Chapter 53

The next morning, Su Jingyao slowly woke up, feeling refreshed and energized. Her beautiful eyes sparkled with delight.

Great! At least for a few days, she wouldn’t have to serve a man. She could take a break.

However, last night, Jun Zechen did not leave Zhaochun Palace entirely. Instead, he chose to sleep in the side hall.

As an emperor, if he had left in the middle of the night, it would have caused all kinds of rumors in the palace the next day—rumors about her.

To avoid this, Jun Zechen decided to stay in the side hall, and Su Jingyao agreed.

If he returned to Qianqing Palace so late at night, it would be her who would be talked about the next day.

Lying on the bed in the side hall last night, Jun Zechen stared at the ceiling, feeling somewhat dazed.

He couldn’t even understand how he ended up in this situation.

How did he agree to sleep in the side hall?!

He was the emperor!

A wave of frustration surged in his heart.

But in the end, he let it go. Yesterday was her birthday, yet he had made her so upset. If this could ease her anger, so be it.

Thinking about how Jun Zechen left her chamber last night, Su Jingyao found it amusing.

Her little test had given her some insight into his thoughts.

At least his attitude toward Ling Yue was developing just as she expected. Calling Ling Yue merely his first wife was enough to show how he currently viewed her.

If Ling Yue were to let go now, perhaps Jun Zechen’s guilt would be enough to grant her a lifetime of wealth and honor.

Unfortunately, people are always greedy.

At that moment, Miao Yun entered with a worried expression.

“Master, when His Majesty left this morning, his face was as dark as ink. Are you sure everything is fine?”

Su Jingyao raised an eyebrow and calmly replied, “It’s fine. I know what I’m doing.”

Not long after, Miao Xia rushed in.

“Master, Jin Hua Gugu is here.”

Su Jingyao paused for a moment, raising an eyebrow.

Would the Empress Dowager ever send someone to bring her good news?

She walked toward the main hall, where Jin Hua Gugu was already waiting respectfully.

Jin Hua Gugu bowed. “This servant greets Pure and Virtuous Consort.”

Su Jingyao lifted her hand, signaling her to rise. “Gugu, has the Empress Dowager sent you with a message?”

Jin Hua Gugu straightened up and replied, “Your Highness, regarding the poisoning of the Noble Consort yesterday, the Empress Dowager has ordered you to investigate the matter. These are the pieces of evidence that His Majesty’s people gathered yesterday. Please take a look.”

With that, she presented a stack of documents.

Su Jingyao reached out and slowly took the papers from Jin Hua Gugu’s hands.

Her eyes scanned the contents carefully.

As she read, her delicate brows knitted slightly, and a trace of doubt flickered in her eyes.

“All this evidence seems to point to Concubine An?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Jin Hua Gugu responded respectfully.

“His Majesty initially planned to convict Concubine An immediately. However, the Empress Dowager believes that the current evidence is insufficient to convict someone of her rank. Since she is one of the Nine Consorts, sentencing her without thorough investigation would be too rash.”

“Therefore, the Empress Dowager has entrusted you with this case. You have three days to uncover the truth. If you cannot prove that Concubine An is innocent, His Majesty will use this evidence to convict her.”

Su Jingyao’s lips curved slightly, but her smile was rather forced.

She looked at Jin Hua Gugu and said softly, “Gugu, this case doesn’t seem easy to handle.”

Jin Hua Gugu quickly replied, “Your Highness, the Empress Dowager has always believed in your abilities. Both His Majesty and the Empress Dowager trust in your kindness and fairness. Since you have good relationships with both the Noble Consort and Concubine An, the Empress Dowager believes that you are the most suitable person to investigate this case.”

Su Jingyao nodded slightly and said slowly, “I appreciate the Empress Dowager’s trust. I will do my best to find out the real culprit behind the poisoning.”

“This servant shall take her leave now.” After bowing again, Jin Hua Gugu departed. After Jinhua Aunt left, Su Jingyao held the stack of evidence in her hand and gracefully walked to the bed before sitting down.

She placed the evidence on the table and stared at it, deep in thought.

What were the Empress Dowager and Jun Zechen trying to do?

Were they putting her in the middle of this situation on purpose?

It was clear that Jun Zechen had found clues leading to An Zhaorong but chose not to investigate further. As the emperor, he was intelligent and certainly understood what was happening.

Since he sent such a signal, Su Jingyao had to think carefully.

Because Ling Yue held a special place in his heart, Jun Zechen wanted to punish An Zhaorong, regardless of whether it was Ling Yue’s scheme or An Zhaorong’s crime of poisoning.

Jun Zechen was already disgusted with An Zhaorong due to her past tricks. Even if Ling Yue had framed An Zhaorong, he would still choose Ling Yue over her.

But now, the Empress Dowager had handed this tricky situation to Su Jingyao, making it clear that she wanted a proper investigation rather than letting Jun Zechen handle it however he pleased.

Hmph, that scoundrel of a man! It was one thing for the Empress Dowager to test her.

But for Jun Zechen to agree? Well, he shouldn’t blame her for ruining his beloved “first wife’s” reputation.

Su Jingyao narrowed her beautiful eyes slightly, her gaze thoughtful.

She gently rotated the exquisite bracelet on her wrist.

Yesterday, she had deliberately said she didn’t like the jewelry Jun Zechen sent her.

That was just to make herself appear noble and uninterested in material possessions. She didn’t want Jun Zechen to always think he was above her, bestowing gifts as if they were treasures.

Gifts he put real effort into were far more valuable than simple jewelry.

That said, the pieces he sent were indeed exquisite. Palace jewelry was always luxurious and beautiful.

Moreover, these tribute items were like rare, limited-edition pieces in the modern world—precious and hard to find.

The bracelet on her wrist was a gift from Jun Zechen, who had noticed her hands were beautiful. Since the storage house had a rare purple jade bracelet from a subordinate kingdom, he sent it to her.

The jade was of the finest quality, and its color was exceptional. The detailed craftsmanship of the inlaid kingfisher feathers made it even more remarkable.

The feathers were carefully selected for their vibrant color and soft texture, then intricately set onto gold and silver before being placed on the bracelet.

Now, wearing it on her wrist, it was truly pleasing to the eye.

“Master, how do you plan to investigate this case? If it turns out that the Noble Consort framed An Zhaorong, will you report the truth?” Miao Yun asked softly.

Su Jingyao’s expression remained calm.

“In the palace, every step must be taken with caution. The Noble Consort caused a scene yesterday, and I was angry because the emperor failed to meet me as promised. If I immediately tell him that the Noble Consort plotted against An Zhaorong, even with evidence, he might suspect I’m acting out of jealousy and trying to frame her.”

“But if the Noble Consort really did plan this, you’d just be uncovering the truth,” Miao Yun said, puzzled.

“Heh, Miao Yun, we are already part of this game, and even the emperor is just another piece on the board. Do you think the truth really matters?”

Su Jingyao’s lips curved into a faint smile.

“What matters is how our emperor sees it. Who does he believe is guilty? The key is making sure both the Empress Dowager and the emperor are satisfied with how the case is handled.”

“So whether or not the Noble Consort is truly guilty, I will ensure she isn’t openly punished this time.”

Su Jingyao’s short-term goal wasn’t to ruin the Noble Consort but to make Jun Zechen stop caring about her—even feeling guilty for her.

If she told Jun Zechen and the Empress Dowager that the Noble Consort had carefully planned this scheme, the Empress Dowager would insist on fairness and punish her accordingly.

However, if the Noble Consort were punished, Jun Zechen might feel sympathy for her.

He might even think that the Noble Consort was alone in the palace, being bullied and framed by everyone.

After all, men’s thoughts could be quite unpredictable.

Since the Noble Consort had already made her move, her image of being “pure and kind” was no longer believable. Su Jingyao would make sure that Jun Zechen grew more and more frustrated with her.

At the same time, she would prevent him from feeling any guilt or pity toward her.

Her goal in investigating this case wasn’t to reveal the absolute truth but to make Jun Zechen clearly understand that the Noble Consort had deliberately framed someone.

Su Jingyao would take Jun Zechen’s side, fully supporting and defending the Noble Consort, making sure she kept her dignity.

“Master, An Zhaorong is outside, asking to see you,” Miao Xia walked in lightly and reported respectfully.

“Don’t see her. Tell her to go back.”

Su Jingyao frowned slightly, her tone cold with a hint of displeasure.

She had just been entrusted with this task by the Empress Dowager and the emperor. Was An Zhaorong trying to bribe her so openly?

Fool.

Just as Miao Xia turned to leave, Su Jingyao suddenly spoke again.

“Wait. Tell An Zhaorong that I will handle this case fairly.”

She deliberately emphasized the words “handle fairly.”

Miao Xia immediately understood her meaning, nodded, and quietly left.

Su Jingyao said that to make sure An Zhaorong wouldn’t panic.

After all, Jun Zechen was indeed planning to use her as an example. It was understandable that An Zhaorong was anxious.

By reassuring her that she would handle things fairly, Su Jingyao was keeping her under control.

She unconsciously turned the bracelet on her wrist again, her eyebrows slightly furrowed in deep thought.

But someone still had to take the blame for this case.

An Zhaorong was still useful, so she wouldn’t let her be discarded so easily. So who should be the scapegoat for this case?