flstandardbreds Chapter 156 Hypocrisy
Chapter 156 Hypocrisy
in the palace.
Consort Zhang paced anxiously in her bedchamber, her beautiful face contorted in distress.
"What's going on?" She lowered her voice, afraid of being overheard by those outside, but the anger in her voice was genuine. "Why can't the letter be sent out for no reason?"
Upon hearing this, the young eunuch with a delicate face lowered his head and said helplessly, "For some reason, the palace has suddenly become heavily guarded. Those of us who initially communicated with the outside world have all been arrested and taken to the Dali Temple."
"What about the letter from the Duke of Wen's residence?" Consort Zhang asked through gritted teeth. "Was it also confiscated?"
"All the letters from the Duke of Wen's mansion are here," the little eunuch hurriedly said. "I took them all when they weren't looking."
Upon seeing the dozen or so letters, Consort Zhang breathed a sigh of relief, but after counting them, her heart pounded again.
Her younger sister, who married into the Duke of Wen's household, was always proud and arrogant. Unless something major happened, she rarely corresponded with her, and in the past, she would only send a letter once every ten days to assure her that she was safe.
But these dozen or so letters were clearly written not long ago, and the seals hadn't even dried completely yet.
What exactly happened?
Once this thought came to mind, Consort Zhang couldn't resist opening a letter.
The first thing that catches the eye is the inscription on Madam Wen's record of being arrested and imprisoned in the Dali Temple.
She felt dizzy and couldn't believe what she was seeing.
"Ridiculous!" she shouted angrily. "How dare Xie Jinghan so easily arrest a noblewoman from an official family and send her to the Dali Temple? I want to see His Majesty!"
After saying that, she lifted her skirt and strode towards the Taiji Hall.
The young eunuch followed behind her, his eyes filled with unease.
If such a grand display were to be displayed at the Taiji Hall... it would likely cause a great deal of trouble.
Consort Zhang's life in the palace was not smooth sailing; her only support was the emperor's favor.
Today's events involve Prince Jing, and it's clear to everyone that in the Emperor's heart, no one can compare to Prince Jing.
Thinking this through, the young eunuch quickened his pace. He needed to catch up quickly to avoid Consort Zhang saying anything shocking that might anger the emperor.
Consort Zhang's mind went blank. She had a deep bond with Lady Wen, but such sisterly affection was not enough to make her angrily question the emperor.
What she truly cared about was Xie Jinghan...
Why is Xie Jinghan targeting Madam Wen? Isn't it all because of Wen Shuyao?
Xie Jinghan was actually willing to go against his own interests for Wen Shuyao...
This time it was favoritism, but what about next time?
Has Xie Jinghan already fallen in love with Wen Shuyao?
Once this thought popped into her head, she could no longer calm down. She was eager to go to the emperor and demand an explanation so that she could have peace of mind.
She knew that the emperor would never want to see Xie Jinghan act out of personal favoritism for a woman.
The emperor treated Xie Jinghan as his own son, so how could he just stand by and watch Xie Jinghan be bewitched by a woman?
With this in mind, she felt much more at ease.
Outside the Taiji Hall, many servants gathered together.
News in the palace is always timely, and the news of Lady Wen's arrest had already spread throughout the palace.
Therefore, when they saw Consort Zhang coming over, their eyes all flashed with interest.
It's unclear how Consort Zhang will plead with the Emperor to rescue her younger sister from Prince Jing's clutches.
Although King Jing had a good reputation among the people, he was also known as the "Cold-Faced Yama." Such a ruthless person would not even show mercy to himself, let alone others.
Consort Zhang walked into the Taiji Hall with a cold face. When Li Dehai saw her, he immediately informed her.
The emperor rubbed his temples, knowing without a doubt why Consort Zhang had come.
"Aren't you going to bring tea to the Imperial Concubine?" He glanced at Li Dehai.
Li Dehai understood and quickly led the servants in the hall away.
Inside the Taiji Hall, only Consort Zhang and the Emperor remained.
Before Consort Zhang could speak, the Emperor said, "I know why you have come, but I have already promised Jing Han that I will not interfere with him. As for this matter... I cannot help you."
"You are the Emperor!" Consort Zhang stamped her foot angrily. "Your words are imperial edicts! How dare Prince Jing disobey? You clearly don't want to help me!"
She spoke angrily, her eyes filled with tears: "I only have this one sister. Even if she has made a mistake, she doesn't deserve this! In the entire capital, which lady has been imprisoned in the Dali Temple's jail?"
"She has already lost all face because of this incident. Does Prince Jing intend to take her life as well?" Consort Zhang choked up. "Moreover, those people's deaths were not her doing. In the end, it was Prince Jing venting his personal anger for his princess!"
She spoke without any attempt to conceal her thoughts; she wanted the emperor to know that Xie Jinghan had done this for Wen Shuyao.
"What other means are there to punish her? Since she lent money at exorbitant interest rates for profit, just fine her more. Why resort to such methods to humiliate her? Prince Jing is just venting his personal anger! I refuse to accept this!"
After saying this, she stopped and watched with satisfaction as the emperor's expression changed.
The emperor said in a deep voice, "Jing Han has always been clear about separating public and private matters..."
"Your Majesty!" Consort Zhang interrupted him loudly, "If you were handling this case, would you act like Prince Jing? Moreover, as far as I know, this case has already been handed over to the Third Prince and has nothing to do with Prince Jing!"
“But Prince Jing allowed his subordinates to take my sister away. He must have been instigated by some people to do such a thing! I hope Your Majesty will see the truth!”
Consort Zhang spoke with tears streaming down her face, looking utterly pitiful.
The emperor rubbed his temples, only believing half of what Consort Zhang had said.
He knew Xie Jinghan's character. In this world, the person he trusted most, besides the Empress, was Xie Jinghan. Although Consort Zhang's words were pitiful, they were not enough to make him completely believe them.
"Alright." He waved his hand. "I'll go ask Jing Han..."
"Your Majesty, what about my younger sister?" Consort Zhang said, tears welling in her eyes. "Could we release her from prison first? She is frail and cannot endure such suffering."
The emperor paused, but did not agree.
Consort Zhang thought to herself with resentment, "Is His Majesty truly so heartless?"
“There must be a reason why Prince Jing has done this.” The emperor shook his head. “I cannot interfere with him.”
Just as the two were talking, Li Dehai walked in: "Your Majesty, the Prince requests an audience."
"Perfect!" Upon hearing that it was Xie Jinghan, the emperor immediately said, "Let Jinghan in so he can explain to you in person."
Consort Zhang sneered inwardly; she was already prepared to see Xie Jinghan make excuses.
Li Dehai walked towards Xie Jinghan into the hall, muttering, "Your Highness, Consort Zhang has been here for quite some time. Judging from the commotion inside, it seems she's accusing you of abusing your power and deliberately making things difficult for Madam Wen."
Upon hearing this, Xie Jinghan scoffed.