The third princess immediately covered her face and said coquettishly, "No, I can't get a tan!"
Jiayin pushed her into the house, saying, "Take care of yourself. I'll have Shuiling go over there."
After saying that, she gave Shui Ling a wink and then returned to the side hall.
Soon, Shui Ling left the palace carrying a food box and holding a token...
When Jiayin woke up from her afternoon nap, Shuiling had already brought back some snacks and delivered them to the Imperial Study.
Steward Yi received an extra box, so he smiled and tested the poison. Seeing that there was no problem, he sent Shui Ling back to Zhilan Palace as soon as possible.
The Third Princess and Jiayin also had some snacks. In the afternoon, they had a little eunuch build a swing in the corner of the courtyard and played on it until it was completely dark. They were so tired that they stopped playing.
After dinner, the third princess was so sleepy that she barely managed to wash up and went to bed.
Jiayin, on the other hand, sat on the soft couch with three foxes in her arms, holding a book in her hand, petting the foxes while reading.
Shuiyun cut the fruit platter, placed it on the table, and whispered, "Princess, you should go to sleep early too."
Jiayin nodded and instructed, "Tonight, you and Shuiling will have to guard the gates of Zhilan Palace. No one is allowed to enter or leave, and you must not open the gates if you hear any noise. If anyone makes any rash moves, you can arrest them first. Their lives are irrelevant!"
Shuiyun was startled and asked, "Princess, tonight..."
Jiayin waved her hand, signaling her not to say anything more.
"Do as I say, don't worry. What happens outside has nothing to do with us, just make sure Zhilan Palace doesn't fall into chaos."
"Yes, Princess." Shuiyun quickly withdrew.
Soon, the sound of the door creaking came, and the footsteps faded into the distance, becoming clearer in the darkness...
In the imperial study, the emperor put down his medicine bowl, trying to suppress the bitterness in his mouth, and asked, "Is the arrangement complete?"
Chief Steward Yi quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, Ronghua Palace is completely surrounded. Not even a fly can get out."
The emperor remained silent for a moment before rising.
Chief Eunuch Yi quickly followed, with the young eunuchs carrying lanterns keeping watch from both sides. In the darkness, they resembled a moving dragon, heading towards Ronghua Palace.
At this time of day, Ronghua Palace would normally be brightly lit and bustling with activity because the emperor was staying overnight.
Today is the same, yet different in every way.
The guards, fully armored and armed, each holding a sword in one hand and a torch in the other, surrounded Ronghua Palace like an iron barrel.
In particular, in the Imperial Concubine's palace, the eunuchs and maids were all bound tightly and kneeling in the courtyard, their faces ashen.
They were as arrogant as they were because of the imperial concubine's favor, and now they are filled with fear and regret.
A man's favor is unreliable, let alone when that man is an emperor.
In the morning, someone even sent over fresh fruit, just because the Imperial Concubine liked to eat it.
Just as dusk was falling, the guards stormed in, ruthlessly shattering all that was beautiful...
"Waaah." One of the palace maids couldn't help but cry softly.
Immediately, a guard stepped forward and kicked her hard, until the palace maid held back her tears.
The other palace maids and eunuchs shrank back, wishing they could disappear into the ground to feel safe...
Inside the main hall, the imperial concubine, dressed in a light red palace gown, was also shocked and turned pale.
Her personal maids, nannies, and the chief eunuch were all tied up like rice dumplings.
Although she wasn't tied up, she could only sit in a chair and couldn't move an inch, otherwise the guards' long swords would be at her neck.
She had a vague idea of what was going on, her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was about to burst, but she still held onto a sliver of hope.
She had been extremely careful in her actions, and the Emperor hadn't noticed anything amiss all this time. So, today's situation was probably because the court officials were all recommending the Second Prince as the Crown Prince, and the Emperor was momentarily enraged, rather than because he had discovered her schemes...
"How dare you! You have such audacity!" The Imperial Concubine calmed herself down for a while, finally mustering her courage, and then slammed her hand on the table, causing the golden phoenix hairpin with pearls on her head to shake incessantly.
"How dare you trespass into Ronghua Palace! Don't you know this is my residence? When the Emperor arrives, I will definitely ask him to punish you severely!"
"No need, I have already arrived," the Emperor replied from outside the door, then stepped across the threshold.
With a wave of his hand, Chief Eunuch Yi immediately closed the door. Two guards remained inside to ensure the Emperor's safety, while the rest retreated outside.
The Imperial Concubine's eyes reddened, and she threw herself down in front of the Emperor, sobbing and lamenting.
"Your Majesty, you have finally arrived! Just now, these guards suddenly rushed in, not only tying up my eunuchs and maids, but also preventing me from moving around freely."
"Waaah, what have I done wrong to deserve such humiliation? I can't live like this anymore!"
As he said this, the Emperor sat down, and the Imperial Concubine stepped forward, knelt beside his legs, and slowly raised her face.
The beautiful woman shed tears, her face like a pear blossom in the rain, and under the candlelight, the teardrops appeared even more crystal clear.
The Emperor was momentarily stunned. Over the years, even knowing that she had some connection with the Empress Dowager, he still doted on her and even allowed her to give birth to the Second Prince. Wasn't it because of her beauty and fragility?
He originally thought that even if the woman had some selfish motives, she would cherish their relationship even more.
It's a pity that she squandered his twenty years of life, leaving him with only a few months left...
The Emperor raised his hand and gently tidied the Consort's disheveled hair, then slapped her hard across the face the next instant.
"Smack!"
Caught off guard, the imperial concubine was struck and fell to the ground.
She looked up in surprise, covered her face, and cried out, "Your Majesty, why did you hit me?"
The emperor's face was indifferent, and there was no warmth in his eyes.
"Do I need to remind you of what you've done?"
After saying that, he pointed to the incense burner in the corner of the room. Steward Yi immediately rushed over, picked up the incense burner, and presented it to the Imperial Concubine.
The imperial concubine instinctively shrank her neck, but still refused to admit it.
"Your Majesty, what's wrong with this incense burner? Is there anything wrong with it? You personally bestowed it upon me last year!"
"Yes, this is a stove that was presented as tribute from the south. Just because you said you liked it, I had it moved here to you." The emperor sneered, but his expression still carried a hint of sorrow.
"So, you used the stove I bestowed upon you to poison me, didn't you? You truly are my beloved concubine!"
"No, no, Your Majesty! I'm innocent! What poison? I don't know!" The Imperial Concubine seemed terrified. She crawled forward and tugged at the hem of the dragon robe, crying with fear and grievance.
"Your Majesty, I stay in Ronghua Palace every day and rarely speak to outsiders. I am devoted to teaching and caring for the Second Prince! How could I possibly have any disloyal intentions that would harm Your Majesty's health? I beg Your Majesty to investigate!"
"You won't admit defeat until you're faced with the truth. Fine, I'll make you admit defeat fair and square." The emperor pulled back his dragon robe, feeling very disappointed.
After all, she's a woman he's pampered for so many years. If she simply confesses, he can still retain some of their past affection.
But her repeated excuses, her dirty dress, her disheveled hair, and her disheveled appearance made her seem completely unrecognizable and utterly unfamiliar.
"Steward Yi, find everything and bring the people here."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com