Chapter 449: Empress Zhou: I Suspect Jia Jing Is His Majesty

In Qian Qing Gong, Jing Sheng Di, while portioning half of the meal that Zhou Huang Hou had sent, muttered to himself:

"Zi Jie has been at the court session for such a long time; he must be hungry. Let him join me for a bite!"

"He was busy all night last evening without sleep, always laboring like this; I'm a bit worried whether his body can endure it!"

It must be said, not only does Jia Jing worry about Jing Sheng Di's dragon body, Jing Sheng Di also deeply cares about Jia Jing's health.

Since antiquity, there has never been a shortage of meritorious officials who die young; though they shine brilliantly in their brief lives, they vanish like meteors!

Jing Sheng Di has long harbored this worry, and yesterday's assassination amplified it immensely!

Shenjing City now teems with hidden currents, overt blades and covert arrows; if one inadvertently breaks a loyal minister of the realm, they will die without ever facing the face of the founding emperor!

Thus, the assassination by Fang Congzhe and others truly stepped on Jing Sheng Di's reverse scale, causing him in the morning court to disregard ministers' counsel and strip them alive, to vent his hatred!

Beside them, Zhou Huang Hou saw Jing Sheng Di personally portioning the meal for Jia Jing, and her beautiful eyes under dark brows flashed with astonishment again.

Even a biological son of her own has never enjoyed such treatment, right?

If she didn't know Jia Jing's lineage was spotless, she might even suspect Jia Jing to be Jing Sheng Di's illegitimate child!

She's concerned to such an extent…

Zhou Huang Hou steadied her thoughts, sat down, and said with a smile:

"Your Majesty's such concern for a minister, I have only ever seen with Zhang Ge Lao!"

Zhang Tingyu also dined together with Jing Sheng Di in the past, and Zhou Huang Hou has encountered him!

Of course, the treatment could never compare to Jia Jing's!

Not to mention anything else, the meals personally prepared by the empress have never been enjoyed by any minister outside the palace!

"Zhang Tingyu may also be my stalwart arms, a pillar of the court, yet compared to Zi Jie…"

Jing Sheng Di, hearing this, smiled and shook his head; though he didn't finish the sentence, the meaning was clear.

In his mind, Zhang Tingyu is far less important than Jia Jing!

His words do not belittle Zhang Tingyu, nor claim Zhang lacks ability.

On the contrary, Zhang Tingyu carries great weight in his heart, and his abilities are solid.

Among the tens of thousands of civil officials, Zhang Tingyu would certainly occupy one of the top three spots.

He is the one who can reorder a chaotic court, untangle countless affairs one by one, and also the most loyal minister who truly understands the ruler's mind!

Yet Jing Sheng Di knows well that, however capable, Zhang Tingyu remains a civil official, a capable minister of governance.

He can assist the ruler in governing, fine‑tune and patch a still‑functioning machine, and gradually eliminate accumulated problems.

But if this machine is already teetering, if the sky has already collapsed in a corner, if the Da Han Empire's state is already buffeted and on the brink of collapse, Zhang Tingyu cannot hold up that pillar.

A capable minister of governance can only make a good country better.

He cannot prop up a building about to fall, nor can he revive a flourishing era from decay.

This is evident from the nine years before Jia Jing appeared: the court's situation deteriorated step by step, New Policies struggled, False Qing's power became hard to control, and external and internal troubles continuously erupted.

Even a capable minister, however, is like a clever housewife unable to cook without rice!

Because… in the end, to remake the world amid chaos, to carve a way out of a dead end, to achieve an almost impossible great revival,

one needs not literature and governance skills, but swords and spears, iron and fire, unparalleled courage and relentless stamina!

Those who possess these are rare through the ages, countable on the fingers, each a supreme founding hero of every dynasty!

Originally, this court also lacked such talent, but when the founding emperor manifested his spirit, unwilling to watch the realm and subjects trampled by foreign iron hooves, he personally sent one!

Thus, on Jing Sheng Di's mental scale, ten Zhang Tingyus cannot match one Jia Jing… in importance!

Anyone who dares to set a trap for Jia Jing, don't blame me for drawing a blade!

Recalling this, Jing Sheng Di seemed to remember something and suddenly asked:

"How is Shi lately, still spouting nonsense?"

Shi is one of Jing Sheng Di's two consorts, the Virtuous Consort.

Zhou Huang Hou suppressed the rising surprise in her heart, weighed her words, and replied:

"She isn't spouting nonsense; just a few days ago the Grand Empress Dowager sent someone to see her, I don't know what was said!"

The Grand Empress Dowager is the mother of the Retired Emperor, the oldest and most esteemed lady in the palace!

Jing Sheng Di's face darkened instantly, and in a cold voice he said:

"In the past, she never recognized her proper place, often seeking pleasure in the Ren Shou Palace, clever but lacking virtue, ignorant of her duties; I have long despised her! Da Ban!"

One should know that Grand Empress Dowager Sun of Ren Shou Palace is at odds with Jing Sheng Di!

Initially, after the Retired Emperor was captured, Sun sincerely wanted to bring him back, but could not overcome the officials, and finally was forced to enthrone Jing Sheng Di!

When Jing Sheng Di first ascended, his power was unstable; Sun further meddled in the harem, openly and covertly causing him many troubles.

When the Retired Emperor was finally brought back, Sun repeatedly urged Jing Sheng Di to return power, leading to several cold confrontations between them, quite unpleasant!

These matters have always been a thorn in Jing Sheng Di's heart!

"I am here!" Xia Shouzhong ran in from the doorway.

Jing Sheng Di's complexion turned iron‑blue, and in a cold voice he said:

"Deliver my decree: Consort Shi, the Virtuous Consort, hails from the rebel clan, does not practice self‑reflection. Her maternal family, the Shen Guo Gong household, is a princely lineage and imperial kin, yet she shows no loyalty, privately supplies arms, colludes with rebels, and participated in the assassination of a high court official; her crimes rank among the ten evils."

"Shi, as a consort, neglects her duties, arrogantly meddles in state affairs, despises the emperor's authority—how can she possess any virtue of an imperial consort? The title 'Virtuous Consort' is both name and reality lacking. Hence, immediately strip her of the Virtuous Consort title, deprive her of her rank, grant her a white silk sash, and order her to commit suicide today, to rectify the palace."

Since the Shen Guo Gong household has been confiscated and its clan exterminated, there is naturally no justification left for Shi!

Especially as she has already been sent to the cold palace, yet still dares to be ambiguous with Ren Shou Palace—she simply knows no death!

Beside them, Zhou Huang Hou's jade‑colored face changed slightly, and she whispered:

"Your Majesty! Granting death, this… this may… tarnish Your Majesty's sagacity, no?"

Zhou Huang Hou only now realized that yesterday's assassination was linked to the Shen Guo Gong household; logically, the crime is indeed serious.

However, Jing Sheng Di's harem is already very small, with only two consorts; this sudden death sentence for one is somewhat hard to adjust to!

Moreover, in the Da Han Laws and the regular imperial statutes, such as the Imperial Han Ancestral Instructions, there is no formal provision for "granting death".

Generally, punishments for harem consorts—demotion, exile to the cold palace, or stripping them to commoner status—are the sanctioned methods.

In other words, granting death exceeds written law and could easily disturb the harem's stability and spark controversy.

Of course, the crucial point is that this matter stems from an edict the Jing Sheng Di issued after consulting Zhou Huang Hou, which makes it easy for people to mistakenly think Zhou Huang Hou was the one inciting, promoting, or even directing it, thereby harming her reputation for virtue!

Jing Sheng Di seemed to have considered this, thought for a moment, and said in a deep voice:

"Do not issue a decree; after a few days report a death from illness! I can forgo my reputation, but I cannot let Zi Tong be implicated! Go!"

Xia Shouzhong bowed and said:

"Your servant receives the command!"

Zhou Huang Hou heard this, her jade‑like complexion briefly stiffened, she pressed her pink lips together and said softly:

"I, your humble wife, thank Your Majesty for your understanding!"

Zhou Huang Hou and Jing Sheng Di have been married for many years, and there is no pretended deference between them!

While the emperor and empress were speaking, Jia Jing, guided by an inner court attendant, entered a side hall of Qian Qing Gong.

"I have seen Your Majesty, I have seen the Empress!"

Jia Jing entered the hall, saw Zhou Huang Hou, and at once recognized her status from her bright‑yellow ceremonial robe, immediately performing a bow and saying:

In the early Han, the empress's ceremonial dress was deep blue; Empress Chengzu later changed it to bright yellow, matching the emperor's dragon robe, which became the empress's most exclusive color privilege in the harem.

Jing Sheng Di's slightly gloomy expression cleared the moment he saw Jia Jing, and he said with a smiling, gentle voice:

"Zi Jie, you're here! Come sit quickly; the Empress has prepared some silver ear soup and pastries, perfect for us ruler and minister to share!"

Jia Jing heard this, his expression respectful, and performed a deep bow, saying:

"Since it was the Empress herself who made it for Your Majesty, how could I dare to overstep and partake!"

At this moment, Jia Jing seemed even more modest in demeanor than before his ennoblement!