Chapter 397 Sent to the cold palace immediately!
In an instant, the entire hall was shrouded in deathly silence again.
Everyone held their breath, not daring to even breathe, for fear that a small movement would anger Zhang Chengyan again.
Wang Decai had repeatedly warned them not to leak any information about the emperor's accident.
But at that time they were too worried about the future and only wanted to make plans for their own retreat. They asked their families and completely ignored Wang Decai's warning!
Zhang Chengyan looked coldly at the trembling concubines in front of him, his eyes full of disappointment, "Look at you! From top to bottom in this palace, except Bai Wutong, who among you didn't pass on the news? Once the news of my accident spreads, how much turmoil will it bring to the Darong Kingdom? You don't care at all, and your minds are full of only your own selfish interests. It really makes me feel disappointed!"
All the concubines were silent as a mouse, not daring to make a sound.
Any excuses at this moment would only add fuel to the fire and make the emperor's rage even more intense!
At this time, Zhang Chengyan's eyes were piercing directly at Ding Zhaoyi. "During the time when I was away, you were the one who slandered Concubine Zhao behind her back, right? As a concubine of a lower rank, not only did you not respect the Imperial Concubine, but you also spoke nonsense recklessly!"
Ding Zhaoyi's face turned paler, her legs became weak, and she almost collapsed to the ground.
She trembled as she recalled the scene of that day.
He just went to talk to Bai Wutong, but when he saw that the other party was not interested, he complained a few words in a low voice when he left.
No...she had cursed in her own palace and also with other concubines!
Ding Zhaoyi thought it was just a trivial matter, but she never expected that Zhang Chengyan would find out about it!
It seems that their every move is under surveillance!
Bai Wutong is about to become the queen, the mother of the country, and the most noble woman in the entire Darong Kingdom. How can she allow others to look down on her?
Ding Zhaoyi, as an unpopular concubine of low rank, was actually dissatisfied with the future queen and spoke ill of her. He could not tolerate such behavior!
"From today on, Concubine Ding will be demoted to a beauty and sent to the cold palace immediately!"
Zhang Chengyan's voice was icy cold, leaving no room for negotiation.
As soon as the word "Cold Palace" came out, Ding Zhaoyi fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face, and kowtowed desperately, begging, "Your Majesty, please spare my life! I know I was wrong, please don't send me to the Cold Palace, I will never dare to do that again..."
The cold palace is located in the most remote corner of the harem, with a harsh environment. People who enter it not only have to worry about food and clothing, but will also be bullied.
The last concubine who was imprisoned had gone insane and eventually committed suicide out of hatred.
Rumor has it that the cold palace is filled with the cries of wronged souls day and night, it is extremely eerie and terrifying!
But Zhang Chengyan had made up his mind and was not moved at all. He waved his hand and signaled the guards to drag her away.
Ding Zhaoyi's cries gradually faded away until they disappeared outside the hall, leaving only dead silence.
Witnessing this scene, the other concubines were so frightened that they trembled all over. They all knelt on the ground and buried their heads low. They wished they could find a crack in the ground to crawl into, hoping that Zhang Chengyan would ignore their existence!
Zhang Chengyan turned his gaze to several lower-ranking concubines, his eyes full of disgust, "Not only did you pass on information to the outside, you also tried to have your family members secretly take you out of the palace. Have you forgotten that once you marry into this deep palace, you are a member of the royal family in life and a ghost of the royal family in death, and you cannot have second thoughts! If I really die, I'm afraid you will still want to be unfaithful to me!"
The concubines were so frightened that their faces turned pale. They quickly knelt down and begged for mercy, "Your Majesty, I really know I was wrong. I was blinded by greed and bewitched. I swear, I will never do it again!"
But Zhang Chengyan showed no mercy and shouted, "If you are unfaithful once, you will never be used again! Banish her to the cold palace and drag her away!"
Accompanied by two desperate cries, more concubines were forcibly dragged away.
At this time, there was a large empty space in the hall, which seemed particularly empty, and made the remaining people even more frightened.
Every time I look at it, I feel like I will be the next one to be punished!
Fortunately, Zhang Chengyan did not want to kill them all. He only focused on punishing those who had committed serious mistakes or those who had always been disliked by him.
Bai Wutong stood quietly by the side, watching everything in front of him.
There are many concubines in the harem, and they are a mixed bag. It is indeed time for a thorough cleanup.
These people live a life of luxury on a daily basis, but they do not have much sincerity towards the emperor, and keeping them would be a waste of palace resources.
Zhang Chengyan looked at Concubine De and Concubine Hui, his expression slightly relaxed, "As high-ranking concubines, you two should have set an example and assisted Concubine Zhao in managing the harem, but you also passed the news to the outside world. However, considering that your letter did not cause trouble, but only warned the family to be prepared, and even mentioned that if His Royal Highness ascended the throne, you would help support him, this kind of thought is barely acceptable. Otherwise, I will definitely demote you!"
Concubine De and Concubine Hui breathed a sigh of relief and kowtowed in unison to express their gratitude for the emperor's grace.
Afterwards, Zhang Chengyan punished the other concubines one by one according to the severity of their faults.
Those whose ranks were so low that they could not be lowered any further would have their salaries confiscated.
If there is still room for decline, just push your position down to the lowest level.
After some treatment, except for Bai Wutong, several high-ranking concubines and Duan Chunrou, most of the others were punished.
Among them, those who were sent to the cold palace and Jin Weige who was imprisoned received the most severe punishment!
After everything was settled, Zhang Chengyan turned around, looked at Bai Wutong tenderly, and asked softly, "Wutong, I have seen everything you have done. Tell me, what reward do you want?"
Bai Wutong's eyes were red, full of joy and attachment. She hugged his waist tightly and choked with sobs, "Your Majesty, as long as you are safe, I have nothing else to ask for! Until now, I still feel like I'm dreaming. It's great that you are still alive..."
Zhang Chengyan also held her in his arms, as if he wanted to integrate her into his life, "Wutong, don't worry anymore, I will be fine in the future, I only want to hand over the position of Queen to you personally!"
As he spoke, he raised his hand to wipe away the tears on Bai Wutong's cheek, his eyes full of affection, "You gave birth to a child for me, and you are the only one in this harem who has contributed to the royal family. Not only that, your deep love for me is evident to all. For my sake, you even risked your life to participate in the life-extending ceremony. This sincerity of accompanying each other through life and death is unmatched in this world! No one else is worthy of the position of queen except you! I have already ordered that the queen's dress be made quickly. The auspicious day will be in three days. By then, you will become my queen and the mother of the country!"
Bai Wutong snuggled quietly in his arms.
She didn't say that she didn't need the position of queen, as that would have seemed too false and would have been bad.
She raised her head slightly, tears sparkling in her eyes, "Your Majesty, being with you is enough for me in this life. It is my great honor to be your wife!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
