kingnovel Chapter 338: Treason and Collusion with the Enemy
Chapter 338: Treason and Collusion with the Enemy
Even without evidence, the mere fact that such a thing got out would be enough to make the emperor lose face.
"What exactly do you want?!"
Thinking of this, the Empress took a deep breath and questioned in a low voice.
She absolutely could not let this matter reach the emperor's attention.
"Your Majesty, can you calm down and talk to me now?"
Seeing that she had finally given in, Lin Rusi smiled with pleasure, her eyes still carrying a hint of mockery.
Hearing this, the Empress's lips twitched. She suppressed her anger and spoke again after a long while: "Speak, as long as the conditions are reasonable, I will consider it."
"Your Majesty is indeed a wise woman!"
Seeing this, Lin Rusi smiled and said, "I just want to ask Your Majesty for a favor."
She spoke politely, but to the Queen, it sounded more like a provocation.
But now that things have come to this, there's no other choice but to agree.
After a long silence, the Empress finally relented: "I will consider it."
Lin Rusi slowly rose and handed over a piece of paper: "This is some information that the enemy country currently knows. I hope Your Majesty can..."
"Aren't you afraid that I will expose you for doing this?"
The Empress held the paper, her eyes full of accusation.
Hearing this, Lin Rusi smiled, seemingly disdainful yet also certain: "I believe Your Majesty would not do that."
The threat conveyed in that simple sentence was self-evident.
The Empress snorted, then added, "Fine, I agree. However, if you tell anyone about this, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
"Alright, Your Majesty is indeed decisive. I trust Your Majesty. I'll go back now and await Your Majesty's good news."
After saying that, Lin Rusi chuckled, gave her a slight bow, and then turned and left.
The Empress stared at her departing figure with resentment, her gaze turning icy cold.
Lin Rusi returned to the Jinglie Prince's Mansion shortly afterward.
Li Jingyang waited at the door for a long time, and when he saw her finally return safely, he subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.
"I'm glad you're alright."
He hurriedly stepped forward, looked Lin Rusi up and down, and only after seeing that she was not injured did he show a slight smile.
"Yes, Your Highness, I sent that to the Empress."
Lin Rusi spoke earnestly, and handed over the same letter as before.
After taking the letter from her, Li Jingyang remained silent for a moment, then suddenly whispered, "Ye Qing, have two people keep a close eye on the Empress!"
"Yes!"
……
The news came two days later.
I heard that the Empress secretly went to see the Left Censor-in-Chief the very next day.
Upon meeting, she angrily launched into a tirade against the Left Censor.
"What exactly happened?! How could anyone else know about our affair?!" the Empress demanded sharply.
Upon hearing this, the Left Censor frowned, a hint of doubt in his eyes: "What does Your Highness mean by this? Our affair is a secret, and I have never told anyone about it."
The Left Censor didn't quite understand the Empress's meaning, but looking at her graceful figure, he couldn't help but touch her inappropriately.
Ye Qing was lying on the roof and could see everything clearly.
The Empress was somewhat annoyed and shoved the Left Censor aside: "Do you know that Lin Rusi has already come to the palace to threaten me?!"
"Lin Rusi? How could Princess Jinglie know about this?!"
Upon hearing this, the Left Censor's face turned cold and he immediately became serious: "But how is that possible? I clearly kept it a secret."
She rolled her eyes at him, annoyed, and sneered, "How should I know? Isn't all this because you were careless? Tell me, what are we going to do now?"
Such a momentous matter must not be known to the Emperor!
The Left Censor naturally understood the reasoning behind it, and immediately frowned and pondered.
The Empress snorted coldly: "If it weren't for me, you'd still be in the dark. Take a good look at this! Now that she has something on me, she's starting to threaten me!"
"I absolutely cannot tolerate such an insult!"
The empress's eyes were fierce, and her face looked exceptionally gloomy.
The Left Censor remained silent for a long time, looking at the envelope in his hand, when suddenly an idea came to mind: "Your Majesty, I have a solution."
The Empress raised an eyebrow, intrigued: "Tell me about it?"
"If Lin Rusi were to die suddenly at home, what would it have to do with us? Besides, I don't think the letter she sent is a threat at all. Why don't we cooperate with her? After all, the enemy of my enemy is my friend."
"Are you crazy?! This is a letter from an enemy country! If you get caught, this is a serious crime of treason!"
The Empress's expression changed drastically, and her tone suddenly rose.
Seeing her shocked expression, the Left Censor's expression suddenly changed as well. He hurriedly looked at the Empress gently and said, "Fang'er, if it weren't for the Emperor back then, we would have been a couple. Don't you hate him? If we can really rise up and succeed, the whole world will be ours. Besides, if we don't succeed, leaving the palace is not an option."
Fang'er was the Empress's maiden name back then, and over the years, only the Left Censor knew it.
Even the emperor was kept in the dark!
The Left Censor's eyes were incredibly gentle, as if they could drip water.
The Empress hesitated for a moment, lowered her eyes slightly, and did not refute, but she felt increasingly uncomfortable.
If it weren't for their past love, how could she have ended up with the Left Censor?!
Although this matter needs further discussion, Lin Rusi must die!
……
When Lin Rusi heard the news, she almost spat out her water. The Empress was far more absurd than she had imagined.
It's really impressive that someone could come up with such an idea!
However, upon closer reflection, it's not surprising that the other party was capable of doing this.
After all, the Empress's own safety is the most important thing right now, so getting rid of Lin Rusi has become a must!
However, treason is a heinous crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family!
Thinking of this, Lin Rusi couldn't help but gasp: "But we have no evidence, nor can we provide evidence against them."
Li Jingyang affectionately patted her head: "Play the long game! There's no need to rush the Empress's matter. Ye Qing, keep an eye on things, and gather all the evidence as soon as you find an opportunity."
The Left Censor's retaliation came swiftly, in the imperial court the very next day.
"I have heard that Linzhou is suffering from a drought, and the people are full of complaints. I cannot stand idly by. Is there anyone willing to personally go there with provisions despite being ill?"
Linzhou is suffering from drought. It should be noted that Linzhou is located in the northwest region, which is already a region prone to severe drought.
Nowadays, due to weather issues, the drought is even more severe.
How could anyone be willing to do it? Everyone knows it's a tough job.
For a moment, no one spoke, afraid of becoming the first to speak out.
The Left Censor looked around and suddenly remembered what the Empress had said to him yesterday.
The despicable King Jinglie and Queen Jinglie!
These two dared to offend him, so they shouldn't blame him for being impolite.
Thinking of this, the Left Censor's face suddenly turned cold. He slowly stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty! I have an idea, but I wonder if Your Majesty would like to hear it?"
The emperor waved his hand, signaling him to continue.
The Left Censor turned his gaze to Li Jingyang: "I heard that Prince Jinglie went to Danzhou a few days ago and then traveled to Suzhou. Your Highness should be very familiar with these places."
"Linzhou is very close by. If Your Highness could go there, I'm sure you could successfully resolve the drought problem?"
Where no one could see, the Left Censor looked at Li Jingyang with a smug expression, as if in provocation.
As for Li Jingyang, he wasn't angry at all. He smiled gently and said, "Your Majesty, I am willing to share your burdens! What the Imperial Censor said is true. I have traveled to many places and am indeed familiar with the terrain there. I also know how to solve the problem of the drought. Why don't I go instead?"
The emperor was taken aback, but seeing that he had agreed, he nodded and said, "Very well, since that's the case, you can handle this matter."