Quick Transmigration: Underdog Turns out to be Untouchable

Chapter 1224: Chapter 1134: Female Prime Minister 72

Submitting a petition to punish the Fifth Prince was not Xu Qingjing’s true aim; inciting the ministers to be wary of the Fifth Prince from their hearts and resolutely oppose him becoming the Emperor was Xu Qingjing’s real intent.

Xu Qingjing knew well that the Fifth Prince was the Emperor’s son. No matter how harsh the Emperor was, he wouldn’t kill his son. As long as he stayed alive, there was hope, which was something Xu Qingjing absolutely didn’t want to see.

His sister, who had always doted on him since childhood, lost her ability to bear children to save him, yet never once complained. Such a good sister died, consumed by the Fifth Prince’s ambition.

This piercing hatred, Xu Qingjing had never forgotten for a single day. Even if the Fifth Prince bore resentment against him and it cost him his life, Xu Qingjing would accept it willingly and never regret it.

Moreover, Xu Qingjing had thought about his own future; following this event, everyone would know it was Xu Qingjing who brought down the Fifth Prince. Although his official rank was not high, he was an Imperial Censor, a person the Emperor recognized. Moving against him would show dissatisfaction with the Emperor.

As long as the Fifth Prince wished to avoid worsening his plight, he wouldn’t act rashly against Xu Qingjing, because if anything happened to him, everyone would suspect the Fifth Prince was behind it.

Now, the Emperor surely harbored caution and even displeasure toward the Fifth Prince. If the Fifth Prince dared to secretly make moves at this time, it would be akin to deliberately provoking the Emperor, and that wouldn’t end well. Given his ability to endure, the Fifth Prince wouldn’t do something so self-destructive.

Since the Fifth Prince’s ambition killed his sister, Xu Qingjing was determined to ruin the Fifth Prince’s prospects, extinguish his ambition, and destroy what he held most dear as revenge.

Thus, Xu Qingjing’s previous accusations against the Fifth Prince were not the main point. The focus was on what he subsequently revealed about the spies the Fifth Prince had sent to each minister’s household.

The ministers could accept the emperor’s desire for power and indulgence in beauty, but they would never accept an emperor with excessive control who wanted to meddle in the private affairs of his subjects, as that would be too terrifying.

As long as all the ministers resisted the Fifth Prince becoming the emperor, the forces he built would be useless and would only bring disaster upon himself.

Because neither a father as the emperor nor a brother as the emperor would tolerate him holding such significant power.

This was a trap Xu Qingjing had long set for the Fifth Prince, cutting off all escape routes from the snare.

After the morning court session ended, the Fifth Prince left the Imperial Palace feeling weak, as if he were a walking corpse.

The servants waiting outside for the Fifth Prince were startled by his appearance and hurried to support him onto the carriage. When getting on, he stumbled several times and almost had to be propelled onto the carriage.

Inside the carriage, the Fifth Prince stared blankly ahead, with only one thought in his mind: It’s over, all over! Years of planning had all been in vain!

At the morning court, the Emperor’s attitude was ambiguous, without any specific punishment for the Fifth Prince. However, he ordered a joint investigation by the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Justice to verify the truthfulness of Xu Qingjing’s charges against the Fifth Prince.

The Fifth Prince knew his actions couldn’t withstand thorough scrutiny. He anxiously waited at home for three days until the Emperor’s decree finally came.

The Emperor merely ordered the Fifth Prince to reflect deeply in confinement within his residence, without specifying a duration, effectively a soft confinement.

The Fifth Prince’s mansion was also surrounded by the Imperial Guard, clearly indicating he was not allowed to leave.

The governor who aided the Fifth Prince, along with the trusted officials under the governor, were all stripped of their positions and punished by the Emperor’s decree.

As soon as the Emperor’s decree arrived, the Fifth Prince knew he was finished. He had offended all the court ministers, and his father, the Emperor, had grown weary of him and completely abandoned him.

Confined in his mansion, the Fifth Prince furiously trashed his study. Years of planning had collapsed in an instant, and he couldn’t bear the disparity.

A servant informed the Fifth Prince that his main wife had come to see him, looking very anxious, and the Fifth Prince assumed she wanted to know what had happened.

The Fifth Prince let out a cold laugh. Previously, he tolerated this shrewish woman for his future prospects. Now that his future was ruined, there was no need to endure her any longer.

He grabbed a porcelain cup and hurled it at the door, shouting to the person reporting, ”Tell her to get lost!”

”Xu Qingjing!”

The Fifth Prince gritted his teeth, reciting the name with deep-seated hatred. He had underestimated this person and ended up defeated by him.

Thinking of Xu Qingjing, the Prince felt even more resentment towards his main wife. If not for this jealous and poisonous woman causing the death of Xu Qingjing’s sister, why would Xu Qingjing have meticulously plotted revenge for his sister?

Had he known this poisonous woman was so utterly useless, he would never have gone to such lengths to marry her, nor would he have ended up in this predicament today.

......

The Fifth Prince fell completely, yet there was no time for celebration, as Yin Shuangshuang had fallen seriously ill, bedridden, neither eating nor drinking, to the anxiety of everyone around her.

General An even summoned three or four Imperial Physicians. Although it’s a time for General An to stay low-key, he disregarded this for Yin Shuangshuang’s illness.

Without Yin Shuangshuang, he would still be trapped in the mire, awaiting potential punishment by the Emperor and death by political foes, with no future in sight.

Though General An was low-key, he was now well-regarded by the Emperor, a newly prominent favorite. The Imperial Physicians were naturally willing to assist General An.

The physicians, after carefully examining Yin Shuangshuang’s pulse and discussing among themselves, concluded that her illness resulted from excessive worry.

Simply put, it was mental exhaustion; although appearing severe, it wasn’t truly dangerous, only requiring careful recuperation over several months without overexertion.

To ensure her recovery, the group had to stay in the Capital City for several months. General An sent word to Yin Shuangshuang’s parents, assuring them that all danger was past and not to worry excessively.

To facilitate Yin Shuangshuang’s recovery, General An took her to his hot spring estate outside the Capital City.

Hot springs are very restorative for people, and although Yin Shuangshuang had a heart condition that prevented prolonged soaking, daily baths with hot spring water were beneficial.

After three months of care, Yin Shuangshuang’s health improved somewhat, but she had lost weight, her face was deathly pale, and she seemed even frailer.