Madam Jia, Cuiwei, and Emerald were startled awake. The three of them twisted their bodies and stood up. They saw Chenyu shivering and groaning, her clothes torn and revealing bloody skin. The three of them were terrified.
Madam Jia leaned against Chen Yu, unable to hold back her sobs: "Yu'er, it is the Liu family that has wronged you, causing you to suffer this calamity. If I had gunpowder, I would surely perish with that old scoundrel Kong, which would be doing the people a favor..."
*Smack!* Prime Minister Kong slammed the branding iron to the ground and roared, "Birds of a feather flock together! You're all stubborn fools! Guards! Bring two wooden donkeys here! Let those two women, mother and daughter-in-law, taste the power of the wooden donkeys! Don't stop until I'm here!"
After saying this, Kong Xiang turned and left, with He Man following him trembling with fear.
Bang! The door to the torture chamber slammed shut, followed by heart-wrenching screams...
------
The next day at 9:00 AM.
Kong Xiang yawned and swaggered into the Jiaofang Palace. After looking around, he found Hongyu changing her clothes behind the screen.
Hongyu lowered her eyes to look at the shadow on the ground, calmly put on her bodice, then took down the long robe from the clothes rack, and was stunned.
I'm afraid that even if she puts on the robe, it will be torn off.
Yesterday, the Second Prince died of poisoning, and Liu Yu was assassinated. She anticipated that Prime Minister Kong would eliminate the First Prince, so she sent Mo Sheng to inform Gulinafei. However, when Mo Sheng arrived at Guiyang Palace, Gulinafei and the First Prince had already died from poisoning.
Many women in the harem died, and the emperor ordered the removal of Hongyu from her position as empress and temporarily placed her under house arrest in the Jiaofang Palace.
It seems that the Emperor has entrusted the affairs of the country to Prime Minister Kong.
Alas! It's all because she offered the Emperor a plan three years ago that she ended up like this!
The implementation of the policy on the statistics of assets of officials and businessmen blocked the path to wealth for officials. As a result, officials protected each other and accepted bribes. Kong Xiang, who stood at the top of power, was the biggest beneficiary. In three years, Kong Xiang's mansion became as rich as a country.
With the national treasury depleted and the emperor powerless to address the situation, he naturally had to rely on Chancellor Kong. Therefore, Chancellor Kong held absolute power and could also control affairs within the imperial harem.
Kong Xiang gently approached Hongyu, his mouth watering as he gazed at her fair, smooth back. Although the magpie had a body like Hongyu's, it lacked her fair, rosy skin and that alluring nature.
He stretched out his arms, took the clothes from Hongyu's hands, threw them onto the screen, and spoke bluntly without any restraint:
After all the twists and turns, Hongyu has returned to its original form's hands. If only she had known this would happen, she wouldn't have acted in the first place.
Hongyu smiled with her head down, tied the ribbon of her bodice behind her back, and turned to look at Kong Xiang with a coquettish sob: "[Hongyu is now a mother, and naturally she wants to be in a high position to protect her child, but unfortunately Kang'er...]"
Now that you have no children to hold you back, and the harem is mine, He'er's, domain, do you know what to choose?
After saying this, Kong Xiang suddenly ripped open the ribbon that Hongyu had just tied.
Hongyu turned to look at Kong Xiang and saw a figure hiding outside eavesdropping. She knew it was Mo Sheng.
Three years ago, on the day Prince Jing and Yanran returned, she secretly summoned Mosheng, saying that she wanted to secretly investigate the assassination of Prince Yan.
For the past three years, Mo Sheng has been traveling between the northern border and the capital, but has been unable to find the whereabouts of the female assassin.
Just a few days ago, news came from the northern border that someone suspected the Emperor had killed Prince Yan because he could not tolerate the late Emperor's son. Shortly afterward, the official investigating the case died of poisoning.
The poison contained within was a rare and potent toxin from the north.
Just yesterday, the Second Prince, Consort Na, and the First Prince all died from a rare poison from the north.
The only family that wanted to kill the eldest and second princes was the Kong family.
Mo Sheng suspects that the person who killed her father was Kong Xiang.
Therefore, as soon as Kong Xiang entered Jiaofang Palace, Mo Sheng secretly followed him.
At this moment, Prime Minister Kong had cornered Hongyu against the wall, and Hongyu knelt on the ground, crying out:
[Thank you for your kind words, Prime Minister Kong. But when you killed Prince Yan, I fear that if Hongyu entered your household, she would also die by your sword. The harem can no longer accommodate Hongyu, and the Kong family is not a place for her to stay either. I beg you, Prime Minister Kong, to show Hongyu a way out...]
Prime Minister Kong was overjoyed. "As long as you are obedient and docile, you can choose any mansion in the capital you desire. As for Kong Ying, with me here, what can he do to you?"
Hongyu nodded, sobbing, "I only want Furong Garden."
Two hours later.
Kong Xiang staggered away from Jiaofang Palace.
Mo Sheng entered the bedroom and saw Hong Yu huddled on the round table, covered with a long robe, tears streaming down her face like broken beads.
[Your Majesty, let me help you up. Don't catch a cold.]
Hongyu shook her head, sobbing softly, "I am no longer the Empress, and even my enemies dare to humiliate me."
Enemy?
To confirm her suspicions, Mo Sheng quickly asked, "What do you mean, young lady?"
Hongyu deliberately looked towards the door, and seeing that no one was there, she whispered: "Back then, when I divorced Yan Wang, I was also caught in a trap set by a villain."
They sent Qiu Shuang'er and Qiu Xue'er to the Yan Prince's mansion, forcing the Yan Prince to divorce me. The Yan Prince was afraid that I would be wronged, so he specially bought me the Hibiscus Garden.
Afterwards, Kong Xiang confessed his feelings to me, but I refused. Kang'er was then murdered, and the arrowhead was poisoned with a rare northern poison.
Although Yan Wang had a misunderstanding with me, he was still the father of my child. When he learned that Kong Xiang was interested in me, he naturally questioned Kong Ying. However, Kong Ying killed him in a fit of anger.
Fortunately, Prince Yan escaped and fled to the northern frontier. It must have been a villain who feared his revenge, so he sent a female assassin to kill him.
Mo Sheng pressed further, "Is the villain you're talking about Prime Minister Kong?"
Hongyu nodded, then sobbed again: "I submitted to Prime Minister Kong, enduring humiliation and hardship, not out of fear of death, but so that one day I could avenge my deceased child and husband."
Is that female assassin Magpie?
Hongyu shook her head, feigning confusion as she looked at Mosheng and asked, "I don't know. Have you seen the female assassin? I advise you not to meddle in other people's business and to go back to the northern border."
Mo Sheng pondered that yesterday, after the Second Prince was poisoned to death, Hong Yu said that the Kong family was going to eliminate them completely, so she instructed her to inform Consort Na.
She secretly sneaked into Guiyang Palace and saw Magpie fighting with Gulinafei. Magpie, who usually looked weak and frail, suddenly leaped up, stood on Gulinafei's shoulder, and pressed down hard, causing Gulinafei to kneel on the ground and be forced to drink poison.
Therefore, it seems that the person who killed Prince Yan and destroyed the prince was Prime Minister Kong, and the female assassin must be Magpie.
Tragically, her father died an innocent death.
She knelt on the ground with a thud, pleading, "Please, young lady, don't send Mo Sheng away. Mo Sheng's father was also murdered by villains. Mo Sheng is willing to continue following you and avenge him."
------
Noon.
Kong Xiang entered the torture chamber and saw that Madam Jia had fallen to the ground, her arm splayed out, clearly already dead.
The two maids were kneeling on the ground, crying.
What about Chen Yu? He lies there like a lump of mud on the wooden donkey, clearly having been tortured into losing all his backbone.
[Mu Chenyu, this is the last time I'm asking you: will you confess or not?]
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