Chapter 178 The Cannon Fodder Concubine in the Harem—Investigation

"This servant greets Your Majesty."

"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty."

An hour and a half later, Wang Bao entered the Showa Palace with a stack of papers and the commander of the secret guards, and bowed to Emperor Jingping.

Emperor Jingping: "Rise."

"Have you gotten any results from the investigation?" Emperor Jingping asked, his face grim as he sat in his chair, his hawk-like eyes fixed on the crowd below.

As soon as Emperor Jingping finished speaking, Consort Li shrank back slightly, her eyes flickering, seemingly nervous and uneasy.

Wang Bao presented the paper in his hand to Emperor Jingping, then bowed his head and said:

"Your Majesty, these are the testimonies of palace maids Qingwei and Taohong. After questioning by this servant and Lord Sun, Consort Jia is indeed innocent. This matter must have been done by Consort Li."

Upon hearing this, Consort Li's face turned deathly pale. Her eyes widened in disbelief, tears welled up in them, and her lips trembled as she let out a sharp sob.

"Your Majesty, I am innocent! This must be a deliberate attempt to frame me!"

Her voice was filled with despair and helplessness, as if she had been abandoned by the world.

She suddenly threw herself at the emperor's feet, hugged his legs tightly, pressed her forehead to the ground, and kowtowed desperately.

Her hair was disheveled and her makeup was a mess, but her eyes revealed a strong will to survive.

Emperor Jingping looked at Consort Li with a gloomy expression and said, "Consort Li, are you questioning whether I have wronged you?"

Consort Li knelt on the ground, waving her hands frantically in denial: "No, no, that's not what I meant."

Emperor Jingping said coldly, "Shut up. Let me hear your prowess first. Wang Bao, continue."

Wang Bao: "Your servant obeys the decree."

"Just now, after I took all the people from Showa Palace away, I discovered that Showa Palace was missing a cleaning maid. I found Tao Hong, who was barely alive, by the pond near Fuyong Palace."

"Tao Hong said that someone threatened her with the lives of her family members, ordering her to bury this doll in Jia Jieyu's courtyard. Tao Hong didn't know who it was, but she remembered his voice. And this person was among the group of searchers brought by Consort Li, named Qing Wei."

"Qing finally confessed that it was Green Ling, the head maid of Consort Li, who instructed him to do so. I interrogated Green Ling again, and she finally confessed that she was acting on the orders of Consort Li."

Wang Bao recounted the investigation in detail. As expected of the emperor's chief steward, Wang Bao was very efficient. With the assistance of the secret guards and the imperial guards, the speed of solving the case was greatly improved.

When Consort Li heard that her scheme had been exposed, her face turned extremely ugly. Her eyes widened, she trembled with rage, and she cursed:

"You vile woman! How dare you betray me! I will never let you get away with this!"

After Consort Li finished scolding, she turned around, looked pitifully at Emperor Jingping, tears streaming down her cheeks, and choked out:

"Your Majesty, Lüling must have been bribed! You must believe me! You know I'm not that kind of person!"

Consort Li naturally refused to admit her guilt easily. She threw herself at Emperor Jingping's feet, hugged his leg tightly, and burst into tears.

She cried as she poured out her grievances and helplessness, hoping to touch Emperor Jingping's heart.

When Consort Li stopped speaking and began to weep, Emperor Jingping spoke, his voice utterly cold:

"Consort Li, you've been with me for many years, you should know what I hate most!"

Consort Li paused in her act of wiping away tears, frozen in place. She met the Emperor's knowing gaze and stammered:

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, I know... I understand."

Emperor Jingping's eyes were sharp, and he asked in an icy tone, "What is it?"

Consort Li answered tremblingly, "It's...it's a deception."

Emperor Jingping chuckled twice and said sarcastically, "So you knew. It seems that in your eyes, I must be a fool."

Upon hearing this, Consort Shu's body trembled slightly. She understood that Emperor Jingping hadn't said "you," but rather "all of you," and who the other person represented was self-evident.

Consort Li broke down in tears this time, pleading with Emperor Jingping for forgiveness.

"Your Majesty, I was wrong, I truly know I was wrong! Please, please forgive me this once, I promise I will never do it again!"

Emperor Jingping forcefully stretched out his thigh and, expressionless, gave the order:

"Guards, throw Consort Li into the Cold Palace, and never let her ever step out of it again!"

The guard immediately knelt down to receive the imperial decree, saying, "This servant obeys the decree!"

Upon hearing Emperor Jingping's decree, Consort Li collapsed to the ground, pleading desperately, but Emperor Jingping remained unmoved.

Then, the guards dragged Consort Li out of Showa Palace. Emperor Jingping watched all this, his heart filled with rage, suppressing his bloodlust.

Once Li Fei's voice could no longer be heard, the room returned to its original tranquility.

The silence inside was unsettling, as if the whole world had been forgotten by time.

This invisible pressure makes some people feel depressed and panicked.

"Consort Shu." After a long silence, Emperor Jingping spoke slowly.

The voice was like a death knell, startling Consort Shu so much that she knelt on the ground.

At this moment, Consort Shu no longer cared about Yao Yao standing to the side. She was even less concerned about losing face and only wanted to protect herself.

"Your Majesty, I was wrong, I truly know I was wrong. Please forgive me! I shouldn't have listened to Consort Li's lies and followed her recklessly! I have deeply realized my mistake and will never let this happen again. Please give me another chance!"

Consort Shu cried and kept kowtowing, begging for forgiveness from the emperor.

"Consort Shu, I am very disappointed in you."

Upon hearing this, Consort Shu looked up sharply, her gaze meeting that of Emperor Jingping.

As their eyes met, she clearly caught the look of disappointment in Emperor Jingping's eyes, as if a sharp sword had pierced her heart.

At that moment, Consort Shu understood for the first time the deep meaning in the Emperor's eyes, and suddenly realized what she had missed!

Consort Shu realized that the mistake she had made was irreversible.

The high position he had always hoped for had completely slipped through his fingers.

A wave of endless regret and self-reproach washed over Consort Shu. Now, she could only silently bear the consequences.

Emperor Jingping: "Wang Bao, issue the decree to promote Jia Jieyu to the rank of Virtuous Consort, and entrust her with the management of all affairs of the inner palace."

Wang Bao: "Your servant obeys!"

Virtuous and kind, Xu Yaoyao is actually a virtuous consort! Although she did not hear the emperor's punishment of her, the virtuous consort was now completely despondent.

Regardless of the outcome, at this moment, Xu Yaoyao has already gained the upper hand!

Emperor Jingping: "Consort Shu, starting today, you shall stay in Fenghua Palace for two months to cultivate your character. During this period, you shall not leave the palace without my summons."

Consort Shu seemed to have lost her soul, and replied absentmindedly, "Your Majesty, I obey."