Chapter 32
Lin Cui, who had just been given thirty lashes, was now lying on the bed in a state of uncertainty, and Bai Mihan, who was already on the verge of collapse because of this, was left only with hysteria.
Zhang Delu casually flicked his whisk.
He had served the emperor for many years; what storms hadn't he weathered? If crying and making a scene were effective, the Great Sheng Dynasty would have been in chaos long ago.
Zhang Delu stared at Bai Mihan with his cold eyes. Seeing that she had calmed down, he slowly brushed off imaginary dust and spoke indifferently:
"His Majesty's decree states that if Consort Bai still cannot see the current situation and wishes to defy the imperial decree, she will be demoted to the rank of Talented Lady. Let me tell you frankly, this decree has no bottom line and will go all the way down to palace maids! Consort Bai is of noble birth, surely you do not want to end up as a lowly official's wife, sharing a room with the palace maids?"
Zhang Delu gave her a cold glance. If he hadn't been worried about the low rank of the young prince's birth mother, he wouldn't have been so earnest in his advice.
Seeing that Bai Mihan had stopped going crazy, Zhang Delu took a step back and then coldly watched as the palace maids and eunuchs were beaten to death one by one.
In the end, only the lowest-ranking palace maid remained, along with the old, pious woman lying on her bed, her fate unknown.
Bai Mihan's hair was disheveled, and she looked like a madwoman. She sat on the ground, her expression dazed, "Where is my Yaya?"
Zhang Delu knew who the "Yaya" she was referring to was, but he could only sneer inwardly.
Now you know to ask the young prince? Who exactly injured the young prince? Is she just treating it all as a dream now?
These palace maids and eunuchs were just scapegoats. No matter what, how could these servants dare to actually harm the imperial bloodline?
Ah, her little prince?
"My lady, please be careful with your words. There are no princes or princesses in this palace who are truly beautiful!"
Even if she were still Consort Rou, she wouldn't have that right. Apart from the Empress, none of the other concubines in the palace were worthy of being called "mother" by the princes and princesses.
Bai Mihan's hair was disheveled, but she was still beautiful. After hearing this, she didn't say anything more, just kept her head down, as if she had already accepted everything.
Seeing that his men had taken care of everything, Zhang Delu flicked his whisk and said, "Now that Consort Rou is no longer in this palace, this palace should be vacated."
After he finished speaking, he stopped looking at Bai Mihan's expression and turned to leave.
As they reached the door, Zhang Delu turned back and said, "You should be glad you're the little prince's birth mother, otherwise... ha."
He gave a cold laugh and said nothing more.
But Bai Mihan, lost and distraught, clearly understood what it meant.
If it weren't for the fact that Yaya was favored by His Majesty, her birth mother would have been fine even if she died.
Truly, the imperial family is a graveyard for the heartless...
Zhang Delu was in a hurry to report to His Majesty and also to check if the young prince was crying!
Ling Wu, of course, did not cry.
After her initial excitement, Sheng Yu was left with only bitterness, as Ling Wu withdrew her gaze.
The wet nurse came to feed the baby, and all the palace maids around him were replaced. Sheng Yu even found Mu Zhi, the head palace maid who had served the Empress Dowager in her early years.
Reassured, Sheng Yu picked up the memorial and sat down at the desk, which was separated from Ling Wu by only a screen, to review it.
I only glanced at each paper through the screen three times, and in the end...
Not a single one can be approved!
Sheng Yu stared at the screen, slowly pondering which person in the harem could raise Jiao Jiao.
Consort Xian? But her third son is only ten years old, and she can't spare the attention for him.
Consort Shu? She dotes on Xiao Wu very much. If Jiao Jiao goes there, won't she be treated coldly?
Consort De? She already has an adopted son!
Lower-ranking concubines had no right to raise children.
That leaves only Zitong. The Crown Prince is already fourteen and can take care of his two sons, so there's no need to worry about him anymore. Now that he holds great power, he doesn't need to consider things like he did back then…
Sheng Yu stopped thinking about it and stared at the screen.
He seemed a little reluctant to part with the child, as it was his first time taking care of him.
So... he kept Jiaojiao by his side and took care of her for a while?
After all, he is Jiaojiao's father, so this would also be beneficial to Jiaojiao's condition.
What he was thinking was unknown to others, but the inner palace was in an uproar because of today's events.
They were all delighted to watch the show.
However, because Sheng Yu carried Ling Wu on the way to the Qianqing Palace without asking anyone else to help, they did not dare to mock Bai Mihan for the time being.
However, everyone had complicated thoughts about Ling Wu.
I heard that His Majesty didn't even ride in a sedan chair for her sake, but personally carried her step by step from Consort Rou, who should now be called Lady Bai, all the way to the Qianqing Palace!
I heard that His Majesty has even stopped paying much attention to reviewing memorials because of her!
I also heard that His Majesty invited Aunt Muzhi, who had served the Empress Dowager for many years, to take better care of the Sixth Princess!
Therefore, they gritted their teeth and swallowed their anger, thinking only about how to win Lingwu into their palace.
Bai Mihan's good fortune is particularly noteworthy. She rose from an orphan to the position of First-Rank Consort Rou. After being demoted, her daughter regained the emperor's favor.
How could they possibly tolerate that?
However, none of the palace concubines who came to see Sheng Yu that afternoon actually saw the Emperor's face.
At this moment, Sheng Yu was waiting outside, while Mu Zhi inside was changing Ling Wu's clothes, wiping her body and applying medicine.
Mu Zhi's black hair was streaked with gray, yet she was full of energy and her face was calm and stern. Now, with her face stern, her authority was even greater.
She covered Lingwu with the blanket, and seeing her obedient sleeping face, she patted her gently for a while with heartache.
Half a month passed in this way, and Sheng Yu still hadn't sent Ling Wu to any palace, which puzzled and surprised them.
Lingwu, who initially only stared at the roof, began to follow the person's voice with her beautiful eyes when they spoke.
This transformation kept Sheng Yu, Zhang Delu, Mu Zhi, Yu Bai, and others excited and full of energy throughout the day!
When they were happy, the entire harem was happy too. Although they didn't know what they were happy about, they just wanted to be happy along with them.
After a month, Ling Wu had been hidden so well that not only the others were curious, but even the Empress was somewhat curious.
Finally, the Empress, who had been estranged from Sheng Yu for many years, could not hold back any longer and came to the Qianqing Palace.
"Is Your Majesty busy with official duties today?"
"Not in a hurry." The familiar, gentle voice made Sheng Yu's hands tremble slightly, but he still pursed his lips and said nothing.
Without even looking up, he quickly resumed writing furiously, knowing he would need to spend time with Jiaojiao after reviewing the memorials.
"Will Your Majesty visit the inner palace today?"
Since Ling Wu arrived, Sheng Yu only went to the inner palace once, and has not set foot there since.
I still remember the day I went to the beauty's palace. Her clothes had just been removed, and her fragrant shoulders were half-exposed. The incense and gauze curtains in the room were just right, making her charming yet lively.
But his mind was filled with thoughts of whether Jiaojiao would cry and make a fuss if he left. Before he could even finish the matter, he hurriedly put on his clothes and returned to the Qianqing Palace.
Since then, the concubines in the harem, whether they were favored or rarely received, have been filled with resentment and gnashed their teeth in hatred.
Sheng Yu snapped out of her thoughts and still didn't look up. "I'm not going."
The Empress then asked several more questions.
Only then did Sheng Yu notice the strange thing and look up at the Empress.
She wore a red dress with cloud-patterned beads and peacock entwined branches, her black hair was tied back, her eyebrows and eyes were gentle and dignified, her expression was quiet and serene, and every move she made was graceful and charming.
However, his empress's gaze was not on him at all, but rather on the screen behind him.
Sheng Yu couldn't help but chuckle, then stood up with a smug look on his face. "If you want to see Jiao Jiao, just say so. Zi Tong, there's no need for you to beat around the bush with me."
Feeling pleased with himself, he walked much faster.
He didn't admit that he hadn't seen Jiaojiao for half an hour and was missing her terribly.
The Empress coughed softly, her eyes darkening slightly, and followed after them, raising an eyebrow.
Lingwu heard the sound and her eyes followed it.
"Does Father's little darling miss Father?" Sheng Yu gently picked up Ling Wu, smiling tenderly.
Sheng Yu kissed the slightly chubby little face, then looked at the Empress with a face full of pride, "Zitong, look, this is the little darling I raised."
The Empress pursed her lips, her curiosity mixed with a hint of bitterness and resentment.
She gave birth to two children, one a crown prince and the other his second son. Since he became emperor ten years ago, he had never seen Sheng Yu show such affection to him.
However, although the rift between them grew wider, the child was ultimately innocent.
Unaware of what was happening, Sheng Yu teased his beloved daughter for a while before picking up Ling Wu and bringing her close for the Empress to see.
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