Chapter 109 The Situation Reversed
Under the eaves outside Chengqian Palace, several palace servants who were sweeping were huddled together and whispering.
They kept their voices very low, but their words still drifted on the wind and into Lu Zhaoxue's ears as she stepped into the corridor.
"Have you all heard? Rumors are circulating that this disaster is because His Majesty made a mistake during the last ancestral worship ceremony, angering Heaven..."
"I've also heard others say that it was because of the Empress that this drought, flood, and plague were brought about..."
"Alas, no matter what, the people suffering the most are the common folk. I've heard that in many places, people have started exchanging their own children to eat..."
After hearing this, Lu Zhaoxue raised her eyes and glanced indifferently at the palace servants who were whispering among themselves, her face showing no emotion whatsoever.
He simply walked slowly past them.
Lu Zhaoxue pondered to herself:
If she truly has the ability to bring about this drought and plague, then she will be the first to bring the plague to Chu Huaiyu!
When the palace servants caught a glimpse of the Empress, they were all terrified.
They all knelt down with a "plop" and kowtowed repeatedly.
"Your Majesty, please spare us! We spoke without thinking, please have mercy!"
Haitang, Lu Zhaoxue's personal maid, followed behind her and heard clearly what the palace servants had said.
Her face flushed with anger, and she rolled up her sleeves, ready to slap the palace servants across the face: "You bunch of dog servants! How dare you speak ill of His Majesty and the Empress! I'll tear your mouths apart!"
"Haitang, stop." Lu Zhaoxue's voice was calm and even as she gently stopped her.
She bent down, her gaze sweeping over the trembling palace servants on the ground, her tone revealing neither joy nor anger:
"Rumors stop with the wise; indulging in idle talk only adds to one's sins."
"I will not hold today's events against you, but if you dare to speak nonsense again, don't blame me for being ruthless."
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your mercy! Thank you, Your Majesty, for your mercy!"
The palace servants repeatedly kowtowed in gratitude, then scrambled to their feet and retreated in a disheveled state.
Haitang retorted indignantly, "Your Majesty! They have slandered you so severely, they should be punished!"
Lu Zhaoxue smiled faintly, a hint of relief in her eyes, and said, "What is there to fear about rumors?"
There are countless people in the world who talk about me; if I were to address each and every one of them, wouldn't I be exhausted?
She is no longer the woman who would secretly shed tears over gossip.
She's not worth her time to deal with this mob that just parrots others.
But... Lu Zhaoxue's eyes suddenly darkened.
This disaster has led some to point the finger directly at Chu Huaiyu; could it be...?
She knew Chu Huaiyu's personality all too well.
On the surface, he is kind and benevolent, but in reality, he is ruthless and decisive, with the cold-bloodedness and cruelty of an emperor hidden in his bones.
He used to be patient and bide his time, but since he regained control of the Du family's military power and consolidated his power base, he no longer needed to pretend.
Sure enough, within three to five days, news reached Lu Zhaoxue.
Many palace servants who spread rumors were dragged to the Meridian Gate and beaten to death on Chu Huaiyu's orders. Their bodies were left exposed for three days to intimidate others.
At this moment, on the dragon throne, the emperor's eyes were wide open in anger.
Chu Huaiyu's voice boomed like thunder within the Golden Palace:
"Meng Shuji, Wen Guanhe, Xia Wangcheng, Jiang Xiaodao, Shi Yi!"
You five are incredibly audacious, daring to spread rumors about me and the Empress, disrupting the court; your crimes are utterly heinous!
Before the words were finished, the hall fell silent, except for the emperor's furious rebuke echoing throughout.
Chu Huaiyu slammed his hand on the table, his dragon robe sweeping across the desk. The jade paperweight crashed to the ground with a deafening shattering sound.
"From this moment forward, imprison these five men in the Heavenly Prison and execute them by slow slicing at a later date, as a warning to others!"
Chu Huaiyu's gaze swept over the trembling officials below the steps.
His tone grew increasingly cold and devoid of any mercy:
"His family members, regardless of age or gender, were all exiled to Ningguta, to be slaves of the armored soldiers for eternity, and never to enter the pass again!"
"I want to see who dares to rebel again!"
Upon hearing this, all the ministers were terrified, bowing deeply with cold sweat pouring down their foreheads.
Li De'an, the Minister of Revenue, had his long-winged hat askew. He hurriedly raised his hand to straighten it, his back already soaked with cold sweat. He secretly rejoiced that he hadn't talked too much with Meng Shuji and the others in the past few days.
Jiang Ce, the Vice Censor-in-Chief, though usually resolute, unconsciously tensed his back at this moment and ultimately dared not say more, for fear that the emperor's wrath would implicate him.
None of the princes and ministers dared to raise their eyes to look directly at the emperor's face.
They even deliberately kept their breathing soft, afraid that if they overstepped the mark, they would get burned and end up like the other four.
The scent of ambergris in the Golden Palace was now tinged with a heavy sense of solemnity.
This is just the beginning.
Those common people who dared to criticize the emperor, and officials who took the opportunity to stir up trouble, were all arrested and punished.
The people were full of resentment, but they dared not speak out!
For a time, people in and out of the court were filled with fear and unease, and the entire capital was shrouded in a suffocating atmosphere of terror.
Upon hearing this news, Lu Zhaoxue simply sighed silently and devoted more of her attention to copying Buddhist scriptures.
The afternoon sun shone through the window lattice and onto the bed covered with brocade quilts, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.
Lu Zhaoxue shed her weariness and fell into a deep sleep, a rare tranquility in her eyes.
In her dream, she seemed to be in a water town in Jiangnan, with a light drizzle, as if there were no more worldly troubles.
"This servant greets Your Highness, the Noble Consort."
The voice of the palace maid Haitang rang out from outside the palace, breaking the afternoon tranquility.
Imperial Concubine?
Lu Zhaoxue's heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly woke up from her dream.
In this palace, only Liu Ruohua can be called a Noble Consort.
She quickly lifted the bed curtains, casually fastened the buttons on her nightgown, grabbed a light-colored outer garment from the side and draped it over her shoulders, then strode out.
Liu Ruohua was standing in the hall, dressed in a light blue palace gown, which made her figure appear even thinner and more lonely, as if a gust of wind could blow her over.
Hearing footsteps, Liu Ruohua slowly raised her head, and her eyes met Lu Zhaoxue's.
Those eyes, which were usually so distant and aloof, were now brimming with tears.
Liu Ruohua quickly lowered her head, curtsied, and said in a choked voice, "Your Majesty, I greet you."
"Ruohua, please get up quickly."
Lu Zhaoxue stepped forward and reached out to help her up.
This time, Liu Ruohua did not deliberately avoid her touch as usual.
The temperature emanating from her fingertips was slightly cool, accompanied by a tremor.
Lu Zhaoxue's heart skipped a beat.
Since Liu Ruohua entered the palace, there has always been an invisible barrier between the two. Now that Liu Ruohua is willing to take the initiative to get closer, something must have happened.
Lu Zhaoxue helped Liu Ruohua sit down on a rosewood chair and asked softly:
"Ruohua, is there something you need from me?"
Liu Ruohua nodded, her eyes becoming increasingly red, with glistening tears welling up in them, but she stubbornly held them back.
She took a deep breath, as if she had made a huge decision, her voice filled with utter helplessness.
"Your Majesty, I have come to you today to confess something..."
The mastermind behind Your Majesty's assassination attempt was my father.
"What?" Lu Zhaoxue was so shocked that she stood up abruptly, looking at Liu Ruohua in disbelief.
She never imagined that the seemingly law-abiding and unassuming Minister Liu would actually attempt to assassinate the emperor.
Liu Ruohua smiled sadly, tears finally sliding down her cheeks:
“Father…he was a member of the deposed crown prince’s faction and has always harbored resentment towards His Majesty…he…”
Lu Zhaoxue already knew what happened next without Liu Ruohua needing to say more.
Chu Huaiyu acted swiftly, and the assassination attempt was quickly traced back to Vice Minister Liu.
Chu Huaiyu immediately ordered that Vice Minister Liu be thrown into the imperial prison and executed on a chosen day! All male members of the Liu family aged ten or older were to be beheaded, and all female members were to be sent to the Censorate as slaves.
The entire Liu family was plunged into annihilation overnight.
Liu Ruohua knelt down with a thud, tears streaming down her face.
She kowtowed deeply to Lu Zhaoxue:
"Your Majesty, I know my father deserves to die, but the entire Liu family of over a hundred people is innocent!"
"Your Majesty, I beg you, I beg you to plead for the Liu family before His Majesty, and spare those innocent people. If Your Majesty would so be so kind, I would repay your kindness with my entire life!"
Looking at her vulnerable and helpless appearance, Lu Zhaoxue was filled with mixed feelings.
Vice Minister Liu's crimes are unforgivable, but his entire family is indeed innocent.
She hesitated for a moment, then helped Liu Ruohua, who was kneeling on the ground, to her feet, and said with a firm gaze:
"Ruohua, please get up. This matter is of great importance. Although I cannot guarantee that it will succeed, I will plead with His Majesty to do my best to protect the entire Liu family from harm."
Upon hearing this, a glimmer of hope ignited in Liu Ruohua's eyes. She repeatedly expressed her gratitude: "Thank you! Thank you, Zhaoxue! I will never forget your great kindness in this lifetime!"
After that, Lu Zhaoxue personally escorted Liu Ruohua out of Chengqian Palace, and then she turned around and went to the Imperial Study.
When Eunuch Wei announced that Lu Zhaoxue had come to the Imperial Study, Chu Huaiyu was taken aback, and a glint immediately flashed in his eyes.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects."
"Zhaoxue, what brings you here? Get up, no need for formalities."
After Chu Huaiyu finished speaking, he hurriedly stepped forward to help Lu Zhaoxue up and took her hand to sit down on the soft couch next to him.
Facing Chu Huaiyu's probing gaze, Lu Zhaoxue did not back down at all, and explained Liu Ruohua's requests to him one by one, her words sincere.
Chu Huaiyu remained silent for a long time. Looking at the determination and reluctance in the woman's eyes, he finally relented.
"Since the Empress is willing to plead for them, then I will spare the entire Liu family from punishment and give Minister Liu a chance to reform himself."
However, Minister Liu's plot to murder the Emperor is a heinous crime! I cannot let him off lightly. Therefore, Minister Liu shall be exiled to the western wilderness, under the supervision of the local governor, and shall never return to the capital.”
Hearing this, a huge weight was lifted from Lu Zhaoxue's heart.
She rose and bowed deeply to Chu Huaiyu: "Thank you, Your Majesty. I shall take my leave now."
"Hmm," Chu Huaiyu said calmly.
As I stepped out of the Imperial Study, the setting sun was slowly sinking, its afterglow casting a warm golden glow on the palace walls.
Lu Zhaoxue looked up and gazed into the distance.
It remains to be seen whether things will return to calm after this turmoil, or simply be the calm before the storm.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com