bookbashuk Chapter 146 Li Yuanke's head is covered in green!
Chapter 146 Li Yuanke's head is covered in green!
Upon seeing the Empress Dowager and the Emperor enter, Yang Tingyue was the first to confront them, "Consort Chen, what are your intentions? Why have you locked us up here? Your Majesty, I only came out to change my clothes, and I was detained by Consort Chen's men as soon as I entered!"
Behind the screen, a bed was set up. After Xie Tingwan received acupuncture, she lay down here and finally found some peace and quiet.
Li Fude came out from inside and said, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Consort Xie has been poisoned. I have been ordered by Consort Chen to summon the imperial physician, who is currently treating Consort Xie."
Li Yuanyin was also inside. He took a deep breath and came out, kneeling down in front of Li Yuanke. "Your Majesty, I heard at the banquet that someone was looking for me and had something to say. I didn't know who it was, so I came out and found Xie Baolin here."
"My brother noticed she was unwell, but before he could even ask her anything, Eunuch Li arrived, followed by Consort Zheng and Consort Ping."
When the two arrived, they made a big fuss, acting as if they had caught someone cheating, which made Li Yuanyin unable to bring himself to say anything.
Zheng Ruojin said, "Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, I just felt bored at the banquet, so I called Consort Ping to come out for a walk. She said she wanted to change her clothes, so the two of us walked here and saw Prince Chang Le and Consort Xie talking here. I don't know anything about it..."
"What are you saying? Xie Tingwan is shameless, hugging her second cousin..."
"Shut up!" the Empress Dowager snapped.
Li Yuanyin said, "Your Majesty, someone secretly tampered with this matter. I absolutely did not touch Xie Baolin. She was drugged. She is not that kind of person."
Chao En arrived, bringing with him three palace maids: Xie Tingwan's and Zheng Ruojin's personal maids, and a third maid who was temporarily transferred from another palace to help out.
Chao En replied, "Reporting to the masters, all three have confessed."
Shen Shixi said, "Tell me what happened!"
Chao En said, "Yes! Xie Baolin's maid was bribed. Today at the banquet, she accidentally spilled tea on the young lady. Zheng Baolin's maid came to help and put Meishenghuan in Xie Baolin's tea."
After drinking it, Xie Baolin felt hot all over, so she came out and was brought here by her palace maid. Zheng Baolin then sent a palace maid she didn't recognize to find the Prince, saying that Xie Baolin had asked to meet him here. The Prince thought there was something wrong and came.
Afterwards, Zheng Baolin brought Consort Ping over... attempting to escalate the situation, but was stopped by the men brought by Eunuch Li.
Chao En didn't dare say the words "catching adulterers," but everyone probably knew what kind of scheme it was.
That's the gist of it.
Li Fude said, "This servant was only acting according to Consort Chen's orders and dares not take credit for it."
The Empress Dowager was trembling with anger. Zheng Ruojin's actions had touched a nerve. Of her two sons, neither of them wanted to see internal strife arise, especially over a woman.
Shen Shixi was only trying to prevent the matter from escalating and tarnishing the royal family's reputation. As for how the incident happened and how it was handled afterwards, that was none of her business.
【I'm exhausted! What a mess! Li Yuanke's harem is never peaceful, it's full of monsters and demons! Even the best gossip isn't worth eating late at night.】
Li Yuanke glanced at her and said, "Bring a chair over for Consort Chen."
Shen Shixi sat down next to him. "Your Majesty, today's incident was clearly a setup to frame Xie Baolin and Prince Changle. Fortunately, things didn't escalate. Prince Changle is kind-hearted, which is why he fell for it."
To be honest, if it were me, I wouldn't care if someone tried to talk to me, or even if someone threatened to kill themselves.
[Li Yuanyin is a complete idiot; he deserves to fall into such a trap. And Li Yuanke deserves it too; he's being cuckolded!]
At that time, the concept of being cuckolded didn't exist yet, but Li Yuanke knew what it meant as soon as he heard it and glanced at her.
Shen Shixi leaned back in the chair, swinging her legs slightly in a cheerful rhythm.
Li Yuanyin hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, it is true. This palace maid said that someone wanted to talk to me. I wondered what they wanted to say at this time, so I came without thinking too much. Who knew that this was a trap?"
He didn't understand Shen Shixi's implied meaning: meddling in other people's business is what makes you fall for a trap.
The Empress Dowager understood, and gave her foolish son a speechless look. She said, "Emperor, it was ultimately a scheme within the harem. It's just that Yuan Yin shouldn't have been involved. Xie is immoral, and Zheng is vicious. In my opinion, these two should be dealt with to avoid future troubles."
She could no longer tolerate the Xie family.
[The Empress Dowager is indeed a woman who has lived her entire life in the palace. What does this have to do with Lady Xie? Lady Xie is even pregnant. Could it be that she should abort the mother and keep the child? What were you thinking when you gave Lady Xie to the Emperor? Li Yuanyin is the real troublemaker.]
But she only thought to herself, what does this have to do with her?
She lowered her head and gave a soft yawn.
Xie Tingwan almost fainted. She really didn't want to live anymore. Even though the separation between men and women wasn't as strict as it was in the Ming and Qing dynasties, she had still hugged her brother-in-law.
How could she survive in the harem when she was simultaneously rejected by both the Empress Dowager and the Emperor?
"I am willing to obey the Empress Dowager's decree!" Xie Tingwan said calmly.
The emperor glanced at her and said, "Mother, this matter has nothing to do with Xie. It was all Zheng and Consort Ping who were malicious and poisoned people."
"Lady Xie is pregnant with the emperor's child and has suffered such injustice. In my opinion, she should be promoted to the rank of Consort."
The Empress Dowager was very afraid that her eldest son would resent her youngest son. She wanted to strangle Xie but dared not insist, after all, she was carrying the emperor's child.
Xie Tingwan, never expecting to be spared, wept and expressed her gratitude, saying, "This concubine thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness, and many thanks to the Empress Dowager!"
Who would willingly die if they could live, especially with a dragon's child in her belly?
This was the exchange; aside from Li Yuanyin's crimes, the Empress Dowager agreed to protect Lady Xie.
But she also wants to protect Yang Tingyue.
"Consort Ping, are you aware of this matter?" the Empress Dowager asked angrily.
Yang Tingyue realized the gravity of the situation and cried like a fool, "Empress Dowager, Aunt, I really didn't know! Zheng Baolin said I needed some fresh air, so I came out with her."
Shen Shixi didn't forget to kick someone when they were down, "You certainly didn't let Zheng Baolin down; you said everything you should and shouldn't have said."
If she hadn't mentioned that Xie Tingwan was holding Prince Changle, Li Yuanke wouldn't have felt so uncomfortable.
But once you've said it clearly, the outcome is different.
It seems Li Yuanke will never touch Xie again from now on; another member of the harem has been lost.
The Emperor ordered Zheng's execution. The Empress Dowager sighed, "It's the New Year, and we've already executed Xu. Now we're executing Zheng. What will people outside think?"
If Zheng dies, people will surely investigate what happened today, and once a rumor gets out, it will cause a huge uproar.
The Empress Dowager said, "There's no need to demote her; just send her to the Cold Palace!"
It means to live or die on its own.
Lady Zheng cried, "Empress Dowager, spare my life! Your Majesty, spare my life! This matter has nothing to do with me!"
Zheng's maid, Caiyun, rushed forward and said, "It's all my fault. I did all of this. It was Miss Xie who spoke ill of me in front of you. And Bingyan, she also often looked down on me. That's why I had such thoughts. Please, Your Majesty and Empress Dowager, forgive my mistress."
Bingyan was Xie Tingwan's palace maid.
The Empress Dowager clearly despised Xie Tingwan. "A palace maid, why choose such a name? Bingyan!"
Xie Tingwan pursed her lips, rested her head on the floor tiles, and dared not say another word.
"This maid is to be executed!" The emperor stood up and gestured with his chin toward Li Fude, clearly not intending to change his decree because of the maid's pleas for mercy and Zheng's protests of innocence.
Li Fude then had someone come in and handle it.
"Your Majesty, I will escort you back to the palace!" the Emperor said.
The Empress Dowager waved her hand, "Let Yuan Yin escort me. You have other things to do, so don't worry about me."
Tonight, the Emperor will stay up all night with his officials to celebrate the New Year. "Li Fude, arrange for someone to escort Consort Chen back."