sbdcsierra Chapter 707: They really did find a box in Young Master Qian's courtyard!
Chapter 707: They really did find a box in Young Master Qian's courtyard!
Gu Junze walked to her side, picked up a jade comb from the dressing table, and helped her tidy up the stray hairs at her temples.
"If we don't let them 'find' the stuff, how can we lead up to the real show later?"
Chu Ruohan smiled with satisfaction. She stood up and straightened her sleeves. "That's true. Alright, I won't talk to you anymore, I have to go."
"So urgent?"
"Of course!" Chu Ruohan glared at him. "Today, the old lady of the Duke of Anguo's mansion is holding a birthday banquet, and all the prominent ladies in the capital are going. I have to go and see if there are any kind and gentle girls there."
As she spoke, a calculating glint appeared in her eyes. "Brother Lu is already twenty-five, and he's finally back from Chengdu. If I don't take care of him, all the good cabbages in the capital will be eaten by other people's pigs!"
Gu Junze shook his head when he saw her laughing at his analogy from yesterday.
Just then, a young maid rushed in, her face pale.
"Lord Duke! Madam! Something terrible has happened! The Censorate... they really... they really found a box in Young Master Qian's courtyard!"
Chu Ruohan's smile faded, and she exchanged a glance with Gu Junze.
When the two arrived at the side courtyard, Lord Zhou was beaming as he directed his men to lift a wooden box, about half a person's height, out from under the pried-open floorboards.
The box was opened, revealing neatly stacked gold bars that shone so brightly in the morning light that it was hard to keep one's eyes open.
On top of the gold bars lay a quiet ancient inkstone wrapped in bright yellow brocade.
Lord Zhou announced triumphantly, "Caught red-handed! Guards, take all the evidence away and report back to His Majesty!"
Gu Qingchen rushed over at that moment.
She hadn't slept all night, and her eyes were covered in dark circles. When she saw the box of dazzling gold and the familiar ancient inkstone, it felt as if all the blood in her body had been drained instantly.
She staggered, staring in disbelief at the scene before her.
how come?
Really... you found it?
She turned sharply to her father, hoping to see a hint of shock or anger on his face.
However, Gu Junze's face remained expressionless.
He simply watched calmly as the officials carried the box out of the courtyard.
"Father!" Gu Qingchen's voice trembled. "Why didn't you stop them! That's a frame-up! It's a trap!"
It seemed as if the whole world operated according to rules she couldn't understand.
She was like a fool who could only swing his fists, excluded from the scene.
Chu Ruohan walked to her husband's side, gently patted his arm, and said softly, "Let's go, it'll really be too late if we go any later."
Gu Junze nodded, then left with Chu Ruohan without glancing at his daughter again.
At the pilgrimage temple.
The civil and military officials stood in rows on both sides, not daring to utter a sound. In the center of the hall, beside an open wooden box, Qian Zhenyun, dressed in plain clothes, knelt quietly.
Censor Zhou was extremely excited.
"Your Majesty! The perpetrators have been caught red-handed! These are the gold bars, totaling one thousand taels, found in the residence of the disgraced official Qian Zhenyun! And this unique antique inkstone from the previous dynasty, made of pine soot!"
He pointed to the "wealthy businessman" kneeling to the side.
"This person is the one who offered the bribe; he has confessed to everything!"
The "wealthy merchant" immediately kowtowed repeatedly, his voice trembling with sobs: "Your Majesty, please understand! This humble subject...this humble subject had no choice but to offer this heavy bribe to Lord Qian for the sake of the royal garden business!"
"He personally promised that as long as the money is paid in time, the lease on Lin Yuan will belong to me!"
Officials from the faction of the Third Prince Zhao Chenyu immediately stepped forward to second the motion.
"Your Majesty, please issue a decree to imprison these traitors in the Imperial Prison and subject them to rigorous interrogation!"
"Your Highness the Crown Prince has failed in his duty in appointing people, and I humbly request that Your Majesty punish him accordingly!"
The spearhead was aimed directly at the Eastern Palace.
Crown Prince Zhao Chen'an's face turned ashen. He tried to argue several times, but was silenced by a deep look from Zhao Yunci on the dragon throne.
The prevailing opinion in the imperial court was almost unanimously in favor of the central government.
Just as Lord Zhou thought victory was assured and was preparing to request the imperial decree to convict him, Qian Zhenyun, who had been silent all along, suddenly raised his head.
He didn't defend himself or cry foul; he simply looked at the "wealthy businessman" and calmly asked a question.
"You say this inkstone is a family heirloom, but do you know what words are engraved on the bottom of this inkstone?"
The "wealthy businessman" was clearly taken aback; this wasn't part of his plan.
His eyes darted around, and after stammering for a while, he answered, thinking himself clever, "It's engraved... it's engraved with the two characters '福寿' (blessings and longevity)! Yes, it means blessings, longevity, and good health!"
A cold smile curled at the corner of Qian Zhenyun's lips.
He kowtowed deeply to the emperor on the dragon throne: "I humbly request Your Majesty to examine this in court."
The chief eunuch immediately stepped forward, carefully picked up the ancient inkstone, and turned it over.
The bottom of the inkstone is as smooth as a mirror; there isn't even a scratch, let alone any writing on it.
The "wealthy businessman's" face instantly turned pale. He realized he had misspoke and immediately corrected himself: "It was a mistake on my part! I'm getting old, and my memory isn't what it used to be!"
"enough!"
Zhao Chen'an seized the opportunity, took a step forward, and spoke loudly.
"Father! This man's words are contradictory and incoherent; he is clearly trying to slander an official of the court!"
Seeing that the situation was not good, Zhao Chenyu's eyes flashed with a ruthless glint, and he immediately abandoned the pawn to save the king.
He pointed at the "wealthy merchant" and sternly rebuked him: "You audacious scoundrel! How dare you spout nonsense in the imperial court and frame the Crown Prince's tutor!"
"Who exactly instructed you to try and frame His Highness the Crown Prince?"
A good move can divert disaster to the east.
Just as he was about to muddy the waters, Crown Prince Zhao Chen'an suddenly laughed.
"Third brother, don't be anxious."
He glanced around, noticing the instantly frozen faces of the Third Prince's faction, and spoke slowly and deliberately.
Even if this person is an imposter, the inkstone must be real, right?
"What a coincidence! I also acquired an identical inkstone a few days ago. Why don't we let everyone compare them?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than the chief eunuch of the Eastern Palace hurriedly entered the hall carrying a brocade box.
When the brocade box was opened, there was another ancient pine soot inkstone inside, which was exactly the same as the evidence in both shape and color.
Zhao Chen'an's voice clearly resonated throughout every corner of the hall.
"This one of mine is the genuine artifact from the previous dynasty."
"As for the one that the Censorate found, it was just a fake that I had someone make when I was bored a few days ago."
He looked at Zhao Chenyu, whose face was ashen, and said, word by word.
"Unexpectedly, it was taken by my third brother's men and used as stolen goods."
The entire court was astonished!
From beginning to end, this was a trap set by the Crown Prince and Qian Zhenyun! A trap waiting for the Third Prince to fall into!
Zhao Chenyu felt ice-cold all over, as if he had fallen into an ice cave. He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.
A messenger announced from outside the palace, "Gu Lü, the former prefect of Chengdu, awaits imperial orders outside the palace!"