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When the Empress Dowager heard that Lan Xun intended to summon Su Ning to the palace immediately, she assumed he now had time to discuss the marriage and quickly sent word to Su Ning’s residence.
Half an hour later, when Lan Qingwei, matriarch of the Su Ning household, hurried into the Kunhe Palace, Lan Xun was seated casually on a grand chair, sipping tea.
Having arrived in haste, Lan Qingwei had no time for elaborate dressing. She wore slightly formal attire and a complete set of head ornaments. Not quite forty, she was well-preserved, with a graceful presence still intact.
Upon entering the hall, she first paid respects to the Empress Dowager, then to Lan Xun. Assuming she had come regarding Xie Wan’ning’s marriage, she could not hide her smile. “I wonder why the Empress Dowager and the Regency Prince have summoned Su Ning?”
Before the Empress Dowager could reply, Lan Xun’s sharp voice rang through the hall. He asked instead, “It seems the matriarch was kept in the dark?”
Lan Qingwei was Lan Xun’s father’s half-sister, so by etiquette, he should address her as “Aunt.”
In formal situations, he would have. But in this unceremonious moment, not calling her by name was already polite enough.
Lan Qingwei’s smile faded, her brow furrowed in puzzlement. “What is the meaning of this, Regency Prince?”
Lan Xun rose slowly from his chair, hands clasped behind his back, expression stern. “Last night, someone tried to poison the Regency Prince’s residence. The person has confessed, stating they were bribed by someone from the Su Ning household.”
Upon hearing this, Lan Qingwei’s smile vanished entirely.
Attempting to poison the Regency Prince was a grave crime! At best, one could be demoted; at worst, executed.
The Empress Dowager was slightly shocked. Could Lan Qingwei have tried to poison Lan Xun? Then the marriage to Xie Wan’ning… would likely be impossible.
Lan Qingwei quickly denied it. “Impossible! Regency Prince, please do not slander. Su Ning has had no grievances with you, no recent conflicts. How could she poison you? Committing treachery against the royal family is a capital crime. Su Ning would never act so lawlessly. Please investigate thoroughly and clear Su Ning’s name!”
Lan Xun, expecting such denials, made no detours. He directly presented the evidence before her.
Holding the confession, he said, “Someone from the Su Ning household bribed a doctor in my residence to poison me… These two are in my custody. The confessions state that they were ordered by Zhaoyang Princess…
“Zhaoyang Princess has committed such an outrageous crime, flouting royal law. As her mother, the matriarch should reflect—should she share in her daughter’s guilt?”
Hearing this, Lan Qingwei could hardly believe it. She knew her daughter’s temperament; she had already punished her with house arrest.
A eunuch took the confessions from Lan Xun and presented them to the Empress Dowager. She read them, shocked. Any thoughts of pleading for Zhaoyang Princess vanished.
The Empress Dowager muttered, “Zhaoyang has indeed gone too far.”
The eunuch then handed the confessions to Lan Qingwei. She read them carefully, growing colder by the moment…
That day, after punishing Xie Wan’ning with house arrest, Xie Wan’ning, still resentful, had secretly instructed her wet nurse, Chen Mama, to bribe the doctor and poison the Regency Prince.
Now that the plot had been exposed, both Chen Mama and the doctor were in Lan Xun’s custody.
Lan Qingwei hurriedly protested, “Regency Prince, you must have heard—after Zhaoyang caused trouble in your residence, I punished her with house arrest. She hasn’t stepped outside her room since. This matter cannot be her doing. I beg Your Highness to see this clearly! Besides, Zhaoyang’s feelings toward you have always been pure—how could she harm you?”
Lan Xun’s aura turned imposing as he demanded, “Do you want me to summon all witnesses for confrontation, or shall this poisoning case be handed over to the Ministry of Justice?”
Even the usually composed Lan Qingwei paled, palms sweating. If the Ministry judged the case, Xie Wan’ning’s life would be completely ruined.
She insisted, “Regency Prince, Su Ning was confined at all times. This could not have been her idea—it must have been the maid acting on her own!”
Turning to the Empress Dowager, she pleaded, “Your Majesty, please protect Zhaoyang. You raised her. She may be headstrong, but her character is good. She would never poison anyone. If she’s sent to the Ministry of Justice, the prestige of our household would be lost, and the world would ridicule us…”
The Empress Dowager frowned, hesitated, then sighed. “Regency Prince, since no one was harmed, perhaps mercy is appropriate…”
Lan Xun knew that with the current evidence, if Lan Qingwei insisted the maid acted alone, there was nothing he could do against the confined Xie Wan’ning.
He asked, “Then how do you propose she be punished?”
The Empress Dowager thought for a moment. “Send her to the countryside for reflection and atonement.”
Mu Shengsheng had almost died from poisoning, and yet her punishment would be merely reflection? A trivial penalty that could easily be pardoned soon. Lan Xun was clearly dissatisfied.
He said coldly, “She has been spoiled by your indulgence. Yesterday, she dared to poison the Regency Prince’s residence. If not severely punished, who knows what disaster she’ll cause next!”
Lan Xun projected the commanding authority of the court, the imperial presence of a born sovereign under the Purple Star, chilling even the Empress Dowager and Lan Qingwei to their spines.
The Empress Dowager frowned, sensing his refusal to accept leniency. “Then how do you intend to punish her?” she asked cautiously.
Lan Xun stood straight, hands clasped behind him, and declared, “Zhaoyang Princess allowed her maid to poison my residence, nearly causing a death. Such a grave offense is unforgivable. She shall be punished with one year of service, demoted to her fief in Zhaoyang, and forever forbidden from entering the capital!”
The Empress Dowager and Lan Qingwei’s faces changed dramatically.
The Empress Dowager said, “Lan Xun, although Zhaoyang erred, such punishment is excessive!”
Hearing that Lan Xun intended such severe punishment, Lan Qingwei lost all composure. “Even if she has been devoted to you, she is your cousin. For my sake, she shouldn’t be punished so harshly! The frail girl is unharmed, and besides, she won’t live long—how can her life compare to Zhaoyang’s future?”
Lan Xun snorted coldly and glared at Lan Qingwei, his gaze sharper. “I never said Zhaoyang poisoned anyone. Aunt, how do you know? It seems you were not entirely unaware.”
Lan Qingwei shuddered, her face instantly turning ashen.