He remarried after his mother's death, seized power over the world, and slept on the emperor�

He dared to find someone to kneel in the ancestral hall as punishment!

The Dowager Empress was so angry that her vision blurred, and her hands, which were supporting her nanny, were trembling.

"This is outrageous! This is absolutely outrageous!"

"Go! Go to her yard! Drag her out!"

Ji Shaohuan was lounging on the warm couch in the room, eating freshly peeled oranges while listening to the little girl tell new jokes.

She calculated the time; the old woman should have succeeded by now.

As long as Jiang Bingning drinks that bowl of soup...

In the future, she will watch that bitch decline day by day and finally die like a dog!

Thinking of this, the smile on her lips grew even more smug.

Just then.

"Bang!"

Chang Fu kicked open her door.

Ji Shaohuan was startled, and the orange in his mouth fell out.

"Who is it! How dare they..."

Before she could finish speaking, she saw the furious face at the door.

"Grandma... grandma?"

Ji Shaohuan hurriedly rolled off the couch, not even having time to put on his shoes.

The Dowager Consort, supported by others, walked in step by step, her gaze fixed intently on her.

"You seem to have a lot of free time."

"Are the prayer cushions in the ancestral hall comfortable to kneel on?"

Ji Shaohuan's face turned pale instantly.

She knelt down with a thud, crawled to the old lady's feet, hugged her legs, and began to cry.

"Grandma! Grandma, please let me explain!"

"It's not what you think! That maid acted on her own!"

The Dowager Empress kicked her away.

"Acting on your own initiative?"

"Was it someone else who acted on their own initiative to poison Miss Jiang?"

Ji Shaohuan froze, then cried even harder.

"I'm innocent, Grandmother! Your granddaughter is innocent!"

She turned her head sharply and pointed at Jiang Bingning beside her.

"It was her! She framed me!"

"That old woman from the Lin family must have harbored resentment towards Consort Lin because of what happened to her, and that's why she took it upon herself to commit such a heinous act!"

"This has absolutely nothing to do with me!"

"Jiang Bingning is just trying to use me as a tool to kill someone else and drive me out of the palace! Grandmother, you must do me justice!"

She cried so hard she was hoarse, as if she had truly suffered a tremendous injustice.

If someone who doesn't know the facts reads this, they might actually believe it to some extent.

But Jiang Bingning just watched her performance coldly.

Only when her sobs subsided did Jiang Bingning slowly speak.

"Sister Shaohuan, you have such a silver tongue."

She turned to the Dowager Princess and took a folded piece of paper from her sleeve.

"Your Highness, this is the complete conversation between Ji Shaohuan and that old woman from the Lin family that Chun Tao overheard three days ago in the West Alley."

"The time, place, and name of the poison 'Dead Cicada' are clearly recorded on it."

Chuntao stepped forward.

"This servant can testify that everything I said is true!"

Ji Shaohuan's crying stopped abruptly.

Jiang Bingning's gaze fell on the big locust tree in her yard.

"As for the remaining poison..."

"It must be hidden under the big locust tree in Shao Huan's courtyard, in the third brick or stone compartment from the east."

Ji Shaohuan's face went from deathly pale to ashen.

The last trace of warmth vanished from the old concubine's eyes.

"Go! Search!"

Chang Fu accepted the order and quickly found an oil paper package in the designated location.

When you open it, you find white powder inside.

We have both witnesses and physical evidence!

Ji Shaohuan collapsed to the ground, all his excuses stuck in his throat.

The Dowager Empress looked at her granddaughter on the ground, her eyes filled with utter disappointment and anger.

She walked step by step to Ji Shaohuan.

Ji Shaohuan raised his head, his eyes filled with fear.

"grandmother……"

Snapped!

A crisp, loud slap landed hard on her face!

Ji Shaohuan's cheeks swelled up at a visible speed.

She was stunned by the blow.

The Dowager pointed at her nose, her voice trembling with extreme anger.

"Poisoning guests, defaming brothers and sisters, deceiving superiors and subordinates, and repeatedly refusing to mend their ways!"

"My Ji family has no daughter with such a vicious heart!"

Ji Shaohuan covered her face, looking at her grandmother in disbelief.

Her eyes were so cold, devoid of any warmth whatsoever.

The Dowager Consort didn't even bother to look at her again, and slowly turned around to sit back in the main seat.

"explain."

Ji Shaohuan trembled all over and collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Grandmother... I was wrong... I was really wrong..."

"I'm asking you, who ordered you to do this?"

The Dowager Empress's tone remained completely flat.

"No one instructed me...it was me...it was a moment of confusion..."

Ji Shaohuan still tried to argue.

The Dowager Empress closed her eyes, as if she had exhausted her last bit of patience.

"Chang Fu".

"This old servant is here."

"Take the family approach."

"Yes."

Chang Fu responded expressionlessly and turned to leave.

"No! Don't!"

Ji Shaohuan was terrified.

"Grandma! I'll talk! I'll talk!"

"It's the Lin family!"

"They found me!"

"They said that if I could get rid of Jiang Bingning, this thorn in my side, they would promise me a wonderful marriage!"

"They said they could help me marry into a wealthy family and become their principal wife!"

"Grandmother, I'm doing this for the sake of the reputation of our Prince Xin's Mansion!"

"I was just momentarily bewitched, Grandmother!"

She cried out, trying to find a plausible reason for her evil deeds.

But none of the people inside were moved.

Liu Jingyi looked at her, her eyes filled with sorrow.

Jiang Bingning remained aloof and observed the situation from the sidelines.

The Dowager Empress slowly opened her eyes.

"You'd poison someone just for a hollow promise?"

"Are you willing to gamble with the peace of the Prince's mansion just to climb the social ladder?"

"it is good."

"What a convenient excuse, 'for the sake of the Prince's mansion's reputation'."

The Dowager Empress's gaze swept over all the head maids and nannies present.

"Pass on my order."

Everyone bowed in unison, silent as if startled by a chill.

"First, Ji Shaohuan, whose character is depraved. From this moment forward, he shall be sent to the family temple in the west of the city to practice Buddhism while still keeping his hair."

Send it to the ancestral temple!

What's the difference between this and a death sentence?

Ji Shaohuan's vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground completely.

"Secondly, all servants in her courtyard who know about this but fail to report it shall be flogged thirty times, sold out of the household, and never be employed again!"

"three."

The Dowager Empress paused, then her voice suddenly rose.

"Tomorrow morning, in the name of Prince Xin's Mansion, a proclamation will be made throughout the capital!"

"Just say that the Prince Xin's family failed to properly educate their daughter, and that the Lin family instigated this whole affair!"

"From this day forward, the Prince Xin's Mansion and the Lin family are severing all ties and will never have any dealings again!"

The moment this order was issued, everyone in the hall was astonished.

This is not just about disciplining a granddaughter who made a mistake.

This is the Prince Xin's Mansion, officially declaring war on the Lin Mansion!

After the Dowager Empress finished speaking, she walked past Ji Shaohuan step by step, not even sparing him a glance.

"Drag it down."

Those three cold words were the last things she left for her granddaughter.

-----------------

The news spread faster than the wind.

Before dawn, the entire upper echelons of the capital were shaken.

Lin House.

The study was brightly lit by candlelight.

Lin Wei listened to the report from her trusted steward without showing any surprise.

"Has that old woman who poisoned us been dealt with properly?"

The steward bowed and said, "My lord, rest assured, as soon as the incident occurred at the Prince Xin's residence last night, I sent people over. The old woman's family has already received a large sum of compensation and sent it out of the capital overnight."

Where are they?

"Reporting to the Marquis, the person has already died suddenly from an illness."

"Um."

Lin Wei took a sip of tea, her expression indifferent.

"She was just an old woman; she's dead, so be it."

"If the Prince of Xin's Mansion wants to declare war, then let's fight."

"Perfect, let the entire court see who I, Lin, should choose between this impoverished Prince Xin's mansion and his own."

He put down his teacup, a glint of venomous glint flashing in his eyes.

"By the way, prepare a generous gift and send it to Prince Xin's residence first thing tomorrow morning."

"Just say that my Lin family was also deceived by that wicked servant, and we apologize to Miss Jiang."

The steward was taken aback: "My lord, this..."

Lin Wei sneered.

"They want to tear off the mask, but we'll stick it back on for them."

"I want the whole capital to see who is being unreasonable."