In the imperial study, the scent of agarwood curled up in the air, but it could not dispel the solemn atmosphere.
Eunuch Li stood below, hunched over, his head lowered, barely daring to breathe. He held a stack of memorials in his hands, but hesitated to present them. He had, of course, heard the recent rumors circulating in the palace, which had intensified to the point where he had to report them.
Finally, Eunuch Li took a deep breath and spoke with a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, I have something to report."
He raised his head slightly and glanced at Xuanyuan Che's expression from the corner of his eye. Seeing that he was not angry, he continued, "Recently, there have been some rumors about Miss Chen in the palace..."
He paused, as if weighing his words, "They say...they say Miss Chen is a 'witch who brings disaster to the country', who seduced the emperor and caused the government to fall into disarray..."
Upon hearing this, Xuanyuan Che's fingertips suddenly stopped moving, and the hall was suddenly silent, with only the subtle crackling of burning agarwood. He slowly raised his head, his narrow, long phoenix eyes narrowing slightly. A cold light flashed in them, like a sword drawn from its sheath, making one dare not look directly at it.
"A demon woman who brought disaster to the country?"
Xuanyuan Che sneered, his tone filled with disdain and mockery. He slammed the memorial in his hand onto the table with a loud bang, shaking Eunuch Li so much that he shuddered and quickly fell to his knees.
"absurd!"
Xuanyuan Che's tone was cold and impatient, "I want to see who is so bold as to gossip about me behind my back!"
He leaned forward slightly, his eyes piercing as he stared directly at Eunuch Li. "Where did these rumors come from?"
Eunuch Li fell to the ground, his body shaking even more violently. He didn't dare to hide anything and replied in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, I... I have found out that these rumors... originally came from the Empress's palace..."
He hesitated for a moment, then added, "Also, I've heard that Miss Chen seems a bit down lately... She often sits by the window in a daze, rarely eating..."
Xuanyuan Che's expression darkened, and a storm suddenly formed in his eyes. Eunuch Li's words kept echoing in his mind, and a surge of anger surged in his heart.
After a long moment, Xuanyuan Che's gaze fell on Eunuch Li, and his tone was icy: "I never thought that the Queen would still stir up trouble even though she was under house arrest."
He paused, a fierce look flashing in his eyes. "Tell those who are hiding in the dark and stirring up trouble that my woman is not something they can talk about casually! If anyone dares to say another word, I will not forgive him!"
Upon hearing this, Eunuch Li felt as if he had been pardoned. He kowtowed in thanks and then carefully left the imperial study.
After leaving the Imperial Study, Eunuch Li didn't return directly to his own residence. Instead, he went to the Ministry of Punishment. He knew His Majesty's temper well; since he had promised to thoroughly investigate the matter, he would not give up. As His Majesty's most capable person, he naturally wanted to help him solve his problems.
Inside the Ministry of Punishment, a dark and eerie atmosphere filled the air. Various torture instruments were neatly arranged, and the air was thick with the smell of blood. Eunuch Li walked into the interrogation room with an expressionless face and coldly addressed the interrogator, "Go and investigate. Has there been any unusual activity in the Empress's palace recently? Especially regarding the rumors about Miss Chen, who spread them? We must get to the bottom of it!"
The interrogator didn't dare to delay and quickly responded, taking his men to investigate. Less than half an hour later, he hurried back and reported, "Eunuch Li, we've investigated and found out. The rumor originated from Cuizhu, the head maid in the Empress's palace. Furthermore... many other maids and eunuchs have discussed this matter privately."
Upon hearing this, a cold light flashed in Eunuch Li's eyes. He waved his hand, signaling the interrogator to withdraw, then returned to the imperial study alone and reported the investigation results to Xuanyuan Che truthfully.
Xuanyuan Che was furious after hearing Eunuch Li's report. He slammed the table, causing the teacup to jump and make a sharp sound. His eyes widened with rage, and he gritted his teeth, "What a Su Wanwan! What a Cuizhu! How dare they be so bold! I think they are tired of living!"
He suddenly stood up and paced back and forth in the hall, his robes rustling and a chilling murderous aura emanating from him. He stopped and sternly ordered Eunuch Li:
"Pass on my decree; Cuizhu will be caned to death immediately! All palace maids who participated in discussing Chen will be punished with twenty strokes of the cane as a warning to others!"
His voice was icy cold, without a trace of emotion, as if he was a Shura from hell.
Eunuch Li came to Fengyi Palace with Xuanyuan Che's oral instructions.
Inside Fengyi Palace, the atmosphere was oppressive. Empress Su Wanwan was boredly flipping through a scroll when she heard footsteps outside. A flicker of anticipation crossed her eyes, believing Xuanyuan Che had released her from her confinement. She put down her scroll, straightened her clothes, and tried to appear dignified and presentable.
With a creaky sound, the palace door was pushed open, and Eunuch Li walked in expressionlessly. The smile on Su Wanwan's face froze, and seeing Eunuch Li's gloomy expression, she felt an ominous premonition in her heart.
"Is it Eunuch Li who is here?" Su Wanwan's voice was tentative and a little uneasy.
Eunuch Li bowed and said in a neither humble nor arrogant tone: "Your servant pays respects to the Empress."
Seeing his attitude, Su Wanwan felt even more uneasy and asked, "But what is His Majesty's order?"
Eunuch Li then slowly raised his head, his eyes falling on Su Wanwan's face, his tone calm but with a hint of majesty: "Your Majesty has an order."
He paused, observing Su Wanwan's reaction. Seeing her expression change slightly, he continued, "Pass on my decree; Cuizhu will be caned to death immediately!"
Su Wanwan's face suddenly changed when she heard this. She stood up abruptly and said in a sharp voice, "What? Beaten to death? Why?"
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