RPAGF Chapter 1039 The Calamity of Consort Qian
Chapter 1039 The Calamity of Consort Qian
The incident was resolved more smoothly than Zhang Ping'an had imagined, and there were very few casualties among the people he was with.
This was mainly due to the timely assistance provided by the Li family.
After checking their luggage, Zhang Ping'an and Xiaoyuer set off again with their men to the Li residence. The deputy general escorted them with a group of his men, while a smaller group stayed behind to clean up the scene.
After picking up his family at the Li residence, Zhang Ping'an planned to set off directly to Huainan to take up his new post.
"It's not advisable to stay in Xuzhou for long. The Li family will discover the unusual nature of this night raid tomorrow. To avoid any unforeseen complications, it's best to make a hasty retreat."
"Listen to Father," Xiaoyuer leaned wearily against the carriage, then smiled. "That guy upstairs is really persistent. We're almost 800 li away from the capital, and he still sends people to hunt us down. Father, do you think you're making yourself so hated?"
While tending to his son's wounds, Zhang Ping'an shook his head bitterly, "It's rather unusual, not like his usual style. If he had this intention, he would have sent people to do it in the outskirts of Beijing long ago, instead of waiting until Xuzhou. I wonder if something else has happened in Beijing. I just hope that your Uncle Ge and your maternal grandfather are all well."
At present, they are in a precarious situation, barely able to save themselves. They can only rush to Huainan to take up their posts as soon as possible before considering anything else.
At this moment, in the capital city, within the imperial palace, a brutal interrogation and forced confession was taking place.
The incident stemmed from Zhou Pu's investigation of the birth dates of all the palace maids and concubines in the capital to see if they were incompatible with his. One of the palace servants accidentally found a wooden figure with iron nails stuck in it in the concubine's bedroom. The birth date on the wooden figure was that of the current emperor.
This is serious; this matter cannot be judged simply as disrespect for His Majesty.
It immediately reached Zhou Pu's ears.
Zhou Pu had been harboring doubts and unable to sleep lately, and this matter truly pierced his heart, forcing him to confront his deepest fears.
The bedroom where the wooden figure was found belonged to none other than Consort Qian.
Consort Qian was born into a prestigious family and was exceptionally intelligent. When she saw the eunuchs find the nonexistent wooden figure under her bed in her bedroom, her heart skipped a beat, and she knew something was wrong.
Before the palace servants could react, he immediately sent his personal maid to the Qian family outside the palace to ask for help.
She knew that within the deep palace, it was far too easy for the emperor to have someone die quietly. No matter how noble your birth, you were still just a concubine in the harem, never more noble than the emperor!
Therefore, it is essential to have your own family intervene before things completely deteriorate.
Moreover, matters of witchcraft can be serious or minor; if the emperor intends to escalate the situation and implicate his family, it is not impossible.
"Consort Qian, the items were found in your bedchamber. What do you have to say?" Zhou Pu asked coldly, staring at the wooden figure on the table.
Consort Qian remained relatively calm at this moment, kneeling on the ground and shaking her head calmly, "Your Majesty, I am innocent."
"Although I live in this room, the doors and windows are always open, and I am not alone in coming and going. How can I be sure that everything must be handled by me?"
The implication is that although I live in the bedroom, people often pass through the doors and windows, and I am not the only one coming in and out. How can you be sure that I put the things there?
Because the Imperial Observatory had predicted that Cui Rong could help the nation's destiny, she was also sitting at the lower end of the table, often accompanying Zhou Pu.
Hearing this, she covered her mouth with a handkerchief, lowered her head and giggled: "As expected of Consort Qian, you are born into a noble family and are good at nitpicking. If you ask me, since you think someone is trying to harm you, why didn't they put it in the other concubines' chambers, but only in yours?! Hmm? You should explain this to me."
Upon hearing this, a flash of disgust crossed Consort Qian's eyes, but her face remained calm as she said, "If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext! I come from the Qian family of Lin'an, and I am the eldest daughter of the Qian family. From a young age, I have been nurtured by etiquette and literature. The Qian family has been loyal and virtuous for generations, producing countless high-ranking officials. Even if I am not favored by His Majesty, I would never do anything that would dishonor the Qian family's reputation, let alone such a despicable act of witchcraft. What good would it do for me or the Qian family?"
In the end, Consort Qian could not contain her anger and looked up at Cui Rong, pressing her for an answer.
As the eldest daughter of the Qian family, she has her pride!
Cui Rong smiled, rolled her eyes, and then, playing with her long fingernails, said slowly and deliberately, "What if the Qian family has ulterior motives and wants to rebel against their superiors? Then everything makes sense!"