Chapter 145: Posthumously Conferred the Title of Imperial Concubine
In Fenghe Palace.
After hearing the news, Queen Cui suddenly stood up.
"What did you say?!"
Zhiwu also didn't expect that "the head maid Xiuping of Yongfu Palace came to report that Lin Zhaorong had swallowed gold alive and was found dead."
Upon hearing this, Queen Cui's thoughts were in a mess and she stood there for a long time without recovering from her shock.
Let countless bitterness and sourness fill my heart.
This was the first time in her life that she felt frustrated.
"It's my fault..."
Zhiwu stepped forward and gently counseled, "How can you blame the Empress for this? The Empress helped Lin Zhaorong delay for so long, and then set out the bait. The Empress has done everything she could for her. It's Lin Zhaorong who's too weak to bear it, and she couldn't let it go for a moment."
"Does the Emperor know about this?"
"Someone has been sent to report it."
After a long silence, Empress Cui forced herself to cheer up and said, "The death of a concubine is a big deal. This is the first time a high-ranking concubine has died in this dynasty, and she is also a concubine with a son. Please change my clothes quickly."
Zhiwu hurriedly helped her sit in front of the dressing table.
When a concubine dies, the queen does not need to wear mourning clothes, but she cannot be too gaudy either.
Zhiwu first took off the golden hairpins and golden phoenixes on her head, and used only a few silver hairpins to tie her hair up in a bun, and then changed her into a cloud-white palace dress.
Such a simple and quiet makeup further highlights Empress Cui's dignity and grace.
After dressing up, Empress Cui's eyes flashed with coldness, "Let's go to Yongfu Palace. I want to see what's going on!"
*
As she approached Yongfu Palace, Empress Cui heard a noisy sound.
She got off the phoenix chariot.
The emperor is facing us.
He strode over, obviously having just arrived.
Empress Cui stepped forward and bowed, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."
Xie Chen sighed: "The Queen is here."
Empress Cui was still hesitant to get up. Her voice was low and tired. "The matter of Lin Zhaorong is my responsibility."
Xie Chen reached out and helped her up: "If anyone is to blame for this, it's me. It was I who ordered her confinement. The Queen can't be blamed."
Empress Cui smiled bitterly and shook her head, saying softly, "How can the emperor be blamed? It was my fault for not thinking things through. If I had given Lin Zhaorong a heads-up beforehand, she wouldn't have ended up like this."
Xie Chen patted her shoulder and said, "It has already happened. Regret is of no use. There are many suspicious points in Lin Zhaorong's death. Queen, please come with me to take a look."
"yes."
*
White banners and lanterns have been hung throughout Yongfu Palace.
It's just a mess inside.
There was constant crying in the palace, and the palace maids in the courtyard were running around like headless flies.
Many palace concubines have already arrived, all dressed simply, standing in the corridor, whispering to each other or using handkerchiefs to stop tears.
When he saw the emperor and empress, he hurriedly bowed and greeted them.
"Your humble servant greets His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress."
"Get up."
The concubines followed the emperor and empress into the palace.
As soon as I came in, I heard heart-wrenching cries.
It was the eldest prince's voice.
"Mother!"
"Mother!"
"Take care of the child!"
“…”
This scene is extremely sad.
Even the concubines who had been at odds with Lin Zhaorong in the past had their eyes secretly red.
Next to the eldest prince was Concubine Xie, who had not yet noticed that everyone had entered the hall and was wiping her tears.
"Yuqi, ask the palace maids to clean up your mother first and let her dress up before leaving."
The eldest prince fell beside Lin Zhaorong and cried, "I don't want it! I don't want it!"
Concubine Xie's tears flowed even harder. This time she was not trying to persuade the eldest prince, but was crying for Lin Zhaorong.
"Sister, you just left and left Yuqi alone. What do you want him to do? Why can't you get over it? You are so confused!"
The eldest prince cried even harder.
Seeing this, Xie Chen's eyes were filled with deep sorrow. He called out, "Yu Qi."
The eldest prince raised his head and burst into tears, "Father, no matter how I call my mother, she won't wake up. What should I do?"
His young face was full of helplessness.
For a moment, Xie Chen didn't know how to answer him.
The eldest prince turned his head and cried again.
When Concubine Xie Xian saw the Emperor and Empress, she hurried forward to pay her respects. "Your Highness, Your Highness, Your Highness, Your Highness, Your Highness, Your Highness, Your Highness, Your Highness, Your Highness, Your Highness, your ...
Empress Cui spoke up: "It's impossible to hide it. Yu Qi will find out sooner or later. Xian Fei, please get up."
Only then did Concubine Xie stand up.
*
The eldest prince cried sadly.
The concubines took turns to persuade her, but it was useless.
In the end, the eldest prince fainted from crying.
The emperor and empress took him to a side hall and placed him there.
Empress Cui then gave instructions on the relevant matters and began to interrogate Lin Zhaorong's personal maid, Xiuping.
"Your Madam, is there anything unusual today?"
Xiuping wiped her tears and answered truthfully, "This afternoon, the Queen met with the eldest prince and said some strange things."
Empress Cui's eyes glared. "He met the eldest prince? Didn't the emperor order Lin Zhaorong to be confined to her house? Logically, there should be guards at the palace gate. How did the eldest prince get in?"
Xiuping shook her head and said nothing.
"Yes, I am your concubine."
With a thud, Concubine Xie knelt before the Emperor and Empress.
"When the eldest prince learned that the guard had confessed to Lin Zhaorong, he was worried about his mother and ran out of Yichun Palace, ignoring the snow and storm, crying as he ran to Yonghe Palace."
"I was worried about him, so I followed him all the way here. Who would have thought that the eldest prince would actually kneel before me, begging me to let the guards open the palace gates. He was a pitiful child, and I softened my heart, so I asked the guards to open the palace gates, regardless of the emperor's orders."
"I am guilty, Your Majesty, please punish me."
Empress Cui's brows were cold and pointed. "Did the eldest prince meet Lin Zhaorong alone, or did you and the others meet her together?"
Concubine Xie said, "I was worried about the eldest prince, so I followed him in."
There was silence in the hall for a moment.
This time, it was Xie Chen who spoke up himself, his eyes tinged with boundless coldness. "Xian Fei, what did you say to Lin Zhaorong?"
Concubine Xie lowered her eyes and said, "I did say some things to Sister Lin, and they were all from my heart. There were palace maids present at the time who can testify for me."
Xie Chen pointed at the embroidered screen and asked, "Are you present?"
"The servant is here."
"Repeat it to me word for word."
Xiuping thought about what happened during the day and told it word for word.
After hearing this, the emperor and empress fell silent.
Listening to it this way, it seems that there is nothing wrong with Concubine Xian, and she actually has good intentions.
That Lin Zhaorong...
The hall fell into a long silence.
Concubine Xie suddenly spoke up, "By the way, I have brought Sister Lin's letter. Your Majesty and Your Majesty, please review it."
Zhiwu stepped forward, took the letter and presented it to the emperor and empress.
After reading this, Xie Chen remained silent.
Empress Cui's eyes were red as she looked at the concubines in the palace. "Lin Zhaorong died to show her resolve. What happened to Pei Zhaoyi that day was not her doing!"
The concubines looked at each other in bewilderment.
Die to prove your will!
Could it be that it really wasn't Lin Zhaorong's doing?
Several concubines who had suppressed Lin Zhaorong lowered their heads quietly because they felt guilty.
After a long time, Xie Chen's low, hoarse voice echoed in the hall, "Zhaorong Lin, who has served the palace for a long time, gave birth to the emperor's heir, and has made great contributions to the court, is hereby posthumously conferred the title of Imperial Consort, with the posthumous name of Shunzhen."
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