frightfiction Chapter 1774 From Hunter to Prey in an Instant
Chapter 1774 From Hunter to Prey in an Instant
"Is there anything unusual about the Imperial Medical Academy's pulse diagnosis and prescription procedures compared to usual?"
The confidant replied, "Yes!"
Su Quanye knew all too well that the intrigues in the imperial harem were often intricate and complex. A single oversight could cause the truth to be lost forever.
He must use multiple approaches and verify the information from different angles in order to find out the truth.
Consort Zhuang's insistence that she had no motive to harm the Third Prince is indeed the biggest point of doubt in this case.
But Su Quanye had worked in the Censorate for many years and had witnessed far too many unbelievable crimes. The motives were often hidden in the dark depths of the human heart, and not necessarily based on superficial gains and losses.
In his opinion, the Imperial Concubine might have had motives to harm the Third Prince. What if she wanted to use this to frame the Imperial Concubine?
However... the people from the Censorate investigated according to Su Quanye's instructions, and the final result shocked him!
Su Quanye was greatly alarmed, but dared not hide it, and hurriedly went to Yongshou Palace to report.
After performing the salutation, he said solemnly, "...Your Majesty, this servant was ordered to investigate further and discovered that Xiao Yizi's younger brother outside the palace purchased land in the suburbs of the capital a month ago, which is quite valuable."
"The house where his parents lived was also recently renovated and expanded, and the bricks and wood used were beyond the reach of ordinary farmers."
"Following this clue, I traced the source of the money and, after several twists and turns, discovered that the funds for Xiao Yizi's younger brother's purchase of land were deposited in three installments through the Changsheng Bank in the capital."
"And the ultimate source of these three sums of money... according to the secret identification of the bank manager and the verification of the account books, all point to a silk shop under the name of the imperial merchant Xia family!"
Upon hearing the words "Xia family," Xuanfei instinctively sat up straight: "This is impossible! There must be a mistake!"
Everyone knows that the Xia family is related to the Shen family by marriage. What's the difference between what the Xia family does and what the Shen family does?
The virtuous concubine's usually cool and aloof brows furrowed slightly.
At this moment, everyone looked at Shen Zhinian.
Some were shocked, some were skeptical.
Some people suddenly realized what was happening, while others gloated.
Some people still couldn't believe it...
Shen Zhinian's eyes narrowed slightly.
She always felt that Consort Zhuang's downfall was too quick, as if she had been carefully orchestrating something.
So, this was the trap waiting for her!
Although Shen Zhinian was surprised, she also felt that it made sense.
Large families often have many members, and with so many people, things can easily go wrong.
She couldn't even guarantee that the Shen family had no loopholes whatsoever, let alone the Xia family.
These imperial merchants and tycoons had a vast and complex network of connections. The people they relied on, the businesses they were linked to, and the intricate web of vested interests they held were incredibly intricate.
No matter how shrewd Shen Zhinian is, and no matter how much he reminds Shen Maoxue and Xia Lingshu to be careful, how can he guarantee that every person and every account in the Xia family is clean and without any omissions?
Given the immense power of the Zhuang family in both the court and the public sphere, it wouldn't be impossible for them to find a loophole in the Xia family's vast business empire and network of connections to frame them.
While she was setting a trap for Consort Zhuang, Consort Zhuang was indeed setting a trap for her as well...
From an angle unseen by others, Consort Zhuang's lips curled slightly, and she sneered inwardly.
The former deposed empress, Liu Shiqing, Xiao Yueying... those who once stood in her way have long since turned to dust.
Consort Zhuang's rise to her current position is not solely due to her hypocrisy and family background, but also to her cautious approach of planning ten steps ahead for every step she takes.
She had been thinking for a long time about how to get away if her plot to harm the Third Prince was exposed.
Frame the Xia family, who have close ties with the Imperial Noble Consort and are prone to making mistakes due to their merchant status, as they are the perfect choice!
Unexpectedly, this was indeed a trap set by the Imperial Noble Consort. In this case, hasn't the Imperial Noble Consort shot herself in the foot?
Consort Mei was completely dumbfounded.
Even she couldn't understand what the truth was.
How many things is her cousin hiding from her?
"absurd!"
Nangong Xuanyu suddenly stood up, his eyes blazing as he stared at Su Quanye kneeling on the ground, his face terribly gloomy: "You said that the Xia family instructed Xiao Yizi to bribe the physician to murder the Third Prince?"
"Su Quanye, do you know what you're saying?!"
The Xia family and the Shen family are one entity; accusing the Xia family is tantamount to accusing Nian Nian.
How could Nangong Xuanyu possibly believe that?
Su Quanye trembled as he said, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger!"
“How dare this servant speak recklessly? The account books of Changsheng Bank, the testimony of the manager in charge, and the sudden windfall of Xiao Yizi’s family... all match the time and amount of money flowing out of Xia Family Silk Shop!”
"This servant...this servant is merely reporting the facts as they are, based on what I have verified."
"Why is the Xia family acting this way? This servant... this servant doesn't know either..."
Xiao Yizi seemed unable to withstand the pressure any longer. Seeing that everything had been uncovered, his defenses completely crumbled: "Your Majesty! Your Majesty, spare my life..."
"This servant...this servant was afraid of the Imperial Noble Consort before, so I dared not speak..."
"Yes, it was the Xia family who approached me, gave me a lot of silver, and asked me... to find a way to tamper with the medicine. Ideally... ideally, to make the Third Prince even more ill!"
"They also said... they also said that if this matter is accomplished, there will be immense wealth and honor in the future!"
"This servant was blinded by greed and also feared their power, so I sought out Physician Qin..."
"Everything I've said is true! Your Majesty, please spare my life! Spare my life!"
While shouting, Xiao Yizi kowtowed repeatedly, shifting all the blame for his previous accusations against Consort Zhuang onto the Xia family.
"His Majesty!"
Consort Zhuang's face was as pale as paper, but her eyes burned with fierce grief and indignation. Before she could speak, tears streamed down her face: "You heard me, I am innocent!"
"I have said before that I had no motive to harm the Third Prince. Now that the truth is out, it turns out that someone instigated the Xia family to carry out this vicious plot!"
At this point, Consort Zhuang raised her head and looked at Shen Zhinian in disbelief: "Your Highness, I have always been extremely respectful to you and have never been disrespectful in the slightest."
"Why would you go to such lengths to harm me? Even resorting to such underhanded methods, implicating innocent imperial heirs."
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, what have I done to offend you? You want to kill me!"
Every word is written in blood, every sentence is piercing to the heart!
The mantis catches the cicada, and the oriole is behind.
Shen Zhinian seemed to have instantly transformed from hunter into prey.
She showed no sign of panic, and even clapped and laughed, "Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"
"I am curious, Xiao Yi Zi previously claimed that he was acting on the orders of the Imperial Concubine. But the Imperial Concubine said that the words of a servant cannot be trusted."
"How come when it comes to me, Xiao Yizi's recantation becomes an irrefutable fact?"
"Tsk tsk... The Imperial Concubine actually has two sets of standards?"
Consort Xuan immediately replied, "That's right!"
"How can the baseless accusations of a sinner be taken seriously? Wasn't that what the Imperial Concubine said before?"
"To say that this was instigated by the Imperial Noble Consort is truly the most ridiculous thing ever!"