There were hurried footsteps outside the door, and a moment later the figure of the Emperor arrived at the door, and the eunuch's voice came: "The Emperor has arrived."
Everyone knelt and saluted. Empress Jing'an half bent her body and was about to salute when the emperor lifted her arm and pulled her up. The two of them sat down in the main seat together.
After the emperor sat down, he said to everyone, "Stand up."
The Eighth Princess was still kneeling on the ground, looking up at the Emperor with tears on her face. Seeing that the Emperor was holding Queen Jing'an's hand tightly, a trace of hatred flashed in her eyes.
The eighth princess looked at the emperor hesitantly: "Father, please have mercy on me. No matter what mistakes my mother made, they were all unintentional." The emperor snorted heavily and ignored her.
Not getting the result she wanted, the Eighth Princess kowtowed to the Queen again, saying, "Queen, please let my mother go. I beg you."
The emperor slammed the table and shouted, "How dare you! Are they all dead? Drag her down here! If she doesn't get out of here, I'll give her twenty lashes."
Empress Jing'an sat aside, silent. If Concubine Li had truly killed her child, a life for a life would be reasonable. However, she was afraid that the Emperor would punish Concubine Li's family as well. As a modern person, she simply could not accept the idea of an entire clan being exterminated.
The eighth princess who was dragged away was also placed under house arrest and was not allowed to go out.
When only Empress Jing'an and the Emperor were left in the palace, the Emperor lowered his head and told her about the concubines harming people. Empress Jing'an's expression went from calm at the beginning to pale at the end. When she heard about the woman being sent to the Jiaofangsi, she covered her chest and fainted.
I fainted and didn’t wake up for a long time.
In the vast imperial palace, besides the princess, there was only one Empress Jing'an. The other concubines were either dead or insane, or had their heads shaved and taken to spiritual practice. Empress Jing'an had been bedridden for a month. Her complexion had improved over the past month thanks to medicinal herbs and acupuncture, but she showed no signs of waking up.
The Emperor stayed by Empress Jing'an's side at all times, completely ignoring the court. The Emperor used thunderous means to execute the concubines and their families, shocking all officials and marquises. At this time, everyone was in danger and no one dared to sing a dissenting tune.
Xu Wen, the second wife of the Sheng family in the capital, had been keeping a close eye on the goings-on in the palace since returning from the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet. She'd heard the news of Empress Jing'an being poisoned, then the news of the bloodbath among the concubines and palace maids, and then she'd heard that Empress Jing'an had fainted in bed.
Xu Wen was extremely anxious and tried to send a visiting card to the palace, but there was no response. She could only silently copy scriptures and pray.
On this day, someone from the palace came to summon Xu Wen. Xu Wen followed the eunuch chief Zhou Defa all the way to Fengyang Palace. After entering the main hall, she saw the emperor sitting beside the bed and knelt down to pay her respects: "Your Majesty, your servant greets you. Long live the emperor."
The thin and haggard emperor turned his head to look at Xu Wen and raised his hand to signal Xu Wen to stand up. Zhou Defa said in a low voice: "Madam Sheng, please stand up."
Xu Wen, lifted by her skirt, stood up with the help of a young palace maid. She stood there and looked at the gauze-draped bed. Under the quilt on the bed was Queen Jing'an, lying quietly. Xu Wen's eyes were slightly red, and she wiped the corners of her eyes with a silk handkerchief.
After a while, the emperor's voice came: "Madam Sheng, what did the queen say to you when she saw you during the Mid-Autumn Festival?"
Xu Wen recalled and immediately reported, "Your Majesty, the Empress asked about my recent condition, but didn't say anything else." Xu Wen thought for a moment and said, "The Empress is as kind as ever. She did say that if they were just plotting and didn't hurt anyone, their lives shouldn't be taken."
The emperor stared blankly at Empress Jing'an lying on the bed. After a moment, he muttered to himself, "Don't harm their lives."
Xu Wen stayed in the palace for another quarter of an hour before Zhou Defa escorted her out. After leaving the palace, Xu Wen glanced back at Fengyang Palace and cautiously asked Zhou Defa, "Eunuch Zhou, how is the emperor's health?"
Zhou Defa said calmly, "The Empress is in good health. She just needs a few days of rest." After that, he asked the eunuch to continue to send Xu Wen away, while he went back to Fengyang Palace.
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