Chapter 861, Taking the Blame
The emperor looked at Jipin and Xiangpin with a gloomy expression: "What else do you have to say now?"
Xiangpin's face turned pale as paper. She knew that there was no turning back. She immediately understood what to do to achieve the best result and quickly crawled towards the emperor:
"Your Majesty, I was wrong. It was the Queen Mother who forced me to do this. If I didn't do what she said, she would have someone kill my parents and brothers. I know my sins are grave and I dare not beg for mercy, but my family is innocent. Please save them, Your Majesty."
Jipin also came to her senses. As a woman favored by the emperor, she clearly understood how to save her family and immediately begged for mercy: "Your Majesty, the Queen Mother forced us to do all this. There is no golden medal to avoid death. It was I who slandered the Princess Yang. Please save my family."
Hearing these words, the expressions of the clan members and ministers present changed again and again.
The emperor's expression looked much better than before.
However, at this moment, an imperial physician hurried out of the bedroom.
"Your Majesty, the Queen Mother is in trouble. She wants to see you and the ministers."
Upon hearing this, the emperor immediately looked at the imperial physician with a cold look.
The imperial physician felt a chill down his spine and suddenly regretted his decision. He had just seen the emperor so worried about the empress dowager's condition and thought that the emperor was very worried about the empress dowager. As soon as he saw the empress dowager wake up, he rushed out in a hurry.
Thinking that the empress dowager could no longer speak, the emperor stood up, selected a few relatives and ministers, and went into the empress dowager's bedroom together.
As soon as he entered, the emperor met the empress dowager's fierce and unwilling eyes.
Obviously, the Queen Mother heard everything that happened in the hall.
Thinking that all her plans had failed, the empress dowager's breathing became rapid again, and she opened her hands and raised them as if to grab the emperor.
Xiao Yeyang stood beside the emperor, worried that the empress dowager might have other tricks up her sleeve, so he didn't dare let the emperor get close.
The emperor did not look down on the dying empress dowager and said with feigned concern, "Empress Dowager, take good care of yourself. I will have the imperial physicians heal you."
The Queen Mother could not speak, she could only open her mouth and cry "wuwu", her hand hovering in the air without being put down.
Seeing that the ministers and clan members were all watching, Xiao Yeyang thought for a moment and then stepped forward to hold the Queen Mother's hand: "Queen Mother, do you have anything to tell me?"
When she saw Xiao Yeyang, the anger in the empress dowager's eyes became more intense. Whether it was her nephew Jinghui or her eldest brother Cheng'en, their deaths were all related to Xiao Yeyang.
She hated it so much, hated that she couldn't avenge her brother and nephews and grandchildren!
The Queen Mother was so emotionally unstable that she couldn't catch her breath and died.
Looking at the empress dowager who died with her eyes open and still holding Xiao Yeyang tightly, the clan members and ministers present all lowered their heads in silence.
The Queen Mother died before the Jiang family was ordered to be beheaded.
After the news spread out of the palace, everyone was shocked and surprised!
No matter how much the emperor dislikes the empress dowager, as her legal mother, he still has to do things for her, and he has to do them well and impeccably.
The emperor handed over the funeral arrangements of the empress dowager to the queen.
The Jiang family was confiscated and executed, but the emperor did not blame the queen. It was not because he loved the queen so much, but because he did not want to disrupt the situation in the harem.
White banners were soon hung in the palace.
Palace of Heavenly Purity.
Daohua followed Xiao Yeyang into the hall and took the initiative to hand the golden medal of immunity from death to Eunuch An.
The emperor took the golden medal of immunity from death from Eunuch An and looked at Daohua curiously: "Where did you hide it?"
Daohua smiled and said, "The commander of Jinling Guard borrowed the dog Xiaoyi. Xiaoyi happened to be in Cining Palace today, so I asked Xiaoyi to hold the gold medal in his mouth."
Upon hearing this, the emperor's expression stiffened slightly, and he quickly threw the gold medal onto the table.
Xue Xiangchen knew that he had borrowed Ye Yang's hunting dogs in order to eliminate the influence of the Queen Mother and the Jiang family in the palace.
"You are quite cunning."
Daohua smiled and said nothing.
At the same time, in the Ministry of Justice prison, the Jiang family heard that the Queen Mother had died, and the little hope they had left in their hearts was gone.
The next day, they were all taken to the vegetable market with numb faces.
Just before the execution, the Jiang family, as if they had already discussed it, shouted mournfully to the people who had come to watch the execution: "The Empress Dowager was killed by the Emperor. The Emperor is disrespectful, unfilial, unkind, and unjust. He is a heartless tyrant."
When the executioner heard this, his face turned pale with fear and he quickly signaled the executioner to carry out the execution.
In just a short while, all the members of the Jiang family were killed.
The Jiang family members were dead, but their cries before death were widely spread by the people.
After Daohua and Xiao Yeyang sent Gu Jian back to Four Seasons Villa, they returned to the palace, changed into mourning clothes, and followed Prince Ping into the palace to mourn for the empress dowager.
On the way into the palace, Daohua and Xiao Yeyang heard many people talking about how the empress dowager was killed by the emperor.
Xiao Yeyang frowned tightly: "The Jiang family really won't rest in peace even after their death."
Daohua: "If we continue to talk like this, it will be very detrimental to the reputation and dignity of the Emperor's uncle."
After entering the palace, the two noticed that many officials and female relatives were also whispering. Obviously, not only did the people believe what the Jiang family said, but even the officials began to doubt it.
After the Empress Dowager passed away, the Emperor suspended court for three days.
On the fourth day, court was held as normal.
Before Xiao Yeyang went out, he looked back at the rice flowers for a while.
Daohua guessed what he might do and said with a smile, "No matter what you do, I will support you and accompany you."
Xiao Yeyang smiled, turned back and hugged Daohua tightly, then strode out of the room.
Looking at his departing back, Daohua felt a little worried.
Now there is a lot of discussion about the empress dowager's death in the court and outside the court, and the emperor's reputation cannot be damaged. Xiao Yeyang was at the scene when the empress dowager died, and he is likely to take the blame.
At the morning court, all officials were silent, and the various factions and forces were communicating silently with their eyes.
After a while, a censor named Zeng, who was known for his integrity, stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I would like to report the prince of Prince Ping's mansion, Xiao Yeyang."
The emperor sat on the dragon throne and glanced at his nephew, then said, "My dear minister, what do you want to report him for?"
Censor Zeng: "Xiao Yeyang angered the Empress Dowager to death. His crime is unforgivable. Please punish him, Your Majesty."
As soon as these words were spoken, there was a commotion in the court.
Xiao Yeyang looked at Censor Zeng angrily: "Master Zeng, when did I offend you that you would slander me like this?"
Censor Zeng said righteously, "Your Majesty, we all know the Queen Mother's attitude towards Xiao Yeyang, but he deliberately stepped forward to provoke the Queen Mother when she was seriously ill, and that's how he angered the Queen Mother to death."
"Prime Minister Yang, Old Prince Yong, Governor Wu and other officials who were present at the scene that day all knew about this incident. I have not wronged Xiao Yeyang."
The adults who were named felt uneasy in their hearts. They looked at the silent emperor and then at Xiao Yeyang who was full of anger. These old foxes immediately understood.
Yang Chenghua was the first to echo Censor Zeng's words: "Your Majesty, what Lord Zeng said is true. If Xiao Yeyang had not approached the Empress Dowager that day, the Empress Dowager might not have been in any trouble."
Old Prince Yong glanced at Xiao Yeyang and said, "Xiao Yeyang may have angered the Queen Mother that day. However, the Queen Mother herself was very ill, so he can't be blamed entirely."
Several other adults present also expressed their opinions, confirming that the Queen Mother's death was due to Xiao Yeyang's anger, but they could not blame him entirely.
Those who could attend the court were all shrewd people, and they all requested: "I ask the emperor to severely punish Xiao Yeyang, for the sake of the Empress Dowager's spirit in heaven."
The eldest prince and his companions looked at Xiao Yeyang. As much as they were jealous of him before, they now felt as much sympathy for him.
Obviously, they also knew that Xiao Yeyang was taking the blame for the emperor.
(End of this chapter)
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