Chapter 195 Seizing Power
Emperor Jing'an personally helped the Duke to his feet. "Your eldest legitimate son has no ambition, and your second legitimate son is unfit for important positions. If the Duke's Mansion is left in their hands, it will not prosper long. As for your legitimate grandchildren..."
He shook his head and sighed, "What a pity that your most capable son was born out of wedlock."
This sentence hit the Duke's sore spot directly, and he suddenly looked much older.
Emperor Jing'an said earnestly, "Father-in-law, you'd better make plans sooner rather than later."
The Duke nodded and said, "This old minister has already made plans."
He came out of the hall with a heavy heart and saw Concubine Ling and Prince Yu kneeling in front of the hall door.
The Duke withdrew his gaze and slowly walked down the stairs.
The stairs that I used to think were easy to walk up now feel extremely difficult to walk up.
Concubine Ling, who was kneeling in front of the palace gate, saw that the Duke looked exhausted, and her heart skipped a beat, and she became more aware of the seriousness of the situation.
The Emperor no longer shows mercy to the Duke, so the mother and son may no longer be able to use Empress Yuanrong's old friendship to escape this disaster.
Concubine Ling's face turned pale and she clenched the handkerchief in her hand. She wanted to ask the eunuch to pass on the message again, but when she thought of the current situation, she suppressed the idea.
Half an hour later, Concubine Ling lost feeling in her legs and was about to collapse when she heard a noise in the palace.
She perked up and looked, only to see Eunuch Cao coming out.
Eunuch Cao said, "Your Majesty, the Emperor invites you in."
Concubine Ling breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the emperor was willing to summon them and their son, everything would be fine.
She hurriedly asked the palace maid to help her up. Her legs were sore and numb that she almost fell to the ground. She leaned her whole body on the palace maid, barely able to keep her balance.
Unable to stand straight, Concubine Ling endured the pain and said to Prince Yu, "Jing'er, get up quickly and go see your father."
Eunuch Cao continued, "Your Majesty, the Emperor only wants to see you."
Concubine Ling was stunned, countless thoughts flashed through her mind, and she entered the palace with trepidation.
She saw Emperor Jing'an sitting upright in the dragon throne, shrouded in dim light and shadow, and only his facial features were vaguely visible.
Pushing aside the maidservant who was supporting her, Concubine Ling knelt on the ground and said, "Your Majesty, I am here to apologize to you."
Emperor Jing'an looked at Concubine Ling with deep eyes. Her face was pale, tears were in her eyes, and she knelt nervously below.
This time, she not only wore a blood jade bracelet on her wrist, but also wore the same jewelry as Empress Yuan Rong on her neck and head.
These jewelries were not beyond the standard. Empress Yuan Rong cherished the sisterhood very much and would give some jewelries to Concubine Ling during festivals.
Concubine Ling waited for a long time, but Emperor Jing'an didn't speak, and her heart sank to the bottom.
Ever since Old Madam Shen reported Marquis Cheng'en, she and her son have been keeping an eye on the situation here. As long as Marquis Cheng'en has a son who is still alive, he will not report Prince Yu.
The Marquis of Cheng'en and his wife were convicted and were to be punished by lingchi (sliced to pieces). All other implicated persons over the age of sixteen were to be executed.
Among their branch, only Shen Shaoheng and Shen Shaobai are still alive.
Concubine Ling guessed that Marquis Cheng'en would not give Prince Yu away, but the case was so complicated that no matter how thoroughly Prince Yu destroyed the evidence, there would probably still be clues left.
Rather than being punished by the emperor, it is better to apologize first.
They are king and subject, as well as father and son.
"Your Majesty, Jing'er has failed to live up to his master's teachings. He failed to share your worries and instead caused trouble, nearly causing a disaster." Concubine Ling said tearfully, "As his mother, I am also at fault for not being able to protect him well."
At this point, Concubine Ling burst into tears. "He used to be so good and obedient. It's all my fault for being useless. During the winter hunt, I failed to protect him and he nearly died."
"He was covered in blood, not a single part of him was healthy, and he was only breathing his last. The imperial physician said that if he had been a step later, he would have been dead. If I had stopped him when he insisted on hunting a silver fox for the emperor, he wouldn't have suffered this disaster. It's all my fault."
Concubine Ling burst into tears: "I feel guilty. I indulged him a little and failed to be a strict mother. That's why he went astray."
Emperor Jing'an couldn't help but think of the winter hunting when Jing'er was ten years old. She disappeared in the royal hunting grounds. When she was found again, she was lying in a cave, covered in blood and dying.
As a father, it is natural to feel heartbroken when seeing his son in such a miserable state.
He personally went forward to hug Jing'er, but Jing'er was very resistant.
For a long time afterwards, Jing'er was unwilling to leave the palace, and her master was unwilling to see her. Her temperament became depressed, and she was no longer as quiet and well-behaved as before.
When he appeared in public again, he was already thirteen years old and his temperament had become a little more cheerful.
When Emperor Jing'an thought about this, he realized that he had been too neglectful of his son.
"Prince Yu, as a subject, failed to fulfill his loyalty. As the sovereign, I must punish him," Emperor Jing'an said in a deep voice. "He is a son, and I am his father. He does not act in loyalty to the sovereign, does not consider my interests, and does not care about the great Zhou. He is unfilial and should be punished."
Concubine Ling's heart sank, and she said anxiously, "Your Majesty, I..."
"I have dismissed him from his post and ordered him to reflect on his mistakes in seclusion within the palace. Whatever he was involved in regarding the Qingzhou incident, he must return it in full, and I will forgive him." Emperor Jing'an was finally moved by sympathy and looked at Concubine Ling with a cold gaze. "You will hand over the seal in your hand to Concubine Xian, and she will take charge of the affairs of the six palaces."
The color drained from Concubine Ling's face. The Emperor not only took away Jing'er's power and confined her to her house, but also took away her power.
The emperor is not a man of great desires, and he has few children, only three princes and two princesses.
Prince Yu was her son, Prince Rui was the son of Consort Xian, and there was another prince whose mother was Zhaoyi, who had long since passed away. He was only thirteen years old and had not yet been given the title of prince.
Emperor Jing'an pointed at her wrist and said, "I'll send Cao Chunxiang to get the item Yuanrong gave you."
Concubine Ling felt as if she had fallen into an icy cave. Waves of cold air penetrated into her bones, and she shivered all over.
The emperor's move was to take back her amulet.
She could no longer rely on her kindness to Empress Yuanrong to soften the emperor's heart.
Jing'er made a mistake, and they and their mother were deprived of power.
I just care about the relationship between us.
If they make the same mistake again, the emperor will never forgive them and their son again.
Concubine Ling realized this and became shaky.
Emperor Jing'an ordered: "Cao Chunxiang, escort the imperial concubine back to the palace and retrieve the late queen's belongings."
"I obey your command." Eunuch Cao called the palace maid and helped Concubine Ling back to Yanxiang Palace.
Emperor Jing'an issued several edicts in succession.
-
The news that Marquis Cheng'en was convicted has spread throughout the capital.
The atmosphere in the Duke's Mansion was heavy.
In particular, the Duke was summoned to the palace, and when he returned home he looked exhausted. He sent someone to summon Zhao Jue to the study in the front yard.
The second wife was terrified, fearing that Emperor Jing'an would punish her.
She hated Shen Mingzhu in her heart, she was simply a disaster.
Ever since Shen Mingzhu married into the Duke's Mansion, their second branch has not had a single peaceful day.
If Shen Mingzhu hadn't been pregnant with a child, he would have given her a divorce letter long ago.
At this time, the Second Madam saw the maid hurried in and asked, "Has Jue'er returned home?"
He went to the Zhenbei Palace early this morning, and I don't know if he has won the appreciation of the Zhenbei King.
"The Third Master has returned home." The maid took a deep breath and said, "The imperial edict has arrived from the mansion."
The Second Madam's face changed drastically. The imperial edict coming at this critical moment must mean a disaster.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
