696 Brother Jiu Takes Action, The Witness From Back Then (2)
The Emperor took a deep breath and slowly said, “It’s getting late. Honored Consort, rest early.”
Honored Consort? Did he restore her status again?
The Emperor was just calling her that. However, the Emperor of a country was a man of his word. He could not take his words back.
Consort Yun looked at him with wide eyes.
This gaze was exactly the same as the little black eggs. The Emperor could not withstand such gazes. He cleared his throat and said seriously, “I heard that they like to eat tangerines from the orchard. If you have nothing to do, go pick more. I’ll send someone to deliver them.”
She could go to the orchard now. Even the grounding order had been lifted?
At this age, Consort Yun finally began to doubt her life.
“Your Majesty.”
“What is it?”
Consort Yun rubbed her little hands. “Did you take the wrong medicine?”
The Emperor: “…?!”
… .
The Empress had always sent people to secretly pay attention to the Emperor’s movements, so she naturally knew that the Emperor had gone to Consort Yun’s Vermilion Bird Palace. Why would he go to the Vermilion Bird Palace in the middle of the night? Not to mention that Consort Yun had long rested, even if she hadn’t, did he want to rekindle their old relationship?
The Empress paced around the bedchamber.
“Your Majesty,” the eunuch said.
The Empress raised her hand, indicating for him to keep quiet. The eunuch could only remain silent. The Empress paced a few more steps before saying, “Why do you think His Majesty went to Consort Yun’s place so late at night?”
“Maybe he wants to make it up to Consort Yun,” the eunuch guessed.
“If I lose my power, Consort Yun will gain power.” The Empress sneered. “I knew it would be like this.”
The eunuch thought for a while and said, “Didn’t Consort Yun once slander you and the old State Preceptor in front of His Majesty? I must guess that His Majesty went to investigate the truth of this matter.”
After the greatest panic, the Empress calmed down. She stood coldly in the hall and looked in the direction of the courtyard. “It’s been so long. I don’t think His Majesty can find any clues!”
After so many years, it was long impossible to find any traces of what happened that day. However, if someone handed the clues they found to the Emperor, it would be a different story.
“Young Master, are you sure you want to do this?” On Sishui Street, Shadow Thirteen looked at Yan Jiuchao, who had given him the order, in confusion.
Yan Jiuchao said casually, “Anyway, they won’t tell us. Why don’t we let the Emperor ask them himself and let him hear the first-hand news? It’s more convincing than us relaying it.”
“I understand.” Shadow Thirteen nodded and flew to the palace.
In the afternoon, just as the Emperor arrived at the imperial study, he heard Eunuch Wang report, “Her Highness the Honored Consort requests an audience.”
The Emperor said, “In.”
Consort Yun hurriedly entered the imperial study with an anxious expression. “Your Majesty, Your Majesty! I remember!”
“What did you remember?” The Emperor looked at her sweating profusely and handed her a clean handkerchief.
Consort Yun took it and wiped it. After wiping it, she realized that this action seemed to be too, too unlike what should have happened between her and the Emperor. She was stunned for a moment, but she had something on at this critical juncture and quickly threw this matter to the back of her mind.
She said seriously, “I remember seeing a tattoo on that person!”
The Emperor pondered for a moment. “You mean… the person who appeared in the Old Imperial Garden with you that night!”
Consort Yun nodded vigorously. “That’s right! There’s a green tattoo on the back of his neck! It’s about this big!”
As Consort Yun spoke, she bent her right index finger and thumb to make a hole the size of a copper coin. It was a little unsatisfactory to capture an assassin who barged into the palace with just a tattoo. However, the Emperor really knew an expert with a tattoo on his neck.
The Emperor clenched his fists on the table. He looked at Consort Yun and said, “How tall is he?”
“This…” Consort Yun pretended to be trying her best to recall. It had been so long, she had long forgotten, okay? However, her grandson-in-law had asked Shadow Thirteen to send her news. She knew what to say. “He’s similar to His Majesty’s young figure.”
The Emperor clenched his fists even tighter. “What else can you think of?”
“Nothing more.” Consort Yun shook her head.
The Emperor’s expression began to change.
Consort Yun pretended not to see it and continued to say innocently, “However, even if I think of this, I’m afraid it’s useless. He was discovered by the State Preceptor, so how can the State Preceptor not deal with him? Perhaps he has already been silenced by the State Preceptor.”
It was too easy for the State Preceptor to silence someone, but if the other party’s status was noble, the State Preceptor had to consider the consequences.
“Is it him?” The Emperor felt a chill run down his spine. If it was really him, then there were many things involved.
Consort Yun had already said what she needed to say. Her acting was flawless. Next, it depended on whether the Emperor had the courage to go all out.
“I’ll take my leave.” Consort Yun left.
It was as if a big stone had suddenly appeared in the Emperor’s heart. He held his forehead with his hand and gritted his teeth. “Wang Dequan!”
Eunuch Wang walked in. “Your Majesty, what can I do for you?”
The Emperor said in a trembling voice, “Where is Helian Sheng?”
It had been a long time since he heard this name. Eunuch Wang was stunned for a moment before he remembered that Helian Sheng was the son of Helian Beiming and Madam Tan. He was once the eldest young master of the Helian family and was expelled from the Helian family for his crimes.
Now, there was no Young Master in the Helian family, only Eldest Miss. However, Old Madam had always treated Yan Jiuchao as her biological grandson.
“Helian Sheng has been expelled from the family and his whereabouts are unknown. Why is His Majesty suddenly asking about him?” Eunuch Wang said in confusion.
The Emperor felt the big stone in his heart become heavier and heavier. He couldn’t even hold his forehead with one hand. “Do you still remember why Helian Sheng was expelled from the family?”
Eunuch Wang pondered for a moment and said, “It was said that… He killed a commoner and contradicted Old Madam. In a fit of anger, Old Madam expelled this unfilial grandson from the Helian family.”
The Helian family’s rules were strict, so it was not surprising that they would do something like putting righteousness before family. Once, the Emperor had firmly believed this. After that, although he had heard some rumors, he did not take them to heart.
Eunuch Wang glanced at the Emperor. “Your Majesty, you don’t look too good. Are you too tired? I’ll help you back to your bedchamber to rest for a while.”
The Emperor said, “Have you heard those rumors too?”
Eunuch Wang said, “Your Majesty, you’re referring to… the fact that Helian Sheng isn’t the Grand General’s biological child? I did hear of this reason. This reason why Old Madam chased her grandson out is because Madam Tan was having an affair with someone. Helian Sheng is the bastard child of Madam Tan and her adulterer. Old Madam didn’t want to raise someone else’s child, so she chased him away. It was also Old Madam who secretly punished Madam Tan to be a nun. As for whether it’s true or not, I haven’t gone to the Helian family to verify it.”
The Emperor frowned and said, “That year, many changes seemed to have happened to the Helian family.”
Eunuch Wang sighed. “Sigh, isn’t that so? First, the Grand General went crazy and lost all his martial arts, becoming a cripple. Then, Helian Sheng killed a commoner and was expelled from the family. Madam Tan was punished and became a nun. A family was separated just like that! What sin did they commit?”
The Emperor’s throat went dry as he said in a daze, “I’m afraid it’s not them who committed the sin, but one of them who bumped into someone else’s sins.”
Eunuch Wang was stunned. “Your Majesty, why do you say that?”
The Emperor did not answer him. Instead, he said, “Call for Helian Beiming.”
“…Yes,” Eunuch Wang agreed.
“Wait.” The Emperor paused and remembered that Helian Beiming would not do anything to harm his wife and son. “He might not know. Call for Madam Tan!”
