OBS Chapter 1437 Punishing the King of Jin (197 million reward points plus additional content)
Chapter 1437 Punishing the King of Jin (197 million reward points plus additional content)
She forced herself to calm herself down, knelt on the ground and cried, "Princess Yun'an, please understand... I, I just said that the Lotus Appreciation Banquet is a banquet hosted by the Imperial Noble Consort."
"As a maid in Yongshou Palace, I'm afraid that my servants will be careless and neglect the nobles, especially a distinguished guest like His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin. That's why I want to do everything myself, strive for perfection, and have absolutely no other opinions!"
"I just... I just want to do my job well and dare not slack off in the slightest..."
Her words put herself in a position of being loyal to the Lord and fulfilling her duties.
Princess Yun'an raised her eyebrows and wanted to refute again, but Shen Zhinian slowly opened his mouth: "Yun'an!"
She looked at Princess Yun'an calmly, but her tone was cold. "The imperial physician and the Ministry of Punishment have both checked clearly. Bingqiao did not take any drugs, and the soup is not poisonous. The facts are clear. She was the one who was humiliated."
"Rather than question the perpetrator, you repeatedly question the victim's motives and actions. Do you believe the victim deserves this humiliation, or even that he is guilty of diligently performing his duties?"
Shen Zhinian naturally knew in his heart that Bing Qiao must have had the intention of clinging to the King of Jin.
But at this moment, her goal was highly consistent with Nangong Xuanyu's, which was to pin the crime of drunken misconduct and defilement of palace maids on Prince Jin.
In this case, Bing Qiao must be a perfect victim.
Bing Qiao was so clever that she immediately understood what she meant. She kowtowed heavily in Shen Zhinian's direction, her voice filled with gratitude and grievance: "Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you for upholding justice for this servant!"
"This servant... This servant is really just doing his duty..."
She cried sincerely, as if all the grievances she had suffered were washed away at this moment.
Princess Yun'an opened her mouth and wanted to continue defending Prince Jin, but the emperor had already lost his patience.
He flicked his sleeves, his voice as cold as ice, and said in a deep voice: "Enough!"
"Prince Jin, Nangong Xuanche, has behaved improperly, defiling the imperial palace and then attempting to shift the blame to others. His actions are despicable, and his heart deserves death!"
"Out of consideration for our blood relationship, I will only strip him of his princely title and demote him to the rank of a county prince, with a three-year salary fine. From this day forward, he must reflect on his mistakes and is forbidden from participating in government affairs!"
Everyone was shocked when they heard this, and their faces changed slightly.
This decree was like a bolt from the blue to Nangong Xuanche!
Although his title was only downgraded by one level, the difference was as huge as the difference between heaven and earth!
In the Great Zhou Dynasty, the prince was the highest title for the royal family, and only the emperor's close relatives or those with outstanding merits could be granted the title.
A prince's annual salary was 10,000 taels of silver and 10,000 dan of rice. His residence was grand and his ceremonial guards were impressive. He was often granted key positions such as Grand Councilor and Prince Regent.
It is an existence that can truly touch the center of power!
The titles of Duke and Prince, though only a single character different, saw their annual salaries cut in half, their residences reduced in size, their ceremonial guards cut short, and they were often assigned to idle positions in the court or external errands.
The right to speak is a world apart from that of a prince!
This is not just a reduction in salary and benefits, but also a complete deprivation of Nangong Xuanche's qualifications to be close to the core of power that he has worked hard for many years!
What’s even more fatal is that... after this incident, his former reputation as a gentle and virtuous person has been completely ruined.
From now on, when people mention Nangong Xuanche, they will only remember him as a lewd thief who defamed palace maids at a palace banquet and dared not take responsibility for his actions!
The double blow hit Prince Jin's heart hard!
Even though he was tough and used to forbearance, he listened to this verdict that ruined his future and his reputation. He looked at the eyes around him, some of which were filled with pity, some with contempt, and some with gloating...
A fishy and sweet taste suddenly rushed into Prince Jin's throat!
His body shook violently, and he tried to maintain his final dignity, but he couldn't hold back the blood that was pent up in his heart, and it spurted out with a "puff" sound!
A glaring red spread across the smooth golden brick floor in front of him.
Then, Prince Jin's eyes went dark, and he fell straight forward. He was so angry that he fainted!
"Myna!!!"
Princess Yun'an let out a worried scream and rushed over.
Princess Wenshu stood in the crowd, looking at the Prince of Jin who had fallen to the ground, and her heart tightened.
Myna had always been kind to her, so it would be a lie to say she wasn't worried at all.
But Princess Wenshu understood the current situation better.
The emperor was furious and determined to punish my brother. Any plea would only add fuel to the fire and lead to a more severe reprimand.
She could only lower her eyes silently and suppress the worry in her heart.
Baharguli felt as if her heart was being cut by a knife. She used great strength to barely maintain her composure.
She was the most worried person in the room, yet she couldn't show any of it. She even had to lower her head to minimize her presence.
Because Baharguli knew better than anyone that only by protecting herself and continuing to lurk and plan in the deep palace could she find a glimmer of hope for the prince in the future.
Nangong Xuanyu looked at the unconscious Prince Jin coldly, snorted, and left with a wave of his sleeves!
Because... the emperor could never have imagined that the lotus viewing banquet hosted by Nian Nian would be able to weaken the strength of the Prince of Jin by half in one fell swoop, and even deal him a devastating blow.
Nangong Xuanyu was afraid that if he didn't leave, he would burst out laughing...
Seeing this, everyone saluted in unison: "Farewell, Your Majesty!"
The emperor's back quickly disappeared at the end of Quhe Garden, leaving behind only a mess and countless people with different thoughts.
Shen Zhinian's face was as cold as frost. He glanced at the unconscious Prince Jin on the ground and said coldly, "Come here, send Prince Jin back to the palace!"
"Yes!"
Immediately, guards came forward and lifted up the Prince of Jin.
Princess Yun'an raised her head and glared at Shen Zhinian fiercely. But she said nothing more, flicking her sleeves and walking away, her back resolute.
Shen Zhinian didn't even raise his eyelids, obviously not taking Princess Yun'an's resentment seriously at all.
Today's lotus viewing banquet has gotten to such a point that it naturally cannot continue.
However, Shen Zhinian's purpose of meeting the noble lady has been achieved, and he has no regrets in his heart.
She stood up calmly and said to the guests in the garden, who all had different expressions, "Today's incident has disturbed everyone's leisure. It is truly my fault."
"The banquet ends here. Ladies and young ladies, please take your time. The palace servants will escort you out of the palace properly."
There was no trace of panic in Shen Zhinian's words and actions, and he handled everything in an orderly manner.
Furthermore, the Emperor had just concluded that the incident was caused by the Prince of Jin's lust for sex, and that Bingqiao, the maid in Yongshou Palace, was the complete victim. Therefore, no one dared to blame the Imperial Noble Consort's lax discipline.
The ladies and noble girls bowed respectfully, their attitudes becoming more cautious than when they arrived. "Your Majesty, your words are too kind."
"I, your humble servant, take my leave!"