Chapter 1264: Chapter 1264: Half Joy, Half Fury
The Emperor flew into a rage, and everyone trembled in fear.
"Colorless, tasteless, non-toxic, yet capable of killing without a trace. Truly a clever scheme, very clever indeed." Emperor Chu laughed coldly.
"Just a mere crystal stone, yet it can kill stealthily, this..." Song Zhiyuan was both shocked and terrified.
If not for Emperor Chu’s filial piety, gifting the screen to the Empress Dowager instead of placing it in his own chamber or frequently visited hall, wouldn’t he have fallen victim to this silent plot, and even if the sky fell, the Imperial Physician wouldn’t be able to find the cause?
The person before him almost became the most inexplicably dead emperor in history.
Thinking of this, Song Zhiyuan broke out in a cold sweat, a wave of fear rising in him.
Without the establishment of a Crown Prince in the Great Qing, if the Emperor suddenly collapsed, the world would descend into chaos. After all, there were many grown princes, and each would lay down their greatest stakes to fight for the throne. Once internal strife erupted, external chaos would seize the opportunity to arise, and there were also the lurking remnants of the Xia clan watching hungrily from the shadows.
Large beads of sweat dripped down Song Zhiyuan’s forehead.
No matter what Emperor Chu plans, the establishment of a Crown Prince next year seems imperative.
"Your Majesty, let’s leave here first." Song Zhiyuan dared not let Emperor Chu linger longer, who knows if that cursed crystal stone might break through this dark room and harm someone.
He dared not take the gamble.
Emperor Chu snorted heavily, flung his sleeves, and leaving a command: "Continue the surveillance," turned and left.
...
Upon arriving at Yangxin Hall, Emperor Chu summoned the head of the Imperial Guards, ordered the arrest of Prince Min, detained Princess Consort Ji, and under the pretense of capturing rebels, confiscated the Prince Min Mansion, taking all female relatives and children to the Clan Mansion.
"Yes."
On New Year’s Eve, such a large commotion, it seems this year won’t be celebrated well.
"Do you think Prince Min truly didn’t know, or did he know the harmful effects of the crystal stone, but deliberately offered it as filial piety to me?" Emperor Chu looked at Song Zhiyuan.
Song Zhiyuan replied, "Regardless of whether he was aware, the item was sent from his mansion, he cannot escape responsibility. Arrest him now, if he keeps pleading innocence, insisting he had no knowledge of such a thing, if it’s handled harshly, I’m afraid..."
Emperor Chu laughed with anger: "Any plot to harm the Monarch needs evidence, isn’t that ludicrous?"
He is the Emperor; if he declares someone guilty, they are guilty.
Song Zhiyuan dared not retort, only reminded, "There are also veteran ministers in the court who are loyal to the late Emperor and usually support Prince Min, and you only have this one brother left."
If dealt with harshly, those people might believe Chu Emperor intends to eliminate all threats to his throne deliberately.
Emperor Chu’s expression grew more unsightly, those veteran ministers, they’re like stones in a latrine, both foul and hard.
"Would I fear them? Loyal to the late Emperor, but are they loyal to the family’s future?" His voice was a bit faint.
The mutual checks and balances between the Monarch and his ministers are not just empty words.
"Prince Min must be punished, yet finding a way to satisfy those old ministers and appeal to public sentiment is not difficult. As for that Steward named Pang Kuan from Prince Min Mansion, he has some connection with the Xia clan, and the item was sourced from Xiazhi Foreign Trading Company. Meanwhile, that Young Master is currently missing, whether it’s the doings of the Xia clan is hard to say."
Song Zhiyuan had also analyzed this repeatedly, the more he broke it down into details, the more confused he became, always feeling like he’s walking into a fog, as if the truth is right in front of him, yet he can’t dispel the thick mist to find the thread to unravel this mystery, and instead gets bewildered by it.
Emperor Chu also felt there was more to this issue, but as for Prince Min, there’s no escaping the punishment for this grave sin.
"Your Majesty, great news." Eunuch Zhou hurried over, face alight with joy: "Princely Heir Lu and Minister Cui have returned, just entered the palace through the East Gate."
Emperor Chu stood up abruptly, exchanged a glance with Song Zhiyuan, their faces full of delight.
