The Empress actually suspected Su Yushan; it's truly a case of the thief crying "stop thief!" This woman has lost all sense of right and wrong. No matter what she says, Hongli will no longer be surprised, only coldly retorting:
"Last night, Yu Shan was pleading for you, saying that it might not have been you who ordered it, yet you are so suspicious of Yu Shan. The difference in character and heart is immediately apparent!"
Su Yushan would plead for her? How could that be? Yu Ying didn't believe she would be so kind.
"She's just crocodile tears; she'd love to see you cripple me!"
Su Yushan didn't consider herself a compassionate person; the only reason she spoke up for Yuying was to find the real culprit.
"Didn't Your Majesty say that I am a Han Chinese and cannot be Empress, so what good would it do me to depose you?"
You pose no threat to me whatsoever, and I have no interest in playing tricks on you!
Su Yushan's words were undoubtedly a heavy blow to Yuying. Look! This woman didn't take her seriously at all. Filled with shame and indignation, Yuying gave a self-deprecating laugh.
"You are indeed disdainful. Anyway, the Emperor only favors you, and I have no children. I am the Empress in name only."
As human beings, who can be perfect? Everyone has their disappointments and unfulfilled desires. Now that the Empress knows what she has, she should cherish it all the more.
"Isn't it good to remain in the family? At least it brings honor to the family. If the Empress was not involved when she learned that Dong Ling had drugged you, she should have reported it directly to the Emperor. At least that way, no one would suspect you."
As the saying goes, "a beautiful beginning leads to a tragic end," and the same old story of Granny Cui and Dong Ling is a result of your blind protection and inability to distinguish right from wrong, which has caused the Emperor to gradually distance himself from you.
If only you were reasonable and hadn't indulged your trusted confidants, you wouldn't have ended up like this. How could you not understand this?
At this moment, Su Yushan did not hate the Empress, but rather felt a complex emotion, only that she felt the Empress was somewhat pitiful.
Her husband didn't love her, and her two children didn't grow up safely. She was too lonely on weekdays, so Dongling naturally became the person who accompanied her the most.
Relying too much on one person can easily lead to being swayed by one's own opinions, and even causing confusion about right and wrong.
Yu Ying believed that her actions in protecting Granny Cui and Dong Ling were motivated by kindness, so how could they be wrong?
"Does it have to be a matter of putting righteousness above family ties to be right? If I don't plead for them, how can I live with my conscience?"
To this day, the Empress still doesn't truly understand where she went wrong, Su Yushan said in a sorrowful and indignant voice.
"Indulgence is not protection, but destruction in disguise! If you had treated the palace servants strictly, Dong Ling would never have dared to do such a vicious thing on her own. It is precisely because she knows that you will protect her unconditionally that she has the courage to do so."
Dongling did something wrong and deserves to be punished. This is her own fault, and she has no one to blame but herself.
At this moment, Dong Ling was filled with remorse, but she regretted not the plot to harm Consort Chun, but her own slip of the tongue that had implicated her mistress.
Knowing that the Emperor and Consort Chun would not let the matter rest, Dong Ling willingly confessed her guilt.
"This servant is guilty and is willing to die to atone for my mistakes. I only beg Your Majesty not to depose the Empress. Her Majesty the Empress is truly innocent!"
Seeing that the Emperor remained unmoved, Dong Ling shifted her position again, turning to Consort Chun to plead for mercy.
"Your Highness, I deserve to die. I am so sorry. You are kind-hearted, and the Emperor only listens to you. Please, please plead for the Empress!"
Su Yushan had no interest in doing something as noble as repaying evil with kindness. The Empress hated her to the core and was unlikely to change her opinion, and she didn't care about the Empress's opinion. However, she knew very well that the Empress's establishment or deposition was not a private matter, but a matter of national importance, and could not be decided according to Hongli's wishes.
After much deliberation, Su Yushan finally spoke up, "Your Majesty, this is a matter of great importance. There's no rush to make a decision. Let's discuss it later!"
Shouldn't Yu Shan be on his side? Why is she speaking up for the Empress? Hongli didn't understand her intentions, but he didn't want to offend her, so he didn't insist on going his own way and ordered the guards to escort the Empress back to Changchun Palace.
Dong Ling is already guilty of a capital offense, there is no room for negotiation. It is already late tonight, so Hongli ordered the guards to take her back to the prison and carry out the execution tomorrow.
Yu Ying held onto Dong Ling's hand tightly, calling out to her repeatedly, her hot tears falling uncontrollably. The two, mistress and servant, clung to each other, but were forcibly pulled apart by the guards!
This parting might be the last time we see each other. Dong Ling felt extremely reluctant to part and cried with tears in her eyes:
"Your Majesty, this servant can no longer serve you. I can only repay your kindness in the next life! Please take care of yourself, Your Majesty!"
Watching helplessly as Dong Ling was taken away, Yu Ying burst into tears, almost collapsing to the ground, crying uncontrollably.
Hongli felt annoyed and irritated by her crying. He waved his hand impatiently and ordered, "Take the Empress away!"
The guards tried to pull her away, but the Empress slapped them aside. She forced herself to stand up, raised her tearful eyes to look at Su Yushan, her eyes filled with hatred.
"In your eyes, Dongling is just a palace maid, but I have long regarded her as family. Do you know what it feels like to lose a loved one? You don't know, you will never understand my pain!"
My son, my daughter, Granny Cui, and now even Dongling, the only one left, are gone. I have nothing left! It's all because of you!
Su Yushan could not truly empathize with the Empress's pain, because she could not possibly feel sorry for a ruthless palace servant, nor would she allow her own people to harm others.
After all that had been said, the Empress remained obstinate and even turned around and blamed her? Su Yushan found it utterly absurd and was too lazy to argue with her.
Hongli became furious as soon as he heard her speak. "Such a ruthless person, and you still treat her as family, and even say that you are innocent?"
"Fucha Yuying, in my eyes you are utterly foolish and wicked! Or perhaps, you are the one who is most cunning, deliberately allowing palace servants to do bad things for you, while you feign innocence, so that you can distance yourself from the situation once it is exposed. You are truly a master strategist!"
Did she? Did she instigate Dongling? Yuying asked herself this question, and a strange tension rose in her heart.
No! Impossible! She's from a prestigious family, the Empress! How could she possibly murder another woman?
She was the kindest person, she wouldn't do anything bad, Yu Ying kept reassuring herself in a panic, forcing a bitter smile.
"Whatever Your Majesty says goes, and I have no further explanation to offer."
"Then get out! Get far away! I don't want to see you again!" Hongli's blood boiled, and he couldn't help but pinch the bridge of his nose. Only after the Empress turned and left did he let out a muffled sigh.
Why did you plead for her just now?
Shaking her head, Su Yushan truthfully stated her thoughts.
“I’m not pleading for her. I just think it’s unlikely that the empress will be deposed. The court officials won’t agree, and the empress dowager certainly won’t. As long as the empress dowager doesn’t affix the phoenix seal, the empress’s position cannot be abolished. That’s why I’m asking you to think it over.”
Hongli's handsome brows furrowed even deeper. "There are many things the Empress Dowager disagrees with. Do I have to give in to her every time?"
He still didn't believe it, so Su Yushan sighed helplessly, "The Empress Dowager's retreat ends tomorrow. If you don't believe it, you can try it."
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