Fu Yijing's eyes turned cold, "That depends on how much He Huaichen means to General He.
If He Huiyuan truly valued her younger brother, she would have used all her military achievements and her official position to save He Huaichen's life. At that point, she could be demoted or even dismissed. A commoner with no power or status would find it difficult to repay my mother's kindness.
But if she was a little more ruthless and directly abandoned He Huaichen, this vicious and foolish brother, she could have sent other sons of the He family to serve in the palace. The new ones sent to the palace might even climb higher than He Huaichen in the future, and they would have to be used by this palace.
A look of worry flashed in Zhiqi's eyes. "I've heard that He Fanghua is General He's biological brother, and they have a very close relationship. The He family does have other young men of marriageable age who could enter the palace, but they're all illegitimate children. General He might not be willing to let this brother die, and I'm afraid he might do something foolish that would cost him his position."
Fu Yijing's expression was murky and hard to interpret. It was hard to tell whether it was sadness or relief for having come to his senses in time. "I have completely given up on plotting against other men in the harem. I no longer need others to fight for me. I don't have an urgent need for a lackey like He Huaichen, though."
While the two of them were chatting, Zhiqi had already combed Fu Yijing's hair. Fu Yijing then finished her breakfast leisurely.
When the sky was completely bright, a servant came with news that He Fanghua was so bold that he asked his servant Lvyi to poison the Crown Princess, but was caught in the act by Jiufu, a servant of Chenyou Palace.
Now, His Majesty is furious, and Queen Lu even said that she would kill the murderer who poisoned her daughter on the spot.
When Fu Yijing arrived at Chenyou Palace.
Lu Jinshu was beating He Huaichen like crazy, "You bitch! Xihe is just a child under five years old, how can you be so cruel? You even want to harm a child. Xihe was just having fun and accidentally bumped into you. Does this count as a blood feud? You actually pushed her into such a cold lake. He Huaichen, you are simply not a human being!"
He Huaichen's left eye was swollen and black, and one of his front teeth was knocked out. As he spoke, he spat out a mouthful of blood foam, "I was wrong, I was really wrong, please forgive me..."
Lu Jinshu didn't care what he said at all, he just scratched his face with all his might, leaving countless bloody marks on his face. If He Huaichen could survive, he would be doomed to be disfigured in the future.
He Huaichen cried in the direction of Ling Shumo, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please save me. The Princess Royal is now fine. What I did was wrong, but it is not irreparable. As long as you are willing to forgive me, I can spend the rest of my life atonement for my sins to the Princess Royal. I am willing to shave my head and become a monk, live in the Lingyin Taoist Temple for the rest of my life, and pray for the Princess Royal day and night."
He Huaichen cried heartbreakingly, but Ling Shumo had no sympathy for him. She just watched him being beaten indifferently.
At this time, the Empress Dowager, who had been watching this incident from the beginning, frowned. She wanted to stop this farce, "Enough! Lu Jinan, stop it. You are the Empress of the Central Palace, and your every move represents the face of the royal family. Look at what you are doing now? Fighting with the Emperor's other men. It's simply outrageous!"
Although Lu Jinshu was unwilling to give up, he had no choice but to stop. He looked crazy just now, but in fact he was very restrained. If he let go, he could bite off He Huaichen's ear like a mad beast, then strangle He Huaichen's neck with his hands and send this bitch who killed his daughter to the west.
Lu Jinshu raised his hand and wiped the tears from his face, then knelt in front of Ling Shumo. "Your Majesty, you once told your ministers that if the murderer of Xihe is found, he should be thrown into a snake den and left to be torn to pieces by the venomous snakes. I wonder if you still mean what you said?"
Ling Shumo nodded. "I am the Son of Heaven, so my words are final. How can they not count?"
The Empress Dowager's brow, which had just relaxed, furrowed again, "Shumo, logically speaking, He Fanghua murdered the heir to the throne, and he should pay with blood. But his sister is fighting on the front lines now, so let's hold off on executing him for now."
My intention is to first demote him to the lowest rank in the harem, and then confine him to his own palace to reflect on his actions. We will have to wait until the war with the Qilan Empire subsides before making a final decision."
Ling Shumo disagreed with the Empress Dowager's statement. "The Crown Princess is the foundation of the country. He Huaichen poisoned the Crown Prince, and it would not be too much to implicate his entire clan. I will never spare his life."
The Empress Dowager sighed deeply and said earnestly, "I know you love your emperor and empress, and your daughter, but how can I not love Xixi and this granddaughter too? However, you are the emperor, and the harem struggles are not only your family affairs, but also state affairs. Everything should be based on the overall interests."
Ling Shumo fell silent. Seeing that she couldn't persuade Ling Shumo, the Empress Dowager turned her gaze to Lu Jinshu, "Jin'an, I have always believed that you are a very sensible queen. You should also persuade the emperor."
Lu Jinshu lowered his head, then clenched his fists, obviously unwilling to let He Huaichen go.
The Empress Dowager's face was filled with obvious displeasure. He Huiyuan was a military commander, commanding a hundred thousand soldiers. If her brother were killed, she wouldn't dare to do anything outwardly, but she might harbor resentment towards the imperial family. A break with a truly capable general was not a good thing.
Since Ling Shumo ascended the throne, the court has witnessed several rounds of bloodbaths. To consolidate her power, she executed numerous court officials who refused to submit to her. This resulted in a lack of successors and a shortage of available generals. Training new military commanders is not something that can be accomplished overnight. In other words, Ling Shumo still needed He Huiyuan's unwavering dedication to the imperial family.
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