The Prime Minister's Darling novel Chapter 1630

Chapter 1630: 785 The Case of the East Window Revealed (First Watch)

If Han Guifei hadn’t first planted spies in Qilin Palace, they could have dealt with her later.

The sky will rain, a mother will remarry, and a Guifei will court disaster; it’s all inevitable.

After the King issued the decree to depose the concubine, he left with Xiao Hen, his expression icy cold.

After the others finished respectfully seeing off the King, they too exited Guiyi Palace one by one.

Wang Xianfei instructed the palace maid to take the Sixth Prince back first.

If a noble consort falls, it means the position of Guifei is vacant. The other concubines have no need to advance to Guifei, but someone like Feng Zhaoyi strongly desires to take residence in Guiyi Palace.

But today, Feng Zhaoyi wasn’t in the mood to think about the matter of becoming a Guifei.

Her mind was filled with those little figurines.

She couldn’t fathom why there were so many of them.

And how coincidental that as soon as the figures were found, Han Guifei’s letter of usurpation was discovered as well?

Everything was too coincidental.

"Don’t you all... feel something is odd about today’s events?"

Just as Feng Zhaoyi was puzzled, Dong Chenfei voiced her doubt.

In the Imperial Harem, the Empress is supreme, followed by the Imperial Noble Consort, and then the four consorts of noble, virtuous, graceful, and kind rank, but Dongfei was originally a second-rank consort. Since the positions of the four consorts were filled, the King made an exception and titled her as Chenfei, placing her in the first-rank.

Dong Chenfei expressed the doubts in everyone’s hearts.

Only the five consorts allied with Shangguan Yun would have such feelings. The other concubines, ignorant of the context, simply believed that Han Guifei really had committed the acts of making figurines and writing the imperial decree.

"Chenfei... what do you find odd?" Wang Xianfei asked.

Those who were uninvolved wouldn’t find it odd at all.

Only those who framed Han Guifei with the figurines would suspect that the decree and letter were also planted.

It seemed... this was a perfectly devised trap, and planting someone in Han Guifei’s palace was just one step of it.

Wang Xianfei was probing Dong Chenfei.

Dong Chenfei was also testing the other concubines.

"Don’t you think there are too many figurines?" she asked cautiously.

"Then how many do you think there should be?" Chen Shufei asked.

No one here was a fool. They understood the hidden meaning behind such back and forth.

But no one was willing to say the exact number.

Wang Xianfei said, "Let’s do it this way. I’ll count to three, and we’ll all say it together. No one should stay silent. At this point, no one here is a fool, and no one should take the others for fools!"

The few exchanged glances.

Dong Chenfei thought for a moment, "Alright, I agree!"

Following this, Chen Shufei and Yang Defei also nodded.

All the first-rank consorts agreed. Feng Zhaoyi, being of fourth-rank, naturally couldn’t afford not to follow along.

Wang Xianfei took a deep breath and slowly said, "One, two, three!"

"One!"

"One!"

"One!"

"None!"

"None!"

It was Chen Shufei and Yang Defei who said "none," while Wang Xianfei, Dong Chenfei, and Feng Zhaoyi said "one."

As soon as the words fell, subtle changes appeared on everyone’s faces.

Wang Xianfei frowned and squeezed her fingers, gritting her teeth, "Alright, the next question, only the three of us will answer. Where exactly was the figurine found? Count to three again."

Dong Chenfei and Feng Zhaoyi grew nervous and nodded.

Wang Xianfei: "One, two, three!"

"In the flower bed!"

"Beside the doghouse!"

"Under the bed!"

Wang Xianfei’s trusted eunuch had buried the figurine in the flower bed, Dong Chenfei’s expert had placed one near the doghouse, and Feng Zhaoyi, who often flattered Han Guifei and had access to her, had thrown one under Han Guifei’s bed herself.

Reaching this point in the confrontation, who among them would still be unclear about the situation?

Wang Xianfei’s eyes turned cold, "So, are you all..."

Consort Dong asked: "What does elder sister intend to do?"

"To gain our trust, she gave us leverage over her..." Consort Wang paused, then continued. "I can’t be the only one with her letter of promises, right?"

By now, there was nothing left to hide.

Consort Dong said seriously: "I have one too!"

"So do I," Consort Yang and Consort Chen said in unison.

Consort Wang looked at Feng Zhaoyi. Feng Zhaoyi turned around and took out the letter from a very private seam in her clothing.

On it, in black and white, was the agreement between Shangguan Yun and Feng Zhaoyi, including their signatures and seals.

Looking at the identical letters in their own hands, the women trembled with anger, wishing they could tear Shangguan Yun to pieces!

Consort Wang said: "It seems everyone has it, that makes things easier! Let’s expose her together!"

Feng Zhaoyi hesitated: "How can we expose her? With these documents? But our signatures are on them too!"

"Who said to use these? Don’t you remember her injury is fake? We just need to bring His Majesty to inspect her injury! Her crime of deceiving the emperor would be verified and she can’t escape the charge of framing the Crown Prince!"

Consort Yang was silent for a moment: "But wouldn’t that mean the Crown Prince would be reinstated?"

Consort Wang had no son, so she had no stake in the throne, but she had a nephew. She didn’t want to see the Crown Prince rise again.

Consort Dong and Consort Chen felt the same way.

Consort Wang glared at them, "How can the Crown Prince be reinstated? The Han family just committed treason, the mother’s debt is paid by the son, how can he rise again so soon! After all this hassle today, everybody must be tired. Let’s go back and rest. Tomorrow morning, we will meet His Majesty and request to accompany him to visit the Third Princess. When we reach the National Master Hall, we will act accordingly!"

...

Each of them returned to their palaces.

Xu Gao followed Consort Wang and asked quietly: "Your Highness, do you really intend to expose the Third Princess?"

"Of course not," Consort Wang said calmly. "I was just testing them to see if Shangguan Yun had also dealt with them."

Xu Gao was puzzled: "Then why ask to meet His Majesty in the morning—"

Consort Wang sneered: "It’s a delaying tactic, just to stall them. Go get ready, I need to leave the palace."

Xu Gao was surprised: "Your Highness..."

Consort Wang said sternly: "This matter I must handle personally!"

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