dtnovels Chapter 272: Dali Temple Intervenes in the Investigation
Chapter 272: Dali Temple Intervenes in the Investigation
"I am very pleased that the Empress and Princess Jinglie have a good relationship. After the birthday banquet the next day, the Empress may summon Princess Jinglie to the palace for a detailed discussion." Unexpectedly, it was the Emperor himself who spoke up, interrupting the confrontation between the two.
The ministers exchanged glances, looking somewhat bewildered.
The Empress seems to have lost her composure today. At His Majesty's birthday banquet, she repeatedly talked with Princess Jinglie, unintentionally leaving His Majesty aside. It seems that this has displeased her.
The Emperor's words struck the Empress like a bucket of cold water, and she quickly realized her mistake. She hastily changed the subject: "Your Majesty, may you live a long and prosperous life! I recently acquired a beautiful piece of jade coral, which I intended to present to Your Majesty. However, upon seeing Princess Jinglie, I was so overjoyed that I completely forgot about this important matter. How inappropriate! Guards..."
She raised her hand, and a palace maid who had been waiting brought out a coral covered with red silk. The moment the red silk was lifted, the exquisitely crafted coral instantly captured everyone's attention.
"It is indeed a rare and precious item."
"The last time coral of this quality appeared was thirteen years ago, when it was part of the dowry that the princess took with her when she was married."
"Your Majesty the Empress has gone to great lengths for His Majesty; we are ashamed..."
When it came to flattery, these guys in the court stopped being secretive and acted as if they were afraid the two above them wouldn't hear them.
"I wonder what birthday gift Princess Jinglie has prepared for His Majesty this time she came to the palace?" The Empress was still the same Empress, not willing to miss any opportunity to put Lin Rusi down.
The emperor had barely finished venting his anger when she brought up the topic of her again.
Seeing the emperor's obviously displeased expression, Lin Rusi began to wonder if she had really pushed her too far recently, to the point that the mother of the nation no longer cared about the emperor's expression when she appeared.
Lin Rusi didn't look at the Empress, but instead took out the glass bead that was now in a lighter box.
“Some time ago, a friend of mine visited my residence and gave me a pearl. I think this pearl is very beautiful. Since it is His Majesty’s birthday, I would like to take the liberty of presenting this pearl to His Majesty.” Lin Rusi slowly walked to the center of the hall, slightly raised the wooden box, and lifted the lid.
Just as when she first saw the bead, the ministers were also momentarily stunned and lost in thought.
They are even worse than Lin Rusi was back then.
She was already prepared for what Gao Tuan had taken out; it was bound to be extraordinary.
When she was presented in the palace, it was just an inconspicuous little wooden box, without any decorations, and it looked very cheap.
This contrast amplifies the impact of the glass beads.
"This...this...isn't this the legendary Pearl of the Ocean, the only one of its kind in the world?"
"Am I seeing things? Why would this thing end up in Princess Jinglie's hands?"
"Wait, wasn't this item sold at auction? Could the buyer be Princess Jinglie?"
There were all sorts of speculations and guesses. The officials who were sitting upright forgot their manners and turned to the side, craning their necks to look into the box in her hand.
Fortunately, the emperor's attention was on her hands at the time, and he did not notice the demeanor of the people below.
"Bring it here quickly!" The emperor waved his hand in delight, and immediately a eunuch stepped forward, carefully took the box, and presented it to the emperor.
The emperor played with the beads in his hand, his obvious affection for them practically written all over his face.
"This pearl of the sea is priceless. I wonder how Princess Jinglie obtained this treasure, and where she met such a wealthy person?" The Empress was furious as she watched the glass pearl appear and her jade coral was instantly ignored.
She suddenly spoke, emphasizing the words "priceless" and "rich enough to rival a nation."
The bonds of kinship among royalty are already weak. If Li Jingyang has secretly cultivated such a wealthy and powerful figure, she doesn't believe the emperor wouldn't be wary.
Sure enough, the emperor immediately picked up on those words because of the royal family's sensitivity to such matters.
He slowly put down the glass bead in his hand, his gaze becoming deep: "What the Empress says is very true. I am also very curious about what kind of person she is."
The crowd below lost interest in watching the spectacle.
The conversation has progressed to a point where it's no longer just a power struggle between two women.
Such a sensitive topic, if handled poorly, could lead to turmoil in the imperial court and the outbreak of war.
"Your Majesty should have heard of my friend."
Lin Rusi remained calm and gracefully bowed: "His name is Gao Tuan, the second-in-command of the First Merchant Alliance. This pearl was purchased by him at an auction many years ago."
In a single sentence, the origin of this glass bead is revealed.
Everyone suddenly realized.
If that person is Gao Tuan, then it makes perfect sense.
He was a truly extravagant person, so it was normal for him to take out a small glass bead.
Just when everyone thought that Lin Rusi had survived the ordeal and should leave, she remained standing in the hall, saying, "Of course, the Pearl of the Vast Ocean is precious, and Gao Tuan is willing to part with it for another reason."
Lin Rusi lowered her head slightly, a slight smile playing on her lips.
She's already been bullied and humiliated; swallowing her anger has never been in her nature.
What's more, it's such a great opportunity.
"Oh?" The emperor's interest was piqued. "Why don't you tell me the reason?"
As it turns out, when wealth accumulates to a certain level, even the most powerful person will inevitably have the urge to curry favor.
The emperor was clearly very interested in Gaotuan.
"Gao Tuan had a fiancée he loved deeply. A few days ago, she was seriously injured by villains and was brought to the manor by my daughter to be treated. Unfortunately..."
As Lin Rusi spoke, she sighed and shook her head: "It's a pity that the injury has been healed, but I don't know the person I've fallen in love with."
As she said this, she glanced slightly at the Empress and saw that her expression had changed.
"Such a vile thing has happened right under the emperor's nose!" Whether his anger was genuine or feigned, at this moment, the emperor displayed the appropriate level of fury: "Princess Consort Jinglie, do you know who did this?"
"Your subject..." Lin Rusi paused in her speech.
In the corner of his eye, he saw the Empress suddenly clench her fists, her face pale, and her forehead beginning to sweat.
Seeing her appearance, Lin Rusi smiled slightly: "This commoner is unaware and is still investigating. It is a pity that I am willing but unable to do so. I have taken the liberty of presenting this pearl to His Majesty. I should ask His Majesty to allow the Dali Temple to send people to conduct a thorough investigation on a chosen day and give Gaotuan an explanation."
The Empress is, after all, the Empress. She hasn't obtained any solid evidence yet. Trying to bring down the Empress here with just a few words is nothing short of wishful thinking.
Not to mention, today is the emperor's birthday; she's not so ungrateful as to be that ungrateful.
Therefore, he immediately shut his mouth and refused to say anything more.
"Granted." Sure enough, seeing that she was no longer pressing the issue, the emperor's expression softened considerably. He waved his hand and said, "Grant her a gold medal, allowing her to enter the Dali Temple to investigate this case."