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Chapter 317
Chapter 317
Chapter 317
The monk glanced at the Jiuhe incense in the box, nodded, and said, “That’s right.”
The emperor asked again, “Who asked you to give this Jiuhe incense to Duan Wang Fei?”
The monk hung his face halfway and his eyes flickered.
He was assassinated while on the way to the capital, fortunately, he was escorted but although he was lucky enough to save his life, he has not fully healed and was still very weak.
Of course, he knew who wanted him to die, and he also knew that whether he tell the truth or not, it would be a dead end, and since he was going to die anyways, he must let the person who wanted him dead pay the price!
The monk gritted his teeth as he said resolutely, “It’s Duan heir’s consort!”
Duan Wangye and Li Qin Wangye’s as well as his wife’s expressions changed instantly.
Qin Jiu looked at Madam Xiao, her face neither sad nor happy as she watched the scene calmly.
The emperor then asked, “But did the heir’s consort give it herself?”
The monk shook his head and said, “It’s a woman in her thirties. She gave me three boxes of ‘Jiuhe incense’ and told me that the wangfei would go to the Maple Temple to offer incense on the fifteenth of September so this poor monk could take the opportunity to give the incense to wangfei.”
“This poor monk was worried at first, so I quietly followed the person and there this monk saw her enter the residence with my own eyes.” At that time, he just wanted to hold a piece of information that he could use against the person as blackmail and get another sum in the future, but he didn’t expect to discover such a big secret. “Later, this poor monk saw her with the heir’s consort when they were giving porridge. This poor monk inquired and then knew that she was the consort’s momo.”
“It was this poor monk who got greedy and was bought by five hundred taels of silver, which made me do something stupid.”
The monk told everything that happened from beginning to end and never left a single piece of information. Hearing this, the emperor looked at Duan Wangye and asked, “What does that woman look like?”
“She had an oval face, will-leaf eyebrows, ah, she also has a mole on the corner of her mouth.” The monk gestured at the location of the mole with his hand.
Wang Fei said calmly: “It was the heir’s consort’s dowry maid, who later married a steward of the wangfu and became the nanny in charge of the heir’s consort courtyard.”
Duan Wangye’s face was so ugly, according to the monk’s description, this person really looks like the dowry maid of the heir’s consort.
The monk looked panic-stricken and repeatedly kowtowed, begging for mercy.
But the emperor looked indifferent and was not moved by the monk’s begging. He declared, “This foreign monk conspired to murder Duan Wang Fei, and since the evidence is conclusive, according to Daqi’s law, he should be sentenced to hang. Take him away.”
As soon as the emperor ruled, the two Royal Guards immediately dragged the monk down who was still begging for mercy, saying that he was only driven by others and was not the main culprit.
But soon his mouth was covered, and could no longer be heard.
The emperor glanced at Duan Wangye again before he continued, “Duan’s heir, Gu Chen, and his consort conspired to murder their mother consort. Using this vicious ways will cause Gu Chen’s position as the heir…”
“Your Majesty, please wait!”
Duan Wangye endured and restrained himself, finally, he could not bear it anymore and interrupted the emperor.
Duan Wangye explained, Your majesty, based on what the monk said, there is no evidence to say that the heir did it. It is unfair to him to have this verdict.”
“Over the years, the heir has made great achievements in wars. He not only led the troops to push back Xidi, but also led the troops to take a group of horse bandits who killed and looted goods in the northwest, and made countless contributions to the western border and the imperial household. How can the heir be convicted of murdering his mother consort because of a few words spoken by an unknown monk!”
“The heir is the son of Duan Wangye, and this wangye does not agree with such a hasty conviction and condemns the heir.”
“And…”
After a pause, Duan Wangye spoke forcefully and with justice. “Moreover, I wonder if anyone deliberately instigates the monk and knowingly slanders the heir and his consort…” wanting to disturb the morale of the western border.
Madame Xiao sneered as she said, “Wangye is suspecting me that I instigated it? That I ordered the monk to poison me just to slander your good son?”
Duan Wangye’s face changed again, and forgot what he was going to say as he hurriedly shook his head and said, “Wangfei, this is not what this wangye meant.”
Mrs. Xiao: “Are you still suspicious of Zezhi?”
Duan Wangye: “…”
He hesitated for a moment and subconsciously looked at the calm and indifferent Gu Zezhi on his right side.
A sneer appeared at the corner of Madam Xiao’s mouth but was reluctant to even give her disappointment.
Duan Wangye eagerly approached Duan Wang Fei and said, “No, I don’t doubt Zezhi.”
However, Madam Xiao was already disheartened.
She could see that no matter what Duan Wangye was thinking, he hesitated at that moment, that was, at least for a moment, he suspected that Zezhi was doing all of this, and Zezhi was deliberately trying to frame his son.
Madam Xiao clenched her fists that were hidden under her sleeves as well as her heart, not because of Duan Wangye but for her Zezhi.
Duan Wangye on the other hand continued talking, “Wangfei, this wangye knows that Zezhi is a good boy, and he would not do this but so was the heir. Please intercede for the heir, he has been always filial to you. There must be a misunderstanding.”
Madam Xiao looked at the emperor as if she hadn’t heard Duan Wangye, she said, “Your Majesty, according to the law of Daqi, if one of the relatives of a husband, kills, beats, scolds, injures, or rapes the wife, the husband and wife will be considered as divorce.”
“The consort of Duan Wangye’s eldest son intends to murder her mother-in-law, so please allow me, Your Majesty, to divorce Duan Wangye.”
Madam Xiao said loudly, making Duan Wangye stunned.
Li Qin Wangye on the other hand hurriedly said, “No, absolutely not!”
“There has never been a precedent in the royal family of a couple separating or getting divorced!”
Li Qin Wangye resolutely opposed in a loud voice while Li Qin Wang Fei concurred, pointing out all the ancestors of the Gu family.
***