Chapter 110 Banished to the Cold
Palace Eunuch Yang led people to search Concubine Zhou's bedroom. The emperor did not want to stay any longer, so he said to the queen: "Queen, let's go to the Qinzheng Palace and wait for news."
The eunuch said hurriedly: "Your Majesty, please stay. I have one more thing to say. My godfather made a lot of money when he was a purchasing agent. He also stole some things from the palace and transported them out to sell. The money he earned is in the house outside the palace. I want to use this money to buy my godfather's life!"
The emperor was furious: " How dare you! Are you bargaining with me? For what little Guozi did, it is not too much to cut him into pieces. You still want to save his life. You are an accomplice to the evil, and you cannot escape the death penalty!"
The young eunuch was not afraid. Seeing that his plea did not work, he said, "Then I beg Your Majesty to let me collect my godfather's body before I die. Although my godfather did a lot of wrong things, if it were not for him, I would have died long ago. I promise to be there for him until the end."
After saying that, he kowtowed to the emperor and the empress.
The queen was deeply moved and said, "Your Majesty, although this child is wrong, he has followed the wrong master. It is rare that he is so filial. Your Majesty will help him and let little Guozi have an intact body." The emperor
said unhappily, "Since Your Majesty has spoken, then I will do as Your Majesty says!"
"I would also like to plead for this child. If he can make up for his crime and sacrifice his family for the greater good, then he should be spared the death penalty, okay?"
The queen really admired this little eunuch. He had the courage to stand up because he wanted to survive. He was brave and resourceful, and he still had a conscience. Such people were needed in the palace.
The emperor didn't care whether the eunuch lived or died. He felt guilty for doubting the queen and promised: "The queen will make the decision. His godfather, just give him poison!" The
queen pulled up the eunuch who had been kowtowing and said: "What's your name? Why don't you thank the emperor for not killing him?"
The eunuch was smart and kowtowing: "I, Xiao Dengzi, thank the emperor for not killing me. Thank you for fulfilling my filial piety."
The emperor was upset and said nothing. He carried Su Xiaoxiao and left. The queen smiled at him and said to him: "When your godfather's business is done, come to Kunning Palace to find me." Then she followed the emperor's steps.
Gu Huaiyu and Gu Huaian also followed.
Su Xiaoxiao looked at the little eunuch with his eyes wide open: [Little Dengzi, isn't this the eunuch Deng who has been helping the eldest prince rise to the throne? No wonder he is so powerful. This man is greedy but not afraid of death, brave and resourceful, ruthless but also compassionate. He saved many people when the new emperor and the empress were tyrannical and tried to kill. It's a pity that he is a eunuch, otherwise he could be the prime minister of a country. Now he is so grateful to the empress, and the empress is lucky.]
Gu Huaiyu had just realized that this little eunuch was extraordinary, but he didn't expect him to be so capable. He couldn't help but examine him again. Little Dengzi, he made a note of it.
Eunuch Yang found not only musk, safflower, and aphrodisiacs in Concubine Zhou's room, but also dolls with the birth dates of Gu Huaiyu and Gu Huaian written on them, which were pierced with needles.
The emperor was so angry that he yelled, "You vicious woman, now that the evidence is solid, what else do you have to say!"
Concubine Zhou knew that she was powerless to save the situation and that she was doomed, so she didn't hide it anymore. She said angrily, "Of course I have something to say. After I entered the palace, I was favored and she was dissatisfied, so she poisoned the baby in my belly. Your Majesty, the imperial physician said that it was a male fetus that had already formed, so I also want it. Her child died.
It's a pity that she is so lucky. I have tried many times but failed. What's more infuriating is that the prince was obviously sick and weak, and was a short-lived ghost, but he suddenly got better. God is blind. Then I will do it myself."
Speaking of Concubine Zhou's dead child, the emperor's eyes gradually dimmed. That incident also tormented him for many years. He was so arrogant to Concubine Zhou, not only because of the power of her mother's family, but also because of the guilt in his heart.
The queen sneered lightly: "Concubine Zhou keeps saying that your child was killed by me. Where is the evidence? You know, I have never regarded you as an enemy. Concubine Zhou really hates the wrong person."
The emperor was really worried that if he continued to talk about it in detail, Concubine Zhou would pull out the thread and suspect himself. Fortunately, the queen changed the subject in time.
She went on to say, "You rely on the emperor's favor to be arrogant and domineering, and do not distinguish between superiors and subordinates. I can turn a blind eye to this, but you poisoned the royal heir, framed concubines, and took human lives. I can no longer sit idly by. Your Majesty, I earnestly request that you severely punish Concubine Zhou and rectify the atmosphere in the harem."
Considering what Concubine Zhou had done, rewarding her with a foot of white silk was already a great reward, but the emperor was still hesitant. Concubine Zhou's father and brother commanded a large army to guard the border. If she was killed, the border would be in chaos.
What Concubine Zhou did today was all her own fault. She felt guilty and said, "Concubine Zhou is vicious and plotted to harm the royal heir. She deserves to be executed, but considering that she has served me for many years, she will be demoted to a talented lady and secluded in the cold palace."
The empress knew that the emperor would not harm Concubine Zhou. Now, she still had to rely on General Zhou. This was enough. She would not harm the children in the palace anymore.
Watching Concubine Zhou being taken away, the Emperor sighed imperceptibly and said, "I still have memorials to deal with. I'll have to trouble the Empress with the rest. By the way, Xiaojiu is fine now. Please send him to the Imperial College tomorrow."
The Empress asked considerately, "I obey your orders. What about Princess Anle? Should I send her back later or..."
Su Xiaoxiao crawled towards the Empress with a smile and pulled the hem of her skirt: "I want to talk to the Empress. The Emperor is repenting now. He certainly has no intention of making delicious food for me. 】
The emperor glanced at Su Xiaoxiao and couldn't help laughing: "It seems that Xiaoxiao has her own ideas. That's hard work for the queen. This child loves to eat. Let her eat and drink enough before going back."
The emperor felt that Su Xiaoxiao came this time just to answer his questions. He rubbed Su Xiaoxiao's head and left. Gu Huaiyu always felt that his father's back was very lonely.
The queen picked up Su Xiaoxiao and said, "Xiaoxiao has made another contribution today. You go to dinner with the prince and Xiaojiu. The queen aunt has something to deal with, okay."
Su Xiaoxiao nodded obediently, and even put her little face against the queen's face before reaching out to Gu Huaiyu.
Su Xiaoxiao and Gu Huaian ate until their bellies were full. Gu Huaiyu looked at the two burping kids with loving eyes: "I really can't do anything with you!"
Su Xiaoxiao rubbed her belly and thought: "Do you know how long I have been crawling to help the Queen Aunt? I am tired and thin. How can I not eat more!"
Gu Huaiyu looked at Su Xiaoxiao whose face had become bigger and shook his head helplessly. What can he do? She will be fatter or thinner. Who made Xiaoxiao so cute?
The queen was no longer so relaxed. She sent people to call all the palace maids in Concubine Zhou's palace. Those who assisted the evil were sentenced to death, those who were sent to the Ministry of Punishment were sent to the Ministry of Punishment, and the rest were sent to the laundry department to do hard labor.
After dealing with the affairs in Concubine Zhou's palace, she asked people to call all the concubines in the harem. She was indeed too Buddhist as the queen. Concubine Zhou was gone, and there might be Concubine Gao and Concubine Li. It was time to take good care of them.