Upon the throne, Xiao Chengjing's already ugly expression turned completely black, the veins on his forehead and neck throbbing violently.
He stood up abruptly, sweeping everything on the desk onto the floor.
"Insolent."
Everyone instantly fell to their knees. "Your Majesty, please calm your anger."
Song Jinzhao was surprised at first, then a faint smile rippled at the corners of her mouth.
They were truly foolish to the extreme.
They were forcing Xiao Chengjing to take action. Now she didn't even need to waste her breath.
"County Princess Linghui, the royal fetus must not be lost. Come with me to save her immediately."
Unfortunately, halfway there, they ran into a eunuch coming to report the news.
"To Your Majesty, Attendant Hai could not be saved. She has already passed away."
Arriving at the palace where Attendant Hai lived, the Empress and many concubines had already arrived.
Gu Jupu and Imperial Physician Hong knelt in the hall, feeling as if the sky had fallen.
Encountering such a terrible matter early in the morning, the fourteen pregnant concubines were suddenly short by one. Who knew how angry the Emperor would be.
Song Jinzhao walked to the bed to examine the body. Although the wound from the head impact was large, there was white and pale pink mushroom-like foam at the mouth and nose, which is one of the most important characteristics of death by drowning.
"When Attendant Hai fell into the lotus pond, did you not go down to save her immediately? How could you let her drown?"
This single sentence completely ignited Xiao Chengjing's fury.
He glared angrily at the maids and eunuchs standing in the room. "How exactly did your mistress fall into the lotus pond? Why didn't you save her at the first moment?"
The three maids and two eunuchs in the room immediately knelt down.
The head maid, who had only been transferred here a few days ago, was covered in tears.
"To Your Majesty, after our mistress woke up this morning, she said it was stuffy in the room and wanted to stroll in the Imperial Garden. She asked Qiuyue and Lanxin to accompany her. Who knew that an accident would happen not long after she went out."
"This servant hurriedly sent someone to fetch the imperial physician, but who knew it was still a step too late."
Xiao Chengjing questioned, "Who are Qiuyue and Lanxin?"
A maid with two small braids trembled as she knocked her forehead heavily against the ground.
Qiuyue: "This servant is Qiuyue. When we reached the Imperial Garden, our mistress said she was cold and asked this servant to come back and get some clothes. By the time I returned, she was already unconscious."
Lanxin closed her eyes in deep sorrow, as if knowing she could not escape this.
"Our mistress fell into the lotus pond because her foot slipped. This servant does not know how to swim, so I could only call for people to come and save her. Who knew it was still a step too late. I beg Your Majesty to spare my life."
Song Jinzhao said with a doubtful expression, "She died right when people were about to be summoned. This is far too coincidental."
"In this subject's view, there might be something fishy about Attendant Hai's death. They did not even spare the fetus; the mastermind behind this is truly vicious."
Thinking of his lost child, Xiao Chengjing kicked the maid to the ground.
"Full of nonsense! With so many maids and eunuchs in the Imperial Garden, you couldn't find a single one who knows how to swim?"
"Her foot slipped and she fell into the lotus pond? Are you dead? Didn't you know to support her?"
"Men, lock all the maids and eunuchs of Cuiming Pavilion into the Department of Penalties and torture them severely. You must extract the truth."
The other four kneeling on the ground raised their heads in terror. "Your Majesty, we are wronged. We servants are innocent."
"Your Majesty, spare our lives..."
Returning to the Imperial Study, Xiao Chengjing looked at his two sons kneeling on the ground, the anger in his chest blazing even hotter.
Acting recklessly, deceiving superiors and hiding things from subordinates.
They even dared to lay hands on a concubine carrying a royal fetus. They were simply lawless, not putting him, the Emperor, in their eyes at all.
He immediately ordered, "Order the Three Judicial Offices to jointly try the case of the assassination attempt on County Princess Linghui. Until the case is thoroughly investigated, the involved princes are confined to their mansions and are forbidden to meddle in outside affairs. Violators will be killed without pardon."
Not long after, Eunuch Zhao walked outside the Hall of Preserving Harmony with the imperial decree and proclaimed it publicly.
Minister of Justice Sui Zhuangling and Chief Minister of the Court of Judicature and Revision Zhou Min, who were kneeling on the ground, immediately frowned. Even Ye Liangyu suddenly felt immense pressure.
One must know that Minister of Justice Sui Zhuangling was Prince Ying's man, and Chief Minister Zhou Min was Prince Qi's man.
Being stuck in the middle, no matter who he convicted, he would encounter obstruction from the other party. This case would be very difficult to handle.
When Song Jinzhao returned to the County Princess's Mansion, the news in the capital about Prince Qi and Prince Ying sending people to assassinate her had already spread like wildfire.
The news of the joint trial by the Three Judicial Offices further detonated all the restaurants and teahouses in the capital.
"Why do you think two perfectly fine princes would send people to assassinate County Princess Linghui?"
A man holding a wine cup at the next table leaned over, "I heard that the pregnancies of so many consorts in the palace are related to County Princess Linghui. If more princes are born, there will be more people fighting for the throne, so Prince Qi and Prince Ying retaliated against County Princess Linghui."
A man wearing a hat rushed in from outside.
"Latest news, a pregnant consort drowned in the palace. I heard it's also related to the assassination case of the County Princess."
The commoner who asked the question earlier was instantly shocked, "So there's one less already?"
The man holding the wine cup shook his head and sighed, "The fight for the throne has always been cruel. Who knows how many of the fourteen will be left in the end."
Another person said, "If you ask me, the most innocent one is still County Princess Linghui. Just treating illnesses properly could bring about fatal disaster. Fortunately, Commander Fan was there yesterday, otherwise County Princess Linghui's corpse would be cold by now."
As soon as the imperial decree was issued, Minister of Justice Sui Zhuangling and Chief Minister Zhou Min immediately sent people to the Jingzhao Prefecture to receive the prisoners and related evidence.
Staring at the three assassins locked in the cell, Zhou Min looked at Governor Jiang Dongsheng in surprise.
"I didn't expect the Jingzhao Prefecture's interrogation methods to be even more formidable than the Ministry of Justice's. There isn't a single piece of good flesh on their bodies."
Jiang Dongsheng awkwardly put his hands behind his back.
"This subordinate is truly ashamed. These death-sworn assassins have very tight lips. This subordinate interrogated them for four hours without prying their mouths open. In the end, it was County Princess Linghui who took action personally."
Sui Zhuangling frowned, pointing at the assassins' exposed, curled-up flesh.
"Are you saying these injuries were caused by County Princess Linghui?"
How could a teenage girl be so ruthless? It's too brutal!
After last night's interrogation, Jiang Dongsheng actually admired Song Jinzhao a little in his heart.
He had never seen such a woman. When she became ruthless, even men couldn't compare.
"The County Princess applied torture right on the street. When he was brought back, he was already like this."
I'm too embarrassed to mention the more formidable things. Compared to these physical injuries, the psychological trauma is even harder to accept.
After handing over the assassins and their confessions, the two also took away the corpses of forty-three assassins.
After locking the prisoners in the Ministry of Justice's prison, Zhou Min spoke to Sui Zhuangling with righteous indignation, "Minister Sui, these three people are both prisoners and witnesses. This case involves a wide range of matters. They must be strictly guarded and absolutely nothing can happen to them."
Sui Zhuangling patted his chest and guaranteed, "Lord Zhou, rest assured. This official has already mobilized dozens of jailers to surround the Ministry of Justice like an iron barrel. Whether someone wants to go out or come in, they won't be able to escape even if they had wings."
The two sat in the main hall of the Ministry of Justice for almost an hour before Ye Liangyu arrived belatedly.
"Lord Ye, the Emperor kept you behind alone. Did he specifically instruct you on something?" Sui Zhuangling stared at him and asked.
Ye Liangyu sat down expressionlessly, in a terrible mood.
"It has nothing to do with the County Princess's case. It's about matters in the southwest."
Seeing that Ye Liangyu was unwilling to say more, Sui Zhuangling and Zhou Min didn't continue to ask.
After discussing it, the three decided to interrogate the suspects again while simultaneously sending people to track down the whereabouts of Cen Yue and Zhao Zhihe.
At dusk, Ye Liangyu arrived at the County Princess's estate, exhausted. Song Jinzhao and Song Qiming had been waiting for a long time.
"Teacher, have you found Cen Yue and Zhao Zhihe?"
Ye Liangyu shook his head. "We've searched the entire capital and plastered their portraits all over the streets and alleys, but there's still no news. I fear the worst."
Song Qiming paced back and forth anxiously. "If we can't find them, the Prince of Qi and the Prince of Ying will definitely refuse to confess."
Seeing Song Jinzhao remain silent, Ye Liangyu hesitated for a long time before finally speaking up.
"Actually, after the Emperor issued the edict for the Three Judicial Offices to hold a joint trial today, he kept me behind to say a few words in private."
Song Qiming turned to look at his teacher. "What did he say?"
Song Jinzhao raised her eyes.
Ye Liangyu took a deep breath, finding the words hard to say.
"No matter how the investigation turns out, the royal dignity must not be compromised."
"In truth, the Emperor already believes that the Prince of Qi and the Prince of Ying are the masterminds behind this, but the impact of this case must be limited to the court. The two princes can only be lightly punished for their heavy crimes."
Song Qiming's eyes widened, his lips trembling with anger.
"What does that mean? The Emperor is going to shield his sons!"
"The laws of the court state: a prince who breaks the law is guilty of the same crime as a commoner. How can the Emperor knowingly violate this? Where does this leave the common people of the world!"
Unlike Song Qiming's righteous indignation, Song Jinzhao's expression was much calmer.
"I guessed this would be the outcome long ago. If it weren't for the drowning of Attendant Hai angering the Emperor, he might not have even let the Three Judicial Offices try this case."
"No one's life is worth more than his sons' lives. Unless it's treason or patricide, even if the Prince of Qi and the Prince of Ying commit the greatest of crimes, the Emperor will not kill them."
Ye Liangyu's mouth moved for a long time, not knowing how to respond to Song Jinzhao's words.
Because it was the truth.
Song Qiming said unwillingly, "Are we just supposed to let this go? If we don't make them pay the price, what if they send someone to assassinate you again, Sister?"
