Steal my marriage? Turn around and marry the tyrant to take the throne

Consort Qin understood perfectly. When speaking to a smart person, there was no need for many roundabout ways: "Your Highness, there are some things… I don't know if I should say them…"

Shen Zhinian was not surprised and adopted a listening posture: "There are no outsiders here, so please speak freely."

Consort Qin took a deep breath and made up her mind: "Does Your Highness the Imperial Noble Consort really believe that the Huns were the masterminds behind this rumor storm?"

Shen Zhinian did not answer immediately, but asked in return, "What do you think, Consort Qin?"

Seeing her reaction, Consort Qin felt more at ease.

She no longer concealed her thoughts and said frankly, "I believe that the Xiongnu may have played a role in this, but to say that they were the instigators is a stretch."

"Please forgive my boldness, Your Highness. Your Highness and I are merely concubines in the harem. If the Xiongnu want to shake the Great Zhou, they have many ways to do so. Why go to such lengths to deal with Your Highness and frame me?"

"For them, the risks and rewards are disproportionate."

Shen Zhinian listened quietly and nodded: "What Consort Qin is worried about coincides with my concerns."

"Being in the inner palace, what I see most is the power struggles and intrigues within the palace walls."

"I've seen countless examples of how rumors can kill. The Huns may have been happy to see it happen, adding fuel to the fire. But as for the true instigator..."

She paused, her gaze sharpening slightly: "I'm afraid it's still one of our own from the palace."

After all, whether it's Shen Zhinian or Consort Qin, their true adversaries have never been the Xiongnu cavalry far to the north, but rather the women in their harems.

The Imperial Noble Consort is indeed as clear-headed as a mirror.

"Your Majesty, please understand."

Consort Qin's tone was slightly somber: "The other party acted extremely cautiously, leaving no evidence. Now, with the Xiongnu in the lead, they have attracted the attention of His Majesty and the entire court."

"It's probably going to be difficult to investigate further."

You could hear regret and resentment in her words.

Anyone who has been schemed against like this and fallen into a quagmire would find it difficult to forgive easily.

Shen Zhinian noticed the fleeting cold glint in Consort Qin's eyes and slowly said, "Sister Consort Qin, there's no need to be anxious."

"Since they are from the palace, all they want is favor, power, or to eliminate dissidents. If they don't succeed this time, they will do it again next time. As long as they still have something to ask for, they will eventually slip up."

"The current situation is chaotic, with the enemy in the dark and us in the light. It is better to remain still than to take any action."

"Consort Qin has just been reinstated. She should stay in Yonghe Palace, be cautious in her words and actions, and observe the situation carefully."

"Some debts are best kept in mind; they'll be settled eventually!"

Consort Qin understood what Shen Zhinian meant.

The investigation is already difficult, and taking forceful action may alert the suspect or lead to a new trap.

The best course of action is to consolidate one's own position and wait patiently.

The Imperial Noble Consort's last words were undoubtedly a veiled promise.

On this matter, they are of one mind.

"Your Highness the Imperial Noble Consort's teachings, I will remember them!"

Consort Qin rose and bowed to Shen Zhinian again: "I have troubled Your Majesty for a long time today, and I will take my leave now."

Shen Zhinian said calmly, "Please take care, Consort Qin. If you have time in the future, please come and visit often."

"Yes, thank you, Your Majesty."

Consort Qin bowed and left.

……

The Hall of Nourishing Heart.

Li Changde strode in from outside and reported, "Your Majesty, the investigation into the past dealings between the Jiang family and the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion has yielded results."

Nangong Xuanyu looked up at him and said, "Speak."

Li Changde respectfully replied, "This servant sent people to review the Ministry of Personnel archives from previous years, as well as some records of exchanges in the capital, and secretly inquired with former associates who might be related to the two families."

"The Jiang family has only been officials in Beijing for two generations, and their roots are not deep. Most of their descendants work in local areas or in quiet government offices."

"In the past, the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion was a prominent place, frequented by noble families, military officers, or high-ranking officials of the first or second rank in the court."

"No overt personal relationships, private kinship, or business connections were found between the two families. Even distant marriages or friendships among classmates were not found."

"Before entering the palace, it was even more impossible for Consort Jiang to have met Lady Jiang, who was imprisoned in the palace."

"The two families had a very clear-cut past, with no connection whatsoever."

At this point, Li Changde paused and then gave his opinion: "According to the current investigation, Jiang Chang's encounter with Jiang in the Imperial Garden that day was indeed accidental."

Nangong Xuanyu frowned slightly after hearing this.

There's no connection... is it just a coincidence?

"So, it turns out that Consort Jiang and Madam Jiang really just bumped into each other by chance that day and exchanged a few indifferent words?"

"Your Majesty, based on all the evidence at present, this is indeed the case."

Li Changde thought for a moment and then added, "However... while I was checking Jiang Changzai's trivial matters before entering the palace, I remembered something."

“Last year, the young ladies entered the palace on the tenth day of the tenth lunar month. The day before entering the palace, Consort Jiang accompanied her mother to Fatu Temple to offer incense and pray for blessings.”

Li Changde already knew this when he was investigating the Xingchen case.

However, nine out of ten of the concubines in the imperial harem had visited Fatu Temple.

The list is shockingly long, and several people have already been severely punished and their cases have been verified.

As a former imperial temple, Fatu Temple was a place of great religious activity. It was perfectly normal for noble ladies from the capital to go there to pray for blessings and make wishes.

Chiang Chang-tsai was inconspicuous among them and therefore went unnoticed.

Fatu Temple has long been uprooted.

For the emperor, the pressing issues were the mystery surrounding Jiang Wange's death and the presence of Xiongnu spies lurking in the capital.

Logically speaking, Nangong Xuanyu shouldn't have the extra energy to pay attention to matters that have already been settled.

However, some traumas do not truly heal with the passage of time or the emergence of new crises.

The emperor felt a kind of urgency upon hearing the words "Fatu Temple"...

He looked at Li Changde and asked coldly, "Are you implying that Jiang Changzai might also be having an affair with Xingchen?!"

Feeling the emperor's chill, Li Changde knelt down with a thud: "Your Majesty is wise, this servant would never dare to have such a thought!"

"This servant is merely... merely reporting the facts all the activities related to Consort Jiang that I have found, and has absolutely no intention of implying or framing anyone!"

"Before entering the palace, Consort Jiang went to Fatu Temple to pray for blessings, which was just a common practice, like many other daughters of officials at the time. It really... really doesn't prove anything, Your Majesty!"

As he said this, the back of Li Changde's clothes were already soaked with cold sweat.

Accompanying you is like accompanying a tiger.

He knew all too well how taboo the Awakening Case was in His Majesty's heart!

Xingchen dared to cuckold His Majesty so many times, so His Majesty slaughtered everyone in Fatu Temple and executed Xingchen with the cruelest punishment, which also stirred up a bloody storm in the harem.

Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free!

Now, the storm seems to have subsided, but the shame and suspicion have long been etched into His Majesty's very bones.