books44 Chapter 448 The Empress Dowager Knows
Chapter 448 The Empress Dowager Knows
Chapter 448 The Empress Dowager Knows
"Your Majesty, something has happened!" A palace maid rushed in from outside, her face filled with panic.
"What's going on? What are you doing, all flustered? Don't you know that the Empress Dowager prefers peace and quiet?" Granny Yu scolded, frowning.
"This servant knows her crime, please punish me, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager." The little maid was so frightened that she knelt down.
"Alright, Xiaoyu." The Empress Dowager waved her hand, indicating that the matter should be dropped.
Then she looked at the maid and asked, "What happened? Why are you so anxious?" The Empress Dowager was getting old and was at the age to enjoy her retirement, so she didn't pay much attention to the affairs of the inner palace.
"Your Majesty, something has happened to Consort De and the Fourth Princess!"
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager assumed that the two had offended the Emperor again, but she wasn't in a hurry: "What did they do?"
"Your Majesty, today the Second Princess's residence is hosting a banquet, and the Fourth Princess..." The maidservant recounted the whole story to the Empress Dowager.
"Are you telling the truth?" The Empress Dowager was furious and slammed her hand on the small table next to her.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. Don't upset yourself." Xiaoyu quickly comforted her with concern.
"It's...it's true. The Fourth Princess was given ten strokes of the cane by His Majesty and is now in a coma and back in the palace. As for Consort De...Consort De, she..." The little maid hesitated to speak, glancing up at the Empress Dowager, whose face was full of anger.
"Tell me, what has happened to Consort De this time?" The Empress Dowager took a deep breath.
"The Second Princess said... that Consort Rong was poisoned and killed by Consort De back then, and she wants His Majesty to uphold justice for Consort Rong." The little maid finished speaking tremblingly, and quickly lowered her head, not daring to look at the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager's heart sank. Was it true? Did Consort De really kill Consort Rong?
"Where is Consort De now?" the Empress Dowager asked anxiously. Consort De was her own niece. Even though she had been somewhat disappointed in Consort De and her daughter during this time, she still had feelings for them. Now that the two had committed such a serious offense, His Majesty might give the Fourth Princess a minor punishment, but it was uncertain what would happen to Consort De.
"Still in the Hall of Mental Cultivation."
"Xiaoyu, quickly come with me to the Hall of Mental Cultivation." The Empress Dowager helped Yu Mama to her feet.
"Your Majesty, please don't worry." Granny Yu quickly helped the Empress Dowager walk outside.
At this moment, in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Emperor Zhou looked at Consort De, who was paralyzed on the ground, with a gloomy expression.
"Consort De, oh Consort De, I never realized you were so well hidden all these years ago. I underestimated you." Emperor Zhou's eyes held disappointment and a hint of wariness.
He thought he had everyone in the harem under his control, but he never expected Consort De to pull such a stunt on him and hide it for more than ten years. Wasn't this a slap in the face? He didn't even dare to look at his second daughter anymore.
The matter has been exposed, and Consort De no longer hides it, revealing her true colors. In the past, she always appeared gentle and considerate, but now her gaze towards Emperor Zhou is filled with mockery, and her face is devoid of smiles, only hatred remains.
"Your Majesty is unaware of many things. Do you really think this harem is as harmonious as Your Majesty sees it? You are truly foolish. There are countless others like me. Has Your Majesty not considered why Your Majesty has only had so few offspring after all these years?"
This is the imperial palace! Even if Emperor Zhou wasn't a womanizer, there were still quite a few people in the harem. Where there are people, there are bound to be struggles, especially in the harem, where everyone is vying for that one man.
"What did you say? What else do you know?" Emperor Zhou's expression changed, becoming quite ugly.
"Haha, Your Majesty wants to know, but I'm not going to tell you. Your Majesty can investigate for yourself." Consort De laughed heartily.
"Consort De, it seems you are still unrepentant. Although I have not many children, I have enough. Even if I cannot find out, it does not matter. Consort De, you have miscalculated if you think you can use this to threaten me." Emperor Zhou suddenly laughed.
Upon seeing this, Consort De's smile faded, and she looked at Emperor Zhou in disbelief: "Does Your Majesty not want to know what happened to the lack of offspring all those years?"
"Since they were not born, it means they are not destined to be with me."
"Your Majesty is truly heartless. He treats his own children like strangers. People say that emperors are heartless, but it seems I haven't seen things clearly enough."
"Heh." Emperor Zhou sneered. He was an emperor, the emperor of the entire Great Zhou. Naturally, he had many things to consider. As for those children who were murdered, how could he not feel heartache? But he could only show these feelings when no one was around at night, because an emperor must not show his emotions.
"I have nothing more to say. Whatever Your Majesty decides to do with His Majesty, I will." Consort De stopped struggling. The person in front of her was the emperor, who held the power of life and death over her. What else could she do?
However… Consort De glanced at the Second Princess standing to one side, her eyes filled with regret. She shouldn’t have kept her alive because of a momentary lapse of judgment; she should have gone to hell with her wretched mother.
Perhaps it was because Consort De's gaze was too cold that the Second Princess felt a chill run down her spine and looked over as well.
Upon seeing this, Consort De's expression changed, and she said to the Second Princess, "Xue'er, I know you hate me, but over the years I have truly treated you as my own daughter. I only asked you to protect your younger sister because you are a few years older than Qing'er. I did not treat you as a maid. After I leave, our grudges will be settled."
"Considering our years of mother-daughter and sisterly affection, when you are able, please look after your sister. She has never harmed you." Consort De did this simply to evoke the Second Princess's kindness and leave some security for her daughter.
Because she knew her daughter's temperament, she knew that without her by her side, her daughter would offend many people, including the Empress Dowager who had protected her before the epidemic. Now, with another concubine who had made a mistake, she didn't know how difficult it would be for her daughter in the palace.
Looking at the sincere and earnest Consort De, the Second Princess suddenly recalled the few joyful moments they had shared in the past. She wavered for a moment, but quickly remembered that this person was the murderer who killed her mother. If she gave in, how could she face her deceased mother? So she hardened her heart again.
"Your Highness, I have no mother-daughter relationship with you, nor any sisterly relationship with Xuan Yuanqing. Now that I am married, it would be best if we did not meet again."
This was a refusal, and Consort De secretly resented the ungrateful wretch for not granting such a small request.
"Qing'er, I'm begging you, your sister is still young, please help her. She has always liked you as her older sister. I'm sorry, but this has nothing to do with Qing'er. If you want to hate someone, hate me."