frightfiction Chapter 1441 This king is willing to take responsibility and take her as a concubine.
Chapter 1441 This king is willing to take responsibility and take her as a concubine.
That lowly maid conspired with the Imperial Concubine and the Emperor to frame him, bringing him to an abyss of despair, and yet she dares to come and demand an explanation from him?!
Do you really think he's made of clay?!
However... after his outburst of rage, the Prince of Jin's keen and suspicious nature immediately detected a highly unusual aura.
wrong!
If this matter was indeed meticulously planned by the Emperor and the Imperial Noble Consort to drag him into the mire...
After the deed is done, Bingqiao should either be secretly dealt with to eliminate any future trouble, or she should be kept firmly under control in the palace so that he has no chance to have any contact with her.
But now, his elder brother has pushed the person in front of him and asked him how to deal with him.
Aren't you afraid he'll find evidence from Bingqiao that they set him up?
How could someone as shrewd and cautious as my elder brother leave such an obvious flaw?
Unless... his initial judgment was wrong.
Bingqiao is not affiliated with the Emperor or the Imperial Noble Consort, and this scheme was not orchestrated by them.
If it wasn't them, then who was it?!
The Prince of Jin's mind raced, but his face instantly changed to one of self-reproach as he said regretfully, "What you say is absolutely right, sir."
"In any case, this matter arose because of me, and it has ultimately ruined Bingqiao's reputation. As a young woman, it will indeed be difficult for her to continue in the palace in the future."
"If...if Miss Bingqiao does not despise me, I am willing to take responsibility and take her as my concubine, so that she may have a place to settle down and make a living, and to make up for it a little."
The eunuch was merely following orders to deliver a message. Seeing the Prince of Jin's stance, he nodded in agreement: "Since Your Highness has this intention, this servant will certainly convey the message."
"This servant will now return to the palace to report to His Majesty."
After the eunuch left, the sorrowful expression on Prince Jin's face vanished instantly, leaving only a cold look.
He put Bingqiao right under his nose, wanting to see what she could find out!
……
The Hall of Nourishing Heart.
Upon hearing the eunuch's report, Nangong Xuanyu raised an eyebrow and a cold sneer curled at the corner of his lips.
Should he take responsibility for Bingqiao and make her his concubine?
His eighth brother, however, knew how to go with the flow.
"Bingqiao is ultimately a member of Yongshou Palace."
Nangong Xuanyu's tone was unreadable: "Go and inform the Imperial Noble Consort of Prince Jin's intentions. This matter will be decided by her."
"The slave obeys the order!"
The eunuch bowed and accepted the order, then immediately turned and went to Yongshou Palace to deliver the message.
Nangong Xuanyu stood up, put his hands behind his back, and stood by the window, looking at the deep night outside, his eyes filled with undisguised coldness.
The demotion of the Prince of Jin was like the removal of a tiger's sharp teeth and claws.
The prince's rights to guards, ceremonial regalia, and participation in government, as well as his annual salary of ten thousand taels, vanished in an instant.
This is not just a change in name, but a real reduction in power.
After losing the banner of the prince, how much loyalty will the once deeply entrenched faction still retain?
Among those officials who sided with the Prince of Jin, there were probably quite a few who were opportunistic and changed sides with the wind.
Dealing with a disgraced prince who has lost real power is far easier than dealing with a powerful prince who could interfere in politics at any time.
Don't miss out!
Nangong Xuanyu turned around and called out, "Li Changde."
"The slave is here!"
Li Changde immediately stepped forward.
The emperor instructed: "Issue my oral decree that tomorrow afternoon, the Minister of Personnel, the Vice Minister of War, and the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate be summoned to the palace for a meeting."
He didn't say what he was discussing, but Li Changde understood.
Your Majesty is taking advantage of the turmoil in the Prince of Jin's power to quickly adjust the court's structure.
They firmly grasped the vacant positions, or those originally held by the Prince of Jin's faction, and at the same time further purged the Prince of Jin's cronies.
"The slave obeys the order."
Li Changde had no further questions and bowed, saying, "This servant will make the arrangements immediately to ensure that all the lords can enter the palace on time tomorrow."
……
Yongshou Palace.
Shen Zhinian sat in the main seat, listening to her confidants discuss the events of the day.
Granny Xiao frowned, her words carrying the caution of someone who had weathered many storms: "Your Highness, this old servant has a feeling that something strange is amiss with what happened today."
“The Prince of Jin is not such a reckless and impulsive person.”
Fuqu nodded in agreement, "This servant also thinks that Granny Xiao is right."
"Even if Prince Jin really had feelings for Bingqiao, he would never choose to do it in the pavilion where he could be discovered at any time during the lotus appreciation banquet hosted by the Empress."
"What's even stranger is that he insisted afterwards that he had been drugged."
"But the imperial physicians and the Ministry of Justice couldn't find any trace of it..."
Shen Zhinian understood Nangong Xuanyu's intentions, but she couldn't reveal them to others.
She subtly steered the conversation toward Bingqiao: "How is Bingqiao's behavior at Yongshou Palace on a daily basis?"
After a moment's thought, Fuqu replied, "Your Majesty, Bingqiao is usually quite diligent in her duties, and there is no apparent fault on the surface."
"But...you can't judge a book by its cover, and I dare not presume to know whether she has other intentions."
"But even if we take a step back and assume that Bingqiao really wanted to curry favor with Prince Jin, where would she, a second-class palace maid, get such potent drugs? And how could she have the audacity to scheme against a prince in the palace?"
Upon hearing this, a cold glint flashed in Shen Zhinian's eyes. She slowly raised her eyes and said in a cold voice, "So, the aphrodisiac was neither taken by Prince Jin for pleasure nor obtained by Bingqiao."
"There is an unseen hand behind the scenes, secretly driving all of this."
Hearing this from the side, Han Dan gasped and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "The person behind this went to such lengths to scheme against Prince Jin, what... what deep-seated hatred could they possibly have for him?"
Shen Zhinian's gaze narrowed slightly as she said, "Perhaps the person behind the scenes didn't initially intend to scheme against Prince Jin. Instead, they wanted to use Prince Jin to tarnish the reputation of Yongshou Palace."
"Let the world think that I am not strict in my administration and that my maids are immoral, even seducing the prince to commit such a shameful act at a banquet."
"It's just that things got out of hand by a twist of fate, and the Prince of Jin ended up in this mess."
Fuqu and Handan's expressions instantly turned serious.
If that's the case, then the person hiding in the shadows is truly despicable!
If they fail this time, there's no guarantee they won't try again.
Fuqu immediately said solemnly, "Your Majesty, how can Yongshou Palace be at peace if this villain is not eliminated? We must find him as soon as possible!"
Shen Zhinian turned her gaze to Xiao Mingzi beside her: "Xiao Mingzi, go and investigate carefully whether there is anything unusual inside or outside Quhe Garden today. If there is anything amiss, you must report it to me."
"Slave, you obey!"
Xiao Mingzi's expression hardened, and he immediately obeyed the order, quickly retreating.
After giving instructions to Xiaomingzi, Shen Zhinian looked at Fuqu and asked, "Where is Bingqiao now?"
Fuqu replied, "Your Majesty, after Bingqiao returned, Xiafeng had her carefully washed and dressed. She has been staying in her bedchamber with Xiafeng, in case she has any ulterior motives."