Chapter 128: When the Wall Falls, Everyone Pushes Back
"Perhaps the servants at Huaqing Palace were lazy," Consort Chun suddenly spoke up, pointing the finger at Consort Rong. "Your Highness was summoned urgently by His Majesty, and the servants were lazy and didn't handle the matter. It's possible that they were discovered by Eunuch Zhou and his men."
"You are slandering me!" Rong Guifei's charming fox eyes were now full of fierceness. She glared at Chun Zhaoyi, "If I really did such a heinous thing, how could I dare to ask for a palace search to prove my innocence?"
This statement did have some truth to it, but she had always been overbearing, often relying on her position as Imperial Concubine to reprimand and punish others, acting more like the master of the harem than the Empress. Now that she had half a foot in the mud, many people were pushing her.
Concubine Shen spoke softly, "Your Majesty often uses severe punishments to discipline the palace maids. There might be some who harbor resentment and pretend to obey your orders but actually disobey them."
This statement has the same meaning as what Chun Zhaoyi said, but it is expressed more clearly.
"You..." Noble Concubine Rong opened her mouth to protest, but then heard a sweet voice say, "When His Majesty ordered the search of Huaqing Palace just now, I saw that Your Majesty was very surprised. I think Your Majesty thought that with His Majesty's trust and favor in you, you wouldn't agree to the search. Your Majesty was confident and naturally had no fear to raise the issue."
The one who spoke was Concubine Xie. With the support of the Empress Dowager, she was not too cautious in what she said. She almost pointed out that Concubine Rong was deliberately relying on the Emperor's favor to plot against him.
Even speculating on the Holy Will is a grave sin, let alone scheming?
[Tsk, tsk, these words are so poisonous, clearly intended to sow discord. If the tyrant truly believed these words, it would surely be like a thorn in his heart. Even if Concubine Rong can safely pass through this crisis, the emperor's favor will certainly be greatly reduced.]
"A few days ago, I went to Huaqing Palace to pay my respects to Her Majesty, and saw Her Majesty soaking saffron in water, saying it was good for beauty. She also asked me to use some too." The next person to speak was Concubine Xiao.
Concubine Rong treated her like a palace maid. Didn’t she feel resentful?
Of course there is.
Her words proved that there was indeed saffron in Concubine Rong's palace, so it was not impossible that it was used to harm the royal heir in Concubine Yun's belly.
"Only the Imperial Hospital's pharmacy and the Imperial Household Department have saffron. All receipts are recorded. If Huaqing Palace has sent anyone to collect it and how much they have collected, we can check the records."
Although Concubine Shu seemed to be saying something fair, she was actually pushing Concubine Rong towards the position of "murderer".
[Ah, when the wall falls, everyone pushes it. There are so many concubines, but not one of them speaks up for Concubine Rong. How much of a failure is this?]
"Hey, Concubine Gao, you're in cahoots with Noble Concubine Rong. If you don't help now, aren't you afraid that Noble Concubine Rong will get angry and expose everything you've done?"
Concubine Gao, who was being talked about by Chu Liuzheng, sat quietly like a wallflower, watching the hustle and bustle in front of her and the embarrassment of Concubine Rong, as if she had nothing to do with Concubine Rong.
The concubines argued with each other and almost condemned Concubine Rong.
"You!" Concubine Rong was so angry that her eyes turned red, but she didn't have the ability to debate with the scholars, so she couldn't refute them at all.
"Those who do evil will eventually perish." Concubine Wang muttered softly beside her. She was just talking to herself, but she didn't expect that Concubine Rong had sharp ears and not only heard it, but also heard it clearly.
Now even a small talent dares to laugh at her?
Concubine Rong was so angry that she was about to die. She took a few steps forward and slapped Concubine Wang with a crisp "slap" sound, causing her to turn her head away.
The hall fell silent.
Everyone was so shocked that their mouths opened slightly. How dare someone attack in front of the emperor? Is Concubine Rong crazy?
Concubine Wang was stunned. She raised her hand to cover her burning left cheek, turned around and stared in disbelief at Concubine Rong's face, which was still beautiful even when she was extremely angry.
Seeing that Concubine Wang dared to glare at her, Concubine Rong raised her hand without thinking and slapped her again.
But this time, the fan missed. Du Guiren suddenly rushed over and grabbed Rong Guifei's wrist, shouting, "How can you be so presumptuous in front of His Majesty?"
[Frog Fun! Taking advantage of every opportunity, being a hero and saving the damsel in distress, you deserve to have a sister!]
Xiao Jingfan: "..."
You are the one who talks too much!
The word "Your Majesty" made Concubine Rong, who was controlled by anger, pause and regain her rationality in an instant.
Without caring about anything else, she immediately turned around and knelt down: "Your Majesty, I was just angry for a moment, it's not..."
His tone was a bit flustered, but before he could finish his explanation, Xiao Jingfan interrupted him: "Shut up!"
Concubine Rong had never been yelled at like this by Xiao Jingfan before. She was so scared that she stood there in a daze, staring at Xiao Jingfan with her fox eyes, and forgot what she was going to say for a moment.
Watching the farce, Xiao Jingfan felt annoyed and felt that having too many women was not a good thing.
He stretched out two slender fingers and tapped lightly on the armrest. His stern gaze swept over everyone in the hall, finally landing on the stunned Concubine Rong.
"Noble Consort Dou is arrogant and domineering, harboring treacherous intentions and plotting to murder the heir to the throne. She has failed to live up to the virtues of a woman and is unfit to be a role model for the imperial harem. From today on, you will be stripped of your title, demoted to a noble lady, and confined to the palace. You will kneel and recite the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra for two hours daily, reflecting on your mistakes."
A noble person?!
Concubine Rong suspected she was hallucinating. She looked at Xiao Jingfan's cold eyes and said with her red lips slightly parted: "Your Majesty..."
"I trusted you wrongly." Xiao Jingfan let out a sigh. The disappointment, disgust and coldness in his tone were like a sharp knife piercing Dou Jingwan's heart. She curled up in pain, covering her chest, and her face turned pale instantly.
"Empress." Xianglu supported her worriedly, her tone full of panic and worry.
Dou Jingwan endured the pain in her heart and raised her head, shouting unwillingly, "I didn't hurt Concubine Yun!"
If she didn't do it, she didn't do it. Even if it was the emperor's golden words, she would not recognize it!
She raised her head, tears glistening in her eyes.
"I didn't harm Yun Fei." She repeated, her beautiful and lively fox eyes staring straight at Xiao Jingfan, stubbornly trying not to let the tears fall.
"I didn't harm Yun Fei."
She spoke each word slowly, as if afraid that the man in front of her couldn't hear clearly.
There was hope in her eyes, hoping to hear those three words from Xiao Jingfan again: I believe you.
Dou Jingwan is so beautiful that she is beautiful no matter what expression she makes. Now with tears in her eyelashes, she is even more beautiful and pitiful.
But there was no fluctuation in Xiao Jingfan's heart or eyes.
He looked at Dou Jingwan as if he was looking at a beautiful object with flaws, his eyes filled with disappointment and indifference.
He originally thought that Dou was just a little spoiled by her family. Although she was strict with the palace servants, she was also following the palace rules and had no bad intentions.
Dou was beautiful, intelligent, thoughtful, and occasionally a little bit temperamental, but he was willing to indulge her a little for the sake of the Dou family. This was the emperor's right and also the emperor's consideration.
But... Chu Liuzheng's voice changed everything.
The inner voice made him understand a completely unfamiliar Dou who had never appeared before him, a jealous, domineering, cruel and scheming Dou.
Considering the years of companionship, he gave Dou several chances, but what he got in return was not Dou's reform or restraint, but Dou's hypocrisy and even worse behavior.
She ran rampant in the harem, inquired about his movements, plotted against him, attacked his close servants, lied to him continuously, and now even wanted to murder the royal heir... All of this has touched the bottom line of his tolerance!
Xiao Jingfan suddenly stood up and stepped closer to the kneeling beauty. He leaned over and grasped her chin, applying slight force. "Have you never thought about it, or is the time not right yet?"
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