Chapter 551 - 329: The Emperor’s Personal Trial
Seeing the dark look on Feng Yi’s face, Yun Zhao took their son from his arms and had Nanny Qi carry him to the next room to play.
Feng Ze was a bit tired after being played with by his Imperial Father for so long, so he didn’t protest as Nanny Qi carried him away.
Feng Yi looked at Song Yunzhao. "I never expected the Grand Tutor to have started plotting so early. I hadn’t even ascended the throne when Qin Jiachun entered the palace."
Back then, my older imperial brothers were fighting fiercely for the position of heir. As an unremarkable and unfavored Prince, what right did I have to get involved? All I did each day was study. And Grand Tutor Qin was the one who taught us then.
Later, my brothers ended up dead or crippled, a total wipeout, and I was pushed out to become the Emperor.
Grand Tutor Qin stepped forward at that time to strongly support my ascension, so in my heart, I was somewhat grateful to him.
But, back when I wasn’t even qualified to sit on the throne, Grand Tutor Qin had already arranged for a homeborn servant to enter the palace, even going so far as to stage a play to deceive everyone.
’Who was Grand Tutor Qin guarding against by doing this?’
Feng Yi thought back carefully. At that time, he was just an obscure Prince in the palace. Grand Tutor Qin certainly wasn’t guarding against him; it could only have been one of his older brothers.
The more Feng Yi thought about it, the darker his expression became. For Grand Tutor Qin to have gone to such lengths meant that, at the time, he had no intention of supporting Feng Yi’s ascension at all.
But that wasn’t what Grand Tutor Qin had told him.
"What was discovered in their residences?" Feng Yi asked, looking at Anshun.
Anshun nodded quickly. "Aside from some gold and Silver in Qin Song’s residence, there was little else. There were a few letters, which this servant has brought back. In Qin Jiachun’s residence, not only was there gold and Silver buried deep underground, but also many antiques, paintings, and calligraphy. More importantly, there was a wooden box, sealed shut and coated with tung oil. This servant did not dare to open it and brought it back directly."
Feng Yi held out his hand, and Anshun quickly bowed and presented it.
Song Yunzhao observed the box. It was about a foot long, two inches thick, and had a brass lock hanging from it. The box looked quite old at a glance.
Feng Yi had someone bring a small iron hammer and smashed the lock off himself.
Song Yunzhao was speechless.
Inside the box was a bundle wrapped in oilcloth. Perhaps because so much time had passed, a strange smell wafted out the moment the box was opened.
Unwrapping the oil paper revealed several deeds placed on top. She reached out, took them, and unfolded them. They were for shops on several of the busiest streets in the Capital City.
Feng Yi glanced at them once before looking away. He took out what was underneath the oil paper. As he examined it, his expression changed instantly.
Song Yunzhao noticed a small porcelain bottle in Feng Yi’s palm and couldn’t help but ask, "What is this?"
Feng Yi opened the bottle, sniffed it lightly, then quickly and forcefully capped it again.
Song Yunzhao now sensed something was wrong. She remained silent for a moment, watching as Feng Yi’s chest heaved and his expression shifted constantly. A faint, bad feeling crept over her.
"When the Highly Noble Princess Consort’s son was sentenced to death, this was the kind of poison he drank."
Hearing Feng Yi’s words, the hairs on Song Yunzhao’s arms stood on end. The Highly Noble Princess Consort’s son, Prince Ji, had been counterattacked after failing to frame the Crown Prince. The late Emperor, in his fury, had sentenced both the Highly Noble Princess Consort and Prince Ji to death.
’So, the mother and son died from drinking this poison?’
’But why would something like this be found in Qin Jiachun’s home?’
’What did Grand Tutor Qin have to do with that incident back then?’
Song Yunzhao’s heart pounded. ’The book didn’t mention any of this. It only said that the Highly Noble Princess Consort and her son were killed in a countermove after failing to frame the Crown Prince. There was no trace of Grand Tutor Qin in the book at all!’
Feng Yi stood up and looked at Yun Zhao. "I need to go see for myself."
Song Yunzhao knew the Emperor had likely grown suspicious. "Then you should go quickly."
Feng Yi strode away, his face grim. Song Yunzhao thought to herself, ’If Grand Tutor Qin really is involved in this, I’m afraid Qin Xiyue’s good days are over.’
’However, the book didn’t mention his involvement, so I can’t be sure what role Grand Tutor Qin played in it.’
Meng Jiuchang took over the interrogation from Zhang Maoquan. With Qin Jiachun having vanished from the palace, the troublemakers who had followed her were white-faced with terror. They no longer dared to be defiant. The moment Zhang Maoquan appeared, they swarmed him, professing their willingness to leave the palace.
But now, they couldn’t leave even if they wanted to. Zhang Maoquan had them all tied up and sent to Meng Jiuchang.
’These people were willing to cause trouble with Qin Jiachun, so they must be connected. If their records are clean, they might be able to keep their lives. If not...’
Meng Jiuchang, one of the Emperor’s personal aides, taking the people away directly served as a powerful deterrent to the rest of the harem. Even Shouci Palace, which had just begun to stick its head out, instantly pulled back. Before Qin Xiyue could even do anything, Qin Song was also taken away.
After that, Song Yunzhao’s tasks proceeded smoothly. The palace attendants who hadn’t joined the troublemakers quietly took their money and left. Seeing that Qin Jiachun and the others had vanished without a trace, they weren’t just not causing trouble—they wished they could leave the palace immediately.
Next was the clearing out of attendants serving the various masters of the palaces. This depended on the name lists submitted by each palace. Generally, those who had reached a certain age would be released to get married, but whether they could actually leave the palace depended on if their own masters would let them go.
The lists submitted by Feng Yunjin and the others were all standard—releasing those who were of age and waiting for the Six Departments to send replacements. Song Yunzhao and Consort Shu readily applied their seals.
What surprised them somewhat was that nearly half of the palace attendants from Qingyan Palace were leaving. The concubines in Qingyan Palace had all entered the palace at the same time as Consort Shu and the others; they were simply the losers of the harem’s power struggles. Serving them offered no future prospects, so it was understandable that the attendants wanted to leave the palace as soon as they came of age.
Some attendants with connections didn’t even wait to be released, finding their own ways to be transferred to other posts.
The highest-ranking concubine in Qingyan Palace was Ning Ji, and she was the one who submitted the list. Though she was at an age of blooming youth, she seemed shrouded in gloom.
Song Yunzhao didn’t make things difficult for her. She simply accepted the list and asked if she had any requirements for the new palace attendants. Ning Ji gave her a slightly surprised look, then shook her head and took her leave.
There were no prospects in serving out-of-favor concubines like them. Any newcomers would only be thinking of leaving once they were old enough. Those with any ability would pull strings to avoid being sent to Qingyan Palace, so making requests was pointless.
Song Yunzhao watched Ning Ji’s departing figure. This was how it was in the palace: the winner takes all. The successful ones, like her, had everything they could want, basked in glory and honor. The failures, like them, were left with nothing, and even their own attendants wouldn’t serve them wholeheartedly.
In Song Yunzhao’s own palace, none of her attendants were of age to be released. Xiangxue and the others still had several years before they could leave. Only a few older serving women who did rough work were retiring. Yun Zhao readily agreed and even gave them reward silver.
’They served me for a time. It’s best to part on good terms.’
This reward silver was separate from the dismissal silver issued by the palace. The rough-work attendants came to kowtow and express their gratitude, leaving Song Yunzhao with an indescribable feeling.
She told herself, ’This is just how dynastic society is. You have to get used to it.’
By the time she and Consort Shu had sorted through all the palace affairs, they had both lost several pounds. The staff shortages in the various palaces still needed to be filled.
And so, the Six Imperial Departments became a hub of activity.
Everyone had their eyes on the few "hot stoves" in the palace that were short-staffed—such as Yun Zhao’s residence.