Li Gao quickly agreed. His Majesty was truly angry; he hadn't seen His Majesty so furious in a long time.
"I won't leave! Your Majesty! What crime have I committed! Why am I confined to my quarters, Your Majesty!"
A sharp female voice came from outside the Imperial Study.
Sheng Ping glanced at Consort Wang kneeling before him without giving her a second glance, and quickly led the Imperial Guards straight to the Wang family residence.
Ning Xuan remained motionless.
He moved, looking at the account books, and said, "Make her kneel down and invite Empress Shen here."
Consort Wang was dressed in thin clothes; after entering the palace, she never wore only plain clothes again.
Her hair was disheveled, and she didn't even have a single hairpin.
Suddenly, dark clouds gathered in the sky, thunder rumbled, and large raindrops began to fall.
Consort Wang was soaked to the bone by the rain; even the heavens seemed to be against her!
What exactly did she do wrong?
From the day she married Ning Xuan, she regarded him as her heaven and earth, and obeyed her husband after marriage.
Wherever Ning Xuan is, that's where her gaze follows. What wrong has she done?
Even when the Wang family and Ning Xuan had a conflict, she still sided with Ning Xuan without hesitation. What was wrong with that?!
The palace maid soon brought Empress Shen to the palace.
There was puddles on the ground. Empress Shen sat on her palanquin, while the eunuchs around her held up the canopy in the rain, making sure that not a single drop of rain fell on her.
Shan Huai, holding an umbrella, looked at Consort Wang like this and couldn't help but want to step forward and mock her.
Empress Shen called out softly, "Shanhuai".
Shanhuai stood obediently behind her again.
Consort Wang looked at Empress Shen, who was dressed in magnificent robes, wearing a phoenix crown, and standing high above everyone else, her eyes filled with hatred.
"Are you here to laugh at me?"
Empress Shen looked at her with pity and gently shook her head. "Hold an umbrella for Consort Wang."
Stupid, so incredibly stupid. Without the Wang family, this person is nothing.
Blinded by love, they lost all sense of the world's true nature.
Not to mention that Consort Wang was also greedy for wealth and status. If she was greedy for wealth and status, then she should have kept her sights firmly on them. What she shouldn't have done was to want both wealth and the emperor's sincere affection.
With just one look, Consort Wang completely broke down. "I don't want your pity!"
"At least His Majesty loved and doted on me before. What do you have? You have nothing. The Shen family opposes you, while the Wang family follows me. Your son doesn't listen to you, but Yao'er cares about me the most. Your husband treats you with respect but doesn't love you at all! What makes you pity me?"
Empress Shen moved her finger guard. "Let's go, don't keep His Majesty waiting."
Comparison is the beginning of imbalance, and imbalance is the start of misfortune.
She knows what she wants and what she has, so she won't be influenced by others.
She wanted to remain in that position until her death, even if she was all alone, so what?
As long as she remained empress and the emperor respected her, no one in the Forbidden City would dare to disrespect her.
Life is short, only a few decades. What's wrong with living a life free from worries about food and clothing and being respected by others?
Can't she do something she truly wants to do? Why does she have to fixate on that thorny dragon throne?
How much will we have to leave behind to climb to that position?
The imperial carriage arrived directly under the eaves of the Imperial Study. Empress Shen slowly stepped down from the carriage and gave Shan Huai a look.
Shan Huai immediately stepped forward and slipped a purse to the eunuch, saying, "Please ask Eunuch Li to go and inform him."
This young eunuch, Mr. Li, is Li Gao's godson, and Li Gao intends to groom him.
In this palace, with nearly ten thousand people and a complex web of relationships, it's wise to avoid making enemies, otherwise you'll never know whose malice might lead to your death.
Eunuch Li accepted the purse, smiled at Shan Huai, bowed to Empress Shen, and then turned to walk towards the Imperial Study.
A moment later, Eunuch Li came out and said, "Empress Shen, please go in quickly. His Majesty is waiting."
He lowered his voice again and said, "His Majesty is in a very bad mood right now."
Empress Shen nodded slightly to him and then walked inside.
Upon entering the imperial study, she bowed respectfully and said, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects."
Ning Xuan said calmly, looking at Empress Shen with an expressionless expression, "Please rise, Empress. I have something to ask you."
Empress Shen stood up but did not step forward, remaining in place with a sense of distance. "Your Majesty, please speak freely."
What do you think of the Wang family?
Without hesitation, Empress Shen blurted out, "The Wang family deserves to die!"
"Oh? Why does the Empress say that?" Ning Xuan's tone became even calmer.
Empress Shen naturally wouldn't say that she only said that because she had just learned that His Majesty was unhappy.
"Over the years, the Wang family has relied on the merits of their ancestors to commit numerous evil deeds. His Majesty has repeatedly advised them against it, but they have ignored him and made mistakes time and time again. They deserve to die!"
Ning Xuan lifted the account book. "Since the Empress hates the Wang family so much, then go and read it to the Consort."
Empress Shen broke out in a cold sweat. His Majesty was using the Shen family to bring down the Wang family.
But the Wang family is the head of all aristocratic families. If the Shen family harms the Wang family, even if he is invincible among all the aristocratic families in the world, what good days will he have?
Without the aristocratic family team, what will Shuo'er use to seize the throne?!
What will become of the Shen family in the future?!
Ning Xuan put down the account book. "It seems the Empress doesn't want to..."
Empress Shen hurriedly knelt down, "No, Your Majesty, I will go! I miss you! I only hope Your Majesty will remember my hard work and dedication over the years."
Ning Xuan threw the account book in front of her. "The Empress is a wise woman. I have never mistreated you over the years. Shuo'er, you should also teach him more. He shouldn't have any unrealistic thoughts. Just thinking about them is wrong."
Even though he had no feelings for her, he never made her lose face as empress or let others look down on her.
Shuo'er was hot-tempered and had made countless enemies. He had suppressed countless impeachment memorials for Shuo'er.
As long as Shuo'er thinks it through, he can let him be a carefree prince.
With Shuo'er's personality, what's wrong with a carefree prince?
Upon hearing this, Empress Shen felt a deep silence in her heart. She had never even considered giving this position to Shuo'er!
Shuo'er was born to the Empress, a true legitimate son, but he said it was wishful thinking.
No matter how turbulent her heart was, Empress Shen still had to bow down and kowtow, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness."
Ning Xuan waved her hand, "Go ahead."
Empress Shen picked up the heavy account book, stood up, straightened her back, and walked out.
Someone held an umbrella for her so she wouldn't get wet in the rain.
Empress Shen stood before Consort Wang, her face as cold as frost.
Before entering, she only felt sorrow for Consort Wang, who was like a cunning rabbit being killed and a hunting dog being cooked, but now she could not suppress her resentment.
She had always understood the saying that serving a ruler is like serving a tiger, and blaming His Majesty was never a good idea.
But if the Wang family hadn't been so arrogant, why would she, the Shen family, and Shuo'er have had to face the hatred of powerful families?
Consort Wang was terrified when she saw her carrying something over. "Don't come any closer!"
She feared it was a cup of poisoned wine.
"Even if I die, I want to die knowing why!"
Empress Shen did not approach further. She opened the account book and read aloud, "Spring of the twenty-third year of Emperor Qing's reign..."
She knew that His Majesty had not intended for the reading to be given only to Consort Wang.
She had to read aloud the crimes of the royal family.
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