No sooner had Prince Yu entered the palace than the Prefect of Jingzhao also hurriedly submitted his memorial. The two exchanged a glance, their understanding unspoken.
Upon hearing the report from the Prefect of the Capital, Emperor Kangxi was instantly filled with rage, but he did not immediately lash out. He placed the memorial on the table, glanced at Prince Yu and the Prefect of the Capital, and then summoned Longkodo and Empress Hesheli to an audience.
Longkodo arrived first. He had already heard the rumors outside and was obviously in a hurry, not even dressed properly: "Your subject Longkodo greets Your Majesty."
"Your Majesty, that vile woman..." Longkodo, seeing Kangxi's gaze sweep over him, immediately changed his words, "Where is Hesheli?"
"Why has your wife come to me now?" Kangxi asked, seeing that Longkodo was in good spirits and not as dejected as he had been a few days ago. He had some suspicions.
Because she was to see the emperor, Hesheli was given an outer garment to cover the bloodstains. She was led in by a eunuch and made to kneel down.
"Your Majesty, Hesheli pays her respects and begs for forgiveness for my lack of decorum before Your Majesty." Hesheli put away her prickly appearance and lay prostrate on the ground without raising her head. "My Achilles tendon was severed by Li Si'er. Longkodo can testify to this."
"Is that so?" Kangxi glanced at Longkodo sideways.
Longkodo felt a little guilty, and he avoided Kangxi's gaze for a long time without uttering a single word.
"Your Majesty, I was previously imprisoned in an abandoned garden of the Tong family. Although life was hard, I was still able to survive," Empress Hesheli continued. "But a few days ago, Li Si'er suddenly seized me and whipped me every day, not stopping until I had been whipped a hundred times. In order to prevent me from escaping, he deliberately severed my Achilles tendons."
"When that madwoman Li Si'er was whipping me, Longkodo was right there watching. Did he show the slightest intention to protect me?" Hesheli sobbed as she spoke of her sorrow. "Fortunately, I have a few loyal servants who risked their lives to rescue me and, at my request, sent me to the Jingzhao Prefecture."
"Now, they must all be dead by now," Hesheli said self-deprecatingly. "If it weren't for Princess Yu passing by today, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to escape their clutches."
"Does Your Majesty know when all this happened?" Hesheli saw the despair in Longkodo's eyes out of the corner of her eye, and suddenly mustered her courage to say loudly, "It happened right after Li Si'er was executed, Your Majesty!"
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