Chapter 128 The News Spreads
Empress Dowager Rong stood frozen in place, her magnificent phoenix robe only making her figure appear more cramped, and all the color drained from her face.
Just moments ago, her brows and eyes held a hint of arrogance, but now they were filled with panic and helplessness, her gaze darting away, unable to meet the eyes of the crowd.
Huo Chengbi was even more distressed; she wished the ground would immediately crack open beneath her feet so she could disappear and escape this embarrassing situation.
Lu Zhaoxue stood to the side, taking in the disheveled appearance of Empress Dowager Rong and Huo Chengbi, and the sarcasm in her eyes grew even stronger.
Lu Zhaoxue's demeanor was perfectly gentle, and her tone carried just the right amount of incomprehension and disbelief.
She continued softly to Chu Huaiyu, "Your Majesty, I never imagined that Your Majesty the Empress Dowager would be so deceived by treacherous people and so foolish!"
“Even if the Empress Dowager dislikes me, doing such a thing to harm me is still a disgrace to the royal family! Even if the Empress Dowager doesn’t care about me, she should still consider His Majesty.”
As soon as Lu Zhaoxue finished speaking, her eyes suddenly reddened, and crystal tears rolled down like pearls from a broken string.
She raised her hand and gently pressed the corner of a handkerchief under her eyelashes, looking as if she were extremely aggrieved.
Her shoulders trembled slightly, and anyone who saw Lu Zhaoxue in this state would feel a pang of pity.
Her words were like sparks, instantly igniting the anger in Chu Huaiyu's heart.
Chu Huaiyu was already seething with anger because of the "voodoo doll" incident, and now his gaze toward Empress Dowager Rong was as cold as ice.
"Mother! Gao Lishi is possessing such an evil object. Who is behind this? Who dares to use you to so blatantly frame the Empress!"
Chu Huaiyu's question was resounding and daunting, causing everyone in the hall to tremble with fear.
When Chu Huaiyu asked these questions, he already knew what was going on. Although his mother had some of the shrewdness of a woman, she was not very bright.
She might use petty tricks on a normal day, but she would never dare to harm Lu Zhaoxue by cursing her own son.
There must be someone instigating and provoking this behind the scenes, and in this deep palace, there is no one else with such ambition and courage except Huo Chengbi.
Empress Dowager Rong trembled at the question. She turned sharply to look at Huo Chengbi and cried out, "It's her! It's Huo Chengbi!"
"She told me that there was a foul atmosphere in the palace recently, and suggested that I ask someone to perform a ritual to exorcise the evil spirits. How could I have known that she harbored such malicious intentions and dared to do such a treasonous thing!"
Upon hearing this, Chu Huaiyu's anger intensified, and the veins on his forehead throbbed.
Chu Huaiyu's eyes blazed with fury as she looked at Huo Chengbi, her voice icy as she said, "Huo Chengbi, how dare you instigate the Empress Dowager to practice witchcraft, curse the Emperor, and plot against the Empress!"
Huo Chengbi's face turned deathly pale instantly. He collapsed to his knees with a thud, crying out:
"Your Majesty, please understand! I am innocent! The Empress Dowager has misunderstood. I had no such intention. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"
She cried and begged for mercy again and again, her voice shrill and desperate, but Chu Huaiyu had long lost his patience and couldn't be bothered to listen to her explanations.
Chu Huaiyu sternly ordered, "Guards! Huo Chengbi dared to curse the emperor with witchcraft and also plotted to harm the empress! Immediately imprison him in the cold palace, never to be released again!"
As soon as he finished speaking, two guards stepped forward and helped Huo Chengbi, who had collapsed to the ground, up.
Huo Chengbi was still struggling. At this moment, her hair was disheveled, her hairpins were askew, and her gorgeous palace dress was torn and wrinkled.
She looked utterly disheveled, yet she was still forcibly dragged away by the guards. Her pitiful pleas for mercy gradually faded into the distance and eventually disappeared.
After dealing with Huo Chengbi, Chu Huaiyu's gaze returned to Empress Dowager Rong. Although his tone had softened slightly, it still carried an undeniable air of authority.
"Empress Dowager, you have condoned the concubines' wicked deeds, which is a breach of your duty as Empress Dowager. From this day forward, you are to be confined to the palace for six months. Without my decree, you are not to step out of the palace gates even once. Reflect on your actions behind closed doors!"
"Reflect on your actions?" Empress Dowager Rong seemed enraged by this punishment, and her pent-up dissatisfaction erupted instantly.
She suddenly raised her head, glaring at Lu Zhaoxue with resentment, then turned to Chu Huaiyu.
Empress Dowager Rong's voice was sharp and piercing: "Huaiyu, Huaiyu! You've truly been bewitched!"
"As Empress, Lu Zhaoxue has been unable to conceive for a long time and cannot even give birth to an heir for the royal family. She is not worthy of holding the Phoenix Seal at all. Why do you still favor her so blindly!"
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhaoxue smiled faintly, a hint of understanding flashing in her eyes.
She knew that Empress Dowager Rong would bring up the matter of the imperial heir.
At this time, Lu Zhaoxue's pregnancy had already passed three months safely, so there was no need to deliberately hide it anymore. Now was the perfect opportunity to tell her, so as to prevent Empress Dowager Rong from making such a fuss.
Lu Zhaoxue raised her hand and gently stroked her still flat stomach, her tone calm but carrying an undeniable weight.
She slowly spoke: "Your Majesty, you are mistaken. I am already three months pregnant with the Emperor's child."
"What did you say?" Empress Dowager Rong's pupils shrank, her face filled with disbelief.
Her body trembled uncontrollably. She looked sharply at Chu Huaiyu, her voice trembling, "Huaiyu... is what she said true?"
Chu Huaiyu turned her head to look at Lu Zhaoxue, the fierceness in her eyes had faded, replaced by a touch of gentleness and joy.
He nodded slowly, his eyes filled with helplessness as he looked at Empress Dowager Rong: "Mother, Zhaoxue has been pregnant for a long time, but she was afraid that the pregnancy would be unstable, so she did not announce it in a big way in order to take good care of the fetus."
"Your current state of confusion, being instigated by Huo Chengbi to commit witchcraft to frame Zhaoxue, truly disappoints me greatly!"
Even though Empress Dowager Rong disliked Lu Zhaoxue from the bottom of her heart, when she heard that Lu Zhaoxue was pregnant with Chu Huaiyu's child, her heart skipped a beat and she was overwhelmed with joy.
Chu Huaiyu has never been interested in women. Since ascending the throne, although there are concubines in the harem, there have never been any children. The lack of royal offspring has always been a concern for her.
Now that Lu Zhaoxue has given birth to a prince for Chu Huaiyu, continuing the royal bloodline, even if she dislikes Lu Zhaoxue, she cannot ignore this tremendous good news.
Empress Dowager Rong's anger and dissatisfaction gradually dissipated upon hearing the news.
She opened her mouth, but ultimately couldn't say anything hurtful. The anger on her face faded, leaving only a mixture of emotions and relief.
Empress Dowager Rong remained silent as the palace servants and nannies beside her came forward to help her. She turned around with heavy steps and walked out of the hall, obediently returning to her own palace to stay at home.
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