Jinxiu stared in disbelief at the palace maid who had complained. She had clearly not told the maid the specific plan, so how did she know?
"No, I did not ask her to do that, this is slander!" She was terrified and kowtowed repeatedly as if she were oblivious to pain, and soon her forehead was red and swollen.
They could simply take the little princess away and say there were other things going on. Even if the Empress Dowager and the others suspected that the Empress would harm the little princess, it wouldn't matter as long as there was no evidence.
At most, the empress would be accused of negligence in supervising the imperial heir, and would be confined to her quarters and have her salary reduced. But her fate was singular: if she truly plotted to harm the imperial heir, her entire family would be executed.
She can die, but her family is innocent.
Jinxiu suddenly grabbed the Empress's pomegranate-colored skirt, "Your Majesty, even if I had ten thousand lives, I would never dare to treat the young princess like that."
The Empress ruthlessly pushed her away, "How would I know?" All she wanted now was to sever ties with Jinxiu. Forget about pleading for her, she was more than happy to kill Jinxiu so that no one would know what she had done.
"What if you're bribed by some vile woman? She might say she's avenging me, but actually she's plotting to harm me and the little princess—killing two birds with one stone."
She knew Jinxiu was taking the blame for her, but so what? This was the fate she was destined for as a servant born into a family. She should be aware of that.
Jinxiu's hands, gripping the Empress's skirt, turned white and trembled violently. She should have known exactly what kind of person her mistress was the moment she was pushed out.
But who else could she rely on besides the Empress?
Emperor Mingyang also witnessed the Empress's disgraceful behavior. The person beside him in bed was actually this kind of person... No, back when Kang Lin set up his grand scheme to destroy the younger generation of Da'an, he already knew what kind of person the Empress was.
He never imagined that the mother of the nation would harm her own family for her own selfish reasons.
That's her own niece!
That's true. After all, it didn't come from my own belly, so it's inevitable that I don't value it.
"You say the Empress planned to strangle the young princess, what evidence do you have? She is the mother of the nation, not someone you can slander so easily." Emperor Mingyang was not biased towards the Empress, but the Empress's position required seriousness and proper treatment.
The palace maid was terrified. "I overheard this conversation between the Empress and Aunt Jinxiu. The Empress felt that the Princess Consort of Chen did not respect her, but she could not do anything to the Princess Consort. So she could only kill the little princess to achieve her goal."
Upon hearing this, Jinxiu was shocked to realize how the other party knew their plans.
But how can I accept it?
Her master or her family... what will she choose?
Jinxiu chose her master over herself, but what about her master and family?
Thinking of her nephew who had just been born and her brother who had just gotten married, how could she possibly ruin their lives because of her own actions?
Jinxiu lay prostrate, tears streaming through her fingers.
"Is everything she said true?" Emperor Mingyang questioned the Empress, his face terribly grim.
He could tolerate the Empress's minor flaws, and he could tolerate her selfishness. That was fine; after all, everyone is selfish. But he could not tolerate a knife being pointed at his own people.
"No, Your Majesty, I had no such intention. You must believe me!" the Empress pleaded desperately, even if she wasn't very bright, she knew what the consequences would be if she admitted to it.
She'll be crippled!
She cannot be deposed!
Why hasn't my father entered the palace yet?
Didn't Eunuch Xi leave the palace? How long has it been? Why hasn't he come back in yet?
"You say it wasn't you, you say you didn't do such a heinous thing. Then where's the evidence? Without evidence, how can I believe you? How can I give Prince Chen and the others an explanation?" Emperor Mingyang was now utterly disappointed in the Empress.
The Empress couldn't give a clear explanation. How could she provide evidence?
She couldn't give it to her.
Suddenly, she remembered something, grabbed Jinxiu, and roared at her with eyes blazing with fury, "Didn't you do all of this? Tell me! Tell me now! I have no idea what you, you vile woman, have done!"
Jinxiu was unwilling to betray her mistress, but she also couldn't betray her family. So she said, "Your Majesty, this servant cannot let down my family."
She pushed the Empress away, her face cold and indifferent. "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, all of this was the Empress's idea. It wasn't just about the little princess; the children of Consort Mei and Noble Lady Chang were also orchestrated by the Empress."
Emperor Mingyang had very few children, which was largely due to his lack of indulgence in women.
But he was a normal man, so how could he have so few children over the years? He must have had at least a few. But he never imagined that those children who died young, or even those who were never born, were all the Empress's doing.
Qin Su pushed the bean sprouts to the Empress Dowager's side, gently tugged at her sleeve, and then said, "Your Majesty, I believe that my brother will give us justice. It's getting late, so Your Highness and I will return to our residence first."
The issues now extend beyond Yuanyuan; they cannot and should not get involved in matters of the harem. Therefore, Qin Su decided to leave with Yu Shuo first.
Emperor Mingyang nodded slightly, then looked at Yu Shuo, who said, "Please give me an explanation tomorrow, Your Majesty."
The emperor felt a headache coming on, but he knew that this matter could not be left unresolved.
Yuanyuan is safe only because of Qin Su's keen insight. If Qin Su weren't so perceptive, would Yuanyuan still be alive today? Would she even be alive?
Emperor Mingyang knew the chances were slim. If that were the outcome, Qin Su would go mad, and Yu Shuo wouldn't fare much better. His mother and he would also be deeply grieved.
Therefore, this matter must be explained.
Qin Su walked to the Empress's side, squatted down, and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty is overthinking it. I have never disrespected you. As for Eunuch Xi... he cannot leave the palace."
The Empress scoffed inwardly at the first part of the sentence, cursing Qin Su as a vile woman. But upon hearing the second part, she immediately turned to Qin Su, demanding, "What have you done?"
Qin Su did not answer this question, but simply left with Yu Shuo.
It was late at night, and January in Kyoto was a cold time of year. Yu Shuo held her close, gently comforting her, "Don't worry, your brother knows what he's doing."
This empress is most likely finished.
Qin Su remained silent; this was something that had never happened in her previous life.
Until her death, the empress remained the same empress, though not as glamorous as Tao Rong, her position was secure.
Now, it's a foregone conclusion that the empress will be deposed.
Even if Emperor Mingyang were to make a mistake and release the empress, Yu Shuo would not let it go, and the empress's deposition would be inevitable.
Qin Su leaned against him, gazing at the starry sky, and said in a low voice, "I still feel a little scared when I think about what happened today."
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