“Both witness testimony and physical evidence are complete.” Hearing these words, Empress Dowager Lu felt as if her heart had been torn open, exposing her mangled and crushed internal organs.

Even now, she couldn’t tell who was still worthy of trust—even Old Kong couldn’t be trusted, even this loyal servant who had served their Lu family his entire life couldn’t be trusted. Then who on earth could be trusted?

Her lips moved. Tears pooled in her eyes, but she fought desperately to keep them from falling. Expressionlessly, she said: “I don’t believe it.”

Liang Tong had already loudly interrupted Empress Dowager Lu’s words. He walked to the center, filled with righteous indignation: “Previously there was Daoist Ciyun testifying, and Your Majesty the Empress Dowager said you didn’t believe it. Now there is also a confidant from beside the Grand Heir coming forward to testify, and Your Majesty still doesn’t believe it.” He was heartbroken and distressed, and somehow tears suddenly streamed down: “Then what will it take for Your Majesty to believe?! His Majesty is lying unconscious on that bed, Immortal Taibai said His Majesty has been harmed by this poison to the point he can never awaken again—in Your Majesty’s eyes, is even this less important than His Highness?!”

Whispering continued throughout the hall, and people constantly voiced their agreement, but Empress Dowager Lu seemed not to see any of it. She looked down at Liang Tong kneeling below and woodenly opened her mouth: “What you say is right. I don’t believe it.”

She gripped Emperor Jianzhang’s hand tightly: “His Majesty doesn’t believe it either.”

Before Liang Tong and the others could continue their lamentations, she pointed at Meng Jiming and Feng Yinglong: “You say Kong Shun personally testified. Then bring Kong Shun here. This Palace wants to personally question him in front of all the civil and military officials in this Taiji Hall, personally question him myself.”

Liang Tong scoffed. At this point, he truly believed Zhou Weizhao was that kind of unrighteous and unfilial person. Although he was quite dissatisfied with Empress Dowager Lu’s request to publicly interrogate Kong Shun, at least the Empress Dowager was willing to question him. As long as she was willing to question him, that was good—let all the civil and military officials personally hear what this Grand Heir had done.

Chief Grand Secretary Chang and the others had no objections. After all, since it concerned the Grand Heir, naturally they should be as cautious as possible. Eunuch An received the order and ran out, personally carrying the decree to the Court of Judicial Review to bring the person.

Scholar Chen sat restlessly in his room, his entire body drenched in anxious sweat. He kept pacing back and forth in the room, nearly wearing a layer off the floor, but he had no way to suppress the anxiety and excitement in his heart.

Success or failure—it all came down to this final strike today.

The steward hurried in, not even having time to wipe the sweat from his forehead, and immediately told Scholar Chen: “It’s happening, it’s happening! There’s movement from the palace!”

Finally there was movement from the palace! Scholar Chen’s eyes lit up. He hurriedly said: “Speak quickly, speak quickly! What happened?!”

“Eunuch An personally came out from the palace and went to the Court of Judicial Review to bring someone. They say the Empress Dowager refuses to believe the witness testimony and wants to personally interrogate Kong Shun in front of all the civil and military officials, in front of His Majesty!” The steward’s heart trembled violently. He felt as if his heart could leap out of his chest at any moment and was quite uneasy: “The person is already on his way to the palace now.”

Scholar Chen clenched his fists and stood there in a daze for a while. For a moment, his mind went completely blank. He hadn’t anticipated this development.

But immediately after, he regained his senses—wasn’t interrogating in front of all the civil and military officials even better? Interrogating in front of all the civil and military officials, what more was there to say? Kong Shun was someone he had personally gone to fetch on Lord Xu’s orders, which showed this person was reliable. What was there to worry about? In front of all the civil and military officials, it would more thoroughly seal Zhou Weizhao’s guilt. At that time, Zhou Weizhao would be directly spurned by all under heaven. What imperial throne could he still think about? At that time, he would never again have to worry about Zhou Weizhao making a comeback.

He breathed a sigh of relief, stamped his feet, and asked the steward again: “Has Lord Xu returned?”

The steward shook his head: “Lord Xu’s whereabouts have never allowed us to inquire about them. I’ve been searching for a long time but haven’t heard any news.”

Scholar Chen felt something was off again. He sighed, then suddenly remembered something Lord Xu had instructed, and asked the steward in a daze: “There’s another matter—what about the Grand Heir Consort’s side… How is that going?”

He had already arranged many people according to Lord Xu’s intentions, disguising them as angry commoners to attack Song Chuyi’s carriage—in fact, they had also genuinely incited many angry common people to attack Song Chuyi’s carriage. Mixed among these ordinary civilians were many of their people, and they absolutely had to put Song Chuyi to death.

The steward slapped his forehead, only now remembering he had forgotten to attend to this matter. He was somewhat bewildered: “This servant was so busy I forgot, forgot to ask about it…”

His feet hadn’t touched the ground all day today. He had really been so dizzy with busyness that he forgot about this matter.

Scholar Chen hadn’t expected him to forget. For a moment, he himself was stunned. When he came to his senses, he was somewhat angry and somewhat uneasy: “Then why aren’t you going to ask quickly?!”

Lord Xu was very wary of this Grand Heir Consort. Though he seemed to fear nothing under heaven, he treated this Grand Heir Consort with respect and kept his distance. If they really ruined Lord Xu’s plan and the Grand Heir Consort was fine, then he might end up being blamed.

Song Chuyi, whom they were plotting about whether she was dead or not, was of course not dead. Song Jue watched Wei Zheng holding a living prisoner in his hand and breathed a sigh of relief. Just moments ago, as soon as they left the residence of the Earl of Changning, they encountered angry commoners—probably three or four hundred people surrounding them and shouting, blocking them all the way at the North Gate, constantly clamoring and charging forward.

Fortunately, although the ceremonial procession was scattered, the Golden Militia Guards were all well-trained. Moreover, with Song Jue and Wei Zheng serving as guardian deities on the left and right, nothing happened.

He glanced at the person Wei Zheng was carrying in his hand, turned back, went to the side of the carriage, lifted the curtain to look at Song Chuyi, and after confirming she was unharmed, asked her: “So now, shall we still enter the palace?”

Just as he finished speaking, the Imperial Guard Commander who had come upon hearing the commotion arrived with his men. Upon arrival, he didn’t apologize but looked down condescendingly at Song Chuyi’s carriage. After a long pause, he asked coldly: “Is this the Grand Heir Consort’s carriage?”

Anyone with eyes knew this was Song Chuyi’s ceremonial procession, yet this Imperial Guard Commander still unnecessarily asked this question. Song Jue frowned, feeling something was wrong.

Wei Zheng was similarly astonished. How could the Imperial Guard Commander have such an attitude? No matter what, Zhou Weizhao’s crime hadn’t been determined yet, had it? Why was he already acting like he was looking at a criminal?

Song Chuyi’s voice, revealing neither joy nor anger, came from inside the carriage. She lightly said the word “yes” and spoke no more. She was already too lazy to guess why this Imperial Guard Commander had such a commanding manner. She asked coldly: “Why did you arrive so late?”