northernbook Chapter 346 Revenge 15
Chapter 346 Revenge 15
Tong Yiwen knelt down. "Your Majesty, this humble subject truly does not know where the prescription is."
There were no outsiders present; they were all people closely related to the Tong family, and they dared not let the emperor confirm the Tong family's crimes.
"Your Majesty, please have mercy! How could Headmaster Tong, a man of integrity and upright character, commit such a treasonous act?"
"Your Majesty, this woman came prepared; her words cannot be trusted!"
"Your Majesty, you must not disappoint your old ministers!"
The emperor was furious. "Since you all protect him, then you shall all be considered accomplices in this case. Guards, strip them of their official robes and throw them into the imperial prison immediately!"
The cries for mercy continued.
Shen Lan never expected the emperor to be so ruthless, selfish, and cold-hearted.
Tong Yiwen did not beg for mercy. He understood the emperor; pleading for mercy at this time would only make the emperor angrier.
But he absolutely could not admit to what the emperor wanted, otherwise, along with the crown prince, no one would escape.
"Your Majesty, this servant has something to say." Li Ge's voice brought a moment of pause to the chaotic scene.
The ministers harbored a sliver of hope, assuming that since he was the Empress's man, he would surely side with them.
The emperor scoffed, "A mere lackey dares to plead for mercy?"
Li Ge said frankly, "This servant dares not. This servant is not pleading for the gentlemen, but rather, this young lady's words just now made me think of something."
"What's the matter?"
"Previously, Consort Li obtained a mysterious prescription from somewhere and gave it to Lady Pingyang a few times. However, Lady Pingyang's body gradually accumulated toxins, and it was later cured by Imperial Physician Lan."
But I heard that Lady Pingyang is still in a weak state.
The reason I brought this up is because before Eunuch Huang died, he took a pill that rejuvenated him and cured his illness. I wonder if it was the same pill the Shen family used.”
"You know too much," the emperor said coldly.
The medicines he takes are all made and stored by designated personnel, so the possibility of them being stolen is very small.
But if someone else also has this prescription, then it's hard to say.
"Someone, summon Consort Li."
The emperor waved his hand, and the imperial guards dragged the ministers out.
Only the Tong family father and son and Shen Lan, three outsiders, remained in the room.
Tong Xiuqing had a feeling that a great calamity was about to befall her.
Shen Lan lowered her head and thought about things. Back then, when Consort Li delivered medicine to her mother, she was plotted against, and Marquis Pingyang had never been able to find out who was behind it.
They had suspected the Empress and the Crown Prince before, but now it seems that Li Ge is also a prime suspect.
But why did he do that?
Shen Lan thought of many things, all of which were related to Li Ge.
The two haven't had a chance to communicate privately yet, and she's a little confused about the current situation.
The emperor personally helped Tong Yiwen up and whispered in his ear, "Alright, there are no outsiders here. We're family, so let's talk behind closed doors. Father-in-law, hand over the prescription. As long as it's proven that you didn't tamper with the prescription, I'll pretend this never happened."
"Your Majesty is discerning and thorough. If you do not believe me, you may send people to search."
"Search Yishan Academy or Tong Mansion? So many years have passed, the prescription should be memorized by now, right?"
The emperor laughed heartily.
He stepped back and said loudly, "Do you really think I don't know what's hidden in Vulture Peak?"
Shen Lan suddenly looked up, wondering incredulously: Did the Emperor know that the Tong family was raising assassins, or did he know other secrets about Tong Yiwen?
"Your Majesty, forgive me."
“You are the Crown Prince’s maternal family. The Crown Prince is the heir to the throne and the future ruler of the world. I can turn a blind eye to your selfish help to him, but if you cross the line, don’t blame me for being impolite.”
Tong Yiwen frowned, looking remorseful, and even offered to take responsibility for his crime.
"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Consort Li... is gone!"
The news brought back by the eunuch who went to deliver the message to Consort Li was alarming.
Consort Li, that woman who was not only beautiful but also kind-hearted, is gone just like that?
"What happened?" The emperor's expression showed no trace of sadness, but his anger was obvious.
"When I arrived, the palace maid who serves Consort Li said that Her Highness had gone to sleep. I knocked on the door myself, but I never heard a response."
This servant dared not delay, so I broke down the door and entered, and then I saw... I saw Consort Li hanging from the rafters. When this servant lifted her down, I discovered..."
Even a young eunuch couldn't find a successor and still encountered this kind of situation.
Moreover, Consort Li's death was too suspicious.
Shen Lan volunteered: "Your Majesty, may I perform an autopsy on Consort Li?"
"Go! Summon Xiao Ji too! I want to see just how many monsters and demons are hiding in this palace!"
The emperor turned and left, with the others following closely behind.
When Shen Lan arrived at Shuyu Palace, Xiao Ji also arrived. He was covered in sweat and had lost his usual composure.
Shuyu Palace was surrounded by the Imperial Guards.
Shen Lan did not bring a toolbox, but the cause of Li Fei's death was easy to identify: suicide by hanging.
But this is impossible.
Given Consort Li's personality, she would settle scores face-to-face, aiming to make sure that if she herself was unhappy, no one else would be either.
She doesn't even respect the Empress; what could possibly require death to resolve?
Xiao Ji handed the letter that was lying on the dressing table to the emperor, and said nervously, "Your Majesty, it looks like it was written by Consort Li, but it's not difficult to imitate handwriting."
The emperor skimmed through the text, his anger rising. He sneered, "She's incredibly audacious! She dared to bribe that old dog Huang to steal my things!"
The emperor tore the suicide note to shreds, glanced at Xiao Ji, and said, "The case is off. Give Consort Li a proper burial and summon Marquis Pingyang to the palace for an audience!"
"Your Majesty, there are many suspicious points surrounding Consort Li's death. Don't you want to know who is behind all of this?"
"How dare you! I know my limits! Xiao Ji, do you intend to defy my decree?"
Xiao Ji's chest heaved, his eyes reddening. "Your subject dares not!"
Shen Lan had a lot to say. Consort Li died so suddenly, yet the Emperor didn't want to thoroughly investigate the murderer. Why was that?
She found herself unable to understand the people in the palace, unable to distinguish whether they were human or ghosts.
The noise outside had completely extinguished Shen Lan's curiosity.
She wouldn't be surprised by anything that happened in the palace anymore.
The imperial guards dragged in a palace maid.
"Your Majesty, this palace maid says she has something important to report."
Shen Lan recognized the palace maid at a glance as the one who served Lin Miaoniang.
She listened nervously as the other person kowtowed and pleaded, "Your Majesty, please, Your Majesty, save my master!"
The emperor was already overwhelmed with problems, and the day's events were beginning to go against his expectations.
Eunuch Wu whispered, "Your Majesty, she is a palace maid who serves Consort Lin."
"Lin Jieyu? What happened to her?"
"Consort Jieyu has been taken away by the Crown Prince's men. It's been half an hour, and I can't find her anywhere!"
Shen Lan had a sudden inspiration and said, "Consort Li died about half an hour ago."
"Has the Crown Prince visited Shuyu Palace?" the Emperor asked in a deep voice.
He had been wondering why the Crown Prince wasn't with the Empress after entering the palace. Could it be that he was afraid to see him?
All the servants of Shuyu Palace knelt outside, weeping hysterically.
Upon hearing the question, Bai Zhi crawled to the door on her knees and cried, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has not visited Shuyu Palace, but Eunuch Liu, who serves the Crown Prince, has."