The Humble Family's Daughter Has A Spatial Pocket!-Chapter 1022 - 860, The Death Exemption Token is Missing

"Who are you? You’ve got some nerve to kidnap me!"

Empress Jixian looked both shocked and angry at Mei Lan, who had forcibly brought her to the side hall of Cining Palace: "Do you know who I am? I am Empress Jixian, personally honored by the Emperor."

"Empress Jixian, please remain calm."

Daohua walked in.

Upon seeing Daohua, Empress Jixian’s pupils sharply contracted: "Crown Princess Daohua, what do you mean by this? Have I offended you?"

Daohua smiled: "Your Highness is overreacting. I just saw you looked pale and wanted to ask if you were feeling unwell."

Empress Jixian snorted and glanced at Mei Lan: "Such a way of inquiring about one’s health is quite unacceptable, Crown Princess Daohua."

Daohua smiled again, carefully observing Empress Jixian’s expression: "In extraordinary times, extraordinary measures are necessary. Now that the Empress Dowager is seriously ill, if you’re not feeling well, it’s better for you not to enter the main hall. The Imperial Uncle wouldn’t be pleased to see that."

Empress Jixian’s gaze flickered with struggle but quickly returned to composure: "Crown Princess Daohua sure is meddlesome. I am not feeling unwell. All the concubines are visiting the Empress Dowager; I cannot be absent." Saying this, she tried to step out of the side hall.

Daohua looked at Mei Lan, signaling her to stop the woman.

She had noticed the fleeting guilt and hesitation in Empress Jixian’s eyes; this woman certainly had something to hide.

"How dare you! What do you think you are, to treat me this way?"

Stopped again, Empress Jixian, already anxious, became furious and raised her hand to slap Mei Lan.

At that moment, ’clang,’ a golden token fell from Empress Jixian.

Her face changed drastically as she immediately bent down to pick it up.

Unfortunately, Mei Lan was quicker.

"Crown Princess, look."

Mei Lan quickly handed the golden token to Daohua.

Daohua saw the four characters "Death Exemption Token" engraved on the token, and her face lit up with understanding. She immediately grasped why the Empress Dowager had sent a false imperial decree summoning the imperial relatives and ministers to the palace.

Threatening the Emperor with her master and old grandmother was just a diversion to make the Emperor let down his guard. Her true intention was to use this ’Death Exemption Token’ to save the Jiang Family.

Daohua turned to look at Empress Jixian, whose lips were quivering: "Empress Jixian, I’m afraid you can’t leave the side hall now."

Saying this, she looked at Mei Lan: "Keep her under watch."

Meanwhile, in the main hall, another concubine was kneeling before the Emperor, begging him to forgive the Jiang Family considering the Empress Dowager’s numbered days.

The Emperor looked coldly at the kneeling Empress Xiang: "Are you asking me to disregard the laws of Daxia?"

Empress Xiang shook her head with a pale face: "No, Your Majesty, that’s not what I mean."

Emperor: "Then what do you mean? Given the crimes committed by the Jiang Family, how can they be easily excused according to Daxia’s laws?"

Empress Xiang: "I have a Death Exemption Token. Emperor Gaozu once said that, as long as one presents the Death Exemption Token, no matter the crime, it would be pardoned."

At these words, the imperial relatives and ministers all changed their expressions.

If the Empress Dowager indeed brought out the Death Exemption Token, the Jiang Family truly couldn’t be executed.

The Emperor’s face darkened, and his gaze was uncompromising as he stared at Empress Xiang: "A Death Exemption Token? Where is it? Show it to us all."

Under the Emperor’s intense scrutiny, Empress Xiang stammered: "The Death Exemption Token is with Empress Jixian; I just saw her being taken away by the Crown Princess."

No sooner had she spoken than Daohua walked in.

Daohua looked confusedly at everyone and respectfully walked over to stand beside Xiao Yeyang.

Seeing everyone looking in their direction, Xiao Yeyang spoke to Daohua: "Empress Xiang said you just took Empress Jixian away?"

Daohua nodded, "Just now, I saw Concubine Ji looking very pale, and thought she was unwell, so I had someone take her to a side hall to rest."

Xiao Yeyang stared at Daohua, "Concubine Xiang said that Concubine Ji had a Death Exemption Token in her possession..."

Seeing Daohua remain unmoved, neither surprised nor panicked, Xiao Yeyang’s anxious heart settled down. He nodded toward the emperor and said with a smile, "Although you meant well, it’s time to bring Concubine Ji over."

Daohua did not object, and casually gestured for a palace maid to fetch her from the side hall.

Soon, Concubine Ji was brought over.

The emperor glanced at Concubine Ji, then at Concubine Xiang, feeling very annoyed in his heart. He had favored these two women, never expecting they were both the Empress Dowager’s people.

"Concubine Ji, I heard you have a Death Exemption Token on you?"

Concubine Ji instinctively glanced at Daohua, who stood composed in the great hall, and already she felt fear and retreat in her heart. But then she remembered what the Empress Dowager had told them: if the Jiang Family members died, their own families would be killed immediately. So, she gritted her teeth and said, "The Death Exemption Token was taken by Crown Princess Yeyang."

Daohua looked at Concubine Ji in shock, "Concubine Ji, I kindly helped you, why would you slander me?"

Concubine Ji looked at Daohua, "We have no grudge against each other, why would I slander you? The Death Exemption Token is on you."

Daohua, panic-stricken, said, "You’re talking nonsense." Then she knelt in the great hall, "Uncle Emperor, Concubine Ji is slandering your servant. There is no such Death Exemption Token on me, I beseech the emperor for clear discernment."

Seeing Daohua so adamant, Concubine Ji immediately retorted, "If it’s not on you, then you must have hidden it."

Knowing she was beyond saving, Concubine Xiang threw caution to the wind and appealed to the ministers and royal relatives present, "Honored lords, the Death Exemption Token was personally forged by Emperor Gaozu and represents Emperor Gaozu himself. Please, honorable lords, discern carefully."

Seeing Concubine Xiang involving them, the reactions of the royal relatives and ministers were not good.

The emperor watched Concubine Xiang and Concubine Ji with cold eyes, annoyed at his own carelessness, and underestimated the Empress Dowager. He had never imagined she would have such a Death Exemption Token.

After Concubine Ji and Concubine Xiang entered the palace, they had no dealings with the Empress Dowager. He had screened all the palace maids and eunuchs for any suspicions and released all of them from the palace, yet he had overlooked the imperial consorts.

Thus allowed the Empress Dowager to make such a move!

The emperor frowned in silence, knowing that he must give an explanation to the royal relatives and ministers. Otherwise, the Imperial Censors present might write anything in the history books once they went back.

Thinking of this, the emperor looked toward Daohua. Seeing her spine straight, a posture unafraid of being searched by anyone, he breathed a slight sigh of relief.

After all, this niece-in-law had helped him quite a few times.

"Crown Princess Yeyang, to prove what you have said, I will have Imperial Consort Gui and Consort Xian search you. You don’t mind, right?"

Daohua shook her head, "Your servant does not mind." Looking toward Concubine Ji, she said, "Although your servant does not know why Concubine Ji wishes to slander me, ever since entering Cining Palace, I have not left. If the lords suspect me of hiding the Death Exemption Token somewhere, please feel free to search."

Seeing Daohua’s confident demeanor, those present started to feel doubtful.

Concubine Xiang looked at Concubine Ji, and Concubine Ji’s heart also began to lose confidence, but she still insisted that the Death Exemption Token was on Daohua.

Imperial Consort Gui and Consort Xian took Daohua to a side hall. Quickly after, the three of them returned.

Imperial Consort Gui said, "Emperor, the Crown Princess Yeyang does not have the Death Exemption Token."

Consort Xian continued with a smile, "Let alone a token; the Crown Princess doesn’t even have a golden melon seed on her."

The emperor looked to the royal relatives and ministers, "Do you believe what Imperial Consort Gui and Consort Xian said?"

The crowd quickly stood up to affirm their belief.

"As for searching Cining Palace..." the emperor turned to the Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Justice, "I’ll have to trouble you with this task."

The Chief of Staff inwardly sighed, stood up, and accepted the task.

The search of Cining Palace took a prolonged time. Apart from the Empress Dowager’s sleeping quarters, the Chief of Staff scoured Cining Palace inside and out but did not find the rumored Death Exemption Token.

Hearing the Chief of Staff’s report, Concubine Ji collapsed to the ground, muttering incessantly, "Impossible, how can there be no Death Exemption Token?"