"Your Excellency has gone too far." Consort Shu's teeth chattered as she looked at the blood on the ground, her face extremely pale. "This is simply outrageous."
"What's wrong?" Ning Hong tilted her head and looked at the concubines who were terrified. The Empress, on the other hand, was still composed, although her expression was not very good either.
However, judging from her appearance, she didn't seem frightened; rather, she seemed angry.
Indeed, it's no wonder he's in a bad mood, considering his son was treated like this, and even a palace maid wanted to infect him with smallpox.
"Eunuch Ning, do you not respect us concubines, or do you not respect the Emperor? This place is where we in the harem relax. Aren't you afraid that if the Emperor finds out the truth, he will punish you for this?"
What "Nine Thousand Years Old"? He's just a eunuch.
"And His Highness the Crown Prince, why are you joining in his nonsense?"
Consort Shu turned her attention to Zhao Qingqi.
How could this man compare to her son? It was only because he was born early and was born in the empress's womb that he was made crown prince by the emperor. In truth, whether it was literary talent or military prowess, he was inferior to her son in every way.
Perhaps this matter could be reported directly to the Emperor, so that he can see how cruel and incompetent the Crown Prince is.
"Your Highness Consort Shu, do you think these people shouldn't be punished?"
"Heaven cherishes life. Even if they stole something, just let them return it. Even if they can't return it, it's just a small thing, why make such a fuss? Besides, that palace maid already knows she was wrong, and the Crown Prince is fine, why make such a big deal out of it?"
Ning Hong has killed quite a few people in the past year.
One of them was the husband of Consort Shu's elder sister.
After her husband's death, her elder sister from her maternal family was sent back to her parents' home. With no hope for the future, she hanged herself.
For this reason, Consort Shu harbored a deep resentment towards Ning Hong.
Of course, she didn't dare do anything to him; she could only verbally provoke him. "Sisters, don't you agree?"
Consort Shu certainly dared not ask the Empress for her opinion.
After all, the Crown Prince was her son, but she believed that there were many people in the palace who disapproved of the Crown Prince and Ning Hongze.
Thinking this, she looked at Consort Hui with certainty, only to see Consort Hui give her a charming smile, but take two steps back. "Sister, you are mistaken. If these people dare to steal from the Crown Prince's palace now, they will dare to steal from the Emperor's study in the future. Your Highness is taking precautions to prevent such a thing from happening and to make an example of them. This is a very good method. Besides, that palace maid plotted to harm the Crown Prince. Who knows, she might try to assassinate the Emperor tomorrow. This person deserves to be torn to pieces."
“What Consort Hui says is true.”
“What you say is absolutely right, sister. That’s exactly what I think too.”
As soon as Consort Hui said this, all the other concubines echoed her sentiments.
Consort Shu's face was extremely ugly. "You—" Don't you want to bring down the Crown Prince?
Aren't you angry?
Consort Shu found it utterly absurd.
Consort Hui thought that Consort Shu was the one with a problem in her head. She wanted to die, so why did she have to drag them down with her?
These palace maids deserved to die.
Besides, Her Majesty the Empress is still here.
Most importantly, she did want to bring down the Crown Prince, but she didn't want to offend Ning Hongze for the time being.
“Your Highness Consort Shu is very kind. I had also caught quite a few people from Your Highness Consort Shu’s palace who were stealing things from Your Highness and the Third Prince and selling them outside the palace. Since Your Highness Consort Shu doesn’t care, I will release them later.”
Ning Hong raised her finger and pointed to several palace maids kneeling in the corner.
They were all pale with fright, but their eyes lit up when they heard Ning Hong say that.
"Your Majesty is truly generous. Although the items stolen by these palace servants are not as many as those stolen by His Highness the Crown Prince, they still amount to over ten thousand taels of silver. Furthermore, that palace maid also had items belonging to smallpox patients hidden in her room. Since Your Majesty does not mind, this humble subject will not meddle in other people's business."
With a wave of his hand, the Imperial Guards who were holding down the palace maids all released their grip.
"Thank you, Consort Shu. Thank you, Consort Shu."
"Your Majesty—"
Upon hearing this, Consort Shu felt a surge of anger burning within her.
She could spout such nonsense because it happened to the Crown Prince, but now that the fire has spread to her, how could she tolerate it? Besides, smallpox?
"Eunuch Ning, this palace maid, this palace maid—" She was serving by her son's side, so her target was the Third Prince?
"She didn't even have a chance to make a move before my men discovered it. Of course, the items have already been disposed of by me. If Your Majesty complains that I'm meddling, I'll accept it. Next time, just withdraw my men."
This time, it wasn't just the Crown Prince; all four princes had such people in their courts.
They were all caught by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
In the original owner's memories, this event also occurred.
Of course, this was not the original owner's doing, but rather the work of spies from the small border country of Nanhui. The original owner simply went along with it.
Using the smallpox incident as a pretext, they caused the deaths of the second and third princes.
Only the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince survived.
Afterwards, the emperor was furious, believing that the empress had failed to manage the palace properly, which allowed these people to take advantage of the situation, so he imprisoned the empress in the cold palace.
It was from this moment that the Crown Prince began to fully mature.
This time, since we must protect the Crown Prince, we must also protect the Empress.
"What did you say? You're saying my son has them too?"
Consort Hui's face also turned pale.
"That, that person—"
“A few days ago, Her Majesty the Empress sent a message to me, saying that there seemed to be suspicious people around in the palace. So I arranged for the Embroidered Uniform Guards to be stationed in various palaces.”
"These palace maids, a total of six, have all been captured." The remaining five are all newcomers, except for the one from the Crown Prince's palace, who has served the Crown Prince for many years.
It seems that someone inside the palace is working with them from the inside out.
Unable to place the new bride in the Crown Prince's palace, they bribed the people in the palace.
The Empress was slightly taken aback; this person had actually claimed all the credit for himself?
She really couldn't understand this person; what was he thinking?
Consort Hui also saw the palace maid from her own palace.
The palace maid had marks on her body from being beaten, and unlike the others, she was bound.
"Your Highness, this person is skilled in martial arts. These marks were made during the struggle. Should Your Highness also let this person go, just like Consort Shu?"
"What a joke! Even a thousand cuts wouldn't quell my hatred." This person dared to lay a hand on her son. Consort Hui immediately drew a sword from a nearby Imperial Guard and slashed it, slitting the woman's throat.
"Sister Shu, you are truly magnanimous. If such a person continues to stay by your side, who knows what the future holds?"
Consort Hui gave a sarcastic smile.
Consort Shu gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. "I cannot bring myself to kill people. I beg Your Highness to do me a favor and make these people disappear from this world completely."
"Can."
Ning Hong nodded, saying it was nothing.
He waved his hand.
The Imperial Guards drew their swords and, with a swift stroke, beheaded several palace maids, their heads rolling to the ground.
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