Chapter 5
Everyone could clearly see the dark aura almost emanating from the old emperor’s face!
“Can’t I even have a peaceful birthday banquet? Does the whole world have to go against me?!” he thought. “I’ve survived licking blood off the tip of a blade for so many years—how much worse could things possibly get?”
The old emperor cast a cold glance around. All he saw were faces that appeared loyal and concerned, but did these people’s thoughts truly match their expressions? Perhaps, in this whole world, there was only one person whose thoughts he could understand—and she didn’t even know that he could hear her heart.
Thinking this, the old emperor’s expression slightly softened, and he immediately led Ying Jiuque to the side hall. Naturally, the officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate followed. At a time like this, even the most rigid elders didn’t try to stop His Majesty. After all, a string of accidents had occurred during the emperor’s own birthday banquet. Anyone would be shocked—it was supposed to be the most heavily guarded palace!
When they arrived at the side hall, the strong stench of blood made Ying Jiuque frown. Seeing the top scholar (Zhuangyuan) lying there, covered in blood, she couldn’t help but shudder.
“Who hated this Zhuangyuan so much? He died horribly.”
Horrible indeed. The front of his robe was soaked in blood, his face tinged with a faint purple. Although dead, his eyes remained wide open, and his expression was twisted as if he had seen something terrifying. Even the officials around couldn’t help but draw in a sharp breath—this was a death that would not rest in peace.
The old emperor quietly took a moment to gather his composure and spoke in a cold tone:
“Imperial Physician Li, how did the Zhuangyuan die?”
Just a moment ago, you claimed he was not in danger, and now he’s dead. You need to give me a clear explanation.
Imperial Physician Li broke into a sweat and quickly examined the body.
“Your Majesty, I just treated the Zhuangyuan’s wounds. The external injuries alone were indeed not fatal. As for the cause of death… his face turned pale and purple. Perhaps it was sudden cardiac arrest due to an excessively fast heartbeat…”
“Perhaps?”
Emperor Jingtai repeated the word, his aura commanding without anger.
“Is this how you treat patients?”
“Y-Your Majesty, I truly do not know the cause of Zhuangyuan’s death. Perhaps—no! He must have died from extreme fright, causing a sudden rapid heartbeat!”
Ying Jiuque couldn’t bear to look at the emperor’s expression. This Imperial Physician was clearly grasping at straws. If he had honestly admitted ignorance, he might have saved some face.
As expected, the next moment, Emperor Jingtai flew into a rage.
“I want a definite answer!”
Imperial Physician Li immediately prostrated himself, begging for mercy. The emperor didn’t want to look at him and instead turned to the ministers. Being an emperor was already a position of suspicion, and today the palace had practically been pierced like a sieve. Even Li, who normally seemed competent, now looked like a useless sack of wine and rice. The seasoned ministers surrounding him were hard to trust in such a chaotic situation.
At that moment, Emperor Jingtai’s eyes shifted to Ying Jiuque, who was standing idly to the side, picking at her fingers, and his expression brightened.
What he needed now was not a particularly clever minister, but a loyal one who could reveal what they were thinking. Ying Jiuque was perfect for this. Her status fit as well—just recently granted the title of county lord, and she had saved his life. Asking her to do this task was not unreasonable.
With that in mind, Emperor Jingtai looked at Ying Jiuque with unparalleled kindness.
“Jiuque, you saved my life today. I don’t know how to reward you. Tell me, what do you want? Wealth and honor? Jewelry? Or should I promote your father?”
On the surface, Ying Jiuque appeared calm, but inside, she felt like she had swallowed something terrible.
“That father I haven’t seen in over ten years—why should my merits go to him? I might as well get something for myself. But the emperor already gave me wealth and jewelry… ah, how boring…”
The emperor’s lips curled subtly, his gaze passing over the expectant Lin Shilang, feigning difficulty.
“It seems you want nothing… then…”
The ministers around felt a sudden sense of unease. When the emperor spoke like this, it usually meant trouble. Could it be that…
“Since that’s the case, help me investigate why Zhuangyuan suddenly died.”
“Uh…”
Before Ying Jiuque could respond, the ministers could no longer restrain themselves. A minor official in his forties jumped forward, babbling objections.
“Your Majesty! Lady Ying is just a woman. Though she saved your life, granting her only a promotion in rank is enough. How can matters concerning the previous dynasty’s officials be entrusted to her? This goes against protocol!”
“Exactly, Your Majesty! Moreover, Lady Ying is still young and has grown up in the inner quarters, never exposed to such bloody affairs. Even for her reputation, this cannot be done…”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
“I concur!”
The chaotic voices made Ying Jiuque’s head ache. She hadn’t initially wanted this task, but now, with so much opposition, her rebellious streak flared.
“Who says I can’t do it? I can do it just fine!”
Even though her cheap father was desperately trying to signal her, Ying Jiuque pretended not to notice, nodding reluctantly.
Seeing the ministers so stirred, Emperor Jingtai sighed theatrically, scanning them as if he had just unearthed their ancestral graves, and offered a solution:
“Indeed, Jiuque is young. Investigating alone isn’t realistic. Very well, I will assign a few people to assist her. Make sure this matter is resolved quickly!”
Although he didn’t fully understand this girl, Ying Jiuque had accurately revealed that someone in his harem was pregnant. Perhaps she had some foresight? In any case, such ability could not be wasted. He would see if it surfaced during this investigation.
At this point, a clever minor official approached:
“Your Majesty, even if Lady Ying leads this, there should be a deadline, right? Zhuangyuan cannot be left in uncertainty forever.”
This was a critical point. Officials in charge of criminal matters knew investigations were not simple. They required consideration of multiple factors, and a wrong lead could waste considerable time and effort. How could a young woman, with no exposure to such matters, possibly solve the case quickly? Perhaps Zhuangyuan had already died suddenly on his own…
Only now did the previously silent senior ministers allow themselves a small smile. The court was full of talent, yet the emperor was using a mere young woman—wasn’t he treating all the ministers as useless?
