Chapter 1907: Madam Dai’s Skills
Chapter 1907: Madam Dai’s Skills
Soon after, a woman dressed in white mourning clothes entered the court session. The previously noisy court suddenly fell silent, as those present began sizing her up. They sighed in amazement.
What a delicate and pretty woman!
Because of her temperament, she had still remained inside more even after becoming the madam of a king. This was the first time many people in the court had met her. They couldn't help but find her breathtaking. Her pretty brows were furrowed slightly as if she was grieving over something. It made others unable to help but want to take her into their arms to comfort her. Her teary eyes made her look as if she had been weeping, making those present feel pity.
A woman like this needs to be cherished and protected forever!
Normally, her entirely white outfit would be a bit too bland. However, her tender and replete cherry mouth made her entire being seem to come alive. Madam Jin had been beautiful to begin with, and now that she had this kind of pitiful bearing, it gave her even more of a unique charm.
Most of the people in this court session were male, and in their position, who didn’t have three or four concubines? They were all veterans used to women. But when they saw that delicate and pretty figure, they all couldn't help but feel a protective desire.
Madam Jin was a bit alarmed when she saw that everyone present was looking at her. She instinctively lowered her head. She continued her small, quick steps and arrived at the head seat of the throne room. She paid her respects to the empress, crown prince, and crown princess.
“Sister-in-law, please hurry and rise,” the crown prince said. Even though he was stupid, he could still discern between beautiful and ugly. He felt that this sister-in-law was really pretty. He stared at her clothes and wondered whether to have Linglong dress the same way, because she’d definitely look pretty too.
“Thank you, crown prince,” Madam Jin said, then walked to the side with her head lowered. She just happened to see the Embroidered Envoy standing there. She reflexively felt joy, but when she saw that it was Xiao Jianren and not the Chief Commander, she felt a bit disappointed. She secretly looked around, but she didn’t see that familiar figure. She immediately became nervous.
“Provide Madam Jin with a seat,” Bi Linglong said; she couldn't help but feel sympathetic when she saw the other woman's reaction.
“Thank you, crown princess,” Madam Jin said with a bow.
When she sat down, Meng Yi was the first to speak. He pointed at Zu An and asked, “Isn’t Madam Jin overwhelmed with grief? This person is the one who truly harmed King Jin and caused his death.”
Madam Jin followed the source of the sound and just happened to see Zu An standing there. She couldn't help but become stunned. This was that incredibly vicious murderer they had spoken of?
He does have a bit of a grand and outstanding bearing…
After the previous night’s enlightenment, she already knew that he wasn’t the main culprit. Now, when she saw that he was handsome and confident, the last bit of resentment she felt also disappeared. For some reason, when she saw his expression, she also felt a vague sense of familiarity.
In the end, no matter which world it was, appearances were still important.
She lowered her head and replied, “Yesterday, when the Embroidered Envoy inspected my husband’s remains, they found out that he didn’t die because of Sir Zu. Instead, his body couldn't handle the stress.”
When the court heard that even the victim’s wife was repeating the same story, many people released a breath of relief.
Meng Yi’s side had furrowed brows, but it was too late for regrets.
I’ve been too careless. I didn’t immediately send some people to examine King Jin’s corpse to have the evidence frozen in place.
But who could have expected this result? So many people personally saw Zu An snap King Jin’s neck, and yet he really was able to invert black and white!
What is going on with the Embroidered Envoy? Aren’t they usually impartial?
Could it be that they've already secretly sided with the crown princess?
No, that’s impossible. The palace is still under the empress’ control. Otherwise, it doesn’t make sense for her to not have realized anything.
Bi Linglong spoke up and said, “The Embroidered Envoy came to the conclusion that King Jin seemed to have been instigated by King Dai and Madam Dai, and as such, he acted impulsively. What is the real truth of this matter?”
When they heard what she said, the others' gazes shifted to Madam Jin.
As the main character of the whole affair, however, King Dai had a calm look.
My relationship with Madam Jin is great, and she was even grateful for my care. How could she possibly say anything unfavorable to me?
The only thing I need to think about is when I can pay King Jin Manor another visit. My happy time ended up being interrupted by that Chief Commander, so I have to find a safer time to go. After all, I only had a small amount of Worries Be Gone Rosemary and can only use it one more time. If I waste it again, it’ll really be too late for regrets…
Madam Jin trembled. She immediately knew that this was the Embroidered Envoy's Chief Commander fulfilling his promise.
Why is everything so similar to that dream I had?
She instinctively didn’t want to start trouble, as a wise man looked after his own hide. But when she thought about how the Chief Commander hadn’t even hesitated to offend a king for her sake, and how her husband had died without even knowing the true cause, she gritted her teeth and summoned her courage. She said, “That’s right. A few days ago, it was precisely because Madam Dai and King Dai came to say some things to my husband that my husband suddenly became very angry. He began to constantly shout about heading out to get revenge for his father emperor.
“I hope that her highness and the crown prince can uphold justice for this humble woman!”
The entire place erupted with noise again. All those present had already formed a good impression of this woman when they saw her pitiful and moving appearance. When they heard those words, they all glared furiously at King Jin. Some subjects with more irritable tempers even began to curse loudly. Apart from the Eastern Palace, King Dai, and the Meng clan’s faction, there were many in the neutral camp. They didn’t want to help either side and only acted based on how they felt.
King Dai's mouth widened. He had never expected that the little white rabbit in his mind would actually turn around and bite him! Even though he wanted her to bite him even in his dreams, he didn't mean it that way!
Meng Yi secretly gave him a nudge that finally snapped him out of his daze.
King Dai was furious and panicked, exclaiming, “Madam Jin, I was so good to you; why would you harm me?”
When they heard those words, the expressions of all the subjects became strange.
Your little brother died and you immediately went to pamper his wife? What is the meaning of this?
Any man could guess the truth.
Madam Jin wasn’t stupid either. She hadn’t realized it before, but when she heard what he said, she immediately knew that he didn’t have good intentions. Not only had he harmed her husband, he even had impure motives toward her.
She was so angry that she started shaking a bit. She cried, “It was you who harmed my husband and caused his death! You incited him to go after Zu An as a pretext to clip the Eastern Palace’s wings, so you could use that chance to succeed the throne!”
King Dai was stunned when he heard those words. Why did the Madam Jin who hadn’t understood a thing suddenly become so smart? She had guessed everything at once.
The palace suddenly became even noisier. At first, it had just been a case of a prince’s murder. They had never expected it to actually touch upon the struggle for the imperial throne! Many elders who were well-informed nodded inwardly. They had long suspected that Meng Yi was supporting King Dai's bid for the throne. Now, the whole situation made sense.
Meng Yi could no longer just sit still without saying anything. He snapped, “Madam Jin, cease your nonsense! There is no way you could have come up with this on your own. Just who taught you to say these things? Tell me the truth this instant!”
Madam Jin was a weak-willed person to begin with. She was immediately frightened by the fierce tone, and her entire body began to shake. She couldn't say a word.
Zu An released a cold snort. He took a step forward, saying, “Sir Meng, you really know how to show off your authority. Are you trying to intimidate a witness right now?”
When she felt the pressure immediately lessen as he stepped forward, the way Madam Jin looked at him immediately became complicated. Even though there was a mastermind behind her husband’s death, this man still had some connection to it. But for some reason, when she saw him herself, she couldn't bring herself to feel any disgust. Instead, she actually felt a bit grateful.
Meng Yi also released a cold snort, saying, “This Madam Jin has clearly been instigated by someone. There is no way she could come up with such words herself.”
Just then, Bi Linglong asked, “Madam Jin, is there someone who told you to say these things? There is no need for you to feel scared. Please tell us what you think. Your sister-in-law will take responsibility for you, so don’t be scared!” She immediately played the family card, making those present realize that King Jin and the crown prince shared the same mother. As sisters-in-law, their relationship was supposed to be closer as well.
The tall and sturdy, masked figure appeared in Madam Jin’s mind, and her heart rate mysteriously accelerated. A bit of rosiness returned to her face as well. She said, “No one taught this to me; I was just speaking the truth. In the past, it was none other than Madam Dai who came to say some things to my husband, and then King Dai also frequently visited the manor. After the fact, my husband became full of rage.”
Just then, Zhao Ruizhi suddenly cried out and jumped out of his seat. He grabbed a pumpkin from nearby and brought it down on King Dai's head, yelling, “You bastard! This crown prince is going to beat you to death!”
Bang!
King Dai became a bit dizzy from the strike.
This damn fatty’s cultivation isn’t high, but he is pretty strong…
If it weren’t because King Dai’s cultivation was far higher, his head likely would have exploded right there and then. He was furious, but he didn’t dare retaliate in front of everyone else. He could only cover his head and run away. The two chased after each other just like that, bashing left and right. The court now seemed almost like a theatrical troupe.
The empress coughed lightly and snapped, “Enough! Fighting and running around, whatever could be next? Men, separate them.”
“Understood!” Lesser eunuchs who ran over to hold the crown prince back, and only then did the palace gradually calm down.
The imperial uncle Liu Guang spoke up and asked, “Madam Jin, did you personally hear Madam Dai incite King Jin to go after Zu An?”
Madam Jin was stunned. She replied, “I haven’t heard it personally, but…”
Liu Guang immediately interrupted her, saying, “Then that makes more sense. It is natural for brothers to pay each other visits frequently. The madam might have misunderstood somewhere.”
Bi Linglong’s expression changed. The Liu clan had now clearly expressed their partiality, so didn’t that mean they represented the empress’ intentions as well? Sure enough, those who were sharper in the court immediately picked up on that fact. In the end, this was just a fight between the empress and the crown princess! Many people who had been arguing noisily now gave in as well.
Even though Madam Jin is pitiful, she’s not my woman. Why am I even fighting so much for her?
With the shift in mood, the Meng clan, King Dai, and even the Liu clan’s subjects began to speak up for King Dai. The Eastern Palace’s side was gradually pushed down.
In the end, the empress said, “This matter is full of suspicion. While there is insufficient proof against King Dai and Madam Dai, we need to investigate this more and not rashly come to a conclusion."
King Dai, Meng Yi, and the others immediately bowed, saying, “Your highness is wise.”
The empress gave Zu An a look. There was a trace of an apologetic expression on her face. However, she continued, “But the proof is already sufficient to show that Sir Zu is unrelated to the matter. From today forth, his freedom is no longer restricted.
“Furthermore, I have something to tell everyone. Because Zhuxie Chixin sacrificed himself on Violet Mountain, the Embroidery House cannot be without a leader. Golden Token Eleven is henceforth appointed as the Chief Commander of the Embroidered Envoy, and the other Golden Token Envoys are now under his administration. All matters big and small of the Embroidery House are also to fall under his jurisdiction.”
The court rose up in commotion. The new Chief Commander's authority was now even a bit greater than what Zhuxie Chixin had! After all, in the past, his majesty had assigned ten Golden Token Envoys to keep Zhuxie Chixin in check. They were to listen to Zhuxie Chixin in name, but they were actually all in charge of a large region of their own. They had their own means of secretly contacting the emperor too. Furthermore, the major affairs of the Embroidery House had actually only been decided through the emperor’s personal agreement. And yet now, the empress seemed to be handing all of this authority to Golden Token Eleven directly? That meant the Embroidery House had become a state within a state of its own! This new Chief Commander was now someone even more terrifying than Zhuxie Chixin!
Zu An frowned. He knew that she was doing so to compensate him. As expected, her conflict with Bi Linglong had already reached its climax. King Jin had been birthed by her older sister, after all. However, for the sake of the struggle between the Liu clan and Bi clan, she had actually decided to stand on King Dai’s side.
King Dai argued noisily, “Your highness, please reconsider! This isn’t in accordance with the rules! The Chief Commanders have always been personally appointed by his majesty! That Golden Token Eleven has a shallow foundation and doesn’t have many achievements either. How can he become the Chief Commander?!”
He had felt more and more resentment after having suffered so badly under Golden Token Eleven’s hands the previous day, so he had investigated the man. After all, when had the Embroidered Envoy gotten a new Chief Commander?
His guardian Elder Chen had been ruined, which was a huge deal that couldn't be kept hidden. Once he returned to the manor, Madam Dai had quickly received news of it. When she found out that he had gone all the way to visit Madam Jin in King Jin Manor, she immediately chewed him out viciously. But they were husband and wife in the end, so they were stuck in the same boat. After the matter, they still patiently discussed what to do from then on.
It did go as Chan’er expected. The empress appointed and nominated someone to this position in front of everyone, so I'll use this chance to seize back some dignity.
Golden Token Eleven, you’re good at fighting, aren’t you?
This king might not be your match, but those who work smart rule others, while those who work hard are destined to be ruled by others!
Heh, we’re playing politics here! How can a muscle-for-brains brute like you be a match for my Chan’er?