Fengyi Palace
As autumn approaches, the weather becomes cooler and a cool breeze blows gently.
The Song Emperor sat upright, his posture serious, as he slowly ate the dragon beard pastry offered by the Empress. Ever since the "black snake poison" was cured, he had completely relaxed. However, even though the poison had been cured, it had still taken a significant toll on his body, leaving him much weaker.
The Queen gazed at him tenderly and said softly, "Your Majesty, you need to rest more these days and avoid overworking yourself."
Emperor Song smiled and nodded, holding the Queen's hand tightly. "With the Queen's careful care, I will surely recover soon."
Emperor Song sighed softly and ordered Eunuch Guo:
"Go and inform Concubine Qing and the Third Prince." Eunuch Guo obeyed the order and left.
The queen's eyes flickered slightly when she heard this, and she thought to herself: Could it be that he still has feelings for that bitch? This bitch has oppressed her for twenty years, and today she will not let her live.
In just a moment, Concubine Qing was dragged by two strong maids and knelt in front of Emperor Song.
Concubine Qing's hair was disheveled and her makeup was messy, but her eyes were firm and unyielding.
The Third Prince followed closely behind, looking at his mother with a worried look on his face. Emperor Song stared at Concubine Qing, a complex look flashing in his eyes:
"Noble Concubine Qing, do you plead guilty?" Noble Concubine Qing sneered, "Your Majesty, I plead guilty. I colluded with the traitor Dong Jinguo and attempted to murder Your Majesty. I deserve death."
The queen's face changed slightly, and she thought: Yes, so many people witnessed it that day, there is really no way to refute it.
The Third Prince knelt on his knees and said, "Father, I beg you to forgive Mother. Everything Mother did was for me. Please be lenient with me."
Song Chengxiang knelt down and kowtowed, his forehead touching the ground with a thumping sound, hoping to save his mother's life.
The queen raised her lips slightly, a hint of imperceptible pride flashed in her eyes, and she said in a deep voice:
"How dare you plead for your mother? You yourself deserve death. You were one of the traitors in that rebellion."
"Your Majesty, no matter what the crime is, I am willing to bear it all, but the prince is innocent. It was I who forced him to act this way. Your Majesty, please spare the Third Prince for the sake of our past friendship."
Concubine Qing burst into tears and begged bitterly. The Song Emperor's face was gloomy and he was silent for a long time. At this time, the Queen added fuel to the fire:
"Your Majesty, Concubine Qing's crimes are extremely serious, and the Third Prince is also involved. If you don't punish her severely, how can you convince the people?"
The Third Prince was extremely anxious, his face flushed red. "Father, Mother and I were both poisoned by their Gu. We had no other choice. Please, let Mother go. I will bear all the blame."
Just as the atmosphere was reaching its peak, Eunuch Guo hurried in and whispered something in Emperor Song's ear. Emperor Song's expression changed drastically, and then he slowly spoke:
"Noble Concubine Qing, I will spare your life for the sake of our past friendship. I will demote you to a commoner and banish you to the cold palace immediately."
Emperor Song hated Concubine Qing to the core. He would never let her die so easily. He wanted her to suffer in pain and die slowly in regret and despair.
He looked at the Third Prince with cold eyes, devoid of warmth:
"As for you, kneel before the Dragon Palace and think carefully about the relationship between ruler and subject, and between father and son. You are not allowed to rise without my order."
After the Song Emperor finished speaking, he turned away.
The Empress' heart tightened, having never expected the Song Emperor to deal with her in this way. Although Concubine Qing was banished to the cold palace, she had saved her life, and the Third Prince also had a glimmer of hope.
She secretly gnashed her teeth, plotting her next move, determined to eliminate the mother and son. While Imperial Concubine Qing and the Third Prince had managed to save their lives, they knew they had completely lost the Emperor's favor.
Dragon Palace
The Empress Dowager and the Emperor sat upright on the Grand Master's chair. The Song Emperor clenched his fists in anger, his hair standing on end. He roared, "I have a deep affection for Concubine Qing, yet she is so cruel and ruthless that she colluded with the traitor and attempted to murder me!"
For her, he was willing to disobey his mother and dote on her alone for nearly twenty years. He knew very well that if he ascended the supreme throne, he would become a lonely man.
He didn't want this to happen. He gave all his last bit of tenderness to the mother and son, but they turned against him and betrayed him. He really wanted to tear them into pieces.
The Empress Dowager gently patted the Emperor's hand and soothed him softly, "Your Majesty, please do not be angry, lest your health be damaged. Now that that bitch has been banished to the cold palace, and the Third Prince has been punished, it can be considered that you have finally gotten rid of some of your anger."
The Song Emperor walked over to the Empress Dowager, squatted down, and hugged her legs tightly, choking with sobs, saying, "Mother, I hate them with my heart and soul. How could they treat me like this? I will make their life a living hell."
The Queen Mother was also deeply distressed and stroked her son's head. "Alas! My son, as you sit on this throne, the most taboo thing is to talk about love. Throughout history, how many emperors have ruined their country because of a woman? Your mother will only allow you to be vulnerable this time. You must cheer up in the future. Do you understand?"
Emperor Song nodded awkwardly and sat back in his chair.
"Emperor, what should be done with the Third Prince?" Although the Queen Mother had no good feelings towards Concubine Qing, the Third Prince was her grandson after all, and she really couldn't bear to see him beheaded.
"Mother, you are well aware of how doting I am on him. I cannot bear to kill him, but if I don't kill him, it will be difficult to quell the hatred in my heart." The Song Emperor clenched his fingers tightly, as if he wanted to crush something.
"Leave him a chance to live! After all, he is your own flesh and blood." The Queen Mother sighed and turned back to the Cining Palace.
As soon as the Queen Mother left, the shadow guard who went to investigate the Third Prince jumped down from the roof and presented all the information he had found to the Emperor.
The Song Emperor sat down on the dragon throne and flipped through the pages one by one. By the end he was so angry that he was fuming and panting like a cow:
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