Chapter 541 This favored concubine bears a striking resemblance to my mother.
"Consort Ning has arrived—"
Consort Ning was unaware of what had happened.
She approached slowly, dressed in a dignified and luxurious manner, adorned with pearls and jade.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to Your Majesty and Your Majesty the Empress."
"I have been unwell these past two days, which is why I was unable to come and offer my birthday wishes to Her Majesty the Empress today."
"I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness."
Although Consort Ning spoke in this way, her actions were not particularly humble.
She merely performed a perfunctory, everyday greeting before gazing at the Chu Emperor with tender affection.
None of the guests dared to pay their respects to Consort Ning at this moment.
Consort Ning turned her head in confusion.
I don't know why the atmosphere is so heavy.
Only then did they notice that the Empress's hands were bleeding, and the Crown Prince was holding a wet nurse whose face was covered in blood!
Consort Ning was startled: "Your Majesty, Your Highness, what... what's going on?"
However, at this moment, it wasn't just Consort Ning who was startled.
When Li Qingluo saw the face that she turned around, she was secretly taken aback!
Her appearance was surprisingly similar to that of her mother!
Li Qingluo looked at the Chu Emperor, a wave of nausea rising in her heart.
He actually found a woman who looked like his own younger sister and even favored her for many years!
If Ah Shi saw this...
As Li Qingluo was thinking, she turned her head and saw a familiar figure standing motionless in the dark corner, also staring in the direction of Consort Ning.
She couldn't help but lick her lips.
Then the Chu Emperor angrily shouted, "Kneel down!"
He said this while glaring at Consort Ning.
Consort Ning's legs went weak, and she immediately collapsed to the ground.
"Your Majesty, I wonder what offense I have committed?"
"Your Majesty is unaware of what has happened here..."
The Chu Emperor had a small figure covered in fine needles brought to Consort Ning.
When Consort Ning saw the little man's attire and birth date, she trembled with fright.
She looked horrified: "Your Majesty, this...this villain—?"
"Who wants to harm you?"
"I will definitely take his life!"
Emperor Chu: "He is your good son, Zongzheng Wuxie!"
"Will you kill me or not!?"
As he spoke, he threw a dagger in front of Consort Ning.
Consort Ning screamed in fright and collapsed to the ground, her body going limp.
"No—! Absolutely not."
"This is absolutely impossible, Your Majesty!"
"Wu Xie respects you so much; you are his father, the Emperor. How could he possibly want to harm you?"
"There must be some misunderstanding; someone must be trying to harm him—"
"Crown Prince, was it you?!"
"Empress, it's you—"
The empress was the most dignified empress in the harem.
Consort Ning was the most favored concubine in the harem.
She has always been dutiful, gentle, and respectful.
Even though the Fourth Prince and the Crown Prince have been locked in a fierce battle for years, she has almost always kept herself hidden in her palace and rarely goes out, let alone actively confronts or provokes the Empress.
Because she knew that the Chu Emperor disliked her flamboyant personality.
Therefore, at most she would only occasionally show disrespect to the Empress in her words and actions.
The rest, however, have never been done before!
Now, for the sake of her son, she is actively attacking and questioning the Empress and the Crown Prince.
The Empress laughed coldly.
"Consort Ning, you've been so good at pretending all these years."
"Look at you! What a venomous snake you've raised!"
"His Majesty dotes on you and your son so much, yet you still did such a thing! What, you dare to do it but not dare to admit it?"
Consort Ning: "How can I admit to something I didn't do?"
"Your Majesty, please explain yourself clearly—"
Consort Ning got up and was about to pounce when she was pressed to the ground by the guards behind her.
"Enough!"
The Emperor of Chu stared coldly at Consort Ning, stood up and walked to her, pinching her face, which showed no signs of fading due to her good maintenance.
Over the years, because of her face, he has always been kind and gentle to her, and he can tolerate even the most infuriating things.
She would often fall ill from longing, and in her terminal illness, she would hold that face in her hands, just to relieve the pain of unrequited love.
Even now, staring at that face, he still can't bring himself to be cruel.
But the thought of Zongzheng Wuxie doing such a thing made the Emperor of Chu grit his teeth in hatred: "Consort Ning, have I been too lenient and doting on you and your son all these years, to the point that you don't even know who you are anymore?"
"On the one hand, they want to kill me."
"On the one hand, you're trying to pin the blame for my death on the Crown Prince! You've really killed two birds with one stone!"
"If I hadn't punished the fourth prince by sending him back to the prince's residence tonight, what kind of show would he have put on for me?"
"Is this the grand scheme to leave the Crown Prince speechless, to solidify his crimes, and to make me wrongly execute my legitimate son?!"
"Consort Ning, tell me, how can you face me like this!"
As the Chu Emperor spoke, he raised his hand high, paused for a moment, and then slapped it down hard.
Consort Ning let out a scream and collapsed to the ground.
When he looked up again, there was blood at the corner of his mouth, and his face was full of fear and grievance.
"Your Majesty, I truly know nothing..."
Over the years, she has been kept in the palace like a canary in a cage.
She wanted to be the Chu Emperor's obedient concubine.
Quiet, no trouble.
Otherwise, they will lose favor.
She had seen far too many concubines who were easily executed by the Chu Emperor for their scheming.
Therefore, Consort Ning never taught Zongzheng Wuxie these things...
She really didn't know anything.
The Emperor stared at her intently, his eyes filled with pain: "Take Consort Ning away. Without my permission, she is never to step out of her palace again!"
Consort Ning, her face deathly pale, cried out, "No, Your Majesty, this isn't real—Your Majesty!!"
Emperor Chu: "Guards—arrest the Fourth Prince!"
"Imprison him in the imperial prison. I will interrogate him personally!"
"Ask my good son if he is really so impatient that he already wants his father's life!"
Imperial Guard Chen Yi personally stepped forward to receive the order: "Yes, Your Majesty!"
After Chen Yi and his men left, the scene below, filled with wine, meat, and carnage, was already chaotic and noisy.
In this situation, who could possibly sit still?
Having witnessed such a grand spectacle, each family had their own thoughts.
The Crown Prince's faction was in a state of utter despair one moment and then soaring to new heights the next.
They were overjoyed; they hadn't expected the opportunity to bring down the Fourth Prince to come so quickly.
The Fourth Prince's faction, on the other hand, was completely the opposite.
They were restless and wished they could leave immediately so they could discuss a solution.
However, the Chu emperor did not speak, and no one dared to move.
The Chu Emperor sat coldly on the high platform, his icy gaze sweeping over everyone seated below.
Suddenly, his eyes fell on Marquis Wu of Wei.
"Take down Marquis Wu of Wei!"
At his command, the shadowy guards appeared immediately and slammed Wei Wuhou onto the table.
Marquis Wu of Wei cried out in alarm, "Your Majesty, I do not know what I have done wrong that Your Majesty would treat me like this?"
Emperor Chu: "Is the Fourth Prince's wife your eldest daughter?"
"If the Fourth Prince harbors any intention to rebel and harm me, it would not be unjust to take you, Marquis Wei, down with me."
When the Fourth Prince's case was confirmed, the Wei Wuhou family did not come out to plead for him.
The Chu Emperor had noticed them long ago, and they were whispering among themselves, but remained inactive.
They put on a good act.
This time, the Chu Emperor intends to teach Zongzheng Wuxie a painful lesson, so he will start by targeting Marquis Wu of Wei!
Upon seeing this, the eldest son of Marquis Wu of Wei, who was sitting to the side, suddenly shouted: "You tyrant!"
"Give me your life—"
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