Chapter 103 Mother, am I your daughter?
"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Something terrible has happened!" A eunuch from Shou'an Palace rushed into the palace in a panic. "Your Majesty—"
"What's all the fuss about?" Granny Yi scolded angrily. "Don't you have any manners? You're disturbing the Empress Dowager's rest. Watch your head!"
The eunuch knelt on the ground: "Something has happened to the Wen family!"
The Empress Dowager seemed to wake from a nightmare, abruptly sitting up in bed: "What did you say?"
"Your Majesty, this servant has just learned that the Prime Minister's family has been imprisoned by imperial decree for treason!" The eunuch spoke hurriedly, afraid that if he spoke too slowly, the Empress Dowager would not know the cause and effect. "Princess Wen has entered the palace to meet the Emperor, and afterwards... afterwards, Consort Wen and his three children, as well as another frail woman, were escorted into the palace by the Princess's guards and are now in Chonghua Palace!"
The Empress Dowager was struck dumb, her face turned deathly pale, and she almost collapsed onto the bed.
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager," Granny Yi's expression changed, and she whispered, "What should we do?"
Princess Ning'an brought Consort Wen and their three children into the palace. It must be because the children's true parentage has been exposed. When Consort Wen adopted those three children, he not only sought the Princess's opinion but also obtained the Emperor and Empress Dowager's consent.
Now that the truth has come out, Prince Consort Wen is guilty of deceiving the emperor.
The Empress Dowager turned ashen-faced and tried several times to sit up in bed, but her legs gave way and she slumped back down.
"Ning'an..." The Empress Dowager's voice was icy, as if it were squeezed out from between her teeth, "She truly has no regard for me as her mother. She doesn't talk to me about things and goes straight to the Emperor... She's really something!"
As she spoke of her resentment, she pounded the bed frame violently, her voice shrill: "I raised such a fine daughter!"
"Your Majesty, please calm down," said Granny Yi in a low voice. "Don't be in such a hurry. Why don't you go see the Emperor first? After all, he is your own son. If you talk to him properly, there might be room for negotiation."
The Empress Dowager got up from the bed for the third time, her body unsteady. She had to be supported by Granny Yi to stand up straight.
While the palace maids were helping her change, the Empress Dowager closed her eyes, her mind racing, trying to figure out how to broach the subject and how much of the truth Ning An knew.
If it were just about those three children, there would still be a glimmer of hope.
If she knows anything else...
Thinking of this, the Empress Dowager's face paled even more.
After she finished changing her clothes, the palace maids were about to do her hair and makeup, but the Empress Dowager said coldly, "No need for all that trouble. Prepare to go to Chonghua Palace."
"yes."
The chief eunuch had already ordered the phoenix palanquin to be prepared. The Empress Dowager was carefully helped onto the palanquin by Granny Yi and another palace maid. She then weakly raised her hand to support her forehead, feeling a wave of panic in her heart.
The Prime Minister's residence was suddenly raided, and the raid was related to treason and collusion with the enemy.
Prince Consort Wen and his three children were escorted into the palace to meet the emperor.
The incidents all happened on the same day... Who framed them behind the scenes?
Who is it?
Was it Yan Cang, the Prince of Yan, or Yan Yang, the Prince of Ming?
The atmosphere in Chonghua Palace was oppressive, with dark clouds looming overhead, as if a storm was brewing, filled with an ominous air.
Emperor Zhaode stared at Wen Yishu with his hands behind his back, his eyes filled with a murderous aura.
"Guards!" he said coldly. "Bring Wen Yishu and his four sons—"
He paused, pointed at Zhao Ying'er, and said sternly, "Plus that bitch Zhao, throw them both into the imperial prison and torture them severely!"
Zhao Ying'er cried out in anguish, "Your Majesty, spare my life! Your Majesty, spare my life!"
A loud announcement rang out from outside the hall: "Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has arrived!"
Chonghua Palace was quiet.
As if suddenly seeing a glimmer of hope, Consort Wen turned around hastily and saw the Empress Dowager hurriedly stepping across the threshold with the help of her nanny. He crawled forward and cried out, "Your Majesty, save me! Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty, what are you doing?" The Empress Dowager entered the hall, looking at the Emperor with great anger. "Wen Yishu is Ning'an's son-in-law, and Your Majesty actually wants to throw him into the imperial prison? What did he do wrong?"
Emperor Zhaode looked at her expressionlessly: "Mother is really concerned about Consort Wen. She received the news as soon as he entered the palace?"
"Your Majesty!" the Empress Dowager said sternly, "I only came to ask a question, is this how Your Majesty speaks to me?"
Princess Ning'an stood up, her tone regaining its composure: "Mother, Wen Yishu has deceived me for over a decade. The three children I adopted back then—Wen Shiyu, Wen Shijie, and Wen Jingyi—were all his offspring with other women. My brother, you must handle this matter fairly today; otherwise, everyone in the world can deceive the emperor and trample the dignity of the royal family underfoot—"
"Outrageous!" The Empress Dowager turned her head and scolded, her eyes coldly staring at Princess Ning'an. "Ning'an, Wen Yishu is your husband, and Shiyu and Shijie are your children. You have reported them all and sent them to prison. Do you want to live a lonely life for the rest of your life? Let alone whether Wen Yishu did such a thing or not, even if he did, you were husband and wife. Shouldn't you have turned a blind eye?"
Princess Ning'an sneered: "I've been deceived for over a decade. It's already merciful that I haven't torn him to pieces. Why should I forgive him? The way my mother speaks to me now is very strange. She doesn't sound like my mother at all. She doesn't feel sorry for me or feel indignant about the grievances I've suffered. Instead, she sounds more like a domineering mother-in-law who is forcing her daughter-in-law to forgive her son for his mistake!"
"You wretched child, shut your mouth!" The Empress Dowager raised her hand to slap her face.
Emperor Zhaode sternly shouted to stop her: "Empress Dowager!"
Princess Ning'an stared at the Empress Dowager with a cold and fierce gaze, as if she had already seen through everything. That gaze made the Empress Dowager feel uneasy, and her raised hand froze in mid-air, unable to be pulled down.
Her face turned pale and then flushed, her cheeks twitching uncontrollably. After a long while, she coldly withdrew her hand, her voice filled with chilling disappointment: "Is this how you talk to me? Ning An, have you ever had a single day of unhappiness since you were a child? I cherished you like a precious jewel, pampered you, and chose the best husband for you, afraid that you would suffer the slightest grievance. Is this how you talk to me?"
Princess Ning'an suddenly smiled, a strange smile: "Mother, am I really your daughter?"
The Empress Dowager's pupils contracted, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes: "What did you say?"
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