A cry of "The Emperor is wise" pierced through the clouds.
It echoed within the spacious grand hall.
The faces of the Empress Dowager and the Empress turned purple with anger.
What a wise Emperor!
What a wise Emperor siding with the bandits!
The Empress’s gaze was chilling, her heart filled with resentnt, yet she couldn’t argue back.
That day, the Emperor favored Su Jin but heavily punished the Duke Zhen’s Mansion.
The Emperor acted on the first day, and they responded on the fifteenth, insisting that the wasp nest fell from the tree, leaving the Emperor helpless against them.
But despite all their calculations, they didn’t expect their sche would fail, and it would be Princess Shouning and themselves who would suffer.
It was already infuriating enough, but the Emperor even deducted her salary!
Half a year’s salary was nothing to the Empress, relying on salary to get by; she didn’t know how shabby her life would be. However, behind half a year’s salary lay the face she lost!
Visiting to provoke trouble, returning with a head full of stings, the culprit was unscathed, while they were the ones who suffered, making them a laughingstock.
Deliberate revenge that ultimately backfired on themselves!
Ti and again, trying to steal a chicken, only to end up losing the rice to lure it.
The person she hated to her core was more lively than anyone!
The Empress nearly shattered her silver teeth in anger.
After the Emperor’s punishnt, seeing no reaction from the Empress, he raised an eyebrow, "Does the Empress have any objections to my judgnt?"
The Empress clenched her hands, rose from the Phoenix Chair, bowed, and said through gritted teeth, "This concubine dares not have any objections."
The Emperor’s lips curled slightly.
Then the Empress changed her tone, saying, "Emperor, the wasp nest falling was my failure, as I did not properly manage the palace attendants. However, the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion poisoned the wasps, a cri beyond forgiveness!"
Su Jin rolled her eyes to the ceiling.
She had already asked for evidence.
Without evidence, they insisted she poisoned the wasps, so arbitrary; it’s feared many in the harem died unjustly.
The Emperor glanced at the Empress and said, "Does the Empress have evidence that the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion poisoned the wasps?"
The Empress was so angry that her long nails dug into her flesh without feeling the pain.
Just asking for evidence?!
The Empress turned her head and instructed Nanny Zhou, "Go call Doctor Chen."
Nanny Zhou exchanged a look with the palace maid.
"I will invite him imdiately," the palace maid said.
Inside the grand hall, a silence fell.
The palace maid brought tea, and the Emperor sipped it lightly.
After only half a cup of tea, Doctor Chen arrived.
The Emperor set down the teacup, and the Empress said, "Doctor Chen, I ask you, were the wasps poisoned?"
The Emperor glanced over, and a chill went down Doctor Chen’s spine.
He was well aware of the Emperor’s favoritism towards the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion.
And Marquis Dongxiang, who feared neither heaven nor earth, even dared to beat up and rob Duke Chong.
Doctor Chen deliberated and said, "Normally, wasps do not sting people at random."
"What if the wasp nest fell from the tree and was startled?" the Empress asked again.
"Wasps startled in the garden would attack those nearby, but they wouldn’t fly to Yongning Palace to sting the Empress Dowager," Doctor Chen replied truthfully.
He rely stated that wasps stinging the Empress Dowager was not normal.
It was a plain fact.
He did not utter a word identifying the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion as the one who poisoned the wasps.
Doctor Chen spoke so cautiously, irritating the Empress, her eyes showing nace, "I ask you, under what circumstances do wasps faint, then awaken to sting people?!"
"This...."
"Speak the truth!" the Empress snapped.
"It should be due to poisoning," Doctor Chen said boldly.
The Empress was waiting for this line. She turned to the Emperor, saying, "Emperor, did you hear? Doctor Chen said that the wasps stung people because the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion poisoned them!"
The Emperor frowned slightly.
He looked at Su Jin.
Xie Jingchen also watched Su Jin.
Su Jin smiled faintly and said unhurriedly, "The Empress questioned Doctor Chen, so I have a few questions too."
"Please ask, Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion," Doctor Chen replied politely.
"You should know the potency of the palace wasps’ venom, Doctor Chen. How would Princess Shouning fare after being stung?" Su Jin inquired.
"This...."
"Speak the truth!" Su Jin’s voice rose.
"Princess Shouning was stung nearly fifty tis, and under normal circumstances, she would die," Doctor Chen answered hesitantly.
"And now?" Su Jin pressed.
"Princess Shouning has awakened and is not in mortal danger," Doctor Chen replied, his voice even lower.
The Empress’s face stiffened.
Su Jin looked at her and said, "The Empress Dowager summoned Su Jin into the palace; I was about to return to the Duke Mansion when Princess Shouning invited to the Imperial Garden to admire flowers and had the palace attendants throw a wasp nest at . The wasps sward out. If I had done nothing, I would have been stung to death. In such a situation, the Empress insists that the wasp nest fell from the tree and protects Princess Shouning; I have nothing to say. But is it wrong for to defend myself?"
The Empress was left speechless.
As the Empress, revered by the world, could she tell the Emperor that her daughter could throw wasp nests at others, yet they couldn’t fight back?
Such unreasonable behavior would provide the Emperor with a reason to depose her.
The Empress said nothing, and Su Jin took her silence as consent and continued, "Princess Shouning was not far from then, and the wasp nest was so large. Does the Empress believe Princess Shouning could have avoided harm?"
"Thanks to weakening the wasps’ venom, Princess Shouning’s life was saved!" Su Jin concluded, her voice like pearls dropping to the ground.
"..."
"Exactly! My young lady was nearly scared to death by the thrown wasp nest; she still rembered Princess Shouning. How kindhearted. On the matter of the wasps’ rampage, my young lady not only has no fault but also has rit. The Empress should reward my young lady," Xingxing said, raising her chin.
"...!!!"
No fault?
rit?!
The Emperor was astonished.
Eunuch Fu couldn’t believe it; his mouth gaped wide enough to fit a salted duck egg.
How did things turn out like this?
Though he knew it wasn’t quite right, it oddly sounded reasonable.
It’s truly uncanny!
The Empress was so furious she couldn’t sit still on the Phoenix Chair, her chest heaving repeatedly.
Nanny Zhou advised, "Empress, calm down. You mustn’t faint."
The Empress was indeed about to faint with anger, but she fought it off.
If word spread that her daughter was stung and she fainted after summoning the female ’bandit’ for reprimand, where would her dignity as Empress be?
She couldn’t afford to lose face!
The Emperor raised his hand to massage his temple.
He glanced at Xie Jingchen.
Xie Jingchen was speechless, feeling his presence was entirely redundant.
Su Jin didn’t need his protection at all.
Now, with the Emperor looking at him, Xie Jingchen understood the Emperor’s aning; the Emperor hoped he would manage Su Jin.
He glanced at Su Jin, signaling with his eyes to seize the opportunity and stop.
Su Jin rolled her eyes internally.
Indeed, his following was a hindrance.
Initially, she was unwilling to co; it was the eunuch who insisted.
Having co, she couldn’t leave empty-handed!
She could not tarnish the prestige of the Dongxiang Marquis Mansion!
Su Jin said, "I understand; I won’t demand too many rewards from the Emperor."
Xie Jingchen, "...."
The Emperor, "...!!!"
Eunuch Fu, "...!!!"
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