Chapter 574: Concubine Yun is demoted to Concubine Yun
Concubine Yun fiddled with her long nails and walked towards Cheng Wanwan.
Her eyes were practically spitting fire, and she looked as if she wanted to eat the person in front of her alive.
Over the past year or so, the Ye family has been on the rise, but now, because of this bitch, everything she has done for the Ye family has gone to waste.
Her father was suspended from his post, her brother was dismissed, the Ye family was the subject of countless criticisms and gossip, and even the Emperor hadn't visited the Fifth Prince in her palace for the past few days...
"Greetings, Consort Yun."
Cheng Wanwan lowered her head and curtsied.
Consort Yun looked at her, who was covered in blood, and sneered: "Some people are arrogant and domineering every day. Look, isn't this their retribution?"
Cheng Wanwan whispered, "I have to go see the Empress. Please forgive me for not being there, Concubine Yun."
"What, are you going to complain to the Empress?" Consort Yun chuckled. "I'd like to know who beat the Sui'an people into this state?"
"Yes..." Cheng Wanwan raised her head, "Your Highness Consort Yun is laughing at me like this, so you must have known all along that Young Master Ye had attacked me, right? Seeing me injured like this, does Your Highness Consort Yun feel very relieved?"
Consort Yun was astonished.
Was it her brother who beat the Sui'an people like this?
Didn’t she tell him that he must stay indoors and not cause any trouble during this period? Once the emperor’s anger subsided, she would have her own way to have her brother reinstated. How could her brother be so impatient!
At this time, a young eunuch hurried over and whispered a few words into Yunpin's ear.
Consort Yun paused, and the nail on her index finger snapped off. The anger in her eyes intensified.
Her brother had just taken action against the bitch, and then those unruly people outside the city jointly wrote a complaint. She didn't believe that this was not arranged in advance!
This vile woman schemed against the Ye family and even tried to come to the palace to complain to the Empress. Does she really think that Consort Yun is just a figurehead?
She suddenly raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face.
Cheng Wanwan didn't dodge and took the slap. She bit the blood bag in her mouth and blood flowed out from the corner of her mouth, making her look even more miserable.
She said coldly, "This humble woman has come to see Her Majesty the Empress. Consort Yun's behavior shows that she has no respect for Her Majesty the Empress..."
"You have offended me and the Fifth Prince. Even if I were to beat you to death, the Empress would not dare to say anything!" Consort Yun said coldly. "The woman from Sui'an has been disrespectful to the Fifth Prince and has uttered arrogant words. Guards, hold her down and smash her mouth!"
Cheng Wanwan lowered her voice: "So, in Consort Yun's opinion, the Fifth Prince's status is higher than that of the Crown Prince?"
"Ignorant and foolish woman!" Consort Yun scoffed. "In this palace now, besides the Emperor, the most honored person is the Fifth Prince. In the Emperor's eyes, the Crown Prince can be beaten and scolded, but the Fifth Prince can only be pampered. You have offended the Fifth Prince. Do you think the Empress would dare to protect you?"
Cheng Wanwan also revealed a mocking smile: "No matter how noble the Fifth Prince is, he cannot inherit the throne. Consort Yun's treatment of me today is an act of defiance against the Empress and the Crown Prince. What will happen when the Crown Prince inherits the throne..."
"Who says the Fifth Prince can't inherit the throne!" Consort Yun suddenly became enraged. "The Emperor is only forty years old now, and living to sixty or seventy is no problem. By then, my son will be grown up. If the Fifth Prince is outstanding enough, it wouldn't be a problem to replace him as the Crown Prince..."
"presumptuous!!"
A furious shout came from the entrance of the Imperial Garden.
Consort Yun shuddered and looked up to see the Emperor and Empress walking in at some point.
Judging from the Emperor and Empress's expressions, it was clear that the Emperor had heard everything she had just said.
Her eyes moved slowly, finally landing on Cheng Wanwan. This vile woman was deliberately provoking her with her words, deliberately setting a trap for her...
"How dare you, Consort Yun!" the Empress said coldly. "As a concubine, you dare to speak recklessly about matters of the previous dynasty. Do you know your crime?"
Consort Yun knelt down with a thud, and Cheng Wanwan quickly knelt down as well.
"Your Majesty, I spoke carelessly. Please forgive me!" Yunpin's tears came quickly, and she cried breathlessly. "I heard that my brother was framed and arrested in Shuntian Prefecture. I was anxious and vented my anger on the people of Sui'an. It was my fault. I beg Your Majesty and Your Majesty to forgive me..."
The Empress said, enunciating each word clearly, "I have already heard about your brother's affairs. People from Sui'an almost died at the hands of your Ye family... Many innocent and virtuous women were violated by your brother. How dare you vent your anger?"
She turned around and knelt before the Emperor. "I know that the Emperor favors Concubine Yun and the Fifth Prince, but the Fifth Prince is still young. If he continues to be raised by Concubine Yun and influenced by the Ye family, he might grow up to be the second Ye Lingbo!"
Yunpin suddenly realized something and immediately crawled over and grabbed the dragon robe. "Your Majesty, I was wrong, truly wrong. I have been teaching the Fifth Prince well and have not allowed the Ye family to contact him. Please don't believe the Empress's one-sided words..."
The emperor's face was filled with anger.
He spoke coldly: "I never expected that you, Consort Yun, would harbor such thoughts of vying for the throne. It's one thing if you have such thoughts, but if you also allow the Fifth Prince to develop such ambitions, causing the royal family to turn against each other, even tearing you to pieces would not be enough to vent my hatred!"
Cheng Wanwan lowered her head; she had made the right bet this time.
Although she had rendered meritorious service, her status was still too low. Even if she really died at Ye Lingbo's hands, Consort Yun's status would not be affected in any way.
The only way is to divert the flames of war eastwards and let Yunpin bring disaster upon herself...
She had heard that the current emperor had gone through quite a few upheavals to get to this position...
Now the palace is peaceful, the position of the crown prince is secure, the princes get along harmoniously, and the royal family also has the warmth of ordinary people's families. This is what the emperor is most proud of. If someone covets the position of the crown prince and stirs up chaos in the palace, it is a provocation to the imperial power.
With just a few words, she managed to pry out Consort Yun's thoughts. Coupled with the Empress's remarks, this time, Consort Yun was truly finished.
"From today onwards, the Fifth Prince will move to Kunning Palace, and you, Empress, will personally raise him." The Emperor coldly declared, "Consort Yun has committed a breach of virtue and is demoted to the rank of Yun Changzai."
Consort Yun's eyes widened suddenly.
If she was just crying with tears streaming down her face, now she completely broke down, clinging uncontrollably to the emperor's leg: "Your Majesty, I know I was wrong... The Fifth Prince is still so young and cannot be separated from his mother. I beg Your Majesty to be lenient with him..."
The Empress said coldly, "Guards, take Consort Yun away!"
Two old women stepped forward and grabbed Yun Changzai's shoulders, one on each side, as the crying gradually faded into the distance.
The Imperial Garden fell silent.
Cheng Wanwan's heart was in her throat.
She knelt on the ground, her knees aching terribly, her cheek stinging from the slap Yun Changzai had given her, and the blazing sun was scorching overhead. The sun itself wasn't the worst of it; it was the emperor's gaze that made her feel as if two intense searchlights were scrutinizing her, even though she didn't meet his eyes.
After her last audience with the emperor, she knew that he was not an incompetent ruler, but far more intelligent than the average person.
Playing tricks in front of the emperor will leave you wondering how you died.
After quickly weighing the pros and cons in her mind, she immediately fell to the ground and said, "I acknowledge my guilt. I beg Your Majesty to punish me!"
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