Chapter 34 Let's take a look.
Chu Mingheng's gaze lingered on her for a moment, then he slightly raised his hand to gesture for her to stand up, and asked her in a nonchalant tone, "Didn't the imperial physician say you shouldn't be exposed to the wind? Why did you come out?"
Consort Shu was helped up and said with her head bowed, "Your Majesty, I heard that Your Majesty is investigating the matter at Xu Garden that day."
"I was the one who organized the banquet that day, and it almost caused an accident to Sister Zhen. I also bear responsibility, so I came uninvited. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."
At this point, what Consort Shu said was quite reasonable and well-founded.
Lan Wu listened from the side, clicking her tongue in amazement.
So that's how it is. She wondered why Consort Shu suddenly claimed to be ill. She must have guessed what Consort Liu had done in advance, so she made herself fall ill at this time so that she wouldn't be able to blame her anymore.
Chu Mingheng nodded slightly: "Give Consort Shu a seat."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The palace servants moved the chair to the right of the emperor, and at that moment, Lan Wu sat down next to Chu Mingheng in her original seat.
This seat is close to Chu Mingheng's, but it's still a high position. If Lanwu really wanted to be more humble, she should have ordered someone to move the seat down long ago, so that it would at least be below Consort Shu.
But she refused.
He looked up and met Consort Shu's face.
Consort Shu could still laugh as she looked at Lan Wu and softly said to the Emperor, "Sister Zhen is indeed a beauty of unparalleled grace. Your Majesty dotes on her far too much." So much so that she's practically climbing all over her head.
"Is that so?" Chu Mingheng said slowly, and also looked at Lan Wu.
Lan Wu was able to sit still, but when two pairs of eyes looked at her, she became a little nervous. If Chu Mingheng said she was unruly and kicked her out, she would really lose face.
"Who told you to sit there?" Chu Mingheng's voice was slightly deep, his eyes as dark as ink as he spoke. He leaned back in his chair with a slightly relaxed posture, raised his long, strong, and well-defined hand, and tapped the armrest casually.
Before Consort Shu could even laugh, she heard Chu Mingheng's voice carrying an extremely strong sense of control and oppression, as if it were being deliberately suppressed, yet when he spoke, it compelled people to obey.
"Come here." Chu Mingheng told Lan Wu to come back and sit down properly.
Lan Wu's eyes lit up. She glanced at Consort Shu first, then shyly returned to Chu Mingheng's side.
"Your Majesty is so kind." She whispered in Chu Mingheng's ear, her voice soft and filled with a charming smile.
She knew Chu Mingheng wouldn't bully her in front of others.
This intimate gesture completely wiped the smile off Consort Shu's face, and she looked down at Consort Liu, who was still kneeling on the ground.
If it weren't for this idiot, she wouldn't have come here.
The matter concerning Liu Shuyi had not yet been clarified, and the medicine powder was still on the table. The palace maid and she each gave their own version of events, but Liu Shuyi insisted that she knew nothing about it.
"Your Majesty, what did Consort Liu do that caused Your Majesty to misunderstand?" Consort Shu gently covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief, as if to shield herself from the wind. She spoke with confusion and doubt, unable to figure out the reason.
Misunderstand?
Lan Wu glanced at the things on the table and muttered softly, "What's there to misunderstand? Everything's right here."
Although he spoke softly, there was no one else around, so everyone could hear him clearly.
"Insolence!" Chu Mingheng rebuked, speaking to Lan Wu as he reached out and pulled down the hood of her cloak, obscuring most of her face.
Consort Shu was momentarily dazed as she watched the Emperor's actions—a rebuke that was actually a show of protection—and her attention wandered elsewhere.
With her face obscured, Lan Wu struggled to move her head and turn to look at Chu Mingheng, her voice muffled as she said, "This concubine knows her mistake."
"But this thing came out of Tingfeng Pavilion, and the person was acting suspiciously. Liu Shuyi says she doesn't know anything, but who would believe that?"
She shook her head: "Anyway, I don't believe it."
"Since you won't confess, let's see what happens." Chu Mingheng had plenty of patience and ordered a palace servant to give the packet of powder to Liu Shuyi.
After taking that medicine, you will gradually lose your strength, feel hot and thirsty all over, and eventually fall into a coma.
Whether it's the same medicine or not, we can find out by taking it and seeing; there's no need to go through the trouble of calling the imperial physician.
Consort Shu was somewhat stunned. No matter what, Consort Liu was a concubine. If she made a fool of herself here, it would damage His Majesty's reputation. How could His Majesty give such an order?
Not only Consort Shu, but also Consort Liu herself knelt down in fear and begged for mercy: "Your Majesty, please forgive me—I am truly innocent! I...I really knew nothing about this!"
As she spoke, she quickly knelt before Consort Shu, sobbing uncontrollably, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please save this concubine—"
Lan Wu had just been scolded by Chu Mingheng, and now she was silent. If you asked her to speak, she would only say sarcastic things, which would make them furious. If she fainted later, the interrogation would have to be postponed.
Consort Shu looked at Consort Liu with some difficulty, almost gritting her teeth—she knew very well what the effects of this medicine were; wasn't it because of this medicine that that little slut Lan Wu climbed into the emperor's bed?
She really didn't want to help that idiot Liu Shuyi, but she also wanted to spare her life, since she was really easy to use and had helped her with a lot of things before.
Before Consort Shu could plead for Consort Liu, the palace servants had already mixed the medicine into the water and were approaching Consort Liu step by step.
Luo Yun ordered two strong palace maids to hold the person down, pinched Liu Shuyi's cheek with one hand to force her to open her mouth, and picked up a cup with the other hand to pour it down her throat.
"Your Majesty..." Consort Shu opened her mouth, only to be met with the Emperor's merciless eyes, his gaze sweeping coldly over Consort Liu on the ground. In that instant, she seemed to understand something.
That gaze shifted to her, a casual glance that served as both a warning and a deterrent.
Consort Shu quickly lowered her eyes and saw Liu Shuyi, who was struggling and looking disheveled after being forced to drink a cup of water. The decision was made in an instant. She clenched her hands tightly and refused to look at the other woman again.
The medicine took effect very quickly, not to mention that Liu Shuyi had drunk so much, and soon her face turned red and she was breathing heavily with discomfort.
Looking at her like this, there's nothing I can't understand.
Chu Mingheng didn't even let Liu Shuyi say a word of excuse. As for the reason why Liu Shuyi wanted to do this, he knew perfectly well.
"By imperial decree, Lady Liu is hereby demoted to the rank of Talented Woman and ordered to commit suicide, for her words and actions are perverse and she has repeatedly violated palace rules without any restraint."
It was completely dark by then, and the chill in the wind wasn't enough to make one cower and dare not move forward, but those words sent a shiver down one's spine.
As the emperor rose from his seat, Lan Wu also stood up and followed closely behind him.
Liu Shuyi was clearly out of her mind and may not have heard the imperial edict that ordered her to die. She did not bow to express her gratitude, but she was forced to kowtow.
"Let her wake up."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Luo Yun replied.
As Chu Mingheng passed by Consort Shu, he paused briefly. Seeing her bow, he spoke calmly, "Since you are unwell, you should take good care of yourself. It's best not to get involved in such matters again."
Consort Shu was stunned by these words and could only respectfully reply, "Yes."
The shadow in front of her disappeared, and she raised her head to watch Chu Mingheng walk away with Lan Wu behind him.
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