Chapter 1299: Chapter 1294: Immediately Execute Leng Shuqing

Noble Consort Xiao instantly understood, “Indeed! She will be a remarkable figure in the future.”

The confirmation of bloodlines was sealed.

Although Chu Xi couldn’t tell if the sentence was meant as praise or deprecation, she didn’t detect any malice and thus obediently kept quiet.

It was Lin Sisi who always felt a bit awkward upon seeing Noble Consort Xiao.

With Noble Consort Xiao’s temperament restored, she saw no discomfort in Lin Sisi and had Granny Song prepare a set of ointments for the face to give to Lin Sisi, “After all, you’re a girl. Even as a general, you shouldn’t neglect your appearance. A female general must value both martial skills and beauty, so as not to be subject to crude discussions by the soldiers about your figure or looks.”

Lin Sisi scratched her ear, “How did you know there are people in the military who talk about these things?”

Noble Consort Xiao sighed deeply. Lin Sisi’s mind was entirely occupied by military strategies and tactics; she was never meant for the inner workings of the harem.

Well, let it be.

There was no point in discussing it further with her.

Seeing the atmosphere lighten somewhat and his mother becoming more approachable, Chu Jinling seized the opportunity to lean on his mother’s knees and softly asked, “Mother, Ling’er actually has something to ask for your advice. The journey back from Hangzhou was not peaceful for Heng’er. When resting in Anshan, the maid Yu Lu, who serves under Imperial Consort Leng, attempted to push him into the river. Fortunately, Shan Bao discovered it in time. The person has been caught, but after the interrogation, she said nothing. For now, I have only temporarily claimed that Imperial Consort Leng is involved and confined her within the palace, but the handling of this situation… I seek my mother’s guidance.”

No one in the deep palace courtyards played the game of wits better or saw through it more clearly and sharply than Noble Consort Xiao.

Noble Consort Xiao gently pressed her jade finger to her cheek, seemingly casually saying, “Just execute Leng Shuqing on the spot, and then declare it to the world.”

“What?!”

Everyone in the hall was stunned by Noble Consort Xiao’s words.

Wasn’t that a bit too brutal and straightforward?

But Noble Consort Xiao’s gaze remained utterly unflustered as she said, “If we do not kill Leng Shuqing tonight, there will be no other chance. Once the Emperor returns to court, the entire Leng household will undoubtedly be uprooted, causing strife in the royal court.”

Killing Leng Shuqing now was the best solution.

But it also came with risks, for the Leng family would certainly confront Chu Jinling. Prime Minister Zhuo Junli would likely seek trouble with Chu Jinling too. However, with Lin Sisi at Chu Jinling’s side and Su Hao at the Marquis of Martial South’s Manor, there seemed little worry that they couldn’t hold their ground.

Chu Jinling wasn’t for the first time startled by his mother’s words, but this matter was truly significant. As a prince serving as regent, Chu Jinling expressed, “Mother, the matter of killing an Imperial Consort, I am a bit faint-hearted. Do you think we should ask for the imperial uncle’s…?”

“Always asking for your imperial uncle’s opinion, what good is it for your uncle to have raised you as a nephew?” Noble Consort Xiao slapped Chu Jinling on the head and glared at him with angry eyes.

Alright!

His mother was beginning to despair at his lack of progress!

Chu Jinling had just begun to move his hands as if to cover his ears when Noble Consort Xiao grabbed them and scolded him thoroughly, “In the past, when you were a prince, relying on the Xiao family with its wealth and favor, you could afford to do nothing and be protected so long as you didn’t vie for the throne. But now your imperial uncle is the Emperor, and the Xiao family is on the decline. Are you still intending to live in comfort as before, squandering your life? If you were truly without wits, Her Majesty and your imperial uncle would never press you, but you have both brains and martial skills, able to lead in battle—shouldn’t you be able to withstand the currents of the royal court? All your imperial uncle’s teachings would be wasted!”

Chu Jinling had never been chastised so severely by Noble Consort Xiao. Aside from a dispute that once occurred when he accompanied Lin Sisi on a campaign, it had caused his mother such agitation that she lost her usual composure…

He remembered that, no matter how grave his mistake was when he was young, his mother had never scolded him so.

Chu Jinling’s heart sank abruptly, “Your son retires.”

He backed out, and naturally, everyone else followed suit.

Standing in the courtyard of the Cold Palace, Chu Jinling was lost in a daze for a good while.

Mo Qi, holding his sword, contemplated the feasibility of Noble Consort Xiao’s words.

Indeed, when one thought through the entire plan, it would become clear that what Noble Consort Xiao had said wasn’t wrong at all. Born into the prominent Xiao family, her vision and insights naturally surpassed those of countless other women. Furthermore, she had lived in the harem for many years, safe and sound; her perspective and tactics were precise and on point.

Now, by executing Leng Shuqing and proclaiming it to the entire world, although the Leng family’s resentment would be difficult to quell, the majesty of the royal family could not be violated. Chu Yihan and Su Yingxue in Hangzhou, once informed, would certainly no longer worry much.

Chu Xi said calmly, “What the esteemed dowager consort said is very apt.”

She may not quite understand the adults’ way of thinking, but Daddy had said that he would kill everyone who hurt her.

Her brother was the Crown Prince, linked to her by blood as a relative. Second Uncle cherished her brother even more, so naturally, whoever intentionally plotted against him had to die!

Chu Jinling glanced at Yu Lu, whose tongue was a bloodied mess because she had bitten it off herself to suffer too much pain to betray Leng Shuqing.

She had been Leng Shuqing’s maidservant from a young age and knew well that even in death, she could not betray Leng Shuqing.

At this moment, as she saw the usually gentle Chu Jinling look at her, his gaze was dark as the abyss, with a sharp gleam that made one’s heart tremble. She quickly backed away, emitting terrified noises, “Wuuu… Aaaah! Wuuu…”

Chu Jinling pursed his lips and extended his hand toward Lin Sisi, “Sisi, give me the knife.”

He looked at the sharp short saber hanging at Lin Sisi’s waist.

Lin Sisi wielded a nine-ringed saber when she went into battle, and when she was in Jiang Du City, she kept this Youming Knife close for self-defense. It was the knife he had found and given to her for protection.

Now…

He also needed to use this knife.

Lin Sisi hesitated for a moment. Looking at Chu Jinling’s face, pale to the extreme, she spoke with a rough voice but gently said, “Let me do it for you! I’m not afraid of those civil officials from the Leng family!”

She didn’t want her Jinling’s hands to be stained with blood.

He had always been so clean and likable.

Chu Jinling snatched the knife from her hands swiftly, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly, “If you were the imperial uncle’s nephew, I would have let you do it.”

But unfortunately, only he, Chu Jinling, had been protected by Chu Yihan for many years, always kept by his side.

Now, Chu Yihan’s own son had nearly come to harm under his watch. If he couldn’t wield a knife for Chu Yihan now, then he would truly be as his mother had said, squandering the imperial uncle’s years of kindness toward him!

With the knife in hand, he bolted toward Leng Shuqing’s palace quarters.

Yu Lu and Leng Shuqing, he planned to resolve both of them in one go.

But just as their group arrived at Leng Shuqing’s palace gate, they saw the palace guards on high alert, and they all knelt down, “Your Highness, you must not enter at this time!”

“Why not?” Chu Jinling frowned.

“Greetings to Lord Jinling!”

Zhuo Junli, donned in his official robes, stepped out from the palace, his face covered with a mask, bowing before Chu Jinling, “Lord Jinling, Noble Consort suddenly fell gravely ill. The Imperial Medical Academy could not find you and thus sought me. Along with the court physician, we discovered that the Noble Consort has contracted a very serious contagious disease, requiring immediate departure from the palace to avoid the epidemic.”

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