Chapter 151 The Divorced Heiress of a Noble Family—Solitary Confinement

The secret guards acted swiftly, pointing directly to the Empress, the mistress of the harem.

The Emperor acted swiftly and decisively, stripping the Empress of her right to manage the inner palace.

From the distance, a voice echoed from Linhua Palace: "The Emperor has decreed!"

Everyone was startled, and Consort Zhao quickly led the palace servants to kneel down to receive the imperial edict.

Chen Bao read aloud: "The Empress has committed a moral failing and needs to be confined for reflection. Effective immediately, the Phoenix Seal will be temporarily entrusted to Consort Zhao, and all affairs of the inner palace will be temporarily handled by Consort Zhao. So be it!"

This sudden imperial edict surprised and shocked everyone present.

Especially Consort Zhao. Her eyes widened as she stared in disbelief at what was happening before her.

"Your Majesty, I accept the decree! Thank you for your great favor!" Consort Zhao, after realizing what was happening, kowtowed with a beaming smile to express her gratitude.

Meanwhile, Changchun Palace was shrouded in darkness.

This was undoubtedly a heavy blow to the Empress. She wept bitterly, but received not a single look of pity from the Emperor.

"Your Majesty, are you really going to disregard our marriage of over ten years for the sake of Su Yaoyao, whom you've only known for a short time?"

Empress He knelt on the ground, tearfully questioning Xiao Heng.

Xiao Heng didn't even glance at her, only saying something cryptic: "Su Yaoyao is my bottom line. Anyone who dares to cross her will be killed."

Empress He gazed into the distance in despair, tears streaming down her face.

She thought the emperor would forgive her out of consideration for their past relationship, but she never expected him to say that she was morally deficient in front of all the women in the harem!

Not only that, they were also stripped of their power!

The empress is the mother of the nation. Once she is labeled as morally flawed, it will be difficult for her to recover.

The Changchun Palace was heavily guarded by the Imperial Guards, and no one was allowed to enter or leave.

Although the ministers had doubts about the emperor's swift and decisive handling of the matter, none of them dared to ask him.

After all, the last inquiry directly led to the dismissal of many officials.

No one dared to cross the emperor's bottom line again.

Xiao Heng was not a stubborn person, nor was he a tyrannical monarch who was obstinate and arbitrary.

During the morning court session, Xiao Heng directly instructed Chen Bao to recount the Empress's actions.

Looking at the bowed officials below the stage, Xiao Heng asked in a deep and slow voice, "If any of you ministers feel that my punishment of the Empress is unreasonable, you may raise your concerns on the spot, and I will not mind."

Before everyone knew the truth, they couldn't understand why the Emperor severely punished the Empress. But once they fully understood, they naturally understood the Emperor's actions.

"We have no objection."

No one pleaded for the Queen.

Perhaps the Empress's initial intention was to bring down Consort Chen, but as such rumors spread, they would inevitably affect the Emperor's reputation, which no minister would allow.

On this sunny day, a sense of oppression permeated the Marquis of Weiwu's residence.

Everyone wore a solemn expression, as if a storm was about to break.

In the main hall of the Marquis of Weiwu's mansion sat several heads of the household, their faces gloomy, their eyes revealing a hint of worry and unease.

With the Yue family's He residence and the Empress in the palace both experiencing misfortunes, the Marquis of Weiwu's residence is also facing difficulties.

Even though Zhao Fengyin was still favored by the Emperor and the Marquis of Weiwu commanded troops in his region, Zhao's mother could still sense that the noble ladies of the capital were slowly distancing themselves from her.

Before Su Yaoyao entered the palace, Zhao's mother received invitations to banquets or visits from different people almost every day.

Now, more than a month has passed, and she has only received a handful of invitations.

The stark contrast struck Zhao's mother like a bolt from the blue.

Originally, Zhao's mother was overjoyed and looked forward to her son and the Marquis of Weiwu's mansion rising to a higher status, but she never expected to be thrown into hell.

Now that the Empress is imprisoned and has lost all her power, Zhao's mother feels as if the sky is falling. Only now does she begin to feel fear.

He Wan has shed far more tears these past few days than when she was an orphan.

A few days ago, she went to visit her father at the He residence while heavily pregnant, but was scolded by her younger brother.

"Why are you my sister?! Why don't you stay on the frontier and come back to the capital?! Not only did you steal someone else's husband, but you also brought undeserved disaster upon our He family! You're a jinx! Meeting you has been the worst luck ever!"

He Shifeng looked disgusted, his eyes filled with malice and indifference. He stared straight at He Wan, making no attempt to hide his dissatisfaction and anger.

He Wan vehemently denied it: "I didn't! I didn't steal it! My husband and I are truly in love! You said I shouldn't have gone back to the He family, but it wasn't me who approached you in the first place! It was your He family that came to me first!"

He Shifeng retorted, not to be outdone, "It's an honor that we came to you first! You should kneel down and thank us! Otherwise, with your status as an orphan, you think you can marry into the Marquis of Weiwu's mansion? You're dreaming!"

Every word was piercing to the heart; to this day, He Wan still remembers He Shifeng's words deeply.

That day, Zhao Fengyin was unable to accompany her due to other matters, so her younger brother from the same mother spoke rudely to her, while her biological parents sat aside and acted as if they hadn't heard anything.

He Wan felt utterly heartbroken.

Now, upon hearing the devastating news that the Empress had been imprisoned, He Wan could no longer hold back and burst into tears in front of her mother-in-law and father-in-law.

Zhao Fengyin quickly came to her side, hugged her and comforted her, "Wanwan, don't cry, the Empress will be alright."

He Wan was like a child, completely immersed in her own world, not saying a word, just letting her tears flow endlessly.

Her body trembled slightly, as if the whole world had collapsed. Her cries grew louder and louder.

Zhao's mother was already irritable, and hearing this mournful sound only made her more annoyed. She impatiently scolded:

"Cry, cry, cry! All you do is cry! Don't you know you have a baby in your belly? What good does crying do?"

He Wan was frightened. This was the first time Zhao's mother had ever lost her temper with her. She was somewhat bewildered and at a loss.

Tears streamed down her face, but she made no further sound.

“Mother!” Zhao Fengyin frowned deeply, his voice revealing a hint of barely concealed anger.

When Zhao's mother heard her usually dutiful son speak loudly to her, his words filled with displeasure, she immediately stood up and said angrily:

"Did I say something wrong? All you do when something goes wrong is cry. Does crying solve anything? It's already stressful enough, and making such a fuss only makes it more annoying!"

Zhao Fengyin, intimidated by his mother's fierce demeanor, sighed softly and said:

“Mother, I don’t mean to blame you. Wanwan has never experienced anything like this before, and she’s timid. Please be understanding.”

Zhao's mother scoffed, "Am I not understanding enough? Tell me, which mother-in-law in the capital is so obedient to her daughter-in-law!"

"Alright, quiet! Stop talking!" Marquis Weiwu slammed his fist on the table in anger.

Now the room fell silent, and no one dared to speak.