This packet of poison is exactly the one that poisoned Nanny Wei.
With the poison found and the confession of the housekeeper, the evidence is conclusive.
Yet, in such a situation, the Minister’s wife of the Ministry of Industry still adamantly claims that it is a setup, a slander, that soone is against her.
Although not explicitly stated, it is clear she is referring to Su Jin.
Truly, one does not cry until seeing the coffin.
Su Jin did not want to say another word to her, fearing that she would not be able to contain her anger and would directly ask the Minister of the Ministry of Justice to beat her half to death.
Su Jin took a deep breath and said, "It’s getting late, I should return to the mansion. Since the evidence is solid, let’s temporarily detain her in the prison of the Ministry of Justice."
"I will report to the Emperor tomorrow and then proceed with the judgnt."
Seeing the unsympathetic face of Su Jin, the back of the Minister’s wife was soaked in sweat.
The Minister of the Ministry of Justice was not comfortable with Su Jin going back to Prince Zhenbei Mansion alone. Although Manager Li brought people to pick her up, the Minister still sent the Junior Minister of the Ministry of Justice to personally escort her.
By the ti Su Jin returned to the mansion, it was so dark that the road was no longer visible.
Mrs. Wang was waiting outside and hurriedly ca out to greet her as she returned, saying, "At last, the Princess Consort is back."
Su Jin asked, "What is it? Is Mother Consort feeling unwell?"
Mrs. Wang shook her head, "The Princess Consort is fine, just worried since you left in such a hurry and have not returned for a long ti. The Princess Consort has sent people to inquire several tis."
"I will go see Mother Consort," said Su Jin.
Mrs. Wang suggested, "The Princess Consort has been busy all day and must be tired. You should go rest. Manager Li can report to the Princess Consort."
Su Jin, as the Princess Consort of Prince Zhenbei, was also the Emperor’s beloved princess.
The Princess had to manage her daughter-in-law but also needed to respect the princess.
Therefore, the Princess of Su Jin had to inquire but could not interfere too much.
Mrs. Wang understood Su Jin’s temperant. She would not target the Minister’s wife unless provoked.
As long as no loss was suffered, the Princess only cared that the Princess Consort was fine.
She was pregnant and did not need to worry about much.
Su Jin was indeed tired, "I will greet Mother Consort in the morning."
Mrs. Wang returned to the inner courtyard with Su Jin, with Manager Li following behind.
At the crossroads, Su Jin went back to Agarwood Pavilion, and Mrs. Wang returned to Peony Garden.
In Peony Garden, the Princess was already inford of Su Jin’s return. Manager Li went inside to greet her, and the Princess asked, "What on earth happened?"
Manager Li shook his head, "The Princess Consort said that the sudden street death of Nanny Wei was the actual aunt of the maid Xingxing, but I doubt it."
"Nanny Wei must have been significant to the Princess Consort, otherwise, she wouldn’t be so angry."
Manager Li couldn’t control his admiration for Su Jin.
Witnessing Su Jin have the governnt officials handle the case in the Ministry of Justice, even the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, who was there for ten years, was in awe of her.
Of course, the convenience of being a princess was part of it, but more importantly, it was the intelligence and resourcefulness of the Princess Consort.
Manager Li was pleased that Prince Zhenbei Mansion had such a wise and kind Princess Consort.
The Princess understood Su Jin too. Even when angry, she often smiled when blaming others.
This ti, the anger was evident on her face.
"Perhaps the Minister’s wife of the Ministry of Industry ruined sothing important for the Princess Consort," the Princess speculated.
Mrs. Wang recalled sothing and said, "A few days ago, the maids from Agarwood Pavilion said that the Princess Consort could exchange palace secrets for ointnts."
"Today, Nanny Wei took two boxes of scar removal ointnt and left..."
"Could it be that Nanny Wei knew sothing very important to the Princess Consort?"
The matter at hand was nearly self-explanatory.
Nanny Wei had remained in the palace until she was twenty-five before leaving.
For Su Jin, nothing was more important than the death of Consort Yun.
If that were indeed the case—
No wonder the Princess Consort would be so furious.
The investigation into Consort Yun’s death had yielded no progress over such a long ti. Finally, when so lead appeared, it was cut off by the Minister’s wife of the Ministry of Industry. Anyone would be infuriated by this.
Su Jin hadn’t eaten lunch and it was past dinner ti, her stomach was truly hungry.
As soon as Xingxing returned to Agarwood Pavilion, she imdiately instructed the maids, "Quickly have the small kitchen bring the food."
After entering the room, Xingxing poured tea for Su Jin, "Miss, don’t be angry."
Su Jin rubbed her temples.
How could she not be angry?
A mont’s oversight and the hard-earned witness slipped away, she didn’t even have a confession in hand.
This was the first great misstep she made, and it angered her more than the ti she fell off a cliff.
Back then, it was more about fear, coupled with the accompanint of Xie Jingchen, who tily turned danger into safety.
Now, this mistake was a solid and severe one.
Even though she had missed two als, Su Jin had no appetite, took only a few bites, and put down her chopsticks.
Xingxing looked at her, "Miss, you missed two als, eating just this little is not enough."
"You eat," Su Jin replied.
"Then have another bowl of rice," said Xingxing.
Su Jin didn’t respond, but instructed Bi Zhu to prepare hot water.
Seeing that Su Jin was not eating, Xingxing stopped urging. She planned to have the small kitchen prepare so snacks to place on the small table by the bed for the lady to have if she got hungry at night.
Su Jin soaked in a hot bath and then went to bed to rest.
She tossed and turned all night, not knowing at what hour she finally fell asleep.
She woke up a bit late the next day.
After breakfast, just as she was about to greet the Princess, soone from the palace ca to summon Su Jin.
Yesterday, her action of imprisoning the Minister’s wife from the Ministry of Industry in the prison of the Ministry of Justice without first consulting had been impeached by the Imperial Censors.
The group of Imperial Censors even impeached Marquis Dongxiang without sparing him, so they certainly had the courage to impeach Su Jin.
The harem must not be involved in governntal affairs.
Although Su Jin was already married, she still should not be so willful.
The Imperial Censors asked the Emperor to severely punish Su Jin to set a proper example for the court.
The Emperor was not yet aware of what had happened, but he knew that the maid Xingxing was an orphan of the Flying Tiger Army.
How was it that she suddenly had an aunt?
The Emperor did not punish Su Jin, and just after the Imperial Censors finished their impeachnt, Prince NanAn stepped in to deflect the issue, leaving the Imperial Censors frustrated.
The Emperor shot a glance at Eunuch Fu, summoning Su Jin to the palace.
With the Emperor’s summons, Su Jin promptly headed to the palace.
Inside the Imperial Study.
The Emperor sat on the Dragon Chair sipping tea, and the little eunuch spotted Su Jin from a distance and quickly went inside to report, "Your Majesty, the Princess is here."
Su Jin walked in.
As she stepped over the threshold, Xingxing was still rubbing her eyes.
She rubbed her eyes until they were red, like she had cried all night over the "death of her aunt."
Su Jin curtsied to the Emperor.
The Emperor glanced at Xingxing, then at Su Jin, and asked, "What happened yesterday?"
Su Jin looked around, and Eunuch Fu hurriedly waved his hand for the palace maids and eunuchs to leave.
After everyone had left, Su Jin looked at the Emperor and said, "Father, if you hadn’t summoned to the palace, I would have co to ask you to punish the Minister’s wife of the Ministry of Industry."
The Emperor furrowed his brow, "Was Nanny Wei really the aunt of this maid?"
Su Jin shook her head.
The Emperor, "..."
Eunuch Fu, "..."
Su Jin looked at the Emperor and said, "There are so matters that I couldn’t ntion at the Ministry of Justice, so I borrowed the identity of Nanny Wei as Xingxing’s aunt to investigate her cause of death."
"Nanny Wei had served in the palace; she witnessed the event of Mother Consort being hard."
Upon hearing this, the Emperor imdiately stood up from the Dragon Chair.
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