She couldn't believe her ears. Cuizhu was her most trusted palace maid and she usually did her job well. How could she be suddenly executed by His Majesty?
Eunuch Li remained calm and continued to read the decree: "All palace servants who participated in discussing Chen will be punished with twenty strokes of the cane as a warning to others!"
"Chen?" Su Wanwan's eyes flashed with panic, but she quickly regained her composure and sneered, "She's just a peasant girl. Is she worth such a fuss, Your Majesty? Eunuch Li, are you mistaken?"
Eunuch Li raised his eyelids slightly and said calmly, "I dare not speak nonsense. This is the decree of His Majesty. Please don't embarrass me, Your Majesty."
Su Wanwan took a deep breath, tried to calm the anger in her heart, and softened her tone:
"Eunuch Li, Cuizhu has been with me for many years and is loyal to me. Even if she made a mistake, it shouldn't be punishable by death, right? Could you please be lenient and allow me to see the Emperor and plead for mercy in person?"
Eunuch Li shook his head expressionlessly:
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. Your Majesty's order must be carried out immediately. I dare not delay." He waved his hand, signaling the guards behind him to come forward.
“Wait!”
Su Wanwan shouted, her tone threatening, "Eunuch Li, don't forget, I'm the Queen! How dare you disrespect me like this?"
Eunuch Li remained unmoved, his tone remaining calm: "Your Majesty, calm down. I am only following orders. Someone, go and bring Cuizhu here!"
Several guards immediately stepped forward and, ignoring Su Wanwan's attempts to stop them, dragged Cuizhu out of the side hall. She was so frightened that her face turned pale and her whole body trembled. She knelt on the ground and begged for mercy, "Empress, please save me! I know I was wrong, and I won't do it again!"
Su Wanwan looked at Cuizhu's terrified expression, her heart filled with anger and pain. She turned to Eunuch Li again, her tone almost pleading: "Eunuch Li, for my sake, please forgive Cuizhu this time! I promise that I will discipline her strictly in the future and will never let her make mistakes again!"
Eunuch Li remained unmoved, and simply said, "Your Majesty, I am sorry that I am powerless. The Emperor's orders are difficult to disobey, so please don't make it difficult for me."
Su Wanwan knew that her plea was hopeless, and a fierce look flashed in her eyes. She stared coldly at Eunuch Li and said word by word: "Li Dequan, don't forget, everything you did today, I will remember it in my heart! Aren't you afraid of what will happen in the future..."
Eunuch Li interrupted her, his tone calm but with a hint of warning: "Your Majesty, please be careful with your words. I am only following orders, and everything is Your Majesty's will. If Your Majesty has any objections to me, please report them to His Majesty."
He paused for a moment, then added meaningfully, "However, Your Majesty is still under house arrest, so it's best to be careful and not anger His Majesty again."
Su Wanwan's face turned even uglier when she heard this. She knew that Eunuch Li was warning her that now that she had fallen out of favor and was under house arrest, she was no match for Xuanyuan Che. She clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging deep into her palms, but she was powerless.
Eunuch Li ignored Su Wanwan and ordered the guards directly: "Are you still waiting for His Majesty to punish you?"
The guards didn't dare to delay and dragged Cuizhu to the courtyard, beating her severely with a stick in front of Su Wanwan. Her shrill screams echoed throughout Fengyi Palace. Su Wanwan closed her eyes, unable to bear to watch any longer, but those screams were like needles piercing her heart, causing her heartbroken.
Cuizhu soon died, her blood splattering on the spot, a horrifying sight. The other palace servants who had participated in the discussion were also dragged out and caned. Wailing cries echoed one after another, and the entire Fengyi Palace was shrouded in a terrifying atmosphere.
Eunuch Li watched all this with a cold gaze, his heart unmoved. He knew this was just the beginning; once His Majesty was enraged, he wouldn't let it go easily. As His Majesty's most trusted man, he only needed to faithfully carry out His Majesty's orders; nothing else mattered to him.
After dealing with Cuizhu and the other palace maids, Eunuch Li bowed to the pale Su Wanwan and said calmly:
"Your Majesty, the decree of His Majesty has been carried out. I will take my leave." After saying this, he turned and left Fengyi Palace.
Su Wanwan sat dejectedly in the chair, her face as pale as paper, her eyes filled with fear and despair. She knew that she had really angered Xuanyuan Che this time, and she had lost the ability to compete with him.
For a time, everyone in the harem was in fear and kept silent, not daring to say a word about Chen. They even walked lightly, fearing that they would anger the emperor and bring about a fatal disaster.
Xuanyuan Che stood outside the imperial study, observing all this with a cold gaze. His face was expressionless, but a cold glint flickered in his eyes. He intended to use this drastic measure to shock the harem, letting everyone know that Chen was his, and anyone who dared to touch her would be courting death!
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