webnovelfull Chapter 592: I beg Your Majesty to close the case
Chapter 592: I beg Your Majesty to close the case
He Qingrui's father, He Huahui, was a fourth-rank official.
Although he is not in a high position of power, he has been in the government for many years and has achieved some political achievements.
When the He family received news that He Qingrui was suspected of being involved in the poisoning of the Queen and was imprisoned in the palace, everyone in the He family was shocked.
He Huahui immediately wanted to enter the palace to inquire about the news and plead for his daughter, but when he arrived at the palace gate, he finally gave up.
Although He Huahui loves He Qingrui, he has two sons besides He Qingrui. The eldest son has entered the government this year, and the second son will soon take the imperial examination next year. Seeing that the road ahead is smooth, the family is worried that if He Qingrui really does something, it will implicate the He family.
Without finding out the real situation, He Huahui finally chose to keep his troops in place and returned to the He family in disgrace from the palace gate. He only submitted a memorial to express his shock and ignorance. At the same time, he stated that if He Qingrui had really done something wrong, the He family would never fail to distinguish right from wrong and would never show any favoritism or protection for her.
Yesterday, the entire He family was filled with gloom.
He Huahui kept secretly inquiring for information, but he never expected that he would receive the news of his daughter's death so soon.
Not long ago, when he learned that He Qingrui committed suicide, he was so sad that he almost fainted. However, when he learned that He Qingrui left a suicide note stating that she died to prove her will, he suddenly felt relieved, changed his clothes simply, and hurried into the palace.
"Your Majesty, Qingrui is my daughter. I know her well. She is kind-hearted and simple-minded. She would never do anything to murder the Queen!"
He Huahui was led into the Queen's bedroom and knelt down with tears streaming down his face. He prostrated himself on the ground, revealing the sorrow of an old father who had lost his beloved daughter. People couldn't help but feel pity for him.
But on second thought, when He Qingrui was imprisoned in the palace under suspicion, this old father said nothing and just watched. His crying at this moment seemed to lack some sincerity.
"My dear minister He, please get up first. We will investigate this matter thoroughly." Emperor Xiao frowned and looked at his minister like this. No matter what he thought in his heart, he still showed some guilt on his face.
But he struck a very precise balance, showing a bit of the emperor's compassion and benevolence without really revealing that he was in the wrong.
No matter what, He Qingrui was a suspect after all. Even if she committed suicide out of fear of punishment, as an emperor, he would not easily let himself fall into a low moral position.
"Your Majesty, I know that Qingrui's suicide was her own choice. I came here today not to ask for an explanation, nor do I have the intention to question Your Majesty."
He Huahui kowtowed heavily to Emperor Xiao again, and began to reveal the real purpose of his visit through his words.
"But Your Majesty, I am willing to die to show my loyalty. I only ask Your Majesty to clear my name and not let her be burdened with suspicion and infamy after her death."
Jiang Suining stood quietly by and looked at He's father, and suddenly felt sad.
She did not doubt that He Huahui was also a father who loved his daughter, but at this moment, having just received the tragic news that his own daughter was in trouble, He Huahui wanted to get an edict from Emperor Xiao as soon as possible, stating that his daughter was innocent.
Although he said that he didn't want his daughter to bear the blame after her death, everyone could see that this decree was clearly for the living people, not for the other people in the family.
Emperor Xiao's eyes were filled with deep thought, but his face showed hesitation.
"Although He Qingrui died to make her determination clear, the matter has not been fully investigated, and the case of the Queen's poisoning has not been completely closed."
"Your Majesty, I also heard those rumors yesterday. I dare to say that my daughter would never and absolutely does not have the courage to poison the Empress. Moreover, the rumor that the Imperial Concubine ordered my daughter to poison is definitely nonsense. The person who spread such remarks has malicious intentions and must be trying to disrupt the harem and the court." He Huahui said indignantly.
He didn't know the truth, nor did he know whether the imperial concubine was the murderer.
But in the current situation, if the imperial concubine is determined to be the murderer, Qingrui will be difficult to clear of the charges, and the He family will not be able to extricate themselves smoothly.
Moreover, the Fourth Prince's position in the court is now stable, and his power is growing. It is time to choose a side. It is better to take this opportunity to show his loyalty and sincerity, as a token of his good will.
Of course, the more important point is that he had just lost his daughter. Even if his words and actions were a bit biased at this time, it could be considered excusable, and the emperor would not blame him for it.
He Huahui lowered his head and knelt on the ground. All the plans in his mind came out. He kept weighing and calculating.
At this moment, he has completely transformed from a father who had just lost his daughter into a court official who was desperately scheming.
Emperor Xiao cast a cold gaze upon the minister in front of him.
Although she sensed something unusual in He Huahui's words just now, considering that he had just lost his daughter, she finally suppressed the slight unhappiness in her heart.
But Emperor Xiao did not speak immediately, and the atmosphere in the bedroom began to become depressing with silence.
Concubine Cheng sat upright on the chair, looking at the scene in front of her with raised eyebrows. She was already 60% sure in her heart. She looked at Empress Shi leisurely with a somewhat cold smile in her eyes.
The emperor no longer wanted the impact of this incident to continue to expand. His initial anger and determination to investigate thoroughly faded quickly after a few days.
After all, the love between a young couple could never surpass the heart of the emperor.
Concubine Cheng was so absorbed in her thoughts that she became careless and did not notice that when she looked at Empress Shi, Emperor Xiao's gaze also fell on her.
Just one glance, complex and intertwined.
The silence in the bedroom was finally broken by Queen Shi.
"Your Majesty, I have something to say."
The voice was still gentle, with a dignity that took the overall situation into consideration.
Under Emperor Xiao's inquiring gaze, Empress Shi stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I beg you to end this matter here."
"What do you mean, Queen?" Emperor Xiao pretended to be confused.
"Because I was poisoned, the people in the palace have been in a panic these days, and there have been many discussions, which is really not conducive to the stability of the harem. As the master of the harem, I really don't want to see this matter continue to ferment and expand, so I beg the emperor to close the case here. As for the murderer... it is better to identify it as the eunuch who was arrested."
Emperor Xiao frowned, "Empress, the fact that you were poisoned is no small matter, and someone also killed people in the Ye Ting Prison to silence them. How could this be done by just a little eunuch?"
"Your Majesty, the incident at the Ye Ting Prison can be said to be a misunderstanding. The jailer who did it is dead, and He Qingrui is also dead. If we want to continue investigating this matter, it will probably be delayed for a long time. Seeing that New Year's Eve is approaching, I don't want to make the harem uneasy because of this matter, and I don't want Your Majesty to be troubled by this matter."
Queen Shi slowly exhaled, suppressed all her bitterness and resentment, revealed a gentle smile without the slightest bit of force on her face, and bowed.
"I beg Your Majesty to close this case."