"Is that so?" Qingyu was not in a hurry, but slowly retorted, "Do you think anyone would believe your one-sided statement? I would say you are slandering me."
"This servant did not frame you. Besides, why would this servant frame you?" the little eunuch replied weakly, looking as if he had been greatly wronged.
"It's simple, just please your true master. When she sits in my seat, won't you rise to prominence along with her?" Qingyu said with a smile. "Don't you think so?"
As soon as she finished speaking, the room fell silent. She glanced at Wei Yanqing and a mocking look appeared on her face.
When she first came in, she saw Wei Yanqing exchanging glances with the eunuch, and she had already made up her mind.
"Your Majesty the Empress..." The little eunuch panicked when his secret was exposed.
However, Qingyu didn't want to pursue the matter further. Instead, she turned to Hongli and asked, "What does Your Majesty think?"
"Of course I believe his words, Ulanara Qingyu. Haven't you shown your ambition enough with what you've been doing lately?" Hongli asked coldly, his eyes fixed on Qingyu.
Qingyu's smile froze slightly. She felt that the person in front of her was beyond saving. "Since Your Majesty believes me, then I have nothing to say." She didn't even want to explain.
Hongli loathed Qingyu's nonchalant demeanor. He suddenly walked to Qingyu's side, leaned close to her ear, and said in a low voice, "Don't forget I am the emperor now. If you obediently admit your mistake to me, perhaps I will let you off lightly. Otherwise..."
He paused deliberately, wanting to see Qingyu's frightened expression.
"Otherwise what?" Qingyu raised an eyebrow and asked, "Will you depose me as empress or give me a cup of poisoned wine?"
A sinister glint flashed in Hongli's eyes. He reached out and pinched Qingyu's chin, lifting her face up. He gritted his teeth and said, word by word, "Qingyu, I'm warning you again. You'd better back down and not force me to take action."
"Yes, Your Majesty, what's wrong with you? The Emperor is the ruler of the country. He only made you submit because of your many years of marriage. How can you disobey the Emperor like this?" Wei Yanqing added fuel to the fire from the side.
She just wanted to take this opportunity to teach Qingyu a lesson.
Qingyu sneered twice, then said sternly to Wei Yanqing, "Shut up! You're just a concubine, not even a noble consort. You have no right to speak here."
Hongli remained silent, staring at Qingyu with anger in his eyes. He felt that he had done a good job and that Qingyu was ungrateful.
“Your Majesty…” Wei Yanqing looked at Hongli with a wronged expression after being rebuked.
Hongli gently patted Wei Yanqing's back and comforted her tenderly, "I will stand up for you."
He turned to Qingyu, his eyes filled with coldness and resentment: "Why are you so stubborn? When I found out about this, I was going to depose you on the spot. It was Yanqing who knelt down and begged me to give you another chance. I didn't expect you to repay kindness with enmity."
Qingyu raised her head, her eyes stubbornly meeting Hongli's gaze.
After a long silence, she sneered twice, “Treason? What kindness has she shown me? The charge of treason was a fabricated one. If I were to back down and admit it, even if Your Majesty releases me now, would the civil and military officials let me off the hook? In the end, it would also implicate the Ulanara clan.”
She understood Wei Yanqing's little scheme: first, she used sweet words to deceive her into admitting it, and then she would use this matter to make a fuss.
Qingyu is not afraid of death, but she is afraid of dragging her family down with her.
Wei Yanqing looked at her with innocent and pitiful eyes and said, "Your Majesty, how could you think of me like that? I only mean well for you."
Qingyu snorted coldly, "Stop pretending to be innocent with me. You'd better shut up now, or don't blame me for punishing you if you say anything that displeases me."
As soon as she finished speaking, Wei Yanqing's tears streamed down her face like a waterfall.
Hongli was heartbroken and he pulled Wei Yanqing into his arms to comfort her.
After this trip to the south of the Yangtze River, their relationship seemed to have deepened.
After Wei Yanqing stopped crying, Hongli said seriously to Qingyu, "I will ask you one last time, do you admit it or not?"
"Why should I admit to something I didn't do?" Qingyu's attitude was very firm.
Hongli was furious.
"Very well, I will not talk about your conversation with the envoy today, but let's talk about your interference in politics that day. Do you admit it or not?" Hongli frowned.
"I take responsibility for my actions; I accept this."
"Alright, this is what you said." Hongli then ordered, "Guards, convey my decree to immediately depose Ulanara Qingyu from her position as empress. From now on, Kunning Palace will be her cold palace, and she shall not be buried in the imperial mausoleum after her death."
"Whatever!" Qingyu glared at Hongli without fear, without uttering a single soft word.
Hongli flicked his sleeve and left.
Wei Yanqing glanced at Qingyu with a smile, then followed Hongli away with the air of a victor.
Soon the decree to depose the empress had spread throughout the palace. Qingyu didn't care; she had expected this outcome and was too lazy to argue.
Anyway, Yongji won't be implicated, so she doesn't need to worry about anything.
For two consecutive days, she clearly saw that the number of people serving her had decreased significantly.
However, she didn't blame those people, since she couldn't see a future for herself.
The entire Kunning Palace was deserted, even desolate.
By the third day, she was all alone in the vast Kunning Palace. She didn't feel lonely; on the contrary, it was an opportunity for her.
As night fell, Kunning Palace was pitch black, with only a few dim candlelight remaining.
There was no one else in Kunning Palace except her.
She stood there, holding her breath, waiting for the perfect moment.
This is her only chance!
A gust of wind blew by, causing the white curtains hanging from the ceiling to rustle.
She had already poured oil on the ground and was about to light the candle when she heard hurried footsteps outside the door.
"who?!"
She slammed the light off, hid behind the curtains, and listened intently to the sounds outside.
“Your Majesty, it is your concubine.” Zi Yan’s voice came from outside.
Upon hearing that it was Ziyan, she immediately opened the door.
As soon as Zi Yan entered, she smelled a strong odor of petroleum. Her brows furrowed. "Your Highness, what are you doing? You mustn't be thinking of doing something rash!"
Fearing that Qingyu might do something foolish, she quickly blew out the remaining few candles, giving her no chance.
Qingyu smiled and shook her head repeatedly, "I haven't lived enough yet, how could I possibly be so pessimistic!"
She was telling the truth. Since she was of no use in the palace anyway, she might as well leave and live a simple life.
However, leaving the palace was not easy for her, so she planned to set fire to Kunning Palace and, while everyone was in a panic, have the system help her leave.
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