Chapter 932 There's No Way to Turn Things Around
Shangguan Li handed the silver to the Emperor, saying, "This silver was found in Granny Yun's room."
Shangguan Li had already investigated during the day. Consort Song had often asked Dong'er to bribe the soldiers guarding the palace gates. Anyone who received money from Consort Song was punished with military rods and made to write a self-criticism. Those with serious offenses were directly dismissed from their posts.
Granny Yun did have silver, but she didn't keep it in the palace. Instead, she sent it directly to her home. She looked at the money bag containing the silver, and it was clearly the same bag of silver she had brought into the palace. How could it be in her room?
At this moment, she realized that Consort Song had long ago planned to make her take the blame.
Consort Song said, "Now, Granny Yun, you have nothing to say, right?"
Granny Yun said coldly, "This servant has something to say. Your Majesty, this servant knows that Consort Song has received a lot of illicit money. Consort Song helps manage the harem, and many merchants send her money to curry favor and use back channels... This servant also has evidence."
Upon hearing this string of words, Song Qing quickly denied it, "I didn't, Granny Yun, you're talking nonsense."
"Whether it's nonsense or not, an investigation will tell." Granny Yun was also willing to go all out and said, "This servant did help Consort Shu resell a lot of palace items, and the money all went into the pockets of the Song family. Every time Madam Song entered the palace, she would take a lot of things from the palace, and the Consort turned a blind eye. The Song family are just insatiable ingrates."
Madam Song immediately objected, "I took things from Consort Shu's palace, how does that make me an ingrate? Consort Shu is my daughter, how is it wrong for her to be filial to her own mother? The money she gave to the Song family is also her way of showing filial piety. Isn't it only natural for a daughter to give money to her mother?"
She then said to Jiang Fenghua, "Does Her Majesty the Empress usually send some gold and silver jewelry to your mother? Does that mean that the Empress's family members have all become ungrateful wretches after receiving Her Majesty's gifts? Filial piety is the most important virtue in the world. Don't scholars always say that of all virtues, filial piety is the most important?"
In no time, Madam Song launched into a barrage of fallacies, turning black into white. Her point was that her daughter's only purpose was to support the family. Since Song Qing married the emperor and lived a good life, she should naturally ensure that the Song family also lived a good life; otherwise, she would be unfilial.
Jiang Fenghua said coldly, "It is true that Consort Shu is filial to her mother, but she has committed the crime of embezzlement and bribery by privately stealing palace property and colluding with merchants to make money for herself. She deserves to be executed."
When Madam Song heard that her daughter was to be killed, she was also afraid. "Your Majesty, spare my life! Consort Shu has not committed any heinous crimes such as murder or arson. She is still the mother of the Second Prince. Why does Your Majesty want to kill her?"
"Does Madam Song think that today's incident was solely the fault of Consort Shu? Is your Song family without fault? I will hand over the crimes of the Song family to the authorities for investigation. Are you using Consort Shu's orders to form cliques and engage in corrupt practices in Shengjing to pave the way for the Song family? If the court really recruits your Song family into the officialdom, I wonder how many corrupt officials will emerge in the Great Zhou court," Jiang Fenghua said sternly.
Madam Song was stunned when she heard this. What did the Empress mean? She not only wanted to investigate Consort Shu, but also the entire Song family. What would happen to the future of her three sons and her grandson?
No, I can't let these things affect my son.
She said to Song Qing, "Qing'er, say something! Your brother didn't steal anything from the palace. It has nothing to do with them. They didn't know that the money you gave to the family was dirty money. Apologize to the Emperor. You made a mistake for a moment. Please beg the Emperor to have mercy!"
Song Qing never expected that her mother would only want to sever ties with her at this point, and even make her take the blame for everything. She had given all the money she received to them; she wanted to help the Song family become wealthy, but now her mother was making her take the blame alone.
Song Qing thought back to that day at the hunting grounds. She was in so much pain that she felt like she was going to die, but her mother didn't say a word of concern. She only cared about her two older brothers and sent her to save people, without even noticing that she was covered in blood. She roared, "Am I not your daughter? How can you not feel sorry for me at all?"
Madam Song only had eyes for her son and no regard for her daughter. She said, "A married daughter is like water spilled from a bowl. You are a woman of the royal family now. Even if you were to exterminate nine generations of your family, you shouldn't exterminate nine generations of the Song family. The crimes you committed have nothing to do with your brothers!"
Madam Song said this without thinking, implying that Consort Song's entire family was now part of the imperial family.
When Song Pengshi said this, Xie Shang found it unbelievable. Song Qing was also her daughter, so why did she only care about her son? The Song family were simply scoundrels. How could Peng Fei's own sister be such a selfish and ignorant woman?
"Guards, drag this shrew away and behead her!" Xie Shang ordered directly.
Upon hearing that she was to be beheaded, Song Pengshi turned pale with fright. "Your Majesty, spare my life! I know I was wrong. I'll return the things. They're still at my house. I just thought the palace utensils were too beautiful, so I took them home."
Jiang Fenghua didn't speak. She had already inquired about it. Song Qing's father also served in the Xixiao Camp. He didn't have a high official position, but he was a small battalion commander. He was getting old and couldn't be promoted or demoted. His salary was not high, but he could barely support his family.
Now that Song Qing has become the emperor's woman, it's normal for her to want to seek benefits for her family; she just shouldn't be too greedy.
Song Qing was already heartbroken, but seeing that her mother was about to be beheaded, she begged for mercy, "Your Majesty, spare my life! Your Majesty the Empress, have mercy! I know I was wrong. My mother didn't know anything. It was all my fault."
"You wait, I will settle your scores slowly. You will not be able to atone for your crimes even if you die ten thousand times." Xie Shang's voice was icy. "Issue my order that all members of the Song family who hold positions in the court be dismissed and demoted to commoners."
The Song family has more than just their branch; there are other clansmen as well. Now, the Song family truly hates Song Qing to death.
Song Qing knew she was doomed. She was so scared that her legs went weak and she didn't know what to do.
At this moment, the second prince hid outside the door and started wailing. He ran to Song Qing, crying, "Mother, don't die! Rui Rui doesn't want Mother to die! Waaaaah..."
The second prince knelt before Xie Shang, "Father, Rui Rui doesn't want Mother to die, sob sob sob..."
Xie Shang frowned, clenched his fists, and said coldly, "Who sent you? Get out of here."
The second prince was still young, but he was tall and strong. He clung tightly to Xie Shang's leg, pleading, "Father, don't kill Mother, don't kill Rui Rui."
Seeing this, Xie Shang ultimately did not kick the Second Prince again. Out of consideration for the Second Prince, he said, "Consort Song is demoted to Noble Lady Song and moved to the East Palace. She is not allowed to come out again. The Second Prince will be temporarily raised by Consort Gao."
When Jiang Fenghua heard the last sentence, her thoughts turned. Consort Gao was the most suitable concubine in the palace to raise the Second Prince, besides the Empress. She had her own three children and the Fourth Princess left behind by Consort Zhang Jing. It was indeed inappropriate to entrust them all to her care.
She knew that Song Qing wouldn't die, and as long as Peng Fei didn't fall, his niece would never fall. Arranging for her to go to the East Palace was tantamount to banishing her to the Cold Palace, just like she herself had been, locked inside for life and not allowed to take a single step out.
They all survived because they gave birth to imperial heirs. Even if Peng Fei returned victorious, Song Qing had no chance to recover. She was reaping what she sowed.
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