Chapter 627 A Different Kind of Empress
It was Physician Wang who arrived. He explained, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. I just arrived from outside the palace. Please, Your Majesty, grant me a word."
Seeing that he seemed hesitant to speak, Jiang Fenghua was puzzled. She and Physician Wang walked aside, away from everyone. Physician Wang said, "Jishantang took in a group of refugees, and now some of them have died. I was ordered by Director Mei to return to the Imperial Hospital to retrieve medical books. I really can't say more about other matters. Your Majesty, please ask the Emperor!"
She later learned that Xie Shang had also not left the Imperial Study because of this incident, as the refugees' deaths might have been caused by an epidemic. Jishantang had been taken into custody and the news was being blocked.
Afterwards, Physician Wang went into the room to complete a formality, confirming that Consort Pan and Zhang Jingjing had passed away before leaving with his entourage. The next step was to handle their funeral arrangements.
At this moment, the palace maid Xiangtao pointed at the midwife and said, "It's all your fault that Her Majesty died! Imperial Physician Mei examined Her Majesty and the baby's position was always correct. How could the baby be breech? Her Majesty's due date was only a few days away, and she was already full-term. What methods did you use to prevent Her Majesty from giving birth? Her Majesty was murdered! I beg the Empress to seek justice for Consort Jing!"
Upon hearing this, the midwife quickly explained, "The baby is constantly moving in the mother's womb, sometimes in the right position and sometimes not, which is normal. Besides, she fell and displaced the baby."
"Consort Jing's baby was breech during childbirth! We saved your consort's child, and you, a mere palace maid, are slandering us! I beg Your Majesty, please do me justice! I'm innocent!"
The chaotic scene gave Jiang Fenghua a major headache: "Stop arguing, everyone."
Neither side dared to cause any more trouble. Granny Wang said to Jiang Fenghua, "I didn't expect things to get so serious. Fortunately, the little princess is safe and sound. In fact, childbirth is a life-or-death matter for women. It is their fate. Their deaths are not Your Highness's responsibility. Your Highness need not blame yourself."
Jiang Fenghua said coldly, "Why should I blame myself? I didn't harm anyone. The people who should blame themselves and be afraid are those who killed them. At midnight, whoever harmed them will come to take their life."
She was simply heartbroken by the fragility of human life and the cold-blooded ruthlessness of the imperial palace.
The death of someone in Shou Kang Palace is indeed an ominous sign. Even though it was daytime, everyone felt a chill on their necks, as if a vengeful spirit was truly seeking revenge. Someone said, "If anyone is seeking revenge, it should be Consort Zhu. She suddenly went mad and deliberately pushed people down, causing them to die in childbirth."
Zhu Zhenzhen is acting crazy; making her pay with her life would only benefit the real murderer.
Immediately afterwards, Jiang Fenghua said in a deep voice, "Granny Wang, take Zhang Jingjing's daughter back to Kunning Palace and take good care of her. Have someone arrange the funeral for Consort Pan and Consort Zhang!"
Seeing the Empress's calm and composed demeanor, as if she had returned to the state before she lost her memory, Granny Wang quickly replied, "Yes."
Jiang Fenghua walked up to the Empress Dowager and said, "If this is what the Empress Dowager wanted to see, then congratulations, you've won."
The Empress Dowager stared at her coldly, "I kindly invited them here for tea. What does their death in childbirth have to do with me? I am also heartbroken."
"Whether it has anything to do with the Empress Dowager is not up to her to decide," she said.
"What do you mean?" the Empress Dowager asked, puzzled.
“Naturally, we should ask the officials of the Imperial Clan Court to go to Shou Kang Palace to find out the real cause of their deaths. No one present will escape.” She said in a deep voice, “I believe that the grievances will be investigated and the debts will be settled.”
She coldly surveyed everyone present, saying, "I've heard that pregnant women harbor the most resentment among all the dead. Everyone knows who caused Pan Jieyu and her unborn child to die together."
The old nanny beside the Empress Dowager nervously began to rub her hands, her expression quite strange. Jiang Fenghua calmly looked away and said in a deep voice, "I think the Shou Kang Palace is quite large. Let's set up the mourning hall for Consort Pan and Consort Zhang here!"
The Empress Dowager's eyes were cold. "You set up the mourning hall in my palace, Jiang Fenghua. Do you even respect me? How dare you! The Xie family has no granddaughter-in-law who disrespects her elders..."
"Whether the Empress is a member of the Xie family or not is not up to the Empress Dowager." Xie Shang arrived and stared coldly at the Empress Dowager. "I have no objection to my grandmother returning to the palace to enjoy her old age, but if you return to the palace to cause trouble, I'm afraid my grandfather will no longer tolerate you even if he were alive."
The Empress Dowager said in a deep voice, "I cannot stay here. I can leave. Release my grandson and I will leave immediately."
"You may leave, but once the case is cleared up, I will personally escort the Empress Dowager away." He then said to Empress Dowager Cheng, "If the Empress Dowager wishes to return to the Hengyang Palace with the Grand Empress Dowager to live out her days, I will have an extra palace built for her."
Empress Dowager Cheng was so frightened that her pupils changed color and her eyes reddened slightly. Did Shang'er really hate her that much? She was his own mother! He didn't side with her and even wanted to drive her away for Jiang Fenghua's sake.
Empress Dowager Cheng was furious. "I did nothing. I'm not going to interfere anymore."
As she spoke, she tried to leave.
Jiang Fenghua didn't want to indulge her. "Empress Dowager, please wait."
What do you want?
“The Empress Dowager was also enjoying tea at Shou Kang Palace today, so she is also a suspect,” Jiang Fenghua said.
Empress Dowager Cheng was so angry that her chest ached. "Emperor, are you just going to let her disrespect her own mother?"
Ignoring the Empress Dowager's expression, Jiang Fenghua addressed Xie Shang directly, saying, "Just now, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager repeatedly accused me of deliberately harming the imperial heir, relentlessly smearing me. She also claimed that my absence from the Empress Dowager's tea banquet was an attempt to create an alibi. I didn't make these claims up, did I?"
Empress Dowager Cheng's eyes were icy. Was Jiang Fenghua no longer willing to pretend in front of the Emperor?
Jiang Fenghua said, "The concubines in the harem all say that Granny Wang and Granny Liu, who serves Consort Zhu, colluded in secret. I also want to cry out to Your Majesty for justice. Why did these two concubines lose their lives? I beg Your Majesty to give them justice."
Upon hearing this, the concubines who had just made sarcastic remarks all shrank back. The Empress had actually complained to the Emperor in person; they had only spoken out of spite because they were unhappy.
Xie Shang said coldly, "Who said that?"
Jiang Fenghua pointed in Shu Yan's direction, "She..."
Shu Yan suddenly pushed Helan Yanran forward. Helan Yanran was terrified and quickly shook her head, "Your Majesty, I didn't say that. It wasn't me."
Jiang Fenghua walked up to Shu Yan and grabbed her, saying, "I heard you gossiping with my own ears, and you still want to push someone out as a shield for you? I was kind to you before because I wanted everyone to live in peace. Since you don't appreciate it, don't blame me for being vengeful."
Shu Yan was terrified. "Your Majesty, I was wrong. I will never dare to do it again."
"Guards, slap him!" Xie Shang said coldly.
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