Chapter 423 Reversal
Inside the palace, the queen stood before the couch and looked at the maid. This maid came from the Shangyi Bureau and was usually responsible for examining the bodies of newly arrived concubines and maids.
"Your Highness, I am sorry for the inconvenience." The nanny said respectfully, "I will help you undress."
As she spoke, the nanny put her hand on the queen's belt. Suddenly, another hand pressed on hers.
The nanny was startled and looked at the queen in surprise.
"I heard you know a skilled craftsman who can restore a flawed object to its original state?" The Queen's voice was low, so only the maid could hear. She pulled a jade pendant from her sleeve and handed it to the maid. "Once this matter is settled, come to Changle Palace and take this jade pendant to have it repaired."
The nanny stared at the jade pendant in the queen's hand. It was crystal clear and delicate, and the phoenix pattern on the jade surface was finely carved. It was very luxurious and there was not a single flaw.
She is an old lady in the palace, and she is a very smart person to have climbed to her current position.
The Queen ostensibly asked her to introduce a skilled craftsman to repair the jade pendant, but in reality she was trying to bribe her with the jade pendant.
The fact that the Queen bribed her at this critical juncture was enough to prove that there was something fishy about the King of Qi's background.
Then why doesn’t the queen give her the jade pendant now?
Perhaps she was worried that the answer she gave would not satisfy Lord Feng, who would jump out and accuse her of being bribed by the Queen, and then ask the Emperor of Northern Qi to order a body search on her.
After all, how could she, a palace maid of low status, afford such a precious jade pendant?
Once it is discovered, both she and the queen will be killed.
It would be safest if the queen gave her the jade pendant as a token of trust only after the matter was over.
Moreover, the queen was not afraid that if she refused, she would go to the Emperor of Northern Qi to report her.
First, if the truth is revealed, the queen will face the crime of extermination of all nine generations of her clan, and she is not afraid of adding this additional charge.
Secondly, she could not produce any evidence that the queen had bribed her, and the queen could turn around and accuse her of falsely accusing the concubines.
"Your Majesty, I am of low status, so how could I know any skilled craftsmen?" The maid untied the queen's belt and said, "Please lie down on the couch."
The Queen realized that Nanny had declined. Her heart was plunged into ice water, chilling to the bone.
In addition to the fear that the secret is about to be revealed, there is also the humiliation of being examined.
She was born into a noble family, raised in the boudoir. Later, she was crowned empress, becoming the most honored woman in Northern Qi, and had never suffered humiliation. Unexpectedly, at the age of forty, she would suffer such a terrible humiliation.
The queen almost pushed the nanny away and confessed her crime.
No way.
She cannot admit defeat until the last moment, otherwise the lives of her entire clan will be at stake.
Her only hope was that the test would be wrong, but how likely was that to happen...
The queen lay on the couch, closed her eyes, turned her head inward, and clenched her palms with her fingers.
The next moment, she noticed the nanny's movements pause, and her heartstrings tightened along with her movements. She heard the nanny go out and ask the palace servants who were serving her to come in and help her change clothes.
The outer hall was silent, with only the sound of palace servants' footsteps entering the inner hall.
The queen slowly opened her eyes, sat up with a thin blanket in her arms, put on her clothes with the help of the palace servants, and walked out of the palace.
The Emperor of Northern Qi saw that the empress had a cold face and came out in neat clothes, without any abnormality.
He asked Mammy, "What are the results of the examination?"
The Queen's fingertips trembled, and the pause when the nanny was examining her body had already foreshadowed the result.
Her heart was beating like a drum as she waited for the nanny's verdict.
Lord Feng looked at the queen and saw that her face looked very ugly. He had some vague guesses in his mind and was looking forward to the answer from the nanny.
As long as the nanny reveals that the queen has not given birth to a child, the King of Qi will be beheaded and the queen will also be sentenced to death.
At that time, Your Majesty will definitely recall the wise king to the capital.
As the wise king gains power, their Feng family will also rise again and prosper for another hundred years.
The nanny felt the attention from all sides and knelt on the ground: "Your Majesty, the queen is a woman who has given birth."
The queen was suddenly shocked and felt unbelievable.
Although she held on to a glimmer of hope, she knew very well that this hope was very slim and she was just holding on to the last moment.
I thought the nanny would reveal the truth, but unexpectedly there was a sudden turn of events.
The nanny clearly refused her bribe.
The Northern Qi Emperor had many suspicions while the nanny was examining the Empress. But when he heard the nanny's report, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Impossible!" The expectation in Lord Feng's eyes shattered, and he refused to believe this result: "Your Majesty, the nanny has been bribed by the Queen. Please search her."
"Master Feng, you have accused me of not being the Prince of Qi's son, but the evidence you presented has been refuted one by one by your witnesses. You have also requested a body examination. To silence the rumors and prevent the royal family from being criticized, I have endured the humiliation and submitted to the examination by the maid."
The Queen's eyes were stern. "Now that Matron has verified my identity and proven my innocence, you're now accusing me of bribing Matron. Are you suggesting that I possess the ability to predict the future, that I anticipated your attempt to frame me today, and that I bribed Matron in advance?"
Having said this, the Queen changed the subject: "Master Feng, will you not rest until you put me to death?"
Eunuch Liu's face changed as he stood by. It was impossible for the Queen to have the ability to predict the future, let alone know that there was a body examination. How could she bribe the nanny in advance?
Moreover, he had invited the nanny at short notice. Lord Feng's accusation that the Queen had bribed the nanny meant that he was the Queen's man.
Eunuch Liu knew the Northern Qi Emperor best. He was suspicious by nature and was troubled by the remnants of the previous dynasty. He couldn't sleep all day, his health was getting worse day by day, and his temperament was becoming more and more violent. He might even become suspicious of him.
Lord Feng's expression suddenly changed. Before he could speak, the Queen said, "Lord Feng, do you want me to die to prove my innocence?"
Lord Feng realized that the situation was beyond his control and was about to speak to explain himself.
Eunuch Liu spoke first, "Sir Feng, your proposal to examine the mother of a nation is an act of subversion and an offense against the royal dignity. The Empress will not argue with you. To prevent Her Majesty from being criticized, she will endure the humiliation and examine Madam."
"If this matter were to get out, I'm afraid the entire royal family would become the laughing stock of the nations. As a subject, have you considered His Majesty's situation?"
Eunuch Liu rebuked him, "You have no regard for His Majesty. Instead, you are pushing your luck further, trying to force the mother of a nation to death. What are your intentions?"
Lord Feng was so frightened by the accusation made by Eunuch Liu that he said hurriedly, "Your humble servant..."
The Northern Qi Emperor shouted, "Shut up!"
His face was gloomy, and he knew what Feng Xiaozhong was planning without having to think too much.
Feng Xiaozhong was a member of the Xianwang faction and forced the Queen to death. The Prince of Qi's background was controversial, so he would not pass the throne to the Prince of Qi. The one who would benefit would be the Xianwang.
The balance in the heart of the Northern Qi Emperor has tilted towards the Queen.
Because Eunuch Liu was loyal to him, he would never help the Queen to commit fraud.
On the contrary, Feng Xiaozhong was ignorant of the danger and had no respect for the inferior. He was aggressive towards the queen in front of him, the ruler of a country.
"Feng Xiaozhong, you have defied the imperial authority, framed the concubines, and slandered the Prince of Qi as not being the heir to the throne. You deserve to be executed." The Northern Qi Emperor's eyes were filled with anger as he ordered, "Come, drag him away and chop him off."
Regardless of whether the Prince of Qi was born to the Queen, from the moment Feng Xiaozhong reported him, he never thought of letting Feng Xiaozhong leave the palace alive.
Lord Feng's mind went blank, and he collapsed to the ground like a puddle of mud, his lips trembling as he tried to beg for mercy.
The guards entered, covered his mouth, and dragged him away.
The Emperor of Northern Qi turned his attention to the Queen and the Prince of Qi. Although the nanny had examined the Queen and proved that she had indeed given birth to a child, the Prince of Qi had assassinated him and intended to rebel and usurp the throne, so he must be dealt with separately.
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