Rebirth and Reversal of Fortune

Chapter 447 Severe Punishment of the Mastermind, Palace Banquet Turmoil

When Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu successfully exposed the mastermind behind the scenes and escorted him to the palace, a tense and serious atmosphere permeated the entire palace.

The emperor sat high on the dragon throne, his face terribly grim. He glared at the bound hands below, his eyes blazing with fury.

"You traitor! How dare you attempt to overthrow my empire and commit such a heinous crime!" The emperor's voice echoed in the hall, filled with majesty and anger.

The mastermind behind it all had lost his former arrogance; he was trembling and kowtowing repeatedly, begging for mercy.

"Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, I was confused for a moment and committed a grave mistake. I beg Your Majesty for mercy."

The emperor sneered, "Have mercy? You've committed such an unforgivable crime, and you still dare to dream that I will spare you?"

The ministers in the imperial court were also filled with righteous indignation.

"These traitors must not be let off lightly; they must be severely punished to uphold the law!"

"Your Majesty, if we do not punish them severely, it will be difficult to appease public anger and bring peace to the land!"

The emperor waved his hand and said resolutely, "My mind is made up. He will punish them severely as a warning to others!"

Therefore, the emperor ordered the mastermind and his cronies to be imprisoned and await trial.

While in prison, the mastermind still clung to hope, attempting to exonerate himself through various means.

"As long as I can get out of here alive, I'll still have a chance to turn things around," he thought to himself.

However, Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu had already anticipated his idea and sent people to closely monitor his every move.

"We must not give him any opportunity to take advantage of this," Xiao Ling said.

Su Jinxiu nodded in agreement: "He must be punished as he deserves."

After a tense interrogation and investigation, the mastermind's crimes were exposed one by one. His crimes, including plotting to usurp the throne, persecuting loyal officials, and accepting bribes, were heinous.

Finally, the day of the verdict arrived.

The palace square was packed with people, all eager to witness this moment.

The emperor personally read out the verdict: "The mastermind behind this crime is guilty of heinous crimes and shall be sentenced to death. His accomplices shall also be severely punished according to the severity of their crimes."

Upon the issuance of this decree, the people cheered and applauded.

"Finally, this villain has been brought to justice!"

"Your Majesty is wise; punish the wicked traitors severely!"

Amid cheers, the mastermind was led to the execution ground.

His face was ashen; he knew he had no chance of survival.

As the executioner's blade fell, the mastermind's sinful life came to an end.

However, the wounds inflicted on the court and the country by this turmoil will take time to heal.

Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu knew that more challenges awaited them in the future.

“Although the mastermind has been severely punished, we still need to remain vigilant to ensure the peace and security of the palace and the country,” Xiao Ling said.

Su Jinxiu replied, "What my husband says is absolutely right. We cannot be negligent in the slightest."

Just then, some discordant voices arose in the palace.

Rumors suggest that the mastermind behind this has hidden accomplices who have yet to be identified.

"What should we do? Could there really be some that have slipped through the net?"

Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu decided to launch another investigation, leaving no stone unturned in their search for any potential threat to the safety of the palace.

Inside the palace, a grand banquet was underway. As the lanterns were lit and melodious music filled the air, tables were laden with exquisite delicacies. The emperor, his concubines, and ministers chatted and laughed in a harmonious atmosphere.

However, in this seemingly harmonious and joyful scene, a sudden storm quietly descends.

A concubine who was usually favored by the emperor suddenly turned pale and clutched her stomach, groaning in pain after tasting a delicious dish.

"I...I'm in so much pain..." Her voice trembled, and her forehead was instantly covered with large beads of sweat.

This sudden turn of events stunned everyone present. In an instant, the laughter and joy at the banquet came to an abrupt halt, replaced by panic and chaos.

"Quickly, summon the imperial physician!" the emperor shouted, his face filled with anxiety and worry.

The palace maids and eunuchs scrambled to their feet, some fetching the imperial physician, others trying to calm the other concubines.

The poisoned concubine was surrounded by a crowd, all of whom were at a loss.

"What happened? How could we suddenly be poisoned?" someone asked in alarm.

"I don't know. The food at this banquet has undergone strict inspection. How could it be poisonous?"

Just as everyone was discussing the matter, the imperial physician arrived in a hurry.

After examining the patient, the imperial physician said with a grave expression, "This poison is extremely potent. If it is not treated promptly, I fear..."

The emperor said angrily, "You must save her, or you will all pay with your heads!"

The atmosphere at the banquet grew increasingly tense, with everyone filled with fear and doubt.

Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu were also at the banquet. They keenly sensed that this was by no means a simple accidental poisoning incident.

"My lord, there must be something fishy about this," Su Jinxiu said in a low voice.

Xiao Ling nodded in agreement: "We need to investigate carefully and not overlook any clues."

They began searching the banquet hall for clues about the poisoning.

Su Jinxiu noticed that the dishes that the concubines had eaten were arranged in an unusual way around the bowls and chopsticks.

“Husband, look here, it seems someone has tampered with it.”

After careful observation, Xiao Ling said, "That's right, this could very well be a key clue."

Just then, another concubine claimed to be feeling unwell, which made the already tense situation even worse.

"Could there be others who have been poisoned?" everyone exclaimed.

Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu knew that they had to find the mastermind behind it all as soon as possible, or the consequences would be unimaginable.

They began to investigate everyone at the banquet, including palace maids, eunuchs, and ministers.

During the investigation, they found that one of the palace maids appeared flustered and behaved abnormally.

"You, stop right there!" Xiao Ling shouted.

The palace maid trembled with fear and tried to run away.

Xiao Ling quickly caught up with him and subdued him.

"Tell me, did you poison him?"

The palace maid shook her head in terror: "It wasn't me, it wasn't me..."

But her shifty eyes raised suspicions.

Su Jinxiu said, "Take her away and interrogate her thoroughly."

After some interrogation, the palace maid finally revealed the truth.

It turned out that she was instructed to poison the food, and the person who instructed her was actually another high-ranking concubine.

"Why would she do that?" Xiao Ling asked, puzzled.

The palace maid said, "She was jealous of the poisoned concubine's favor and wanted to get rid of her."

Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu deeply felt the cruelty and complexity of palace intrigue.

However, the matter is not over yet.

Just as they were about to tell the emperor the truth, they discovered that the concubine who had instructed the palace maid to poison him had died under mysterious circumstances.

"What's going on?"