Chapter 1108: An Anxious Atmosphere
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Chapter 1108: An Anxious Atmosphere
The emperor remained quiet in the palace, waiting for news. The royal physician came and gave him medicine again.
As the emperor was halfway through his medicine, the Imperial Guards returned with evidence of Gong Qiu colluding with the Second Prince, plotting rebellion.
With just this piece of evidence, the emperor had enough justification to execute Gong Qiu.
In the study, it was quiet, and the candles were lit, brightening the large space. The emperor slowly looked at the evidence, clenching his hands tighter as he read. Eventually, he threw the items in his hand away in frustration.
Worried, Xi Ping watched the emperor, who was breathing heavily. After a while, the emperor asked him to pick up the items again and continued to examine them.
The burden was heavy, and he rested on the couch for two hours. His sleep was restless, and at dawn, the emperor rose once more.
This time, he had Xi Ping prepare several items and, with a stern expression, he was ready to attend court.
The emperor had not been in court for several days due to his health.
Therefore, when the emperor appeared, the court officials were taken aback.
However, they could not have anticipated the shocking news that was about to sweep through the court that day—evidence of Gong Qiu and the Second Prince conspiring to rebel had been discovered.
Some officials were well-informed, knowing about Gong Qiu's arrest and his connection with Liu Guifei. They assumed there must be some dark secret between Gong Qiu and Liu Guifei. But they never expected it to be about aiding the Second Prince's rebellion.
Others were not aware of the situation, but they guessed that something might have happened to Gong Qiu since he had not appeared in public for two days.
Then there were those officials who were close to Gong Qiu. At this moment, their faces turned pale, and they tried to keep a low profile.
The emperor's actions were significant and unprecedented. He ordered the Fifth Prince to handle the case, with the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Court, and the Inspectorate conducting the investigation. The case was to be thoroughly examined.
Because the evidence found during the search of Gong Qiu's possessions also implicated officials from the three judiciary bodies, all those involved were detained.
The emperor directly assigned the Minister of Justice, Jing, the Vice Minister of the Supreme Court, and the Inspector-General to oversee the investigation. No one else was allowed to interfere or obstruct the process.
The Third Prince learned that the Fifth Prince was in charge of the case and furrowed his brows slightly. However, he wasn't surprised, knowing that the struggle with the Second Prince was out in the open, and the emperor wouldn't trust him to take over.
The Fifth Prince had a low-profile presence, and he didn't mind it. He just gave the Third Prince a few "hints" in secret.
But what the Third Prince didn't know was that the Fifth Prince used this case not only to confirm the Second Prince's conspiracy but also to eliminate several officials under the Third Prince.
By the time the Third Prince understood what was happening, it was already too late.
Due to his poor health, the emperor didn't stay in court for long. After arranging everything, he returned to the harem.
The study remained quiet. The emperor closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
However, outside the palace, anxiety spread among the people. The Imperial Guards were arresting individuals all over the city, and the entire capital was on edge.
Meng Yunzheng was taken back to the Supreme Court as an important witness to cooperate with the investigation.
Shu Yu had been staying at Jing residence, but Minister Jing was absent for several days. He had been at the Supreme Court for three or four days.
Thankfully, Shu Yu knew that Meng Yunzheng was safe as he had received a message through a servant who had pretended to go home for clothing but passed on Meng Yunzheng's message.
With the news of Meng Yunzheng safety, Shu Yu finally felt relieved.
Nevertheless, this storm lasted for over half a month before it subsided.
Meng Yunzheng was detained in the Supreme Court for half a month before being released.
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