Chapter 744: Chapter 743: Delivering Meals

The lanterns were not only ugly, but also poorly made, leaking wind.

When the candle was lit, a gust of wind blew and the candle flickered.

Driven by a spirit of not giving up, Su Jin and Xingxing struggled for most of the day. They were already low on willpower, and the blow from the Hidden Guard completely crushed them.

The Hidden Guard, who had never crafted lanterns before, did better on his first try than they did.

Under Xingxing’s glaring eyes, the Hidden Guard silently reflected.

Why didn’t he just stay on the tree quietly, and instead came down to get involved?

Not only did he make an ugly one, but it was even better than the lantern made by the Princess Consort and her maid.

The Hidden Guard quietly twisted the lantern out of shape.

“It seems making lanterns also requires talent,” Su Jin said.

“Miss, don’t be disheartened. The Marquis said not everything requires one to excel, and not everyone is skilled at everything. We just need to hand things over to those who are skilled at them.”

“The Marquis called this…”

Always known for her good memory, Xingxing couldn’t recall it for a moment, and anxiously scratched her forehead.

Su Jin smiled and said, “Appointing the right person, knowing people and utilizing them wisely, making the best use of everyone’s talents.”

Xingxing nodded quickly.

That’s exactly what the Marquis said.

She glanced at the Hidden Guard.

The Hidden Guard, “…”

And then—

Su Jin once again put the principle of utilizing talents wisely into action.

She handed over the lantern-making task to the Hidden Guard.

Poor Di Qing, a Hidden Guard, was not sent to kill but ordered to craft lanterns.

This was no longer using a butcher’s knife to kill a chicken, it was using a cleaver to kill a mosquito.

The entire Capital City was immersed in the joy of the Lantern Festival.

Of course, there were exceptions.

For instance, Xie Jinyu, Shangguan Feng’er…

They didn’t want to stroll at the Lantern Festival at all, because this event signified the Emperor’s extreme favor towards Su Jin!

In the Duke Chong’s Mansion, the study.

After lunch, Duke Chong went to the study to handle official documents.

As soon as he entered the study, he saw a snow-white pigeon land on the desk.

He grabbed the pigeon and took the letter from its leg.

After reading the letter, Duke Chong was furious.

“A bunch of incompetents!”

“How could they lose several adults?!”

Thinking about Marquis Dongxiang being lost in tracking, suddenly appearing in the court, successfully outmaneuvering him, causing Duke Chong’s Mansion to fall into the hands of Marquis Dongxiang, Duke Chong gnashed his teeth in anger.

The same mistake must not be made twice!

“Set ambushes on all the necessary routes back to the Capital, I refuse to believe they can bypass the mountains and cross the heights!” Duke Chong’s voice was as cold as frost.

“Li Zhong, you handle this matter for me. You must bring back their heads when you return to see me!”

Dark Guard Li Zhong was responsible for ensuring Duke Chong’s safety.

He wouldn’t be dispatched for ordinary matters.

Li Zhong turned and left.

As soon as he left, the Duchess of Duke Chong walked in briskly, her expression anxious, and said, “Something bad happened…”

Duke Chong was already troubled.

Ever since Marquis Dongxiang entered the Capital, nothing he did went smoothly, always being suppressed, he was almost out of breath.

This feeling of everything being unsmooth left him very dissatisfied.

Furthermore, the matter of Marquis Dongxiang insisting on persuading the Emperor to exempt taxes, he hadn’t yet figured out what Marquis Dongxiang’s intention was.

He couldn’t have brought this up for no reason, and also his relationship with the Emperor…

Although the Emperor was on his side for now, with Marquis Dongxiang’s eloquence, there was no guarantee the Emperor wouldn’t be sweet-talked into agreeing with him, and then be influenced by Marquis Dongxiang to exempt the taxes.

Duke Chong looked at the Duchess and said, “Weren’t you visiting the Old Madam in the Ministry of Justice? Could it be something’s happened to her?”

“The Old Madam is just the same as a few days ago, no major changes,” the Duchess replied.

“But the Ministry of Justice has become suspicious of the Old Madam…”

Half an hour ago, the Duchess went to visit the Old Madam at the Ministry of Justice, bringing her food to show filial piety.

Although the Duchess didn’t go every day, she delivered meals to the Old Madam every two or three days, while the meals for the three daily meals were regularly sent to the prison of the Ministry of Justice by the maids and servants.

The Old Madam was a criminal sentenced to death, but being the birth mother of the Empress and Duke Chong, the Ministry of Justice dared not offend Duke Chong.

Additionally, the Prince Zhenbei had not given any instructions to the Ministry of Justice, so they let Duke Chong’s Mansion send meals.

Today was no different from usual, but as the Duchess went in, she unintentionally overheard two prison guards chatting.

The main point was that the Imperial Physician diagnosed that the Old Madam wouldn’t live past a month, and it’s already been a month, but her complexion seemed even better than when she entered the Ministry of Justice Prison.

They even joked that the Ministry of Justice Prison was an excellent place for health maintenance.

Upon hearing this, the Duchess’s maid intended to reprimand the prison guards.

However, another prison guard said, “Yesterday, I heard the forensic doctor discussing with Lord Vice Minister, saying the Old Madam’s pulse fluctuates between good and bad, as if she’s been taking antidote intermittently…”

The conversation halted here because the prison guards noticed the Duchess and quickly stopped talking.

The Duchess was shocked, said nothing, paid her respects to the Old Madam, and hurried back to Duke Chong’s Mansion.

If Prince Zhenbei and Marquis Dongxiang knew that the Old Madam took antidote intermittently every few days, they would surely grow suspicious and doubt Duke Chong.

This matter could not be taken lightly.

Duke Chong’s face was grim.

He didn’t expect such a secret thing to be discovered.

Precisely because he feared arousing suspicion, even though he had the antidote, he dared not detoxify the Old Madam completely.

He could only feed her a little antidote when she couldn’t endure anymore, to suppress the toxin.

Yet it was still discovered.

Now he was at a loss for what to do.

The Duchess knew that Duke Chong was filial. Seeing his terrifyingly gloomy face but saying nothing, she said, “Your Grace, at this point, you need to focus on the larger picture.”

Duke Chong waved his hand, “Leave me alone for a while.”

The Duchess turned and left.

Outside the door, the maid whispered, “Madam, hiding the antidote from His Grace…”

The Duchess sighed, “He doesn’t have the heart to withhold the antidote from the Old Madam. Such a damning task, let me handle it.”

Today was the planned day to send the antidote to the Old Madam.

Nobody would feel at ease handing this task over to a maid.

But after hearing what the prison guards said, the Duchess hesitated.

She withheld the pastries laced with the antidote.

They had come this far not easily, they mustn’t ruin everything on an impulse.

The Old Madam had irrefutable evidence against her for the crime of attempting to murder the Old Madam of Prince Zhenbei Mansion. Even if she were not dead, she could only spend her life in the Ministry of Justice Prison.

Having enjoyed a lifetime of wealth and glory, how could she bear such suffering?

Death might be a form of relief.

Without the antidote, within two days, the Old Madam lay immobile on her prison bed.

Though Duke Chong’s Mansion sent meals daily, no one summoned an Imperial Physician for her.

If Duke Chong’s Mansion didn’t care, then even less would the Ministry of Justice.

The Ministry of Justice Prison was dark and damp, unbearable for a normal person, let alone one poisoned.

The Old Madam’s condition worsened day by day.

On the day of the Lantern Festival.

When the prison guard was delivering meals cell by cell, they no longer heard her moaning in pain.

Upon opening the cell door, they found she was already cold.

And at that time—

In the Political Discussion Hall.

The Emperor announced a royal pardon for the whole nation.

The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice returned to the Ministry, and the prison guard reported the matter to him.

Lord Vice Minister Lin was astounded.

He thought that day when Marquis Dongxiang sent someone to him asking for the prison guard to put on an act for the Duchess…

Turns out this was the plan all along.

The Emperor’s royal pardon extended even to death row inmates, who were now commuted to exile.

The Old Madam was the birth mother of the Empress.

The Emperor would certainly grant special grace allowing her to return home…

Marquis Dongxiang wanted the Emperor to grant the royal pardon for Princess Consort Zhenbei, but he didn’t want the Old Madam to get away because of it.

He’d been persuading the Emperor to exempt taxes, who could’ve thought it was just a façade?

During the morning court, Duke Chong had a bad premonition, feeling he had fallen into a trap.

After the court was adjourned, he hurried to the Ministry of Justice Prison, only to learn about the Old Madam’s death.

Duke Chong felt a tickle in his throat.

He spat out a mouthful of blood.

And fainted.

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