Chapter 246: The Empress' Smart Scheme!

Inside Ningkun Palace, Zhao Huiying used her hand to prop her forehead and half leaned against the soft couch. The Zhao Clan’s patriarch, Zhao Kun, was sitting on the side uneasily. After a while, seeing that the Empress did not have the intention to speak, Zhao Kun could not help but speak cautiously.

“Your Majesty, have you come up with a solution?”

Zhao Huiying opened her eyes with a trace of impatience. “Eldest Brother, I told you long ago that you could cash in on Jiangnan, but you must not extend your hand too far. Look at what you’ve done? It’s fine that you’ve embezzled so much silver. The problem is that you couldn’t even deal with a few commoners properly and let them make such a mess that His Majesty is concerned about it now!”

Zhao Kun’s face was filled with distress. “I carefully instructed them back then. Who knows that the Governor of Jiangnan is so useless and even unable to control his subordinates. That was why the mobs took the opportunity to escape. Sister, you also know that I have helped you and the Crown Prince obtain quite a lot of money over the years. Otherwise, how could His Highness get the silver to buy over officials and raise so many subordinates?”

Zhao Huiying’s expression suddenly changed. Was he trying to threaten her? She pounded on the table with a muffled bang. “Eldest Brother! Do you know what you’re talking about?”

Zhao Kun’s body trembled. He raised his hand and slapped himself on the mouth. “I was talking nonsense. But sister, you must handle this matter properly. Otherwise, not only the Crown Prince, but even the Zhao Clan will be implicated!”

Zhao Huiying was furious. This Eldest Brother was unable to accomplish anything but liable to spoil everything. If it weren’t for the fact that he was easier to control, she wouldn’t have helped him become the Zhao Clan’s patriarch. Thinking about it, she couldn’t help but grit her teeth and say, “I know. These days, you don’t have to do anything. You just go to court as usual and stay at home for the rest of the time. Don’t see anyone and don’t say anything. I will deal with it.”

Zhao Kun smiled and nodded. “Yes. Since you say so, I’m relieved. Don’t worry, I will stay home these days. Sister, you should also take care of your health. I heard that the Sixth Prince of the Great Yue Kingdom is coming to Da’an again. This is a good time. Doesn’t His Majesty trust Monk Liaochen the most? Let him say a few words. Then His Majesty will be soft-hearted and won’t punish the Crown Prince.”

Zhao Huiying nodded perfunctorily. “I see. Eldest Brother, hurry up and go back.” This foolish brother! If it was that simple, she would have already pulled the Crown Prince out of trouble. Why did she have to wait until now?

“Alright, alright, then I will leave first.”

Zhao Kun walked out with a smile on his face. Meixue quietly came in to help Zhao Huiying massage her shoulders.

Zhao Huiying pinched her brows. Her scarlet fingernails looked exceptionally gorgeous. “Meixue, keep an eye on the Zhao Clan for the next few days. Don’t let them make any trouble again.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Zhao Huiying pondered for a long time and the hall quieted down. After a while, she said, “Meixue, go and ask Master Liaochen personally if it’s going to rain recently.”

Meixue was puzzled. “Last time I dealt with Old Lady Xiao, it was thanks to Master Liaochen’s forecast that we were able to choose a rainy day. That’s why I could eliminate all traces and even plotted against Princess Zhaohua. Your Majesty, since you want to know the weather this time, do you have any countermeasures against the corruption case of the salt administration in Jiangnan?”

Zhao Huiying moved her shoulders and let Meixue stop. “His Majesty absolutely forbids the people of the harem from interfering in the matters of the court. Even if I say one more word, I will be scolded. Therefore, I am completely unable to talk about the salt administration case of Jiangnan.”

“Your Majesty, what is your plan?”

“I can’t interfere in the matters of the court, so I can only start from the harem. The Crown Prince has always been kind and filial. Now that he has just been framed, someone can’t help but curse him and force him to give up the position of Crown Prince or even kill him. How pathetic is that?”

Zhao Huiying’s face was cold and her red lips carried a chilly smile. “The more people wanted to pull down the Crown Prince, the more His Majesty would subconsciously take action to protect him. As long as His Majesty is moved, it will only take a sentence from him to erase what the Crown Prince has done. Moreover, the heavens are helping me this time. Bu Jinglan is coming. His Majesty will not let the Crown Prince lose face in front of the prince of the Great Yue Kingdom! ”

When Meixue heard this, she was stunned. After she restored her senses, her heart was filled with admiration. “Your Majesty, you are truly wise.”

Zhao Huiying laughed mockingly. “In this harem, what you need most is not a high status or a pretty face, but the ability to understand His Majesty’s mind. As long as you can understand his thoughts, it’ll be easy for you to handle even the most difficult thing.”

The Crown Prince was grounded and ordered to reflect on his misdeeds. After that, Baili Qingcang punished a few officials who pleaded for the Crown Prince in the court. As a result, the civil and military officials were extremely cautious for fear of annoying him.

Three days later, it rained heavily. The rain continued for two days without subsiding. On the third day, a piece of news exploded in the harem like thunder. Items used to curse the Crown Prince were found in the Fifth Prince’s courtyard.

For a moment, everyone’s attention once again focused on this prince who came from a lowly background.

Baili Jinze knelt on the ice-cold steps. His entire body was soaked by the rain, but he didn’t care about his wet clothes. Instead, he kept kowtowing to Baili Qingcang who was standing at the entrance of the Palace. “I have always admired the Crown Prince and never dared to offend him in the slightest. How would I curse him? Father Emperor, please scrutinize!”

Baili Qingcang looked angrily at the Fifth Prince in the rain who was in a sorry state. “You never dared to offend him? Then tell me, what are these on the ground?”

On the ground at the entrance of the Palace, there were a few cloth puppets drenched in rain. They were stabbed with golden needles and stained with blood.

You are reading story Phoenix Reborn: the Prime Minister's Scheming Daughter at novel35.com

Baili Jinze felt that he had no way to explain even if he had a hundred mouths. “I don’t know. I’m wronged. Someone must want to frame me. Please scrutinize, Father Emperor.”

“Heh, all the witnesses and material evidence are here, and you still refuse to admit?”

Baili Jinze looked angrily at the lad servant and palace maid who were kneeling on the ground trembling. He wished he could tear them to pieces with his eyes. “I have always treated you well. Why did you frame me?”

The rain was too heavy. He was copying the Sutra of Filial Piety in his room when he suddenly heard the noise. By the time he came out, the puppets used for cursing had already been found. It was said that they were washed out by the rain. These servants also insisted that he had malicious intentions and deliberately cursed the Crown Prince.

Before he could react, the Emperor brought the guards in. These so-called witnesses and material evidence were in place at the same time.

Hearing Baili Jinze’s accusation, the servants hurriedly knelt on the ground and kowtowed. “We deserve to die. Please punish us, Your Majesty.”

One of the eunuchs’ actions pushed Baili Jinze into the abyss. He shouted, “Your Highness, I’m sorry. I do not dare to live in this world. I will definitely not betray you again in my next life!”

As soon as he finished speaking, he directly got up and rushed to the pillar at the door, smashing his head heavily into the pillar. Blood immediately flew all over the ground. Very quickly, he was dead. He didn’t dare to live because he betrayed Baili Jinze? This meant Baili Jinze had indeed cursed the Crown Prince.

Baili Qingcang was so angry that his entire body trembled. “Good, that’s my good son! Monster, you are all monsters!” After saying that, he ignored the pleading of the surrounding servants and strode towards Chengqian Hall.

When Shen Ninghua received the news, Baili Jinze had already been moved to Xianyang Palace to be grounded.

Chu Junyi casually peeled an orange and gave half to Shen Ninghua. “Xianyang Palace is an extremely desolate palace. It has been uninhabited for a long time. His Majesty did not say a specific time limit for the grounding. Well, the Fifth Prince has suffered a huge setback this time.”

Shen Ninghua ate a piece of orange, and the sweet and sour taste made her refreshed. “The Empress was quick enough to make a move, and the timing was excellent. In a few days, Bu Jinglan will arrive. How can Da’an, as the host country, not have the Crown Prince welcome the Great Yue Kingdom’s prince? After all, the Crown Prince is related to the foundation of the country. No matter how chaotic the situation is, His Majesty must maintain the prestige of the country in front of outsiders.”

Chu Junyi nodded. “Yes, the Empress indeed has a good scheme.”

Shen Ninghua sighed slightly. “It’s a pity that such a good opportunity is wasted.”

“It’s not really a pity. We can take this opportunity to take down the Governor of Jiangnan and root out some of the Crown Prince’s forces, and Huajun Pharmacy will take advantage of this opportunity to rise to a higher level!” Jiangnan was rich. As long as they controlled Jiangnan, it was basically equivalent to controlling half of Da’an.

“Yes. But be careful. After this incident, His Majesty must have noticed Jiangnan. It’s better for Huajun Pharmacy not to be too eye-catching.”

“Sure. Don’t worry, I will arrange it.”

“Alright.”

Chu Junyi touched Shen Ninghua’s belly and said in a gentle voice, “Daddy’s good baby, what do you want to eat today? Hmm? Steamed mandarin fish, crystal elbows…Alright, daddy will get all the delicacies for you.”

Shen Ninghua stopped chewing the orange and looked at Chu Junyi speechlessly. “How old is he that he already knows steamed mandarin fish and crystal elbows?”

“My baby is naturally extremely intelligent. He also knows about the Braised Lion Head and the Four Happy Meatballs.” Chu Junyi smiled complacently.

Shen Ninghua narrowed her eyes. “All he knows is food?” Didn’t he tell her to see and hear no evil? Was it really appropriate for him to talk about food all day long?

Chu Junyi’s expression froze slightly. “Then I’ll ask you about the food later.” As he spoke, he stroked Shen Ninghua’s belly. “Baby, daddy now teaches you the Three-Character Classic: People at their birth are naturally good…”

Shen Ninghua threw the remaining orange in her hand at him. Chu Junyi took it with a twist of his wrist and said to Shen Ninghua with a smile, “Every time I read this, you are extremely impatient. It seems like our baby dislikes it very much.”

Shen Ninghua resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “You read it to me twice a day. Our baby is so smart that he can remember it after listening to it twice. What’s the use of reading it every day?”

Chu Junyi suddenly understood. “That’s right, why did I forget about this? Let’s read the Thousand Character Classic today…”

You can find story with these keywords: Phoenix Reborn: the Prime Minister's Scheming Daughter, Read Phoenix Reborn: the Prime Minister's Scheming Daughter, Phoenix Reborn: the Prime Minister's Scheming Daughter novel, Phoenix Reborn: the Prime Minister's Scheming Daughter book, Phoenix Reborn: the Prime Minister's Scheming Daughter story, Phoenix Reborn: the Prime Minister's Scheming Daughter full, Phoenix Reborn: the Prime Minister's Scheming Daughter Latest Chapter