Chapter 107 Consort De is Punished

Consort De knelt on the ground, refusing to rise, her voice filled with desperate sobs: "Your Majesty... I beg you! I have been in the palace for many years, always obedient and dutiful, and have never asked Your Majesty for anything..."

As she spoke, she kowtowed heavily, her forehead striking the gold brick with a dull thud: "I beg you, for the sake of the child I bore for you, Hao'er... I beg you, have mercy and pardon my brother... He is the only bloodline of our Zhao family, Your Majesty!"

She raised her tear-blurred face, her forehead already bruised and red, and continued to plead, "Your Majesty... I beg you..."

Yuwen Che frowned as he looked at her, his initial impatience at her interruption turning into a cold hardness. He put down his vermilion brush, his gaze as icy as he looked at Consort De. His voice, though not loud, carried an undeniable authority as he spoke, word by word:

“Consort De, you have been in the palace for many years and should know the law better. Even if the emperor breaks the law, he is subject to the same punishment as the common people.”

He stood up, walked to her, and looked down at her: "Your brother, Zhao Baorong, raped a woman, causing her death. The evidence is conclusive, and he should be executed according to the law. How can you expect me to pardon him? How can I explain this to the woman who died unjustly, and to the people of the world?"

His words were like a final verdict, shattering all of Consort De's hopes. She collapsed to the ground, unable to utter another word, only silent tears streaming down her face.

Yuwen Che stopped looking at her and turned to Li Dehai, saying, "Send Consort De back. Tell her to stay quietly in Chengqian Palace and take good care of the First Prince."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Li Dehai bowed and accepted the order, then stepped forward and carefully helped the nearly exhausted Consort De to her feet. "Your Highness, please."

Consort De, supported by Li Dehai, took a few steps, then suddenly flung his hand away, turned and stumbled back, crawling on her knees to grab the hem of Yuwen Che's dragon robe, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Your Majesty! I beg you! He... he's only nineteen... Your Majesty! He's still a child! He's the only bloodline of our Zhao family! My parents are old and are counting on him to carry on the family line. They... they can't bear the pain of losing their son, Your Majesty!"

Yuwen Che felt his dragon robe being grabbed by her, and a flash of undisguised disgust crossed his eyes. He abruptly pulled the hem of the robe from her hand.

Li Dehai was terrified; His Majesty hated being touched. He quickly stepped forward and desperately stopped Consort De, who was trying to pounce on him again, whispering, "Your Majesty! No! Absolutely not!"

Consort De, though stopped by Li Dehai, still stretched out her hand towards Yuwen Che, pleading, "Your Majesty... please have mercy..."

Yuwen Che straightened his rumpled dragon robe, his gaze icy as he looked down at the disheveled Consort De, his voice as cold as ice:

"Only nineteen? Isn't nineteen young?"

His tone suddenly turned stern, carrying the imposing authority of an emperor:

"At nineteen, he can commit such heinous acts as raping a woman and driving her to her death! With such a vicious nature, what kind of good person will he become in a few years?! If I spare him today, will he dare to kill and commit arson in the future, and disregard the law as nothing?!"

He stepped forward, his gaze sharp as a knife, each word piercing to the heart:

"Consort De, listen to me clearly! Let alone that he is nineteen years old, even if he were only nine this year, he has committed such a heinous crime, and he must atone for it with his death to uphold the law!"

"I will not tolerate this!"

These words struck like a thunderbolt, leaving Consort De completely collapsed to the ground, too weak even to cry. She finally understood that with Yuwen Che, there was no room for leniency.

Yuwen Che stopped looking at her and waved to Li Dehai: "Drag him out."

Li Dehai quickly summoned two eunuchs, who then half-supported and half-carried the distraught Consort De out of the Sizheng Hall.

Silence returned to the hall, Yuwen Che's face ashen. He was not without compassion, but he would never extend his pity to such a wicked person who bullied others and treated human life so lightly.

Yuwen Che glanced at the spot where Consort De had grabbed him, his face grim as he walked into the side hall. He said to Li Dehai, who followed closely behind, "Change your clothes."

"Yes." Li Dehai quickly fetched a clean set of black casual clothes and swiftly helped him change.

Yuwen Che let him serve him, then suddenly asked, "Li Dehai, of the late emperor's concubines... those who had no children, are any of them still alive?"

Li Dehai paused slightly, thought carefully for a moment, and then cautiously replied, "Your Majesty, after the late Emperor passed away, the concubines who had no children were all moved to the Western Garden to live out their days in accordance with regulations. Now... there are probably only three or four still alive. Why does Your Majesty suddenly ask about this?"

As he carefully tied Yuwen Che's belt, he tentatively asked in a soft voice, "Does Your Majesty have any... special arrangements?"

Yuwen Che straightened his cuffs and calmly ordered, "Issue my decree that Prince An, Yuwen Hao, shall be moved out of Chengqian Palace immediately and placed under the care of Consort Duankang in the Western Garden."

Upon hearing this, Li Dehai was startled, and his hands stopped moving. He knew that His Majesty was always decisive, but he hadn't expected it to be so swift; Consort De had only been gone for less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn!

He looked up at Yuwen Che and saw that His Majesty's expression was cold and clear, indicating that it was not a momentary impulse.

Yuwen Che seemed to still be considering the best course of action for Consort De. Just as he was about to order her confinement in the Cold Palace, Li Dehai couldn't help but whisper a word of advice:

“Your Majesty, although Consort De’s words and actions were inappropriate today and offended Your Majesty, but… but her crime does not warrant death. After all, she is the birth mother of Prince An. If the punishment is too severe, when Prince An grows up and learns of this, I fear… I fear it will create a rift between him and Your Majesty.”

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Che remained silent for a moment, then finally sighed. Li Dehai's concerns were not without merit; he could disregard Consort De, but he could not completely ignore his son's future feelings.

He changed his mind and said in a deep voice, "Then... strip Consort De of her title, demote her to a low-ranking concubine, and move her to the Yongxiang Palace. Since she is restless and so leisurely, she doesn't need so many people to serve her. Reduce the number of palace maids and eunuchs serving her by half."

Li Dehai sighed inwardly. Although the punishment did not take her life, stripping her of her title, demoting her rank, relocating her to a remote palace, and reducing her expenses and staff were extremely severe punishments for a concubine who had once given birth to a prince. It was almost equivalent to being banished to the edge of the cold palace.

"Yes, this old servant will go and deliver the decree immediately." Li Dehai dared not say anything more and bowed to accept the order.

Yuwen Che waved his hand, signaling him to leave. He was not a harsh or ungrateful person, but Consort De had crossed his line today. He had to make everyone in the harem see clearly what the rules were and what the inviolable boundaries were.