The Command to Pamper the Husband - Chapter 154

The Crown Prince sat back in his chair with his eyes closed, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the armrest. A possible answer swirled in his mind, but…

He frowned slightly and summoned an attendant. “Go investigate the incident from sixteen years ago.”

The attendant silently obeyed and left. By the time the attendant returned, the moon had risen high in the sky. The Crown Prince still sat in the Plum Pavilion with his eyes closed, appearing to be asleep. Despite the cold winter, the pavilion was warm, thanks to the strong dragon burner and the heated pillars.

The attendant stood respectfully to the side, speaking in a low voice, “The former Empress gave birth to a baby girl that night…”

Before he could finish, the Crown Prince’s eyes snapped open, and he raised a hand to silence him. “You may go.”

He had no interest in how his father seized the throne sixteen years ago. That was the past generation’s matter. It had happened long ago, and the specifics were now irrelevant.

Once, he had no interest in investigating past events, focusing only on the present. But that baby girl…

By now, the Crown Prince was almost certain that the baby girl was Song Jin. No wonder the Heavenly Hound had such an attitude towards her.

Gazing at the crescent moon, the Crown Prince’s lips curved into a cold smile. This matter was becoming increasingly interesting.

He called a maid forward. “Find a suitable opportunity to relay a message to the Empress Dowager. Just say that Shen Yue bears some resemblance to the late Empress. Make sure no one else hears this.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The maid bowed and left.

Meanwhile, Song Jin stood at the palace gate, presenting her token. “I have urgent business to discuss with the Emperor, regarding the golden case.”

With her hands behind her back, she no longer appeared timid or fearful. Song Jin stood there, tall and confident.

The guards looked at the token, hesitating. The Fourth Prince had never requested an audience with the Emperor before, and they had never handled such a situation. Despite the Emperor’s known displeasure with the Fourth Prince, he was still a prince.

After a moment’s hesitation, the guard spoke politely. “Please wait a moment, Your Highness.”

Just a hundred steps inside the palace gate was a small house where a eunuch was on duty, ready to relay urgent messages for those without direct access to the Emperor. Late at night, in the biting wind, the young eunuch had been warming himself by the fire when he received the message. Cursing under his breath, he headed to the Imperial Study.

Inside the brightly lit study, the Emperor sat behind his desk, his face dark with anger. He slammed his hand on the table, making the pen rack rattle. On the desk lay a stack of blood-stained paper—Consort Li’s confession.

The interrogation unit rarely failed to break a suspect. The papers clearly detailed how Consort Li had colluded with Minister Liu of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau to set fire to the Imperial Study. The Imperial Study! To vent her anger and frame Shen Yue, she dared to burn the Emperor’s own study.

Feeling his authority deeply offended, the Emperor ground his teeth in fury. But as angry as he was, he couldn’t kill Consort Li. Although the Duke had died, his widow remained, and her father, the Great General, was still on the front lines. Consort Li banked on the Emperor’s fear of the General, which allowed her to act so brazenly.

“Send her to the Cold Palace, demote her to a commoner,” he ordered.

Beneath Consort Li’s confession was Noble Consort De’s statement. Due to the sensitive nature of her case, the Empress Dowager had taken personal charge of her interrogation to protect the royal family’s reputation. Despite the skilled interrogators, Noble Consort De had refused to reveal the identity of the man the gold box symbolized, insisting it was meant for the Emperor, to remind her of him.

The box had no inscription and couldn’t serve as definitive proof. Should the Emperor accuse himself of infidelity? However, the Emperor remembered the Empress Dowager’s reaction to the gold box, indicating she recognized it. Yet, her report contained no mention of the box.

The Emperor had even sent a reminder about the box’s origins, but the Empress Dowager chose to remain silent. The Emperor’s eyes narrowed with an undisguised malevolence.

Why? He was the chosen one, the Empress Dowager’s only reliance. Would she have treated his elder brother the same way? Certainly not! The Emperor’s anger flared, almost making his eyes blaze.

“Noble Consort De, unworthy of her title, is demoted to a commoner and sent to the Cold Palace with Consort Li.”

Since she refused to speak, he wouldn’t listen. It wouldn’t be good news anyway.

The Chief Eunuch hesitated for a moment. “Noble Consort De has Princess Li Yang under her care.”

The Emperor snorted. “There are plenty of childless consorts in the palace. Anyone can raise a Princess.”

The Chief Eunuch understood and went to relay the message. He wouldn’t deliver it himself but informed a young eunuch at the gate.

“Your Majesty, the Minister of Justice is still waiting at the gate.”

The palace intrigue had infuriated the Emperor, making him almost forget the main issue. He took several deep breaths to calm down and sipped a cup of warm tea. “Summon him.”

Moments later, the Minister of Justice entered, bowing respectfully.

The Emperor had called for him. The capital magistrate had been corrupt, colluding with the Duke to open a private gold treasury. Though dealt with, the magistrate’s position needed filling to maintain order in the capital. The Emperor had summoned the Minister of Justice for this purpose.

Sipping his tea, the Emperor asked, “Do you have a candidate for the capital magistrate?”

The Minister of Justice wasn’t surprised, knowing it was standard procedure for the Emperor to consult him. Surely, the Emperor had also sought advice from the Treasury and the Ministry of War.

“I do have a recommendation,” the Minister of Justice said straightforwardly.

The Emperor smiled. “Who is it?”

“The Deputy Minister of Justice, Su Zhe,” he replied.

The Emperor was taken aback, then laughed. “Su Zhe? I thought you would recommend Zhao Jide.”

The Minister of Justice was puzzled. “Zhao Jide? He is the Yuzhou Magistrate.”

His tone was matter-of-fact yet filled with appropriate confusion.

The Emperor laughed. “He’s been the Yuzhou Magistrate for sixteen years. Isn’t that enough to qualify him for the capital magistrate?”

The Minister of Justice responded quickly, “It is true that he can be promoted to the position of capital magistrate, but according to regulations, one must serve in at least four different regions with varied customs and have a solid record to qualify.”