people have been replaced in Jingyang Palace, Wei Gang has disappeared, and the emperor won't see her, but Chen Ju is following the Empress Dowager's order to come up with some "interrogation".

What Zheng Mengjing didn't expect was that His Majesty actually summoned foreign ministers and issued an imperial decree, indicating that the foundation of the country had been determined!

Although Zhu Changxun was naive, he knew that something was wrong.

"Mother..."

Hearing his son crying, Zheng Mengjing trembled all over.

Chen Ju's words "I have misled His Highness" are her weak spot.

Isn't all this for my son?
On one hand, there was the enthronement ceremony for the kings, and on the other hand, I was implicated...

"... Chang Xun, you and your sister should go to the Empress Dowager first." Zheng Mengjing forced a smile, "Mother is fine..."

Chen Ju watched silently as the person in charge sent from the Cining Palace took the third prince and the seventh princess to the Cining Palace.

The case must be investigated, but the emperor cannot be allowed to mistakenly believe that the confession was obtained under torture, so the only option is to attack his mind.

In terms of loyalty, he was unwilling to go too far. Chen Ju was also angry because he did not help the eldest prince contact foreign ministers at that time and was now the culprit of the witchcraft disaster.

To be honest, he was able to protect innocent foreign officials in front of the emperor. Isn't the emperor more respectable and formidable than the imperial concubine?

At this moment, the crown prince has been decided, the empress dowager has issued an imperial decree, and the thief and slave have testified, so how can we not investigate?

Everything behind him became quiet, and the Yikun Palace was under complete guard.

Chen Ju bowed again and said, "Your Majesty, the Wei Gang incident has happened and the perpetrators have been caught red-handed. Since I have come here under the imperial decree, I hope Your Majesty may have been confused for a moment. If it was really him who did it alone, or if there are servants around Your Majesty who are so bold as to act on their own, Your Majesty must be convinced."

Zheng Mengjing's eyes just lit up when the eunuch in charge of Yikun Palace knelt down first: "I am innocent..."

Chen Ju sighed slightly in his heart.

This is the case of monkeys scattering when the tree falls, and it also proves that the Yikun Palace was indeed involved.

Everyone wants to have a lucky break, but when involved in something like this, who can be lucky?
He felt a little sympathy for the emperor, and wondered how he would face all this in the future.

Damn it... Your Majesty got a stroke...

……

Zhu Changluo first went back to Ciqing Palace.

The previous incident of running into Wei Gang was because of the move. Now they have to prepare for the enthronement ceremony. Many things that require Zhu Changluo to prepare are best done in Ciqing Palace, such as familiarizing himself with the ceremony etiquette.

The emperor's recovery was unknown. If he was not in good condition, he would probably have to supervise the country after the crown prince's enthronement ceremony. The prince's eastern palace in Ciqing Palace had to be built as soon as possible, and the new eunuchs that Zhu Changluo wanted had also arrived.

He was not familiar with anyone else in the palace. Apart from Wang An, Zhu Changluo only mentioned Zou Yi's name.

"Your Highness, I bow to you. Thank you for remembering me."

Zou Yi was deeply moved. Although he had a narrow escape that day, at least he managed to save his life.

I went to the Jingu Prison to sweep the floor for almost three months, but I didn't expect to be rescued by the eldest prince so soon.

I just learned from Wang An that the Emperor has issued an imperial decree to enthrone the Crown Prince. This time it is a done deal.

Of course Zou Yi believed it, otherwise how could he come here?
Because of the bold action that day, from then on, he would become an old minister of the palace.

"Just work harder in the future."

Zhu Changluo did not say anything more to him first, but said to Tian Yi: "Thank you for your help, Eunuch Tian."

"Your Highness, if you have any other instructions, just give them to me."

Tian Yi's self-proclaimed identity in front of the emperor and Zhu Changluo was different. This was due to the fact that he was the number one eunuch and also because of his own temperament.

Chen Ju was investigating the case over there, so it was natural for Tian Yi to take care of the affairs of the future crown prince.

Zhu Changluo sat in the main hall of Ciqing Palace, showing a sad expression to Chen Ju: "Father is still... Alas. I don't need to waste money here, mainly the study. Besides me, Wang An and Zou Yi in the separated outer room want to help me, and they also need a desk each."

Although Tian Yi was surprised that His Highness seemed to be planning to have two study companions sitting in the same room, he did not ask any further questions.

"Your Highness is kind and filial. I will remember this."

"Also, two companions are not enough." Zhu Changluo added, "I'd like to trouble Master Tian to keep an eye out for me. If there are any more good students in the inner school, I'll need two more. They must have a certain level of knowledge and good character."

"I will pay attention."

By the time he left, it was almost dark.

"Let's go. It's not too busy to get familiar with Ciqing Palace. Let's go and greet them first."

Zhu Changluo stood up.

After a whole day of being overwhelmed with things to do, it was only right for him to go and check on Zhu Yijun's recovery first.

Seeing how disheartened and depressed he looked when he left the Cining Palace, Zhu Changluo didn't know what would happen in the future.

An emperor who is suffering from a stroke... God knows how suspicious he will be in his heart.

What’s more, things like his beloved concubine being murdered happened again and again?

Yes, maybe Zhu Yijun really thinks so.

The attack with a stick case was eventually left unresolved, and at least it did not shake her position as imperial concubine.

I don’t know how Chen Ju’s investigation is going.

In Ciqing Palace, Chen Ju had already reported to Empress Dowager Li.

"The head of Yikun Palace has confessed. The usual news from the palace was passed on by his godson who worked as a clerk in Baohe Sixth Store and contacted the Zheng Mansion. He confessed that it was Mo Zongmian, an aide to the Zheng Mansion, who planned everything. The rumor that the eldest prince was imprisoned was also leaked by them."

"Where is the evidence?" Empress Dowager Li held the Buddhist beads tightly.

"Word of mouth has it that only a few servants in the Yikun Palace have testified." Chen Ju said truthfully, "The Imperial Concubine is of noble status, and I cannot act rashly."

"Where do those evil things come from?"

"Wei Gang has a house outside and has a godson. The evil thing was brought into the palace by his godson as a gift, and Wei Gang thought it was just an ordinary food. He said before that he was framed and had no choice but to do it. I didn't believe it at first, but the confession of Yikun Palace clearly stated this."

"You didn't check when you entered the palace?" Empress Dowager Li stared at Chen Ju.

"I have already found the slave on duty that day and arrested her."

Empress Dowager Li was sulking, but she knew it was of no use.

How could he investigate carefully the familiar face who had worked in the palace for many years?
Even if a few slaves were dealt with now, the final clue was that it was done by the head of Jingyang Palace himself.

He said he was framed, so he was framed?
Fortunately, after Chen Ju went there and won the hearts of the people, he at least got a few confessions, but it still couldn't prove that it was Zheng who planned it. Maybe it was the servants around her who did it on their own and now they are trying to blame others to get away with the death penalty?
"So, if we want to find clear evidence, we have to move outside the palace and into the Zheng Mansion?"

"I think so too. Wei Gang's godson, the manager of Baohe Store, and the staff member named Mo Zongmian. They should not know that there have been changes in the palace."

It’s time for Empress Dowager Li to make the decision.

Bypass the emperor and attack the Zheng family directly? Even if there is clear evidence afterwards, it is still a blasphemy against the emperor's power.

Without obtaining direct evidence...they had already surrounded the Yikun Palace and brought the third prince and the seventh princess over.

Queen Mother Li closed her eyes in pain: "Go!"

The country and the people are the most important, and responding to disasters...is the most important.

(End of this chapter)