Chapter 295: Two Perverse Women
Except for the Empress Dowager, the Emperor’s trusted aides, and a handful of imperial physicians, only Qin Zhenzhen and her grandma were privy to the events unfolding within the palace. The veil of secrecy was carefully maintained.
To confuse the Jiang family and gather further evidence of their collusion with the Eighth Imperial Uncle’s rebellion, the Empress Dowager executed a clever ruse. She feigned benevolence by sending Beauty Jiang and Imperial Concubine Jiang back to their residence, all the while placing them and their loyal followers under discreet house arrest.
To the public, a different narrative was concocted – that they were suffering from an undisclosed illness, accompanied by troubling rashes that made close contact with others perilous.
Simultaneously, the Emperor dispatched the Dragon Guards to apprehend the Eighth Imperial Uncle. Remarkably, the Eighth Imperial Uncle was absent from the capital at the time. Yet, this did not deter the Dragon Guards from accomplishing their mission with remarkable efficiency. In a mere three days, they captured the unsuspecting Eighth Imperial Uncle and delivered him back to the palace.
As word of these developments circulated throughout the capital, the Jiang family initially attributed the plot to Qin Zhenzhen’s supposed machinations. They surmised that it was an attempt to sway public opinion, preventing the Empress Dowager from executing them.
Master Jiang dismissed this notion with a contemptuous snort, even going so far as to mock the ineffectiveness of such a strategy. In his view, it would only hasten their demise and bring ruin upon their kin. After all, he was acutely aware of the gravity of their crimes, which had led to the execution of his entire family.
Regretfully, the head of the Jiang family shook his head, uttering a somber lament. "What a wasted opportunity."
He couldn’t help but feel a pang of compassion for Qin Zhenzhen, who possessed the unique Jiang family lineage. They had contemplated various methods to coerce her submission, but before they could set their plans in motion, they found themselves ensnared in a self-imposed, nonsensical predicament.
Saving Qin Zhenzhen had become an insurmountable challenge, a lamentable truth considering her exceptional capabilities, talents, and unique physical attributes.