Chapter 174 Collapse and Reconstruction
The Emperor was blinded by anger and didn't notice. Don't be fooled by Su Peisheng's seemingly submissive posture; his eyes were scanning the entire room, and Zhen Shi's hand remained subtly resting on her lower abdomen. Even the most vehement rebuttal couldn't sway her an inch.
The woman kept protecting her abdomen; what else could be the reason?
Su Peisheng's eyes darted around, and an idea immediately came to him.
He paused and moved closer to the Emperor—"Your Majesty, please don't get angry. You have only recently recovered from your illness. Physician Zhou instructed you not to get angry. You must take care of your health."
In the past, he would sometimes mention the Crown Prince, intentionally or unintentionally. But on this occasion, it would be best if the Emperor didn't even think of him.
He helped the furious emperor to sit down on the bed in the inner room, thus bringing him closer to the two "kneeling guests".
"Yunli, you are my brother, and you should never betray me." This time, Yinzhen was dressed in court robes instead of his usual attire when he left the palace. His upright posture made him appear even more imposing, and people dared not look him in the eye. Upon hearing this, Yunli could only show a look of shame on his face, and he repeatedly begged for forgiveness by banging his head on the ground.
"Your Majesty, I deserve to die, but I beg you to consider our past relationship and spare Zhen. This matter has always been my own wishful thinking. Zhen was coerced by me and is completely innocent. I am willing to bear the full responsibility for my crime."
Yinzhen looked at him coldly with his lowered eyes. Coerced? The force with which she broke free of his hand and the anxiety she showed were so great that no one would believe she was being coerced.
"You do indeed deserve to die, but I will not kill you. To kill you would mean I would also bear the guilt of harming my own brother, which is simply not worth it." His tone carried a calm indifference that followed great anger, as if he were gathering strength to unleash a sudden storm.
"You have committed such a treasonous act. Go to the Imperial Clan Court to reflect on your actions. I have spoiled you too much in the past. There are plenty of people there who can teach you a lesson and make you understand what it means to be a brother and a subject." Yinzhen clenched his fists tightly against his knees, trying his best to suppress the surging murderous intent in his heart.
Since ascending the throne, he has dealt with many of his brothers, with the eighth and ninth princes being the most prominent, followed by the fourteenth prince before, and now the seventeenth prince. Including himself, who is the fourth prince, there are many rumors circulating outside that he has harmed his brothers and mistreated his children.
Yunli certainly deserves to die, but I cannot personally issue the decree to kill him.
Thinking of this, his gaze turned to Zhen Huan, who was standing next to Yunli. His eyes swept over her loose hair, scrutinizing her from head to toe like a sharp knife. Just then, Su Peisheng, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up—"How can you be so improper in front of the Emperor? Consort Zhen, please bow properly."
Zhen Huan frowned upon hearing this, and hesitantly lowered her arm that had been resting across her abdomen. She swallowed hard, and it was clear that she was deliberately sucking her abdomen back in a little, but how long could she maintain this?
Yinzhen naturally noticed something amiss. He felt his blood rushing to his head, and a buzzing sound that sometimes rang in his ears accompanied by flashing stars before his eyes. Even his fingertips felt numb.
When Zhen Huan was in the palace, she was slender, but now, even wearing loose clothes, her belly is noticeably protruding. What could be the reason for this? It can't be that she's gained weight.
No wonder...no wonder she had been hiding herself ever since he entered the room. At the time, he thought it was because they hadn't seen each other for two years and she was a little estranged, plus she hadn't put on makeup and was ashamed to show her face. Now, one thing after another gradually pieced together in his mind. Hongzhao's prediction was right; he really had almost lost his breath.
He struggled to his feet, his expression somber and cold, his thin lips pressed into a straight line as he silently approached, each step seemingly treading on Zhen Huan's heart with trepidation.
As he approached, Yinzhen lowered his head and stared intently at Zhen Huan's face for a long time. The bloodshot in his eyes looked particularly eerie. Without warning, he raised his hand and slapped Zhen Huan hard across the face.
"You shameless woman!"
If the emperor wants to beat you, you have no choice but to offer your face up; there's no reason for you to hide.
The force of the blow was so great that half of Zhen Huan's body fell to the ground. Yunli quickly moved closer to shield her and help her up, but Zhen Huan easily dodged him. If she were to continue being affectionate in front of the Emperor at this moment, she would truly be courting death.
"You two, adulterous lovers, have been secretly conspiring to have a child, yet today you dare to talk to me about marriage compatibility. Could it be that you harbor the intention of confusing the royal bloodline?!"
"This humble servant dares not!" Seeing the accusations growing increasingly serious, Zhen Huan finally visibly panicked. From the moment the Emperor entered the room, perhaps her head was no longer on her neck.
"Your Majesty is wise; I would never dare to have such thoughts!" At least on the surface, Yunli was extremely frightened, but whether it was a confession of being wronged or a panicked reaction to being discovered was unknown.
"Su Peisheng! Go and issue an imperial edict to confiscate the Prince Guo's mansion. I want to see what else is inside that I don't know about."
His face was darker than the bottom of a pot, and he gritted his teeth and said angrily, "Zhen's behavior is dissolute and undisciplined in the palace. After two years of confinement, she has become even more outrageous and committed such a disgraceful act to the royal family. I hereby bestow upon her a white silk ribbon to preserve her chastity."
Hearing the Emperor's gloomy and calm tone pronounce her death sentence, Zhen Huan closed her eyes as if relieved. This hour had been too long, so long that she had forgotten how to breathe freely, so long that it felt like her entire life had only lasted for this one hour, and now it was finally coming to an end.
"This guilty concubine thanks Your Majesty for the reward. I beg Your Majesty to have mercy and spare my family." Her voice carried a transcendent quality. In fact, it would have been better if she hadn't said anything. In the Emperor's rage, it served as a reminder to him.
“Family…” Yinzhen sneered – “If you truly cared about your family, you wouldn’t have done such a despicable thing!”
"In that case, I will summon them to the palace and let them see what shameless things their good daughters have done. I also want to see what kind of family values the ministers I once trusted have."
Yinzhen's tone was tinged with resentment. Yunli, who was standing to the side, tried several times to step forward to plead for mercy and admit his mistake, but Yinzhen completely ignored him. Su Peisheng, who was standing to the side, also shook his head inwardly. Why couldn't this Seventeenth Prince understand the situation? The more he tried to stop him and plead for mercy, the more he would expose their affair to the Emperor, and the angrier the Emperor would become.
"Your Majesty, I beg Your Majesty for mercy! My family is innocent, Your Majesty. They were already unjustly punished by being sent to Ningguta, and they knew nothing about this matter!" Zhen Huan crawled two steps on her knees, trying to grab the Emperor's robe, but Yinzhen dodged her with disgust.
"Su Peisheng, keep an eye on them. There's no need to have the Imperial Guards detain them. Just wait here for the Sticky Rod Office to handle them." The candlelight inside the room was really dim, and the sky outside was slowly darkening, making the room even more oppressive. Yinzhen rubbed his temples wearily and stood up, his figure showing a hint of dejection.
Su Peisheng understood the Emperor's meaning. If this matter got out, it would only embarrass the Emperor. The Emperor ordered the Sticky Rod Office to take over the matter quietly, and he could decide what other charges to fabricate in the future.
Yinzhen left Su Peisheng where he was and slowly walked outside.
The tightly closed gate was suddenly pushed open, and the biting cold of the mountain night made Yinzhen shiver. The small courtyard outside was empty.
He took a step outside, frowned and squinted to look out. He saw a small, apricot-colored figure sitting alone on the stairs not far away. He didn't know how long he had been sitting there quietly. The cold wind seemed to have penetrated his whole body, and he huddled up in a cold huddle.
Yinzhen's heart had been collapsing all day, but when he saw that small figure standing alone in the cold wind, he felt that the ruins in his heart were being carefully and clumsily pieced back together, bit by bit.
He sighed inwardly and stepped forward to pat Hongzhao on the back of the head.
“Come on, Ama will take you home.”
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