Chapter 597: A Succession of Damning Evidence
Xiao Changmin let out a soft, meaningful chuckle the moment Xiao Changying finished speaking—a laugh neither too loud nor too quiet, yet laden with implications that invited speculation.
Youning Emperor looked down at the pair of outstanding sons kneeling before him and the woman who had accompanied him for many years. He knew better than anyone whether the Rong family had truly attempted assassination—this was a trap, one that even ensnared him in its calculations.
His gaze shifted to Shen Xihe and Xiao Huayong, finally settling on the latter. "Qilang, what is your view on this matter?"
Xiao Huayong rose and replied, "Your Majesty, there are numerous doubts in this case. If the assassin were truly sent by Noble Consort Rong, she would not have dispatched Guard Rong. Having accompanied Your Majesty for so long and managed the Imperial Harem for decades, the Noble Consort would certainly know that Your Majesty is protected by both Eunuch Liu and the Embroidered Uniform Envoys. Though Guard Rong possesses considerable martial skill, he is no match for Eunuch Liu or the Envoys."
"Secondly, if Noble Consort Rong truly intended to harm Your Majesty, she would have kept close watch on the palace maids of Hanzhang Hall. How could illicit affairs have occurred there?"
"Thirdly, if Rong Qiu were truly sent by the Noble Consort to assassinate Your Majesty, he would not have taken his own life in her courtyard."
"Given these points, I believe Noble Consort Rong harbors no intention of harming Your Majesty. As for the matter of Rong Qiu, it requires further investigation."
Everyone knew Noble Consort Rong and the Crown Princess were locked in fierce rivalry, vying for control of palace authority. No one had expected the Crown Prince to refrain from siding with Shen Xihe at such a critical moment, leaving all present perplexed by his stance.
"The Crown Prince's reasoning is sound. Noble Consort Rong would not be so reckless and arrogant as to send a member of her own family to harm Your Majesty," said Shu Fei, the very one who had proposed the scheme. She naturally knew the truth about the assassin. Her eyes flickered toward Noble Consort Rong. "Since Guard Rong was not here to assassinate Your Majesty, why did the Noble Consort summon him after his watch duty?"
This was the crucial point. Why would the Noble Consort summon Rong Qiu so late at night, if not for some clandestine purpose?
"Noble Consort, why did you seek out Rong Qiu so late at night?" pressed Youning Emperor.
Had Rong Qiu not been her nephew, it would have been impossible to explain.
Noble Consort Rong would have preferred to use someone else. For one, it was difficult for outsiders to penetrate the heavily guarded Xiangguo Temple without arousing Shen Xihe's suspicion. For another, she had meticulously planned every step, believing that even if Shen Xihe countered each move, the worst outcome would be mutual destruction.
But she had never crossed swords with Shen Xihe before. Having spent decades contending with women in the inner court, she was unaccustomed to the strategies of the male-dominated political arena. She had assumed this was merely a struggle for palace authority within the Imperial Harem, never imagining that Shen Xihe's countermeasures would involve implicating the Emperor.
How could any woman escalate a conflict between themselves to such an irreparable scale?
"Your Majesty, I merely summoned Rong Qiu to relay some instructions. It so happened that his watch duty ended late tonight," Noble Consort Rong replied. Though shaken by Shen Xihe's tactics, she remained composed.
Despite her suspicious behavior and the involvement of the Rong family, without concrete evidence, she could not be convicted. "I spoke with Rong Qiu briefly and dismissed him. He had just withdrawn when the news of Your Majesty's assassination attempt broke."
"Your Majesty," Shen Xihe interjected as soon as Noble Consort Rong finished speaking, "if the Noble Consort indeed summoned Guard Rong to convey instructions, the guards stationed at her courtyard must know when Guard Rong arrived and when he departed."
Noble Consort Rong stiffened. She had instructed Rong Qiu in advance—today, he had never come to see her.When the guards were summoned, they were all from the Golden Guard. Even if they weren’t from the same unit, Rong Qiu was no ordinary guard—he held an official rank, and they all recognized him. The four guards unanimously denied that Rong Qiu had entered Noble Consort Rong’s courtyard.
“I summoned him here secretly, for some private matters… It was not something to be made public…” Under the Youning Emperor’s skeptical gaze, Noble Consort Rong offered an excuse with little confidence. Yet such a feeble explanation could hardly hold up.
Even if the matter was meant to be discreet, one could still enter and leave the courtyard openly before dismissing the servants to give private instructions. To resort to sneaking in and out—everyone’s eyes turned suspiciously toward Princess Pingling standing behind Noble Consort Rong.
Could it be a secret rendezvous between cousins?
Just as everyone was lost in wild speculation, someone presented an item to Liu Sanzhi—a token of the Golden Guard. Those in the Golden Guard who served as the Emperor’s personal guards had marked tokens, and this one belonged to Rong Qiu.
“Where was it found?” the Youning Emperor asked gravely, holding the token.
“Your Majesty, it was found near the kitchen. The Embroidered Uniform Envoys also reported signs of a struggle outside the kitchen,” Liu Sanzhi replied. After a moment’s hesitation, he added, “The guards at the kitchen were knocked unconscious, the monks on duty have disappeared, and the Eastern Palace’s maid is also unconscious with injuries…”
Xu Qing had no desire to be entangled in the royal family’s secrets, but now there was no avoiding it. Monks had also been stationed at the kitchen, and he quickly sent for them. Two monks reported, “Your Majesty, Abbot, it was Fa Zhao who came to find us, saying our master was looking for us…”
Being devout Buddhists who never spoke falsehoods, they assumed Fa Zhao was telling the truth, never suspecting he might lie.
“Why is the Eastern Palace’s maid unconscious?” Shen Xihe asked Liu Sanzhi.
Liu Sanzhi had already arranged for Ziyu to be brought in. The imperial physician stepped forward to examine her pulse and quickly discovered the wound on her hand. After a careful study, he reported, “Your Majesty, the Eastern Palace’s maid was scratched by a civet cat. Its claws appear to have been soaked in a drug that penetrated her flesh through the broken skin. First, it numbed her arm, and soon her entire body grew weak.”
“Meow—” Just then, a cry echoed as one civet cat, carrying another by the neck, darted into the room.
Duanming dragged in a spirit cat of similar size, battered and covered in mud and blood. After tossing it down, Duanming swiftly leaped to Shen Xihe’s side, meowing fiercely as if lodging a complaint.
The tormented spirit cat tried to rise and flee, but Duanming swatted it hard on the head, pinning it down again.
Despite the pitiable state of the subdued civet cat, its striking resemblance to Duanming was undeniable.
“Physician, examine this civet cat’s claws,” Shen Xihe ordered coldly.
As the physician knelt to inspect the cat, two guards hurried in. The Youning Emperor asked, “What is the matter?”
“Your Majesty, we heard the sounds of civet cats fighting and followed the noise. Two civet cats were battling in Noble Consort Rong’s courtyard.” In truth, it was less a fight and more a one-sided beating. Though the two cats looked identical in size and appearance, one was brutally mauled by the other. The victorious cat then carried the defeated one here, and the guards, fearing it might disturb the Emperor, rushed after them.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty! I have urgent news to report—” A shrill, desperate cry came from outside.The sound was truly shrill and piercing. They stepped aside one after another, only to see a disheveled woman stumbling toward them.
This was none other than Rong Qiu's birth mother.
Last night, I wrote a chapter, but I figured it might be confusing if posted alone, so I'm updating it together with today's content.
(End of Chapter)
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