After Transmigration, I Snag a Stunning Bigwig as My Husband-Chapter 768 - 766: Applying Pressure

Eunuch Fu was worried about the Emperor.

Marquis Dongxiang was famously doting towards his daughter. At Qingyun Mountain, he even forced the Emperor to go into the lake to retrieve a whip for his daughter, which was telling enough.

With such a comparison, no matter how much the Emperor cherished the Princess Consort Zhenbei, he still feared not doing well enough.

Not having played the role of a loving father long enough, he was now required to be a strict one.

The Emperor could reprimand others without any trouble.

But, when it came to reprimanding the Princess Consort Zhenbei, he hadn’t even started, and Eunuch Fu already saw concern on the Emperor’s face—

Concerned that he might not perform well.

After all, the Princess Consort Zhenbei had hardly been scolded.

The harsh scolding she spoke of, who knows how harsh it truly needed to be?

If it’s too light.

Considering it’s his daughter’s first request from this father, not doing it well would be embarrassing.

If it’s too harsh.

If it ended up harming his daughter’s feelings, it would hardly be worth it.

Standing up from the Dragon Chair, the Emperor took a few steps forward and asked, "Are you sure this isn’t a plot by Marquis Dongxiang?"

Scolding his daughter would only give Marquis Dongxiang more reason not to allow him to confer a title of princess.

Eunuch Fu replied, "That maid Xingxing is very honest. What she says is what it is. The Emperor can rest assured."

To be thorough, after leaving the Imperial Study, Eunuch Fu asked Xingxing again, "When you say severe punishment, how severe do you mean?"

Xingxing shook her head, "I don’t know. Miss didn’t say."

After thinking for a moment, Xingxing looked at Eunuch Fu and said, "Just don’t beat my lady to death, and it’ll be fine."

The Emperor, "...."

Eunuch Fu, "...."

Hmm.

Xingxing is an honest maid.

In her eyes, severe punishment must be life-threatening.

As long as it doesn’t result in death, after some healing time, she’ll be lively again.

She said it lightly, but it made Eunuch Fu’s heart tremble.

If he’d known, he wouldn’t have asked. Instead, asking made him more anxious.

The Emperor stepped towards Yongning Palace.

Now, speaking of Su Jin, since she entered the palace, she’d been watched closely. As for Xingxing running to the Imperial Study, by the time the Empress Dowager saw Su Jin, Nanny Li had already reported it to the Empress Dowager.

The anger on the Empress Dowager’s face intensified.

She had found fault with Su Jin more than once or twice.

But it was the first time Su Jin had sent her maid to ask for the Emperor’s help.

What does this indicate?

This indicates she is guilty!

She truly did add poison to the ointment meant to apologize to Princess Chengxian and Princess YiAn.

The Empress Dowager had given birth to only one son and one daughter in her lifetime.

This son and daughter had thin lineages below them, each having only one child, and both were daughters.

She usually doted on them like treasures, fearing not caring for them enough.

Now it’s finally not easy for them to return to the capital, only for Su Jin to have their carriage crash and cause a head injury. A mere minor injury would be one thing.

And she wants to take the opportunity to poison them?!

Is she trying to leave her without heirs?!

The Empress Dowager was worried at first, fearing another mistake like before, where Su Jin turned the tables on her, and swallowed her anger three times over.

Now, knowing Su Jin indeed harbored malicious intent, would the Empress Dowager tolerate her?

The anger on the Empress Dowager’s face was almost enough to burn Su Jin to ashes.

As Su Jin approached, her previously unflustered demeanor faltered upon seeing the Empress Dowager’s expression, leaving her somewhat guilty.

The more guilty she seemed, the angrier the Empress Dowager became.

The palace maids and eunuchs standing in the hall scarcely dared to make a sound.

Su Jin stepped forward, bowed to the Empress Dowager, and greeted, "Em-Empress Dowager, is there something you wish to discuss with me?"

Guilt enough that she dared not meet the Empress Dowager’s eyes.

This was completely unlike her past self.

The Empress Dowager looked at her coldly and said, "How audacious of you, Princess Consort Zhenbei!"

"First deliberately crashing into Chengxian and YiAn, then gifting ointment laced with poison—what are you trying to do?!"

Cold sweat began to form on Su Jin’s forehead.

She looked at the Empress Dowager and said, "The ointment won’t harm them."

"So, you admit there is poison in it?!" Princess Duanhui interjected sharply.

"I-I had good intentions...."

Su Jin’s words were cut off with a loud slap on the table.

The Empress Dowager slammed it down heavily and sneered, "Good intentions?!"

"Since when is poisoning someone an act of goodwill?!"

The mention of poisoning made the Empress Dowager furious.

If she hadn’t done the unthinkable to force the Emperor into admission after being assaulted by Marquis Dongxiang, she wouldn’t have poisoned the Emperor’s medicine out of spite, falling into her own trap.

How many days had passed, and the Empress Dowager hadn’t recovered from it.

Now, seeing Su Jin poison her granddaughter and great-granddaughter, how could the Empress Dowager tolerate it?

Faced with the Empress Dowager’s wrath, Su Jin said, "I dare not deceive the Empress Dowager. That ointment truly poses no harm to Princess Chengxian and Princess YiAn. If the Empress Dowager doesn’t believe it, she could allow them to try...."

Before Su Jin finished speaking, the Empress Dowager raised her hand and flung the ointment on the side table to the ground.

The box rolled to the floor, and the light pink ointment scattered everywhere.

The Emperor entered just in time to see the Empress Dowager’s things being thrown.

He entered directly without having the palace attendants announce him.

The Emperor glanced at Su Jin and then looked towards the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager said, "The Emperor comes just in time. The Princess Consort Zhenbei has poisoned the ointment given to Chengxian and YiAn!"

The Emperor turned towards Su Jin again and asked, "Is what the Empress Dowager says true?"

"The ointment does contain poison, but it is harmless to Princess Chengxian and Princess YiAn," Su Jin replied.

"...."

How can poison ever be harmless?

The Emperor felt a headache.

Isn’t this seeking punishment?

Su Jin’s response further ignited the Empress Dowager’s fury.

To prevent the Emperor from shielding Su Jin, Princess Duanhui said, "Although the Imperial Physician mentioned the poison in the ointment could harm the body, the Princess Consort Zhenbei is highly skilled in medicine, and mistakes can occur. Perhaps we should have several more Imperial Physicians examine it."

Hmm.

She fell into Su Jin’s trap again.

The Emperor also hoped the Imperial Physicians could exonerate Su Jin.

Soon, two more Imperial Physicians arrived.

Though the ointment had been flung to the ground, it didn’t hinder the examination.

After examining, the three Imperial Physicians unanimously agreed that although the poison was not strong, poison was still poison and would harm the body.

The Empress Dowager looked at Su Jin coldly and asked, "Do you have anything else to say?!"

"The Emperor rightly scolded them as quacks," Su Jin remarked.

"...."

The Imperial Physicians became innocent victims.

The Empress Dowager’s face turned livid with anger, "Emperor, the evidence is irrefutable! The Princess Consort Zhenbei has attempted to harm Chengxian and YiAn!"

Listening to the Empress Dowager’s wish for Su Jin to be unable to deny,

Eunuch Fu silently mourned for the Empress Dowager in his heart.

The Princess Consort Zhenbei wasn’t intending to deny anything.

The Emperor didn’t come to plead for her but to punish her severely.

Everyone from the Dongxiang Marquis Mansion is clever; something seems peculiar about seeking punishment for no reason.

Eunuch Fu’s intuition told him that this time, the pit the Princess Consort Zhenbei dug was unprecedentedly large.

The more justified the Empress Dowager was now, the more painful it would be when she was proven wrong later. Wait and see how the drama unfolds.

However—

The Empress Dowager didn’t provide the Emperor with the opportunity to punish Su Jin.

Nor did she severely punish Su Jin.

She, being the Emperor’s beloved, if punished, would only lead to growing tensions between the Emperor and the Empress Dowager.

Whether Princess Duanhui could remain in the capital long-term also required the Emperor’s consent.

Since nothing had happened to them, the most the Emperor would do to the Princess Consort Zhenbei was scold a few words, at most confine her for reflection, neither painful nor itchy.

The handle offered on a platter must be maximized for benefit.

Having competed in the harem for so many years, the Empress Dowager knew exactly what she wanted.

The Empress Dowager took this opportunity to pressure the Emperor to grant Princess YiAn the title of Princess YiAn Commandery Princess.

The Emperor was in a dilemma.

He was already reluctant to punish his daughter, and now the Empress Dowager wasn’t even giving him the chance...

Su Jin, "...."

Xingxing, "...."