Pin Shanhe

A locked room, men in black, a token, plus the victim's testimony.

Jiang Ruoyao was speechless and had nowhere to escape!

At this point, she completely panicked.

She initially agreed to take the blame because she thought it was just a feud between women, and that a minor punishment would suffice.

Jun Qiyuan also assured her that he would plead for her and that there wouldn't be any major problems.

Now the situation has clearly reached an extremely serious point, even involving treason and collusion with the enemy.

This is a heinous crime that could lead to the confiscation of property and the extermination of the entire clan!

She couldn't help but look at her father. Could it be that he had gotten wind of the situation beforehand, which was why he was determined to sever ties with her?

Half an hour ago...

A mysterious dart was firmly embedded in a pillar in front of the Prime Minister's study, with a note attached to it that clearly stated the Fourth Prince and the First Prince of the Northern Dynasty were plotting a rebellion.

Jiang Yue's expression immediately changed drastically, and he ordered someone to prepare a carriage and rush to the Fourth Prince's residence.

Upon arriving at the entrance, they encountered Shen Fu.

With her intentional or unintentional reminders, he became more aware of the seriousness of the matter.

If he doesn't make a decision soon, the Prime Minister's residence will face utter destruction.

Thinking of his humble origins as a poor scholar, and how he had studied diligently for ten years to finally become the top scholar in the imperial examination.

Even with the help of benefactors, it is indeed through their own efforts that they have reached where they are today.

He knew all too well how much he had paid to get to where he was today, and that the collapse of such a great edifice could happen in an instant.

Therefore, he has always been cautious in the court over the years, and even as the prime minister, he has never dared to offend anyone easily.

What a pity I raised a daughter who is so ignorant and loves to cause trouble!

He had privately advised her many times to restrain herself and not make enemies everywhere.

She might still have some rationality in other matters, but she goes mad whenever she's around the Second Prince.

Fortunately, it was all between women, and no one wanted to make a big fuss, so they covered it up and it passed.

Unexpectedly, this time she dared to be so audacious as to collude with foreign enemies.

Although the Fourth Prince was the mastermind, they were husband and wife, so how could they escape involvement?

Moreover, as the prime minister, he had a clear understanding of national affairs and the political situation in the court.

The eldest prince of the Northern Dynasty harbored wolfish ambitions and was determined to annex the Yong Dynasty.

What good can come from the Fourth Prince cooperating with him?

Even if he were to seize the throne by sheer luck, the Great Yong dynasty would likely be doomed.

At that point, let alone becoming the emperor's father-in-law, it's hard to say whether he can even keep his position as prime minister.

Moreover, the Emperor is currently in his prime, and he has a formidable rival like the Second Prince, as well as the support of Prince Xuan and others. What makes him think he can contend with them?

His greatest wish was for the second prince to become his son-in-law, but things didn't go as planned.

Even though his daughter married the fourth prince, he never openly had any political involvement with him.

It was precisely because of his clear-cut stance and his contributions to the people in managing the floods that he achieved this.

That's why they gave him a choice.

Jiang Xiang did not disappoint them.

Just as he was about to rush up and slap Jiang Ruoyao, Jun Qiyuan was one step ahead.

"You vile woman! I was just pleading for you, and you actually dared to do such a thing! How can I face my father, how can I face our imperial ancestors?"

Jiang Ruoyao had already been slapped when she first arrived here, and now she's been slapped again.

Her face was finally symmetrical, with a five-finger mark on each side, and her cheeks were swollen.

At that moment, she was angry, frustrated, and filled with endless panic and fear.

Why did things turn out this way?

She only wanted to get revenge on Shen Fu, and on the woman who got close to the Second Prince, but she never expected to be drawn into power struggles and political intrigue.

Her husband made her a scapegoat, and her father abandoned her.

Is death the only outcome awaiting her?

No, she is not reconciled!

After giving so much and sacrificing so much, this is the end result.

If I tell the Emperor the truth now, will he let me go?

Anyway, they were the ones who betrayed her first, so at worst, none of us will have a good time!

Just as I was about to tell the truth, a tearing pain suddenly shot through my chest.

She couldn't catch her breath and suddenly collapsed to the ground.

When the emperor traveled, a royal physician would accompany him in case of emergency.

Upon seeing that Jiang Ruoyao was in trouble, the imperial physician immediately stepped forward to examine her.

Upon checking his breath, his expression suddenly changed drastically.

"Your Majesty, the Fourth Imperial Consort is dead."

Jiang Xiang looked incredulous.

He only wanted to sever ties with her and not let her crimes implicate the Prime Minister's family, but he never expected her to die like that.

And they were living and dying right in front of him!

After all, she was his own daughter, how could he not feel heartbroken?

Emperor Yong was also extremely shocked.

Just when the truth was about to be revealed, how could the person suddenly die?

What a coincidence!

He sensed something was amiss and immediately ordered the imperial physician to investigate the cause of death.

The result was—death from fear and palpitations!

Could it be that he scared himself to death because he knew he had been exposed and was afraid of being punished?

Emperor Yong was still somewhat uneasy and repeatedly asked, "It's not because of poisoning, or anything else?"

The imperial physician replied, "If someone died from poisoning, their lips would definitely turn blue, and the poisoned blood could be detected with a silver needle. However, the Fourth Imperial Consort appears normal and shows no signs of poisoning."

So, is it really just a coincidence?

With the imperial physician as witness, even if Emperor Yong still harbored doubts, he could no longer say anything.

Now that Jiang Ruoyao is dead, Jun Qiyuan insists that it has nothing to do with him.

Everything must be based on evidence; you can't just convict someone based on conjecture!

Jun Qiyuan knew that this matter could not be easily resolved, so he immediately knelt on the ground.

"If Yao has committed such a grave mistake, even if I was unaware of it, I cannot escape the blame for failing to properly discipline her. I beg Your Majesty to punish me."

Even if he didn't say anything, Emperor Yong had no intention of letting him go.

"From this day forward, the Fourth Prince shall be confined to his residence and shall not leave the residence without my decree."

"yes!"

Jun Qiyuan clenched his fists, a shadow falling over his eyes.

Damn!

He kidnapped the woman only to inquire about some secrets of the Xuanwang Mansion, but he never expected it to lead to so many things and almost expose his relationship with Murong Xiao.

Fortunately, Jiang Ruoyao "atoneed for her sins with her death," which allowed him to escape a disaster temporarily.

Otherwise, the consequences are disastrous!

So what if I'm grounded? As long as I can protect myself for the time being, there will always be a day when I can turn things around.

Shen Fu and the others also felt it was a bit of a pity.

Jun Qiyuan managed to slip through the cracks again; he's got a lucky fate!

However, we should always try to look on the bright side.

After today, Emperor Yong's suspicions of him must have intensified.

Furthermore, given that Jiang Ruoyao died because of him, how could Prime Minister Jiang possibly harbor no resentment towards him?

Next, the rift between them is likely to be quite deep!