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Chapter 599 Rescued (Part )

Rumble!
Why did thunder suddenly sound in broad daylight?

Empress Dowager Zheng's mind went blank for a moment.

Zheng Chen? How could it be Zheng Chen?!

He was her most beloved nephew, who had been raised in the palace since childhood. It was no exaggeration to say that in her heart, he ranked second only to her eldest grandson Jiang Song.

How could he possibly betray her, his great-aunt?

"Shaohua, did you say something wrong?" Empress Dowager Zheng suddenly laughed: "Zixian is arrogant and has always looked down on Jiang Yi. How could he collude with Jiang Yi to rebel? You must have misjudged him."

Jiang Shaohua looked at Empress Dowager Zheng and said, "I won't talk nonsense about such an important matter."

"Gao Shan, who led the rebellion today, has been secretly communicating with Jiang Yi for a long time. The traitor Wei Xiong outside Jingyang Palace is a general of the Imperial Guards who was won over by Duke Anguo after spending several years. Even Duke Anguo was unaware of Wei Xiong's rebellion, so it must have been instructed by Zheng Chen."

"It's not difficult to get witnesses and evidence. There are many surrendered soldiers outside. Find a few of Wei Xiong's confidants and interrogate them severely, and the truth will be revealed."

Empress Dowager Zheng refused to listen to a word and said stubbornly, "Impossible. Zixian is the heir of the Zheng family. In the future, the entire Zheng family will belong to him. Why would he rebel with Jiang Yi?"

Jiang Shaohua said calmly, "Because he is too ambitious, he can't wait ten or twenty years. He colluded with Jiang Yi and instigated Jiang Yi to murder his cousin. Then, he raised an army to rebel. When the rebellion was successful, he killed Jiang Yi and supported Prince Ping to sit on the throne. By then, the country of Daliang would belong to Zheng Chen. Isn't this much more enjoyable than being a secretary of the Central Secretariat?"

Empress Dowager Zheng's face gradually turned pale.

Jiang Shaohua continued: "Zheng Chen is ambitious and unwilling to be inferior to others. He does not want the Zheng family in a few decades, but to have power now. He even wants to get rid of the Duke of Anguo and the Empress Dowager."

"We will know the truth of these things once we investigate them. With your wisdom, even if you don't investigate, everything will become clear once you think about it carefully."

The Queen Mother Zheng's expression kept changing, her breathing became more and more rapid, and she held the handle of the chair tightly in her hands, as if she was holding Zheng Chen's neck tightly and could break it with force.

"Zhao Chunming!" Empress Dowager Zheng gritted her teeth and shouted angrily.

Eunuch Zhao shuddered and stepped forward quickly: "The servant is here."

Empress Dowager Zheng squeezed out a sentence from between her teeth: "Go, go and bring Zheng Chen here."

Eunuch Zhao responded and ran out in a hurry.

Jiang Shaohua did not say anything else and stayed silently beside Empress Dowager Zheng.

The waiting time was always extraordinarily long. In fact, it was only a cup of tea before Eunuch Zhao came back. The person who came with Eunuch Zhao was not Zheng Chen, but Duke Anguo.

Duke Anguo killed three rebels today and was also slightly injured. He had no time to bandage himself and his clothes were stained with blood. He looked miserable and pitiful.

Duke Anguo knelt down as soon as he came in, and kowtowed three times, his forehead was broken, and a trickle of blood flowed down when he raised his head. His voice was hoarse and choked with sobs: "Aunt, save the Zheng family."

Empress Dowager Zheng was heartbroken.

She clenched her right hand suddenly, not even noticing that her long nails were broken, and stared at her nephew fiercely: "What nonsense are you talking about! The Zheng family is an in-law, and they are of the same blood as the Jiang family. They prosper together and suffer together. How could the Zheng family rebel!"

Duke Anguo burst into tears and cried, "I swear to heaven that I have always been loyal and have never done anything to let my aunt down. But Zheng Chen, this evil creature, took advantage of my trust in him and used the connections of the Zheng family to do many things that he shouldn't have done in private. Once a thorough investigation is carried out, the Zheng family will inevitably be implicated."

"Please, aunt, save the lives of the Zheng family."

As he spoke, he kowtowed again. If one person plots treason, the whole family will be punished.

Once something happened, the Zheng family would have no way of explaining themselves. Moreover, the people Zheng Chen used were from the Zheng family, so how could they say that the Zheng family was innocent?

Empress Dowager Zheng stood up suddenly, pointed at Duke Anguo, and was about to curse when her vision suddenly went dark.

Jiang Shaohua was quick to move and immediately reached out to support Empress Dowager Zheng: "Someone, call the imperial physician."

"No need for a doctor." Empress Dowager Zheng managed to hold on without fainting. She managed to open her eyes and said breathlessly, "You, you guys leave."

Several trusted eunuchs and palace maids quietly retreated and stood guard outside the door.

Only Eunuch Zhao was left, supporting Empress Dowager Zheng with a worried look on his face.

He was a castrated eunuch, without any offspring, and was only half a man. His current status and position were all due to the favor and support of the Grand Empress Dowager Zheng. Therefore, he cared more about the safety of the Grand Empress Dowager Zheng than anyone else.

Empress Dowager Zheng's chest kept rising and falling, showing her intense emotions. She panted sharply for a few times and opened her mouth with difficulty: "Shaohua, don't make this public."

Just one sentence makes the position clear.

This did not surprise Jiang Shaohua.

Empress Dowager Zheng has always relied on the Zheng family to intervene in the court, and even for the sake of blood relationship, she will do her best to protect the Zheng family.

Jiang Shaohua did not agree, and turned to ask Anguogong: "Where did Zheng Chen go?"

Duke Anguo looked disheartened, lowering his head and not looking at Jiang Shaohua: "There was a fierce fight just now, and I didn't pay attention to his whereabouts for a while. I don't know where he ran to."

Jiang Shaohua sneered: "There is no one else here, so Duke Anguo doesn't need to say these nonsense. You let Zheng Chen, the mastermind, escape. If they investigate and settle the matter in the future, you will have to bear the crime of treason. The Zheng family will be exterminated."

Duke Anguo looked pale.

Empress Dowager Zheng squeezed out a sentence: "Shaohua, please listen to what I have to say."

Jiang Shaohua turned around, his eyes as sharp as a knife: "My great-aunt has been very kind to me. I will agree to anything you ask for. But this is not the only thing I can do."

"Zheng Chen plotted to murder my cousin and attempted to usurp power. Today, there was a coup in the palace, and many officials died. Minister Li and Li Boyuan were both killed by the traitor's arrows. Even my cousin Baohua was killed by the traitor's knife. There are also many loyal imperial guards who died today."

"Jiang Yi has been killed by me, and the Prince of Dongping and his son have been escorted to the capital. Zheng Chen must also pay the price for this."

"If my great-aunt wants to save the Zheng family, then she should immediately issue an order to arrest Zheng Chen. If Zheng Chen pleads guilty, the Zheng family may still have a chance to survive. Otherwise, the entire family will be executed."

This was the first time that Jiang Shaohua showed his fierceness and strength in front of Empress Dowager Zheng.

Empress Dowager Zheng was so shocked that she was speechless.

Duke Anguo regrets it now.

No matter how important his son was, he was not as important as the lives of the Zheng family. Why did he lose his mind and let him go?

"Princess, I'll have someone capture the rebellious son." Duke Anguo gritted his teeth and said, "Princess, please also give the Zheng family a chance to live for the sake of the Empress Dowager."

Jiang Shaohua said coldly: "I can keep this a secret for the time being. However, the court officials have sharp eyes. We can hide it for a while, but not forever. The Zheng family must give everyone an explanation."