The Command to Pamper the Husband - Chapter 172

Master Deqing shuddered. The poison bug he had raised for sixteen years had just… melted into a pool of liquid? No! Master Deqing wanted to roar in frustration. But he didn’t dare open his mouth because the sword in front of his face would enter if he did.

This was… Master Deqing felt a sense of humiliation as if he had been trampled by an army. He then realized something and glared at the weapons surrounding him. “Can you see me?”

Song Jin nodded. “Of course.” She could see Master Deqing, who was densely surrounded by weapons.

“However, whether I can see you is not important. What matters is that you tell me the truth. Hurry up; let’s not waste each other’s time. After all, time is precious these days.”

With the poison bug killed, Master Deqing felt a heart-wrenching pain. His face turned ashen, and his legs became weak, making it hard to stand. However, he didn’t dare to sit down. If he did, he might sit on a weapon’s blade. Thinking of the consequences, he shuddered.

After a moment of silence, Master Deqing spoke weakly, “The Battle of Black Tiger Ridge… His Majesty received military intelligence from the late Emperor and leaked it through his connections in the army. His goal was clear: to have the enemy kill the late Empress.”

“However, the generals around the late Empress were all loyal and brave. They fought to the death to ensure the injured Empress was safely evacuated from the battlefield. We lost more than half of our troops in that battle.”

Song Jin sneered inwardly. More than half? It was far worse.

“His Majesty didn’t expect the Empress to survive. While she was recovering in the capital, he had me plant the poison bug in her. But neither the Empress nor the late Emperor knew because the bug hadn’t activated. His Majesty was waiting for a better opportunity.”

“Later, the Empress recovered and began rebuilding the army while investigating the mole who leaked the information. The Empress was exceptionally capable and found the culprit. His Majesty had used this person to leak the information. Unfortunately, the traitor refused to implicate His Majesty, who was then the Seventeenth Prince, claiming he had stolen the information himself.”

“The Empress tried everything but couldn’t get him to confess. His Majesty had the traitor secretly poisoned before he could reveal anything. With that lead gone, the investigation stalled.”

“The Empress, however, was determined to avenge the betrayal. She led the army again. This time, His Majesty didn’t leak any information. He even used his influence to gather intelligence from the enemy, which he subtly passed on to the Minister of War. As a result, we achieved an unprecedented victory.”

“The Empress noticed something was amiss on the battlefield. She sensed that someone was still communicating with the enemy, and she was certain it was the same person from before.”

“After the battle, the Empress reported this to His Majesty, who ordered a thorough investigation. Fearing exposure, the Seventeenth Prince decided to act first. At that time, the Empress was about to give birth, her spiritual power at its weakest. He chose that day to activate the Thousand Mechanism Poison. The poison would kill three lives at once. Unfortunately, a young servant took the baby girl away.”

Mentioning the baby girl, Master Deqing seemed unsure again. After all, standing before him was the Fourth Prince, a man.

“How much was the Empress Dowager involved in this?”

Master Deqing was taken aback. “The Empress Dowager? She loved the Empress more than her own children. She almost followed the Empress and the late Emperor in death. If not for His Majesty using the best medicines to keep her alive, she would have passed away long ago.”

Song Jin realized she had misunderstood the Empress Dowager. She had suspected the Empress Dowager of favoring her youngest son to the point of harming her eldest. After the eldest son’s death, the Empress Dowager was stricken with guilt.

“Is there no cure for the Thousand Mechanism Poison?”

“No, there is only medicine to suppress the poison bug’s activation, not to eliminate it.”

“Who created such a vicious thing?”

Master Deqing… He wanted to say “I did,” but the words stuck in his throat.

Even though Master Deqing didn’t speak, Song Jin had her suspicions. With a slight smile, Song Jin said, “I will leave now. These weapons will trap you for two days and then release you. After that, you’re on your own.”

Song Jin turned to leave.

As she stepped out, she saw Master Deqing’s disciple leading a young servant towards her. The servant was surprised to see the Fourth Prince but respectfully greeted him.

Song Jin nodded and left with the painting.

Inside, Master Deqing’s disciple didn’t dare cross the second threshold, leaving the young servant to enter alone.

“Master, the Emperor commands you to enter the palace immediately,” the servant announced from outside the door.

Inside, Master Deqing stood among the weapons, desperately wanting to call for help but fearing the weapons would activate if he did, turning him into a pincushion.

After a moment of hesitation, Master Deqing said, “Tell His Majesty that I am at a critical point in my ritual. Inform him that I know the identity of the traitor from back then and ask for two more days.”

The young servant had no choice but to relay the message.

As he left, Master Deqing was suddenly lifted by the dagger under his feet, carried to the platform, and then all the weapons flew towards him.

Blood splattered everywhere, covering the platform.

In his final moments, Master Deqing cursed inwardly, You lied! You said I’d be free in two days!

Damn it! Who placed all these weapons here!

As Song Jin descended the mountain, Wang Liu had already dealt with the Daoists who had attacked him. He waited for Song Jin at the foot of the mountain.

The master and servant quickly left the place.

In the palace, the young servant relayed the message to the Emperor. His gloomy face lit up with joy.

Two days. In two days, Master Deqing would reveal the traitor’s identity!

He could wait two days!

However, he couldn’t wait to deal with the Third Prince!

Just now, four censors had jointly accused the Third Prince of numerous crimes: land seizure, murder, hoarding grain, selling official salt, and embezzling disaster relief funds from last year’s flood.

There were forty or fifty charges, each with concrete evidence.

The Emperor was furious. How could he have such a rebellious son? He had always known that the Second and Third Princes were ambitious and less steady than the Crown Prince. But he hadn’t expected the Third Prince to be not only ambitious but also…

The Emperor slammed the table in anger. “Have the Three Judicial Offices conduct a thorough investigation. I want a complete investigation!”

The censors left satisfied.

Due to Master Deqing’s message, the Emperor felt slightly relieved but regretted his hasty decision. A thorough investigation would force him to deal with his son. If those charges were proven true…

The Emperor, troubled, left the Imperial Study and walked into the chilly wind.

He didn’t mind losing a son but cared about the disgrace it would bring. This son was his. His incompetence would reflect poorly on him.

He prided himself on being a wiser ruler than his predecessor. How could he have such an unworthy son?

It was a blot on his legacy, one he couldn’t tolerate.