“Your Majesty, Your Majesty…”, Emperor Zhou was woken from his sleep by Yu Rang.
Emperor Zhou opened his hazy eyes and asked groggily, “What’s wrong?”
Yu Rang bowed and replied, “Marquis Shen was assassinated in the Southern Warm Pavilion…”
“What?!”
Emperor Zhou instantly lost all sleepiness, sat up abruptly, and demanded sharply, “How is Shen Jing?”
“Marquis Shen was only startled, not injured.”
Yu Rang stepped forward to support Emperor Zhou.
“Where is the assassin?”
Emperor Zhou asked with a dark expression.
Yu Rang replied, “The assassin escaped through the window, and the palace guards are still searching for him…”
Hearing that the assassin had escaped, Emperor Zhou’s face immediately darkened. “Change my clothes!”
“Your Majesty, please rest a bit longer!”
Yu Rang advised, “Once there’s news, this old servant will inform Your Majesty again…”
“Change my clothes!”
Emperor Zhou interrupted Yu Rang, his face grim.
Shen Jing could be assassinated even in the Southern Warm Pavilion?
If Shen Jing was assassinated today, would it be his turn someday?
What audacity!
Yu Rang, helpless, could only call the palace maids waiting outside to help Emperor Zhou change.
After dressing, Emperor Zhou immediately headed to the Southern Warm Pavilion.
By the time Emperor Zhou arrived at the Southern Warm Pavilion with Yu Rang, it was already surrounded by a large number of guards.
Emperor Zhou entered the Southern Warm Pavilion with a gloomy face.
At this moment, Shen Jing was mostly sober, his sleepiness gone, sitting there in thought.
Damn it, who the hell wants to kill him?
He had originally intended to stage an assassination himself, but he never expected someone to be so eager to assassinate him!
The Second Prince?
That shouldn't be possible!
He wouldn't be that foolish.
Or perhaps, Yao Jian’s people?
Shen Jing racked his brain until he saw Emperor Zhou walk in, then quickly stood up to bow.
“Are you alright?”
Emperor Zhou asked with concern, scrutinizing Shen Jing from head to toe.
“Thank you for Your Majesty’s concern, this humble subject is fine.”
Shen Jing shook his head lightly, looking as if he was still shaken.
After confirming Shen Jing was fine, Emperor Zhou immediately demanded, “Who was on night duty at the Southern Warm Pavilion today? Where are the palace maids serving Marquis Shen?”
At Emperor Zhou’s question, a small guard commander immediately brought forward six people: four guards and two palace maids.
Two of the guards and the palace maids were disheveled.
Seeing their appearance, Emperor Zhou already guessed what had happened.
“Reporting to Your Majesty, these four were on night duty today.”
The small commander pointed at the four trembling guards kneeling on the ground and said, “These two were meeting with palace maids, and the other two were sleeping in a corner, which gave the assassin an opportunity!”
“Your Majesty, spare us, Your Majesty, spare us…”
The six were terrified, kowtowing repeatedly and begging for mercy.
However, Emperor Zhou didn’t even glance at them; he just waved his hand. “Drag them out and beat them to death!”
Meeting palace maids, dereliction of duty!
They truly didn't take the palace rules seriously!
If he didn't make an example of them, these palace guards and maids would only become more reckless!
“Your Majesty, spare us, your servants will never dare again…”
“Your Majesty, spare us…”
The six wailed and begged for mercy, but it was useless.
Soon, all six were dragged out.
After the six were dragged away, the small commander handed a shoe to Emperor Zhou. “Your Majesty, this is the shoe Marquis Shen took from the assassin’s foot. Judging by the shoe size, the assassin should be a woman…”
Emperor Zhou merely glanced at the shoe and then asked Shen Jing, “Did you see the assassin’s face?”
Shen Jing shook his head and replied, “This humble subject happened to be woken by the urge to urinate at that time and vaguely saw a masked person attempting an assassination. I didn’t even see if it was a man or a woman…”
“Seal the scene! No one is allowed to tamper with anything!”
Emperor Zhou’s eyes flashed with a sharp glint, and he instructed Yu Rang, “Summon Zhang Ci to the palace immediately!”
Shen Jing looked at Emperor Zhou in surprise.
He was going to let Dali Temple investigate directly?
Afterward, Emperor Zhou took Shen Jing to another room in the Southern Warm Pavilion to sit down.
Emperor Zhou dismissed the attendants and directly asked Shen Jing, “Do you have anyone you suspect?”
“Aside from Yao Jian, this humble subject truly doesn’t know who else to suspect.”
Shen Jing didn't hide anything.
Regardless of whether it was Yao Jian or not, he was an enemy of Yao Jian, and there was no one else to pin the blame on, so he could only pin it on Yao Jian.
Emperor Zhou’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You mean Yao Jian has even infiltrated people into the palace, is that right?”
“This…”
Shen Jing paused slightly, then said with a wry smile, “This humble subject doesn’t know about that…”
Isn't that obvious?
How could there be no one from Yao Jian in the palace?
A dignified Left Prime Minister who couldn't even infiltrate a few people into the palace would be too useless!
The only difference was where he placed his people and whether he had the ability to place them near Emperor Zhou and the Crown Prince.
Seeing Shen Jing being evasive, Emperor Zhou didn't bother to press further.
After a moment of thought, Emperor Zhou instructed again, “Don’t worry about this matter; I will order Dali Temple to thoroughly investigate it!”
It must be thoroughly investigated!
The entire palace must be searched!
Shen Jing nodded, saying no more.
After a brief silence, Emperor Zhou’s expression softened slightly, and he looked up to ask, “Do you still remember the ci poem you composed?”
Shen Jing shook his head: “I only remember the first half; I can’t recall the latter part…”
“…”
Emperor Zhou almost laughed in anger at his words.
He had passed out halfway through reciting it, so where would there be a latter half?
“Didn’t you say this poem was something you copied?”
Emperor Zhou looked at Shen Jing with a half-smile, “Since it was copied, how could you not remember the latter half?”
Shen Jing grinned: “That’s right, I did copy it, but I only remember the first half of the original poem; I forgot the latter half!”
“Is that so?”
Emperor Zhou’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You just happen not to remember the latter half, and you just happen to pass out when you were supposed to recite the latter half. So, are you feigning drunkenness?”
“…”
Shen Jing was speechless instantly.
Damn it!
This dog emperor's logic is quite clear!
Emperor Zhou chuckled inwardly, “Do you know that this is a crime of deceiving the emperor?”
“This…”
Shen Jing was torn between laughter and tears.
Is it really that serious?
This is called deceiving the emperor?
Have some shame, alright?
“Enough!”
Emperor Zhou was too lazy to listen to Shen Jing's fabrications. “Go back and think carefully, complete the latter part, and I will not punish you for deceiving the emperor.”
Heh!
You really talk a good game!
He's an emperor, for crying out loud. Does he need to be so petty just for a poem?
Shen Jing felt a bitter taste in his mouth, hesitated for a moment, and then tentatively said, “Your Majesty, what if this humble subject’s poem has any offensive parts…”
“The Jin Province shame, right?”
Emperor Zhou asked with a half-smile.
What the hell?
This dog emperor could even guess that?
“The late emperor was struck by two arrows in the battle of Jin Province; it truly is a disgrace to me and Great Zhou!”
Emperor Zhou sighed faintly, “Write it however you need to write it. I am not so muddle-headed as to forbid people from even speaking of this!”
“Yes!”
Shen Jing lowered his gaze.
Fine!
Since he had said so, he had no more reservations.
Seeing Shen Jing agree, Emperor Zhou finally smiled with satisfaction. “Then that’s settled! Do you want to continue resting here, or do you want me to send someone to escort you back to Su Manor?”
Shen Jing replied, “This humble subject will go back! Lest the people at home worry.”
Emperor Zhou smiled, “Yu Rang has already sent someone to the Su Family to deliver a message.”
“Oh, oh.”
Shen Jing smiled, “Anyway, I’m not sleepy anymore, so I’ll just go back first!”
“Alright then!”
Emperor Zhou didn’t try to keep him. “Also, given your assassination, during your reception of the Yong Country Delegation, I will send a few skilled individuals to be your bodyguards!”
Shen Jing’s eyelids twitched, and he said with a forced smile, “Thank you, Your Majesty!”
Be his bodyguards?
He probably wants to monitor him, right?
Or perhaps, both!
But, it doesn't matter!
Even if they're monitoring him, they can't possibly follow him even when he goes to the latrine, can they?
With the emperor's people following him, if he wanted to scheme against someone, it might even be more convenient…