Astute Princess: Married to be the Empress Novel - Chapter 29

Chapter 29 Yan’er Confessed
“What else do you know? Tell me everything. I will spare your life.” Your Majesty is truly cold now. Imperial Concubine Shu’s ambition is indeed not small. It seems that the matter of her poisoning herself may be true. Since this Yan’er is the Great Palace Maid of Shuyi Palace, she should also know something.

“This servant doesn’t know what the Emperor wants to ask?” Yan’er was also smart, so as to avoid self-defeating. She didn’t dare to say anything nonsense. She still asked the Emperor what he wanted to know and saw if she could say it.

“These past two years, you have been following Shu Fei. Whatever she has done, as long as you find it suspicious, tell her.” The Emperor closed his eyes and recalled what had happened in the past two years. He had not entered the Regal Palace in the past few days. Moreover, every time Shu Fei delivered food, he would pour it out with her on his back. Therefore, he felt much more sober these days. Thinking about it carefully, there were many things that had happened. They had already revealed themselves. However, he had not noticed it in a daze.

When Yan’er heard this, she knew that she couldn’t hide anything anymore. On the other side was the Emperor. She held the power of life and death, so she was ruthless and told all the bad things Shu Fei had told her to do in the past two years. “Back to the Emperor, in the past two years, Imperial Concubine Shu had killed two nobles and eight palace maids in the palace. She had even poisoned the Crown Prince. It was only because the Crown Prince was naughty and overturned that she managed to dodge.

“Oh, right, this servant still remembers that every time the Emperor came to Shuyi Palace, Imperial Concubine Shu would ask this servant to light a special incense. Every time she gave the Emperor food, she would also put special seasoning in it. Imperial Concubine Shu said that it was a secret recipe that could strengthen the Emperor’s body.”

Yan’er said it all out loud. However, the Emperor was extremely angry. The doubts in his heart had all been cleared. The truth was so embarrassing. Two years of love had been replaced by her own schemes. Fortunately, it was not too late and there was still time.

“Do you know what that spice is? Is there an antidote?” Even though the Emperor knew that it was impossible for a palace maid to know about this, she still asked with a glimmer of hope.

Sure enough, Yan’er replied, “This servant doesn’t know. This servant only knows that every month, someone will bring new spices to Imperial Concubine Shu. Once, this servant overheard her calling that person by his watch. From that accent, it doesn’t sound like someone from our Great Wei Kingdom.” Yan’er tried her best to recall that she was only thinking about how she could survive.

“When does that person come to deliver the spices every month?” The Emperor thought to himself that he might be able to get the antidote when he came back the next time and caught him in the act.

“That person always enters the palace at the end of the month.” Just as Yan’er finished speaking, she heard the noise outside. If one listened carefully, they could still hear Shu Fei’s voice.

Everyone thought that it was probably because the news of Yan’er escorting them over had leaked out and let her know. That was why they rushed over to put out the fire. Hence, the Emperor asked anxiously, “What is going on outside? Who is making a ruckus there?”

“Your Majesty, Imperial Concubine Shu is here. She wants to forcefully barge into Shoukang Palace, but she is stopped by the guards. She is sending out the guards now.” Eunuch Li ran in and reported.

“How presumptuous! It’s really against her! How can the Ai Clan’s Shoukang Palace be a place where a little concubine of hers can act wildly? Go, Nanny Yu. Bring in the twenty-year-old mouthpiece.” The Empress Dowager was furious. She had just heard Yan’er’s explanation. This was poisoning her son and poisoning her grandson. Fortunately, she still dared to come forward at this time. It would be strange for the Empress Dowager not to vent her anger on her.

“This servant obeys.” Nanny Yu accepted the order and walked towards Imperial Concubine Shu. She and Eunuch Li had always been waiting at the door, so they could listen to what was said inside. Now that they had received the order, they naturally did not make a light move.

Not long after, there was a cracking sound and Imperial Concubine Shu’s arrogant curse, “You’re just a slave. Why did you hit me? I want to see the Emperor.” However, the crowd did not hear Nanny Yu’s reply.

The Emperor habitually wanted to plead for mercy, but the Empress Dowager glanced at him. The Emperor immediately shut up. At this moment, the Fu Yingran siblings sat there observing their noses and mouths, while Yan’er knelt on the ground trembling with fear.

Just now, when Shu Fei was not here, she dared to say anything. Now that she heard that Shu Fei had come, she was also afraid. She had seen too much of Shu Fei’s methods, so now she was trembling very badly. However, she thought for a moment, the person sitting opposite her was the Emperor. So what if she was Shu Fei? Thus, his heart calmed down.

After about a cup of tea, Nanny Yu brought Shu Fei in. Shu Fei’s cheeks were red and swollen. She looked at the Emperor pitifully. The Emperor’s expression was filled with anger. Shu Fei looked at Yan’er who was kneeling on the ground. She knew that her deeds had probably been exposed.

But she wasn’t worried, Because she didn’t stop drugging the emperor, Every time she sent food, the Emperor would eat it. The Emperor would still listen to her. She still had a chance to fool her. Just like every time before, she would at most kill the palace maid to vent her anger. However, she did not know that the Emperor had not eaten her food and was no longer at her mercy.

“I’ve seen the Emperor. Long live the Emperor. Long live the Empress.” Imperial Concubine Shu now had all her hopes on the Emperor, so she bowed her head and did not look at the Empress Dowager’s dark face at all. She directly treated the Empress Dowager as invisible.

“Someone, Imperial Concubine Shu has no respect for the Ai Clan. Hold your tongue.” The Empress Dowager was worried that she wouldn’t have the chance to send her off, so she obediently moved up. Then, a cracking sound came from Shoukang Palace. Ying Ran watched as Nanny Yu finished her forty blows and her hands were swollen. She couldn’t help but feel heartache. It was pitiful at such an old age.

Just as Ying Ran was feeling sorry for Nanny Yu, he suddenly heard the Emperor say, “Yan’er, repeat what you just said to Imperial Concubine Shu. See if there’s anything else missing and if there’s anything else you need to add.”

Yan’er listened to the Emperor’s words, so she said it again with trepidation. Imperial Concubine Shu shouted, “You slut, you framed this palace. This palace has already pampered the sixth palace. Why are you still poisoning the Emperor? You are spouting blood. This palace will definitely tear you to pieces.” The current Shu Fei had no image to speak of.

“Your Majesty, this servant is not spouting nonsense. This servant is telling the truth. If you don’t believe the Emperor, you can order the palace to be taken in.” Yan’er quickly defended the matter of life and death.

As soon as the Empress Dowager heard about the palace, she immediately instructed, “Princess Jingxian, the Ai family has ordered you to bring fifty guards to raid the Regal Palace.” The Empress Dowager made a decision, but Fu Yingran looked up at the Empress Dowager blankly and thought to himself, “Empress Dowager, what are you doing? There are so many people here, does it have anything to do with me? Are you trying to draw hatred for me?”

“Auntie Huang, can you change to Eunuch Li? He is the eunuch in charge. Ying Ran feels that he is more suitable for this kind of thing.” Ying Ran nodded and bowed to the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager looked at her and said earnestly, “Ying Ran, the Ai Clan trusts you the most. If it were someone else, the Ai Clan would not be at ease.” You’re joking. If you want to take the Prince Duan Mansion out and watch from the sidelines, you have to see if she can do it. Besides, if I don’t give you more hatred, how can I force you to kiss me?

Fu Yingran looked at the Empress Dowager’s determined posture and said reluctantly, “Well, it’s up to you, old man. You just can’t see me well. The little girl will do some hard work for you now, but we have to agree. If you like her, I’ll take it away.” After saying that, Fu Yingran reluctantly took the Guards Legion Corps and raided Shuyi Palace, leaving everyone crying secretly.

The empress dowager thought to herself, “Is this girl crazy to be poor?”

The emperor thought, “This cousin is really arrogant.”

The Fu brothers silently said in their hearts, “This guy has nothing to do with us.”

Imperial Concubine Shu was bleeding in her heart, “Those are the treasures I have collected over the past two years.”

Everyone sat and waited with their own thoughts in their hearts. No one spoke. In fact, this was the most grinding thing. Death was not scary. What was scary was waiting for death. During this period of time, Concubine Shu’s heart had collapsed. She had carefully planned for two years and was about to succeed. However, now that she had suffered a loss, she couldn’t help but feel unreconciled.

Two hours later, Fu Yingran smiled and returned with a bundle in his hand. He said, “Auntie Huang, Brother Qi, don’t say that I’m unkind. I only took some gold and silver money and didn’t move anything else. Besides, I’m staying at the imperial daughter’s mansion today. I’ll treat you guys as a gift. I’ll treat you tonight. Come sit down when you’re free.” Even though Fu Yingran was a rich man, he knew what he could and could not take.

After Fu Yingran finished speaking, he took out a brocade box and handed it to the Empress Dowager. “Nah, Auntie Huang, this is what you’re looking for. It’s hidden really well. I only found it under the bed after I took down all the beds.” Everyone was speechless for a moment. Isn’t that because Imperial Concubine Shu put the valuable jewelry with the brocade box? Otherwise, how would Fu Yingran be able to find it?