"After that, I overheard their conversation. The man in black said that the matter had been exposed, the cult leader was very angry, and he hoped that he would continue to work hard to get things done as soon as possible."
There were also rumors that if the Fourteenth Prince were to become emperor one day, he would share the throne with the White Lotus Sect, and Lin Hai would be the greatest contributor to the new dynasty.
After listening to Jiang Yun's long speech, the Empress Dowager digested it briefly before asking, "Are you saying that the Fourteenth Prince is going to rebel?"
"Yes, judging from what they said, that should be the case." Jiang Yun nodded firmly. It wasn't that he intentionally framed the Fourteenth Prince, but in his previous life...
He happened to have read books and watched TV series about the struggle for the throne among the nine princes, and also heard some unofficial historical rumors that said the throne was originally intended to be passed to the fourteenth prince, but that Yongzheng colluded with Longkodo to tamper with Kangxi's will.
"Hmph, that bastard! I have long advised the emperor to get rid of the Fourteenth Prince, but he always just agrees and then forgets about it as soon as he turns his back."
He claimed that as long as he treated the Fourteenth Prince with kindness, the prince would be grateful and would never rebel. Now it seems that the emperor is raising a tiger to cause future trouble.
"No, I absolutely cannot allow the legacy of our ancestors to be squandered by a wolf in sheep's clothing like the Fourteenth Prince. I will immediately draft a secret edict for the Emperor, explaining the dire consequences."
Upon hearing Jiang Yun's report, the Empress Dowager huffed and puffed, making a move to get up and copy the secret edict.
Jiang Yun hurriedly stopped her, saying, "Lian'er, don't be impulsive. We need to discuss this matter carefully. After all, we only heard and guessed about it, and we don't have any actual evidence."
Even if you tell the emperor, he might not believe you. Instead, he might think you're spreading rumors and can't tolerate the survival of a former dynasty's disgraced officials. That wouldn't be good.
Moreover, as long as Jiang Yun said it, the emperor would not agree. The main reason was that Jiang Yun wanted to have some fun with the Fourteenth Prince, Chu Xuan.
"Hmph, how dare he? I am his own mother, how dare he disobey me?" The Empress Dowager was so angry she felt like her lungs were about to explode.
"Lian'er, it's not worth getting so angry over something so trivial. Be careful not to hurt yourself. I've heard people say that all the time."
Women get angry often, but that makes them less beautiful. If you're not pretty anymore, then I might..." Jiang Yun comforted her with a mischievous smile.
"What do you mean?" The old lady raised her eyebrows and clenched her fist.
"Then I won't want you anymore," Jiang Yun said playfully.
"Fine, if you don't want me, I'll cut this off from you, hmph."
The old lady, like a little girl, pouted her beautiful red lips and raised her fists, slapping them repeatedly at Jiang Yun.
"Hehe, you smiled. That's more like it. You should smile more often; it makes you more beautiful."
While dodging the Empress Dowager's fists, Jiang Yun made witty remarks. The Empress Dowager felt sweet inside, but pretended to be very unhappy and started playfully fighting with Jiang Yun.
The two were playfully frolicking and laughing, completely forgetting their business. It wasn't until they stopped playing around that the Empress Dowager suddenly realized that it was in her heart...
She had completely regarded Jiang Yun as her man. As long as she was by his side, she felt exceptionally secure and didn't have to worry about palace intrigues at all.
She was startled. Her trust in Jiang Yun was no less than that of the deceased Emperor Yongzheng and her son Emperor Qianlong. In fact, a hundred words from the two of them could not compare to a single word from Jiang Yun.
"Since I've already considered Jiang Yun my man, I might as well go back to being a little woman and let him handle everything."
The old lady muttered to herself, then looked at Jiang Yun and said solemnly, "Yonghuang, you handle this matter."
"Yes, I will. I will make these rebels receive the punishment they deserve. In particular, I will not let these treacherous bastards get away with it."
"Not a single hair on my beloved child's head could be harmed." Jiang Yun held the Empress Dowager's hands and said affectionately.
Seeing his sincere expression, the Empress Dowager felt a sweet and touching feeling well up in her heart. She gently rested her beautiful head on Jiang Yun's chest, rubbing against him, and softly murmured a sweet "Mmm".
Looking at the smug old lady, Jiang Yun leaned down and kissed her forehead, then whispered in her ear, "Lian'er, we still need your cooperation on this matter..."
After hearing Jiang Yun's idea, the Empress Dowager raised her eyebrows and asked in confusion, "Why do you want to reprimand the Empress?"
"Because the Empress has become accustomed to wielding power and acting arrogantly, relying on your favor, she has become used to others bowing down to her."
Naturally, she lost her guard, just like Rong Momo, a member of the White Lotus Rebellion, who managed to hide in her palace for so many years without her noticing.
"So much so that this heartless old witch can so brazenly poison your persimmons." Jiang Yun viciously sowed discord between the two women in front of the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager had some doubts. According to custom, Rong Momo was the Empress's wet nurse, and she had been with the Empress since the Empress was born.
The two were inseparable; she meticulously protected the Empress, devising strategies for her in countless palace intrigues, and ultimately emerged victorious.
Such a loyal servant should have no reason to undermine the Empress; in fact, everyone in the palace knew that she was the Empress's backer.
Poisoning herself would be tantamount to cutting off the Empress's backing. Would the shrewd Rong Momo be so foolish as to do something so counterproductive?
wrong!
Jiang Yunming clearly stated that the hallucinogenic drug and the mind-altering pill have the same purpose—both are poisons that cause people to lose their minds. Therefore, it seems that Rong Momo was afraid that she would become dissatisfied with the Empress in the future and would no longer support her.
She would lose her position as Empress, which would then affect the Twelfth Prince's chances of losing the throne in the future.
So she came up with this underhanded trick, wanting to use poison to corrupt her mind and be forever controlled by Rong Momo.
But where did Rong Momo get her hallucinogenic drugs?
By the way, Jiang Yun just mentioned that Rong Momo has close ties with Lin Hai, a member of the White Lotus Sect, and their relationship is unclear. It's very likely that the hallucinogenic drug was obtained from Lin Hai.
"That wicked and vicious old witch," the Empress Dowager cursed in her heart. Having experienced decades of palace intrigue, she had long since developed a suspicious nature.
After hearing Jiang Yun's report, the Empress Dowager initially thought that Rong Momo was somewhat wronged, perhaps she had just been dragged into this conspiracy by chance. However, after thinking about it carefully, she realized that...
On the contrary, the Empress Dowager felt that Rong Momo was not only not wronged, but more like a complete planner and promoter.
Many times, many people, and many things cannot withstand close scrutiny!
Out of self-preservation instinct, regardless of whether Rong Momo was really involved in this matter, as long as she threatened his life, she had to be eliminated.
This is also why the Empress Dowager was able to rise to the position of Empress Dowager after decades of palace intrigue and power struggles. The concubines of the previous dynasty who lived during her time had long since lost their lives in the constant palace battles.
Within the deep walls of the palace, where it's a matter of life or death, to outlive others, one must be more ruthless, eliminating anyone who poses a threat before disaster strikes.
After thinking it over, the Empress Dowager's gaze turned completely cold. She looked at Jiang Yun and said in an extremely cold voice, "Yonghuang, do as you said, get rid of Rong Momo, and give the Empress a good warning!"