There was a brief explanation of the New Year’s Eve Dinner.

It was not just this dinner. According to the rules that Darui had since they established the dynasty, a royal dinner was divided into a front one and a back one. The front one would be the Emperor hosting the governmental officials. The back one would be the Empress hosting the peeresses.

But the two Empresses were fighting power. Neither of them was willing to stay in the back to host peeresses and let the other go with the Emperor to get greeted and respected by the officials.

Therefore, after several battles, they decided to compromise and let everybody have dinner together!

Of course, the men and women were still divided. Looking down from the top, men were on the left and women were on the right.

At this moment, Qiu Yelan was not beside her husband. She could only look at him through the crowd while feeling anxious secretly.

Facing the ask of Empress Dowager’s party, the hatred of the Dou Family’s women, and Jiang Tianao’s angry query, Jiang Yashuang remained calm. He stood up, saluted to the top, and said, “I’m not related to this. How can I get rewarded?”

When he was saying that, Marquess Qin calmly looked at Jiang Tianao. The latter’s face was all green. But after thinking for a while, he slowly sat back down.

“Hanlin Jiang is a noble and modest person. He won’t take the credit. We all respect that.” It was a Censor under Qiu Dian who came up and proposed the reward. He came prepared, so he wouldn’t be easily sent away. At this moment, he said with a smile, “But Hanlin Jiang is a Hanlin, you should understand how essential it is to the society that you get rewarded for the good deed you had done. Why should you go against that? Even not for yourself, you should think about the future society, shouldn’t you?”

What he said was the concept that good people should get rewarded. By doing so, people would do more good deeds to get the rewards. With that, society would be more harmonious. If people were advocated to do good things without rewards, then people would be less active. And it would surely take a long way to enter a harmonious society.

The Censor said so, clearly hinting that if Jiang Yashuang didn’t get rewarded for exposing the Dou Family, then no one would come to expose these traitors in the future!

What a high-sounding speech!

Qiu Yelan gnashed and stared at that person, hoping Jiang Yashuang could get through this!

“It’s not that I want to go against this. This reward just came out of nowhere for me. How can I be so shameless and just take it?” Jiang Yashuang said calmly, “What you said really confused me. I don’t even know where to begin.”

That Censor was about to speak. Before that, Empress Jiang who looked quite awful coldly interrupted, “The government is already closed this year. Now it’s the New Year’s Eve Dinner. We are all having fun, yet you suddenly came out to talk about the Dou Family. What do you want to do?”

The government being closed meant they were on vacation. During the vacation, expect military affairs or accidents that might shake the reign, everything would be on hold until the vacation was over.

No matter Jiang Yashuang was the one who exposed the Dou Family or not, the Dou Family was already convicted. It was clearly inappropriate to disturb everyone on this occasion. After all, this dinner was held annually.

That Censor who was named Dai Cong didn’t panic after being scolded by the Empress. He smiled and saluted, “Your Majesty, apologies. I just didn’t want him to go on unrewarded! The reason why I said this now is that the only one who can prove it may not survive the night! Hanlin Jiang is so noble. Without this witness, how will he take the reward?”

After saying that, except Marquess Qin and Jiang Yashuang, everyone of the Jiang Family changed their expressions. Dai Cong dared to say such a thing on this occasion. He ignored the fact that this was a festival for the celebration and said something ominous. Clearly, he had enough evidence to prove that Jiang Yashuang was behind the fall of the Dou Family!

Even Jiang Tianqi who wished something bad would happen to Jiang Tianao looked at this nephew differently. After all, if Jiang Yashuang could hurt Jiang Tianao’s wife’s family, he could also hurt him.

Jiang Yashuang noticed his look but didn’t care about it. He just smiled coldly and said, “Then, Your Majesty, could you please send some righteous officials and go check with that person? I am not such a noble person, but I sure won’t take false credit!’

Empress Jiang’s expression changed multiple times. She didn’t know the truth behind the fall of the Dou Family. She thought Empress Dowager’s party had a set-up waiting for Jiang Yashuang, so they could turn the Jiang Family against each other. But the Empress also felt tough to deal with this. If she allowed it, it was clearly a set-up! Even if Jiang Yashuang was innocent, they wouldn’t challenge him if they weren’t certain.

If she didn’t allow it, then Jiang Tianao and others’ suspicion wouldn’t go away so easily.

After all, the Dou Family fell so suddenly!

If like the Tao Family and the Duan Family, they were just being corrupted, it would be fine. The Dou Family did take a lot of money relying on the Jiang Family’s power. But selling weapons to the western savages was a huge charge. The Dou Family wasn’t stupid. They should have covered it up.

Even if they slipped, Empress Dowager’s party shouldn’t be able to find all the evidence in such a short time, leading to the whole family being abandoned.

So the Dou Family was actually sold by the Empress’ party. And it was very likely to be someone who didn’t see eye to eye with the first branch of the Jiang Family. Now with this suspicion, they couldn’t trust many people.

Jiang Tianao and his wife didn’t say anything, but they had been suspecting it for a long time. They just didn’t find it out. Jiang Yashuang actually was not on their list. He was too young! Even though Dai Cong was targeting him and Jiang Tianao seemed to be angry, he believed that Jiang Tianchi who was in the far north sent a secret message and guided his son to do this!

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Anyway, after hesitating for a while, the Empress still couldn’t make up her mind. Empress Dowager Gu was tired of waiting, “Since the joy is already killed. Then send someone to go check. Where is this witness, Dai Cong? It’s a festival today, watch it!”

Dai Cong said hurriedly, “Your Majesty, I had him located in a residence not so far away from the gate of the Palace. I bought that residence some time ago and redecorated it. It is not an inappropriate place for Hanlin Jiang to go now!” During the festival, the Empress’s party would never agree to get the most prestigious Hanlin and the grandson of the Jiang Family to a jail or other ominous place!

Now that Dai Cong said he was placed in a residence, they couldn’t use this reason to refuse.

Empress Dowager Gu asked Marquess Qin in a casual tone, “What do you think?”

“It’s all up to you!” Marquess Qin smiled gently. Jiang Tianao hesitated for a while and asked, “Uncle, can we let Yun go with Jiang Yashuang?” He asked to have his firstborn accompany Jiang Yashuang. Clearly, he already somewhat believed what Dai Cong said.

Marquess Qin was still smiling, “Your Majesty?”

Empress Dowager Gu didn’t have any issue with that. This whole show was targeting the first branch of the Jiang Family. Now they wanted to hear the statement themselves, and Empress Dowager Gu naturally wouldn’t stop them.

But out of everyone’s surprise, not so long after Jiang Yayun accompanied Jiang Yashuang and other officials to the residence, a surprising incident happened at the dinner, which was clearly quieter after they left.

It was indeed a major incident. The Emperor, who was playing a background scene, suddenly puked out black blood and fainted with his lips purple.

The imperial doctor was basically carried here by the Imperial Army. He didn’t even have time to salute. He quickly went to the Emperor. He took just one look to confirm, “His Majesty is poisoned! It’s highly toxic!”

“Then do something!” Empress Dowager Gu and Empress Jiang shouted that almost at the same time!

But underneath, Qiu Yelan and Xin Fubing looked at each other across some distance. They both understood what they wanted to ask was, “Can he be saved?”

No one in the hall could remain calm. Even Marquess Qin who always kept calm was keeping a dark face at this moment. He couldn’t help it. Even though the two Empresses had been fighting and losing, they hadn’t used their biggest cards. Qiu Jinglan still hadn’t arrived at Shazhou!

If the Emperor died today, they would need to find a successor. This would mean forcing the two Empresses to fight till death right now.

But Qiu Jinglan’s early departure to the west already disturbed the Empress’s party’s plan to some extent. If the Emperor died now, it would be an even bigger disturbance. What Marquess Qin was worried about the most was whether this poison was related to Empress Dowager’s party!

After all, they plotted Qiu Jinglan’s trip to the west. If they poisoned the Emperor too, that would mean, even though the Jiang Family didn’t find out, Empress Dowager’s party was ready for the final battle!

To have the unprepared Empress’s party go against the prepared Empress Dowager’s party would be a risk. Even if they had Xue Chang, but who knew whether the Empress Dowager’s party didn’t already see it coming?

Then the end of the Empress’s party would be clear.

In this intense atmosphere, the imperial doctor worked for more than two hours before he gave a conclusion while wiping the sweat from his forehead, “This poison is highly toxic. But luckily, it wasn’t much. His Majesty will be fine.”

Empress Dowager Gu and Empress Jiang were both relieved.

The problem was the imperial doctor continued, “But…”

The two most prestigious women in this world immediately shot him a harsh look. He almost didn’t dare to speak again, but he had to. Even if he could get past now, he wouldn’t be in the future, “This poison is very toxic. His Majesty’s health, in the future, might be…”

The Emperor was not that healthy originally. After all, people couldn’t wish a person who spent all his days in the Imperial Harem to have a strong body.

This poison almost killed him. His health would surely be damaged. The imperial doctor was afraid that Empress Dowager Gu and Empress Jiang would find out that even though the Emperor lived, his body became weaker. They would ask him for an explanation. So he wanted to say that now and repeatedly stressed this poison was very very very toxic!!!

It was not because they were bad doctors, but the one who did this was vicious! It was lucky enough that the Emperor could survive. They couldn’t help that his health was damaged!

Empress Dowager Gu and Empress Jiang understood what the imperial doctor meant. They looked at each other. Empress Jiang said in a deep voice, “Mother, we need to investigate this thoroughly!!!”

It was rare that Empress Dowager didn’t respond her coldly. She nodded with a straight face, “Absolutely! We must investigate everything!!!”

It was no joke. Under everyone’s eyes, the Emperor was nearly poisoned to death. Then what about them? Could they still live safely if they didn’t investigate this?

Maid Zheng and Maid Lin quickly went underneath and announced the decree agreed by both Empresses. Everyone in the hall would be contained as suspects. They would be checked one by one to see if they were involved in poisoning the Emperor!

After hearing that, the hall was filled with discussions!