The Prime Minister’s Darling-Chapter 1630 - 785 The Case of the East Window Revealed (First Watch)

Chapter 1630: 785 The Case of the East Window Revealed (First Watch)

If Han Guifei hadn’t first planted spies in Qilin Palace, they could have dealt with her later.

The sky will rain, a mother will remarry, and a Guifei will court disaster; it’s all inevitable.

After the King issued the decree to depose the concubine, he left with Xiao Hen, his expression icy cold.

After the others finished respectfully seeing off the King, they too exited Guiyi Palace one by one.

Wang Xianfei instructed the palace maid to take the Sixth Prince back first.

If a noble consort falls, it means the position of Guifei is vacant. The other concubines have no need to advance to Guifei, but someone like Feng Zhaoyi strongly desires to take residence in Guiyi Palace.

But today, Feng Zhaoyi wasn’t in the mood to think about the matter of becoming a Guifei.

Her mind was filled with those little figurines.

She couldn’t fathom why there were so many of them.

And how coincidental that as soon as the figures were found, Han Guifei’s letter of usurpation was discovered as well?

Everything was too coincidental.

"Don’t you all... feel something is odd about today’s events?"

Just as Feng Zhaoyi was puzzled, Dong Chenfei voiced her doubt.

In the Imperial Harem, the Empress is supreme, followed by the Imperial Noble Consort, and then the four consorts of noble, virtuous, graceful, and kind rank, but Dongfei was originally a second-rank consort. Since the positions of the four consorts were filled, the King made an exception and titled her as Chenfei, placing her in the first-rank.

Dong Chenfei expressed the doubts in everyone’s hearts.

Only the five consorts allied with Shangguan Yun would have such feelings. The other concubines, ignorant of the context, simply believed that Han Guifei really had committed the acts of making figurines and writing the imperial decree.

"Chenfei... what do you find odd?" Wang Xianfei asked.

Those who were uninvolved wouldn’t find it odd at all.

Only those who framed Han Guifei with the figurines would suspect that the decree and letter were also planted.

It seemed... this was a perfectly devised trap, and planting someone in Han Guifei’s palace was just one step of it.

Wang Xianfei was probing Dong Chenfei.

Dong Chenfei was also testing the other concubines.

"Don’t you think there are too many figurines?" she asked cautiously.

"Then how many do you think there should be?" Chen Shufei asked.

No one here was a fool. They understood the hidden meaning behind such back and forth.

But no one was willing to say the exact number.

Wang Xianfei said, "Let’s do it this way. I’ll count to three, and we’ll all say it together. No one should stay silent. At this point, no one here is a fool, and no one should take the others for fools!"

The few exchanged glances. novelbuddy-cσ๓

Dong Chenfei thought for a moment, "Alright, I agree!"

Following this, Chen Shufei and Yang Defei also nodded.

All the first-rank consorts agreed. Feng Zhaoyi, being of fourth-rank, naturally couldn’t afford not to follow along.

Wang Xianfei took a deep breath and slowly said, "One, two, three!"

"One!"

"One!"

"One!"

"None!"

"None!"

It was Chen Shufei and Yang Defei who said "none," while Wang Xianfei, Dong Chenfei, and Feng Zhaoyi said "one."

As soon as the words fell, subtle changes appeared on everyone’s faces.

Wang Xianfei frowned and squeezed her fingers, gritting her teeth, "Alright, the next question, only the three of us will answer. Where exactly was the figurine found? Count to three again."

Dong Chenfei and Feng Zhaoyi grew nervous and nodded.

Wang Xianfei: "One, two, three!"

"In the flower bed!"

"Beside the doghouse!"

"Under the bed!"

Wang Xianfei’s trusted eunuch had buried the figurine in the flower bed, Dong Chenfei’s expert had placed one near the doghouse, and Feng Zhaoyi, who often flattered Han Guifei and had access to her, had thrown one under Han Guifei’s bed herself.

Reaching this point in the confrontation, who among them would still be unclear about the situation?

Wang Xianfei’s eyes turned cold, "So, are you all..."

Dong Chenfei looked at her, "Are you..."

Consort Wang thought to herself, of course I am! But I didn’t expect that you all are as well!

Consort Wang’s breath trembled. Clinging to a last strand of hope, she looked solemnly at the other four: "I assume everyone has realized by now, but I understand your concerns. Some things are hard to say out loud for fear of exposing oneself. So let me speak first!"

This kind of matter needs someone to take the lead, or else we could go back and forth forever without uncovering any substantive evidence.

"Shangguan Yun is faking it! She wasn’t injured by the assassin!"

As soon as Consort Wang finished speaking, she saw that none of them showed any significant shock. She understood in her heart and swallowed her anger, saying, "Did she come to you as well?"

Her anger was not directed at Consort Dong and the other three, but at the matter itself!

None of the four spoke, but their reactions said everything.

Among these few, Consort Wang was the eldest. She entered the palace around the same time as Empress Xuanyuan and Noble Consort Han, followed by Consort Yang, and later Consort Dong and Consort Chen.

As for Feng Zhaoyi, she was younger, only turning thirty this year.

Age and seniority destined Consort Wang to be the leader among them.

Consort Wang had never been so humiliated in her life. Her fight with Noble Consort Han was not lost in schemes but because she had no sons, which was her greatest weakness.

Otherwise, how could Noble Consort Han have taken control of the six palaces!

Consort Wang’s gaze swept over the four again. Angrily, she said, "Don’t just play dumb! It won’t work!"

"Damn that Shangguan Yun!" Consort Dong finally couldn’t hold back her shame and anger, biting her lip as she snipped off a blooming flower beside her!

After Consort Dong’s outburst, Consort Chen also stomped her foot in anger: "Shameless! Brazen! I knew she wasn’t up to any good!"

This was all hindsight.

Why didn’t they notice it earlier?

Wasn’t it the allure of the throne clouding their senses?

Empress Xuanyuan had been dead for many years, and the empress position remained vacant. The concubines’ desire for it grew day by day, like addicts unable to control themselves.

They regretted it now, but what use was regret?

They had all become Shangguan Yun’s tools, used to bring down Noble Consort Han!

Consort Yang wondered: "But among the five of us, only three successfully placed the figurines in Guiyi Palace. How did the other figurines get there? And those two letters are also very suspicious."

Consort Dong snorted: "She must have enlisted someone else!"

Consort Chen was beside herself with rage: "So shameless!"

Consort Wang said calmly: "Forget about the others. They are just pawns used by Shangguan Yun. If they are content to suffer in silence, so be it. But I can’t swallow this anger. What do you all think, dear sisters?"

Consort Dong asked: "What does elder sister intend to do?"

"To gain our trust, she gave us leverage over her..." Consort Wang paused, then continued. "I can’t be the only one with her letter of promises, right?"

By now, there was nothing left to hide.

Consort Dong said seriously: "I have one too!"

"So do I," Consort Yang and Consort Chen said in unison.

Consort Wang looked at Feng Zhaoyi. Feng Zhaoyi turned around and took out the letter from a very private seam in her clothing.

On it, in black and white, was the agreement between Shangguan Yun and Feng Zhaoyi, including their signatures and seals.

Looking at the identical letters in their own hands, the women trembled with anger, wishing they could tear Shangguan Yun to pieces!

Consort Wang said: "It seems everyone has it, that makes things easier! Let’s expose her together!"

Feng Zhaoyi hesitated: "How can we expose her? With these documents? But our signatures are on them too!"

"Who said to use these? Don’t you remember her injury is fake? We just need to bring His Majesty to inspect her injury! Her crime of deceiving the emperor would be verified and she can’t escape the charge of framing the Crown Prince!"

Consort Yang was silent for a moment: "But wouldn’t that mean the Crown Prince would be reinstated?"

Consort Wang had no son, so she had no stake in the throne, but she had a nephew. She didn’t want to see the Crown Prince rise again.

Consort Dong and Consort Chen felt the same way.

Consort Wang glared at them, "How can the Crown Prince be reinstated? The Han family just committed treason, the mother’s debt is paid by the son, how can he rise again so soon! After all this hassle today, everybody must be tired. Let’s go back and rest. Tomorrow morning, we will meet His Majesty and request to accompany him to visit the Third Princess. When we reach the National Master Hall, we will act accordingly!"

...

Each of them returned to their palaces.

Xu Gao followed Consort Wang and asked quietly: "Your Highness, do you really intend to expose the Third Princess?"

"Of course not," Consort Wang said calmly. "I was just testing them to see if Shangguan Yun had also dealt with them."

Xu Gao was puzzled: "Then why ask to meet His Majesty in the morning—"

Consort Wang sneered: "It’s a delaying tactic, just to stall them. Go get ready, I need to leave the palace."

Xu Gao was surprised: "Your Highness..."

Consort Wang said sternly: "This matter I must handle personally!"

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