readytorunbook Chapter 298: Twins from the same mother?
Chapter 298: Twins from the same mother?
Chapter 298 Born of the same mother?
Zhou Yuan frowned and broke the silence first, his tone firm and sincere, "Empress Dowager, Your Majesty, your younger brother is loyal to my elder brother, as clear as the sun and moon, and has no disloyal intentions."
Su Yinyin took a deep breath to calm herself down and slowly said, "Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, I'm sure you both have doubts about my rash killing of Murong Yu."
But please believe me, Yinyin did not act impulsively. The person Murong Yu was about to name was Su Jianguo, who, Zhou Yuan, and Murong Yu were actually siblings born of the same mother.
Upon hearing this, both the Emperor and the Empress Dowager were startled, their eyes filled with astonishment.
The Empress Dowager couldn't help but gasp softly, "Such a thing? Such a complicated relationship, no wonder you...!"
Su Yinyin nodded slightly, her expression solemn as she continued, "If Murong Yu were to reveal this matter in public, my child with Zhou Yuan would inevitably live amidst a vortex of gossip and slander, enduring endless criticism and condemnation from the world."
For the sake of her child, Yinyin had no other choice but to resort to this desperate measure.
I hope Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager can understand Yinyin's predicament.
The emperor frowned, pacing back and forth in his study with a grave expression. After a moment of thought, he said, "This matter is indeed extremely troublesome."
"No matter what, Murong Yu was a prince of the Great Yan Kingdom. Now that he has died in my Great Zhou Kingdom, how to explain this to the Emperor of the Great Yan Kingdom is truly a difficult problem."
Zhou Yuan quickly said, "Your Majesty, although Murong Yu is dead, the woman who impersonated the Empress and Princess Siran are still alive. They must know a lot of inside information."
Your Majesty, I will do everything in my power, at all costs, to extract useful information from them and give you a satisfactory explanation.
Su Yinyin also said, "Your Majesty, I have already secretly arranged for reliable people to thoroughly investigate the letters between Su Gaojie and the Empress of the Great Yan Kingdom."
Now we await the evidence from the Great Xia Kingdom; then the truth will surely be revealed to the world.
The emperor nodded slightly, his expression still solemn. He paced back and forth in the imperial study and said slowly, "Now that Murong Yu is dead, things have become even more complicated and troublesome."
As for the Great Yan Kingdom, I wrote a letter to them truthfully informing them of the situation. As for how they will react, it is truly unpredictable.
The most urgent task is to quickly uncover the conspiracy behind this and bring all the masterminds to justice in order to prevent the Great Zhou Kingdom from falling into an irrecoverable crisis.
The Empress Dowager also looked worried, sighed softly, and said, "Yes, this matter cannot be delayed any longer."
"Yinyin and Zhou Yuan, you two must act with extreme caution. This not only concerns the safety and survival of the Great Zhou Kingdom, but also your own reputation and future."
Su Yinyin and Zhou Yuan replied in unison, "Your Majesty, rest assured, Yinyin and the others understand the implications and will do our utmost."
Zhou Yuan continued, "Your Majesty, I believe the most urgent task is to start with the woman impersonating the Empress and Princess Siran in prison."
These two individuals have special identities and were deeply involved in this conspiracy, so they must know a lot of crucial information.
I will personally interrogate them and keep a close watch on them day and night, making sure they reveal the truth.
The emperor looked at Zhou Yuan with eyes full of trust and said, "Regent, I entrust this matter entirely to you."
You have always acted with composure and thoroughness, and I believe you will be able to extract useful clues from them.
However, you must not be careless. The forces behind them definitely don't want the truth to come out, and they might use various means to interfere with the interrogation. You must be very careful.
Zhou Yuan bowed and accepted the order, his tone firm, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will not let you down and will investigate this matter thoroughly."
Su Yinyin also said, "Your Majesty, the evidence will be delivered to our Great Zhou Kingdom in just three days."
When the evidence is conclusive, we will be able to uproot this conspiracy and expose all the masterminds behind it.
The emperor repeatedly said, "Good, good, good! I hope everything proceeds smoothly as you have predicted."
Seeing that the emperor's mood had calmed down a bit, Su Yinyin slowly knelt on the ground and said sincerely, "Your Majesty, Yinyin begs for forgiveness on behalf of Su Gaojie."
Although Yinyin had long since severed ties with Su Gaojie, the old lady, her brother, and her second aunt from the Yongyi Marquis's mansion were all innocent.
Yinyin is willing to hand over the pardon and present the precious formation to His Majesty.
All assets of the Marquis of Yongyi's mansion have been handed over to the national treasury. We earnestly request Your Majesty to show leniency and spare the innocent members of the Marquis of Yongyi's mansion.
After saying that, Su Yinyin carefully took out an account book from her bosom and presented it with both hands.
Two days ago, Su Yinyin had already retrieved all the silver that Su Gaojie had given to the Empress of the Great Yan Kingdom over the past few decades.
Upon hearing Su Yinyin's words, the emperor's heart was filled with turbulent emotions.
Formations—those are rare treasures that can enhance national strength and defense! The emperor looked at Su Yinyin kneeling on the ground, his gaze falling on the account book in her hand, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
Su Yinyin's actions were undoubtedly an attempt to plead for the innocent people of the Yongyi Marquis's mansion by using the precious formation and the vast assets of the Yongyi Marquis's mansion.
If used properly, this formation will surely elevate the national strength of the Great Zhou Kingdom to a new level, and the assets of the Marquis of Yongyi's mansion will greatly enrich the national treasury and alleviate the financial pressure on the Great Zhou Kingdom.
The Empress Dowager was slightly moved, her eyes full of praise, and said, "Yinyin is a child who values loyalty and righteousness and knows how to consider the big picture."
Although Su Gaojie committed a grave crime in the Marquis of Yongyi's mansion, most of the other members are indeed innocent. Your Majesty, what do you think...?
The emperor pondered for a moment and then slowly said, "Su Yinyin, your willingness to hand over the formation and the assets of the Marquis of Yongyi's mansion demonstrates your loyalty to the Great Zhou Kingdom."
I will show leniency to the innocent people, including the old lady of the Marquis of Yongyi's mansion.
However, Su Gaojie's crimes are unforgivable. You must handle this matter cleanly and efficiently, leaving no room for future trouble.
Su Yinyin was overjoyed. There was nothing she didn't understand; the emperor was still on her side.
She quickly kowtowed to express her gratitude, "Your Majesty is wise. On behalf of the entire Yongyi Marquis's mansion, I thank Your Majesty for your grace."
The emperor slightly raised his hand, gesturing for Su Yinyin to rise, and said, "Rise. The most urgent task now is to investigate the conspiracy behind this."
"Su Yinyin, you said the evidence from the Great Xia Kingdom would arrive in three days. During this time, you must make thorough preparations and ensure nothing goes wrong."
Su Yinyin stood up and said firmly, "Your Majesty, rest assured, Yinyin will make all the arrangements."
This evidence is of paramount importance. Yin Yin has arranged for her most trusted confidants to provide backup along the way, traveling day and night to ensure its safe delivery.
Zhou Yuan also said, "Your Majesty, when interrogating the woman who impersonated the Empress and Princess Siran, I will be extra careful and cautious, and strengthen the prison guards to prevent the forces behind them from causing trouble."
At the same time, I will also deploy personnel to strengthen the defenses of the palace and the capital, just in case, to ensure the safety of the Great Zhou Kingdom.
The emperor nodded and said, "Very good. The two of you must work together and cooperate to uncover the full extent of the conspiracy as soon as possible."
If successful, they will all be meritorious officials of the Great Zhou Kingdom, and I will reward them handsomely.
Su Yinyin and Zhou Yuan responded in unison, "Yinyin, we will certainly live up to our mission and are willing to dedicate ourselves to the Great Zhou Kingdom."