Chapter 324 If I... let you go
That evening, Qingdai was brought into the Qianqing Palace.
The moment Qingdai saw Emperor Zhaoheng, she lost the strength to argue, and even the strength to beg for mercy. Her face turned pale as she knelt on the gold brick floor.
Emperor Zhaoheng looked down at her from his high position.
The only sound in the hall was the crackling of charcoal fire, the silence was deathly still, and Qingdai felt even more pressure.
After a long silence, Emperor Zhaoheng finally spoke slowly: "Qingdai, I will give you a chance."
"Confess everything you've done and said, down to the last detail. If there's even a single lie..."
He paused, then said, "I will show you what it means to wish you were dead."
Qingdai trembled violently, then suddenly raised her head, her eyes filled with terrified tears.
She was never a steadfast person to begin with, and although she was making excuses, she didn't realize that her expression had already betrayed her guilty conscience.
"Your Majesty! This servant...this servant is innocent! This servant is just...just an ordinary palace maid working at Lihe Palace, and has never done anything..."
"It seems you don't want to talk about it."
Emperor Zhaoheng interrupted her, his voice remaining calm.
He slightly raised his hand.
The head of the secret guards immediately stepped forward and placed a stack of papers on the imperial desk.
Emperor Zhaoheng casually turned to a page and slowly read aloud:
"Three years ago, on the seventh day of the sixth month, you were introduced to the Lihe Palace by Liu Quan, the steward of the Imperial Household Department. Liu Quan had quite a connection with Liu Simin."
Qingdai's pupils suddenly contracted!
Emperor Zhaoheng turned another page: "Two years ago, on April 20th, your younger brother incurred huge gambling debts and was pursued by the gambling den. He almost had his hands chopped off. At that time, you sought help from a nanny surnamed Liu in the palace."
"This year, during your duty at Lihe Palace, you exchanged messages with those outside the palace seven times. You received a total of more than three hundred taels of silver and jewelry."
With each sentence he read, Qingdai's face paled a little more.
In the end, he was completely pale.
"Do you need me to continue reading?"
Emperor Zhaoheng closed the stack of Xuan paper, looked up at her, and his gaze was as cold as ice.
Qingdai's psychological defenses completely crumbled, and she collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, spare me... This servant... This servant was forced..."
"Forced?"
Emperor Zhaoheng sneered, "I'd like to hear who forced you to spread rumors about me in front of the Empress?"
Qingdai cried with deep regret; she never imagined that her secret would actually be exposed.
“It was…it was the Zheng family who approached me…they said that as long as…as long as the Empress becomes suspicious of the Emperor, as long as the Empress falls out of favor…the Emperor will take new concubines into the palace…”
She cried and kowtowed, saying, "They said... after it's done, they will not only help me pay off my brother's gambling debts, but they will also free my brother from his lowly status... I... I was confused for a moment!"
"Removal from the status of a lowly person?"
Emperor Zhaoheng suddenly laughed, but his laughter was icy cold.
"Your brother is a criminal slave who was sent to the authorities for stealing his master's property. According to the law, he can never be released from his slave status. The Zheng family is quite capable, even disregarding the law?"
Emperor Zhaoheng's gaze grew colder and colder as he looked at Qingdai, who was filled with regret, without feeling a shred of pity.
He knew that Qingdai regretted not what she had done, but that what she had done had been exposed!
"Issue my decree."
Feng Shunxiang immediately bowed and said, "This servant is here."
"The palace maid Qingdai colluded with an official to spread rumors. The evidence is conclusive. According to the law..."
Emperor Zhaoheng paused, then said, "Execute him."
Qingdai screamed and fainted.
Emperor Zhaoheng didn't even glance at her, and continued, "His brother, a convicted slave, shows no remorse, engages in gambling and theft, and is punished for multiple crimes. He shall be exiled three thousand miles away, to be a slave for eternity, without pardon."
"All those involved in this matter, regardless of their official rank or social background, will be thoroughly investigated. Anyone who participates will have their property confiscated, be stripped of their titles, or be exiled without exception."
He turned to the leader of the secret guards: "I will give you three days to eradicate the remaining members of the Zheng family. Anyone who pleads for them in court will be punished as well."
The leader of the secret guards knelt on one knee: "Your subject obeys the decree!"
Emperor Zhaoheng waved his hand, and the guards immediately dragged the unconscious Qingdai away.
Silence returned to the palace.
Feng Shunxiang asked cautiously, "Your Majesty, the Zheng family is, after all, a century-old family with many relatives and friends in the court. If we were to eliminate them all, I'm afraid..."
"Afraid of what?"
Emperor Zhaoheng raised his eyes, his gaze growing increasingly cold.
"They dared to extend their reach into my harem; they should have known what their fate would be today."
Feng Shunxiang felt a chill run down his spine and dared not say another word. He bowed and withdrew.
Emperor Zhaoheng stood alone in the imperial study, remaining motionless for a long time.
After an unknown amount of time, so long that Feng Shunxiang was even thinking about whether he should go in and persuade the Emperor that his health was of utmost importance, the door to the inner hall of the Qianqing Palace finally opened once again!
Emperor Zhaoheng suddenly stood up, and judging from his pace, he was walking out without even wearing an outer robe.
"Your Majesty? It's so late, where are you going?"
Feng Shunxiang was no longer sleepy and hurriedly followed.
"Lihe Palace".
Emperor Zhaoheng continued walking, saying, "No need to follow."
Night had fallen, and the Lihe Palace was completely silent.
The palace servants had long been dismissed, and only a few palace lanterns swayed in the cold wind under the corridor.
Emperor Zhaoheng did not have anyone announce his arrival and went straight into his sleeping quarters.
Only a small lamp was lit in the bedroom, making the light dim.
Narcissus had already fallen asleep, lying on her side on the bed, breathing evenly. She was over eight months pregnant, her belly prominently protruding, and even in her sleep, a hint of fatigue lingered in her eyes.
Emperor Zhaoheng walked gently to the bedside, squatted down, and quietly looked at her.
The candlelight cast a soft glow on her face, her long eyelashes like butterfly wings, casting light shadows beneath her eyes.
She didn't sleep well; she would occasionally furrow her brow slightly, as if she were troubled even in her dreams.
Emperor Zhaoheng felt a pang of sorrow, which he finally revealed without any pretense in the dead of night, while she was fast asleep.
He reached out, wanting to smooth her brow, but fearing to wake her, he held his hand in mid-air for a long time before slowly withdrawing it.
He sat quietly by the bedside and watched her for a full hour.
It wasn't until the sound of the night watchman's drum came from outside the window that it was past midnight.
Narcissus stirred slightly in her sleep and slowly opened her eyes.
When their eyes met, there was still a sleepy, confused look in her eyes.
Upon recognizing him, my clarity vanished instantly, along with that lingering sense of estrangement.
"emperor?"
Her voice was a little hoarse as she tried to sit up.
Emperor Zhaoheng quickly reached out to help her up and placed a soft pillow behind her.
Did I wake you up?
His voice was incredibly gentle.
Narcissus lowered her eyes: "No... I've always been a light sleeper."
Emperor Zhaoheng sat down on the edge of the bed and handed her the prescription and medical records that he had been holding in his hand.
"Xian'er, look at this."
As soon as Narcissus woke up, she subconsciously took the book and then, under the dim light, turned the pages one by one.
Emperor Zhaoheng eagerly explained to Shui Xian the words he had prepared many times, hoping to resolve her long-standing inner conflict.
"I'm not taking these medicines to have more children... I suffered from a cold in the past, and Physician Ana said that if this illness isn't treated, it might shorten my lifespan... I just... I just want to live a little longer, to spend a few more years with you..."
He grabbed her hand, holding it tightly, his palms sweaty, as if afraid that Narcissus would push him away.
"Offspring are secondary; you are the most important. I was wrong; I should have told you sooner... I shouldn't have let you hear it from others and misunderstand me..."
Narcissus listened quietly, reading through the prescriptions and medical records page by page.
Then, she looked up at him.
In the candlelight, there was a moment of hesitation in her eyes.
A glimmer of hope rose in Emperor Zhaoheng's heart. He held her hand tightly and said, "Xian'er, trust me, okay? From now on, I'll tell you everything and never hide anything from you again. This harem, this empire, I'll share everything with you. Let's live a good life, like an ordinary couple..."
Narcissus gently withdrew her hand.
She gently placed the stack of papers on the small table beside the bed. Emperor Zhaoheng's palm felt empty, and his heart turned slightly cold.
"Your Majesty, I believe what you are saying now is the truth."
Emperor Zhaoheng's eyes flickered twice, and he was just about to think that Shui Xian really believed him, but Shui Xian's next words instantly plunged him into an ice cave.
"But I'm tired."
She looked at him, and tears streamed down her face without warning, one drop at a time, falling onto the brocade quilt.
"Your Majesty, what you have given me is everything that every woman in the world could dream of... but I... I feel like I can't accept it."
She raised her hand and gently touched her heart, where there had once been a brief warmth due to power, but now only desolation remained.
"This place is empty."
Emperor Zhaoheng trembled violently, and the light in his eyes was completely extinguished, leaving only a deathly darkness.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say a lot to Narcissus.
But all the words were stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a single one.
Because he knew it was useless.
Looking at the narcissus before him, her face streaked with tears and her eyes filled with desolation, he suddenly felt that perhaps he really couldn't keep her.
This realization is more painful than being slowly sliced to death.
Emperor Zhaoheng slowly stood up, looked at her, and his voice was so hoarse it was almost broken.
"Xian'er, if...if I let you go, where will you go?"
Narcissus gently shook her head: "I don't know... Perhaps, I should go and see the misty rain of Jiangnan, or the local customs and culture of the northern frontier... In any case, it's a world outside the palace walls."
Emperor Zhaoheng closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, all that remained in his eyes was a bottomless darkness.
"good."
He uttered a single word, turned around, and walked out of the hall.
He needs to think about it carefully... think about it carefully...
Just as he was about to step out of the bedchamber, a muffled groan suddenly came from behind him.
Upon recognizing Shui Xian's voice, Emperor Zhaoheng turned around abruptly!
Suddenly, Narcissus clutched her swollen belly, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on her forehead.
She bit her lip, but still couldn't help letting out a groan of pain.
"Xian'er?!"
Emperor Zhaoheng rushed back to the bedside.
Narcissus grabbed his arm; after all, she had given birth several times and had some experience.
I had a vague feeling during dinner, but Narcissus thought it was just something bad from eating. Now it seems I'm about to give birth...
"My stomach...it hurts so much..."
Emperor Zhaoheng looked down and saw that a small patch of the brocade quilt beneath her was already soaked.
She's about to give birth!
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