bookbashuk Chapter 235 Another person removes their hairpin to plead guilty
Chapter 235 Another person removes their hairpin to plead guilty
The Empress was puzzled. "Wait, Imperial Noble Consort Chenyuan, what do you mean? Don't you still deny it?"
Shen Shixi ignored her, pointed to the Listening Wind on the ground, and said to the Emperor, "Your Majesty, this is Listening Wind from my palace, not Listening Rain at all. The Empress believes everything she hears, and I don't know what kind of villain has tricked her into concluding that someone from my palace is at fault without proper interrogation."
"Since my abilities are limited, I have nothing to say; but if you insist on imposing this unfounded charge, I cannot accept it!"
Either admit your limited abilities, or fabricate charges against you. Let's see how the Empress chooses.
The emperor asked, "Empress, what are your thoughts?"
The Empress was stunned, not expecting this at all. "Your Majesty... Your Majesty..."
She roared, "You wretched maid, who instructed you to dare deceive me?"
Tao'er kowtowed frantically, "This servant wouldn't dare! This servant truly heard about this from someone else, this servant wouldn't dare deceive Your Majesty!"
Shen Shixi said, "Then send it to the Imperial Prison for a thorough investigation. Your Majesty, who is behind this plot against me? I implore Your Majesty to find out. If it happens once, it will happen again. I don't want to be framed every time!"
"Of course!" the empress tried to save face.
"Then I will await your good news!"
Shen Shixi rose and bowed to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, saying, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, since this matter is none of my concern, please allow me to take my leave!"
As she passed by Tao'er, she said, "Tao'er, this time I will not implicate anyone. But if there is a next time, anyone who dares to throw dirty water on my head again should be prepared to have their whole family die together. I will not let any of them go. Don't think that I can't find out who it is!"
She walked away gracefully!
The hem of her long-sleeved robe trailed on the ground, shimmering softly. The sunlight fell directly on her head, as if gilding her with gold, making her appear like a goddess descending to earth.
Even the Empress Dowager had to admit that she was the best candidate to be the Empress, the mother of the nation!
The emperor declared, "Send this woman to the Imperial Prison and have her beaten to death! All those who spread the rumors shall be punished with sixty strokes of the cane!"
After saying that, he left.
The Empress has lost face big time.
But this matter is Shen Shixi's fault. Even if she was wronged, why did she have to make such a scene in front of the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and so many other people?
Did she do it willingly?
The Empress Dowager had no choice but to say, "Empress, you should be more cautious in your actions from now on, and avoid being reckless! I hereby issue this decree: anyone in the palace who dares to utter even a single word of criticism will be severely punished!"
What could the Empress say? Feeling wronged, she replied, "Yes, Your Majesty, I obey!"
Halfway there, Li Yuanke remembered something and instructed Li Fude, "Take the Second Princess to the Yuan family and order the Imperial Household Department to register the Second Princess under the Yuan family's name. The Yuan family is the birth mother of the princess in the imperial genealogy."
"yes!"
Unable to determine who was behind the trouble, Consort Zhen had no choice but to return. Upon arriving back at the palace, Bingyan ran out crying, "My lady, the princess has been taken away! Waaaaah!"
Knowing this day would come, Zhen Meiren wasn't surprised. She only hated the person who helped raise her child, who was incapable of giving birth herself but had the ability to hold someone else's child.
"Who took it to raise?"
"His Majesty ordered someone to take it to Consort Yuan."
Consort Zhen chuckled. "That old woman can only adopt other people's children now. Dress me up in plain clothes and remove my hairpins. I'm going to apologize to the Emperor!"
Shen Shixi had something to discuss with Liu Jingzhong. She couldn't meet with court officials in the inner palace; she always met at Qian Yuan Palace. After leaving Ci Ning Palace, she went to Qian Yuan Palace.
Li Yuanke was also in Qianyuan Palace. The two were busy with their own things. After they had finished dealing with the matter, Li Yuanke looked at the folded paper and wouldn't let her leave. So she had no choice but to continue writing her "Journey to the West".
"Oh, right, Eunuch Li, could you please send someone to fetch the people from the Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau)? I'd like them to write another play for me."
"This servant obeys the decree!"
Li Fude asked Jiang You to make the trip himself, and the Jiaofangcheng (a type of entertainment venue) official arrived with his team.
Shen Shixi gave them his novel "Journey to the West," which he had written from memory, saying, "Let's see if we can compose a song called 'Havoc in Heaven' so we can watch it during the New Year."
The director of the Imperial Music Bureau was so engrossed in watching that it was only after Feng Luan reminded him that he came to his senses and apologized, "Your Majesty, please forgive me, it's just too beautiful, I couldn't resist."
Shen Shixi smiled and said, "It's alright. You can copy the manuscript down first. The original manuscript should be returned to me. Don't lose it or damage it."
"Your Majesty, rest assured, we will cherish it and ensure it is not damaged in the slightest."
Shen Shixi was reassured about this. She had already written the story of the three masters and disciples, bound it into a book, and let them take the whole book.
The group left, deeply grateful.
"Jiang Liu Ji" has already been performed once for the Empress Dowager. All the ladies in the palace love to watch it, including the Empress Dowager herself. She invites the ladies of the outer court to the palace to watch the play with her, and they watch it over and over again.
"Your Majesty, Consort Zhen has removed her hairpins outside and is begging for an audience with you!" Li Fude said.
Li Yuanke didn't even look up. "Tell her to get out!"
Li Fude went out and said, "Consort Zhen, His Majesty is busy right now, you should go back first!"
She wouldn't leave; she stubbornly knelt there, refusing to leave until the emperor saw her.
There were officials coming and going, which made things quite awkward.
Xie Wensheng was her brother, and also a member of one of the five prominent families and seven noble clans. Li Yuanke needed people to serve him, which was incredibly annoying. "Go and invite the Empress here, let her handle this!"
The Empress had just lost face and was wiping away tears when she heard that the Emperor had assigned her a task. She was overjoyed and came over excitedly. However, she couldn't persuade Consort Zhen to leave, nor could she take action against her.
Zhen Meiren only sought refuge with her.
Li Fude entered and said, "The Empress requests an audience."
Shen Shixi burst out laughing. Unable to write any longer, she simply threw down her pen, slumped on the couch, and called to Caiying, "Bring a pot of tea and a plate of melon seeds. I remember the melons this year are quite good; cut a plate of them."
Li Yuanke laughed in anger, came over and pinched her cheek, "You little rascal, are you watching the show?"
He was also lounging on the tatami mat, and the two of them each occupied a spot on one side of the low table.
After the Empress entered and performed her rites, she found that there was no seat available. The Emperor did not offer her a seat, so she had to stand.
"What is it, Empress?" Li Yuanke asked.
The Empress said, "Your Majesty, it is my fault that such rumors are circulating in the palace, but I believe that Consort Zhen is innocent. It is just that someone is using this matter to slander the Imperial Noble Consort, to disgust Your Majesty, and to sow discord between Your Majesty and the Imperial Noble Consort."
Your Majesty, I humbly request that Consort Zhen be given an opportunity to appear before you and explain herself.
Shen Shixi sat up and looked at the Empress in utter shock.
[Trying to sow discord between me and Li Yuanke? Damn, that's a perfect excuse. Why didn't the person behind this think about my motives? What is Consort Zhen's rank? Is she even worth using?]
The Emperor calmly looked at the Empress, nodded, and ordered Li Fude, "Let Lady Xie in!"
Zhenmei was quite beautiful, especially in her plain clothes. Her hair was tied up with only a white jade hairpin. She wore no makeup and knelt on the ground. Her makeup was gone, her eyebrows were as light as autumn water, and she was as beautiful as the moon in the sky.
"Your Majesty, although I had dealings with Prince Chang Le in the past, I never had any romantic feelings for him. When I was chosen to participate in the imperial concubine selection, I fell in love with Your Majesty at first sight and only wanted to serve you."
After entering the palace, I did have a conversation with Prince Chang Le, but it was not a private meeting. Imperial Noble Consort Chen Yuan can testify to this!
[I've gotten myself involved in this mess? Good grief, I never accept gifts, but my overflowing sympathy led me to take her rare book that I can't even understand, and now I'm being dragged into this?]
The Empress said, "Sister Chenyuan, if you were indeed present, please step forward and say something! I didn't know you were here. You are also in charge of palace affairs, so why didn't you advise Consort Zhen just now?"
"Oh, perhaps His Majesty thinks I'm incompetent and didn't let me get involved. His Majesty is wise, and even the Empress couldn't handle it; surely I'm helpless as well!"
The Emperor summoned you, and you can't even handle a beautiful woman? How dare you say that!
But the Empress did not understand the implied meaning.
Consort Zhen cried, "Imperial Noble Consort, please say a word for me! I am truly innocent!"
Shen Shixi said, "I was indeed there when you and Li Yuanyin were talking in the pavilion on the mountain in the Imperial Garden that day. As for the rest, I know nothing about it."