"Qianwei, they... they shouldn't be in any serious trouble, right?"
Facing Madam Yuluan's questioning, Qian Wei could only reluctantly offer reassurance, "Madam, you had previously instructed the Ministry of Punishment to exercise due caution. Perhaps nothing serious would have happened. Besides, Concubine Jia would certainly have to take care of the child in her womb, and she would definitely not allow them to torture her."
"But, I see, one of them has fainted and the other is about to die. The situation is not good! What if the emperor misunderstands me and thinks I deliberately arranged this..."
The two were talking in low voices when Eunuch Yang walked forward with a stern face and cleared his throat.
"Madam, please go to the Hall of Eternal Life immediately."
"Why? The Emperor just told me to go back to Chengqian Palace and wait."
"That's unfortunate! The Emperor just instructed me to wait for you in the Hall of Eternal Life." Eunuch Yang added in a serious tone, "Madam, this involves the dignity of the concubines and the fate of the royal heir. You cannot return to the palace for the time being!"
Upon hearing this, Madam Yuluan pulled the corners of her mouth stiffly and followed him.
The people in the Imperial Hospital were alarmed again. Fortunately, Sang Yu was able to bring the baby back to life. After taking a few doses of medicine, the dragon fetus was successfully stabilized. However, Wei Shuyi was still unconscious.
"How is Jia Jieyu?!"
"In reply to the Emperor, the Empress has had a miscarriage and has multiple wounds on her body. She needs to rest for a while before she wakes up. Also..."
Xie Yanci saw that he was hesitant to speak: "What else?!"
"The queen protected her abdomen as best she could. She truly wanted to keep the child with the emperor, which is why there were so many bloody scars on other parts of her body."
"I understand."
He returned to the front hall in anger, just as Eunuch Yang brought Madam Yuluan with him. The moment they locked eyes, he could barely conceal the murderous intent in his eyes.
Su Changzai, who had been waiting nearby, was also frightened and knelt on the ground without saying a word.
The emperor could only vent his anger on her.
"I never thought you'd enjoy wandering around late at night, having just entered the palace?! You've concluded, without any basis in fact, that Concubine Jia and Taoist Yu are having an affair! Now that things have come to this, how am I going to punish you? Tell me!"
"Your Majesty, please spare me! I, your concubine, was also confused for a moment. It was getting late, but I saw Concubine Jia appear in the man's room, and then..."
Xie Yanci kicked her in the chest angrily, but failed to control the strength, causing her to vomit blood.
Madam Yuluan took a step back in shock, fearing that she would face the same situation. "Your Majesty, please don't be angry. Although Concubine Su was wrong, she also had good intentions! She was considering the heir to the throne! I, your concubine..."
"Since it's a top priority, why didn't you inform me?!" Xie Yanci glared at her, his voice even louder. "You're also a mother! You're already a mother! You sent Concubine Jia to the Ministry of Punishment for no reason, completely disregarding my opinion. Is this what a First Rank Lady should do?!"
"I dare not!"
She knelt down in panic, and her palm accidentally touched the sticky yet cold blood, which made her more panicked.
Shu Ronghua and Xin Xuanshi had been accompanying Wei Shuyi in the inner room, and finally waited until she opened her eyes.
"Sister! You finally woke up!"
“…” She subconsciously touched her abdomen. Fortunately, it was another blessing that did not leave her.
Sang Yu was busy decocting medicine nearby. Seeing this, she also came over and said, "Your Majesty, please lie down and talk for a while. Don't try to get out of bed and walk around."
"good."
"Madam Yuluan and Consort Su are being questioned by the Emperor!" He pointed outside. "I just checked on Taoist Yu's condition. He only has superficial injuries, nothing serious. It's a shame his already unattractive face has been made even worse."
Concubine Xin frowned: "How is the eldest brother?!"
"My face was burned by the red-hot pliers, and there are some rotten flesh on my body that needs to be treated."
"The people from the Ministry of Punishment are going too far! Why would they treat our senior brother like this without any evidence?!"
Perhaps it was because Concubine Xin's voice was too loud that it attracted the emperor's attention.
Xie Yanci walked straight into the inner hall and hugged Wei Shuyi with some fear: "Yao'er, fortunately... fortunately you are okay! I was really scared!"
"Your Majesty, this is all thanks to Taoist Yu." She was filled with grief. "Originally, they wanted to brand my belly with the iron, but he begged me repeatedly, resulting in his face being burned and there was not a single piece of healthy flesh on his body. All this was for the royal heir in my belly..."
Seeing this, Eunuch Yang also hinted, "Your Majesty, I just went to the side hall and saw Taoist Yu. He has indeed been purified. Those rumors are completely false!"
"Don't mention that!"
Xie Yanci regretted it deeply. At this difficult moment, for the sake of the overall situation, he could not impose any substantial punishment on Madam Yuluan.
The words were choked on the tip of my tongue, and I could only remain silent.
"I already know that you went to Qingming Pavilion late at night to pray for the eldest prince. Whether it's you or Yu Pei, I am aware of your loyalty." He sighed, "I also ordered people to search his residence, and sure enough, they found Wen Wanyi's package. As for her, she is also coming..."
"emperor!"
Wen Wanyi rushed in, and after seeing Wei Shuyi's frail face, she burst into tears: "Your Majesty, it's all my fault! I felt that I didn't know Taoist Yu at all, so I asked the Concubine to help pray for me, but it caused such a big mess!"
Xie Yanci frowned again when he heard her admit it herself: "Call the people outside!"
Su Changzai, blood smearing the corner of his mouth, was dragged to the bedside by the eunuch. As for Madam Yuluan, she maintained her dignity, holding her head high and chest puffed out as she walked steadily forward, saluting with neither servility nor arrogance until they met Wei Shuyi's eyes.
She saw the timidity in the eyes of the favorite concubine and couldn't help but smile.
"Jia Jieyu, you..."
"I hereby declare that Consort Su committed treason and maliciously fabricated rumors, nearly killing the heir to the throne. I shall be demoted to the rank of Eighth Rank Consort!"
The daughter of a high-ranking official had a rank similar to that of a palace maid, which was indeed a humiliation.
Madam Yuluan suppressed her fear and said, "Your Majesty... How does Your Majesty intend to deal with me?"
"Although you didn't instigate this incident, you were the sole person responsible for this disastrous outcome!" Xie Yanci looked at her, his eyes filled with disappointment. "Strip your title and demote you to the position of Imperial Concubine."
"What?!"
Thanks to the family banquet and the palace's favor towards the Second Prince, she had finally climbed to the position of Madam. Unexpectedly, after just these few days, she was demoted again and even lost her title!
The emperor could not find any regret or self-blame on her face, and his disappointment grew. "I have already shown mercy for the sake of the Minister of the Central Secretariat. If anyone else had dared to murder the imperial concubine, the heir apparent, or one of my most important officials, you know what the consequences would have been!"
"Yes, I thank you for your grace."
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