Chapter 63 The old woman takes the blame and willingly faces death.
"Grandson greets His Majesty the Empress."
Kangxi's voice interrupted Xiaozhuang's thoughts, carrying a hint of barely perceptible irritation.
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang looked at her grandson, who was travel-worn and whose brows were furrowed with an unyielding melancholy, and sighed inwardly.
She softened her tone, like a steady helmsman guiding the way through turbulent waves.
"Xuan Ye has arrived. The imperial physician has just examined the fetus and found it to be fine for the time being. However, the Empress is suffering from a heart attack due to stress and needs to rest and recuperate. The most important thing right now is to deal with the storm that is about to be stirred up in the previous dynasty."
She leaned forward slightly, her voice low, yet each word carried immense weight.
"This matter cannot be concealed. The Hesheli family is still the pillar of the court, and the position of Songgotu is crucial; any move he makes will have far-reaching consequences. You must stabilize the situation and absolutely not allow this matter to become an excuse to attack the Hesheli family, thereby sowing discord between the emperor and his ministers and shaking the foundation of the country. You must strike the right balance in this matter."
Emperor Kangxi pursed his lips and nodded heavily.
His grandmother's words were exactly what he was worried about.
As an emperor, he understood better than anyone the complex web of power dynamics within the court.
It's easy to say something like deposing the empress, but the chain reaction it triggers could disrupt the newly balanced political situation he's just managed.
But the thought of Hesheli challenging his bottom line time and time again made it hard for him to suppress his anger.
This empress... truly never has a moment's peace.
Just then, a faint groan came from the phoenix bed, and Empress Hesheli slowly woke up.
Her face was pale, her lips were cracked, and her eyes were unfocused for a moment before they focused on Kangxi.
Before she could speak, tears streamed down her face. She struggled to reach out her hand, her voice mournful and plaintive, filled with deep grievance.
"Your Majesty...Your Majesty...You've finally come! I'm innocent! It was Consort Jin who framed me. She hates me and the prince in my womb. Your Majesty, you must investigate and seek justice for me and our prince!"
Looking at her pretentious act, Kangxi felt even more disgusted. His gaze was calm, and his tone was devoid of any warmth.
He didn't even approach; he just stood there, but what he said was more chilling than any rebuke.
"Your Majesty, now that things have come to this, does the truth still matter?"
The empress's outstretched hand froze in mid-air, her heart sinking.
Kangxi continued, each word like a heavy hammer blow to the Empress's already crumbling heart.
"Whether you did it or not, you should know in your heart. If this matter were confined to the palace, I might have been able to cover it up for you. But now, the entire palace knows, and the court will soon hear about it. How am I supposed to explain this to the entire court? You are disgracing your uncle Suo'etu and the Hesheli family. You are dragging them down and putting them in the eye of the storm. You are putting me in a very difficult position."
He paused, his gaze sharp, piercing straight to the Empress's greatest fear.
"You are forcing me to consider ancestral laws and... the idea of deposing the empress."
"Depose the empress?"
These two words struck like a bolt from the blue, shattering the Empress's last shred of hope.
Once deposed, she would become the eternal sinner of the Hesheri family, living a life worse than death.
Overwhelmed by fear, she trembled until she completely broke down, crying and pleading incoherently.
"No, Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. I will never do it again. You cannot depose me. I am still carrying your legitimate son. He is your legitimate son."
No longer caring about her demeanor, she got off the imperial bed, fell to her knees in front of Emperor Kangxi, and wept uncontrollably.
The legitimate son...it's the legitimate son again...
An indescribable sense of irritation welled up in Kangxi's heart.
Can the title of legitimate son cover up all mistakes and silence public opinion?
What Nan Nan said yesterday may not be without reason... The drawbacks of the primogeniture system are so clear at this moment.
His face was expressionless, even carrying a hint of mockery.
"The legitimate son? Does the Empress think that I can use the title of legitimate son to tell the court officials that Wanyan willingly drank the sterilization drug? Or does the Empress think that all the princes and ministers are three-year-old children who can be deceived by you?"
The empress had been driven to the brink of despair and was nearly delirious, so she spoke recklessly, going along with whatever came to mind.
"It was...it was Wanyan herself. She drank it herself to gain my trust. Yes! It was she who drank it herself."
"Heseri, shut your mouth!"
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang finally lost her temper and rebuked her sternly.
He slammed the prayer beads on the table with a heavy thud.
Are you out of your mind? How long are you going to keep spouting nonsense?
The Empress trembled at the rebuke.
He collapsed to the ground, looking around helplessly.
Her gaze finally fell on the old nanny who had been by her side since childhood, now looking ashen-faced.
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The old nanny watched as her young master, whom she had raised and treated like her own daughter, was in such a sorry state.
His eyes first welled up with endless pain and pity, which then transformed into a tragic and resolute determination.
She took a few steps forward and kowtowed heavily to the ground.
The sound of his forehead hitting the floor tiles was exceptionally clear in the silent hall.
"Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, this old servant is guilty, this old servant deserves to die ten thousand times."
She raised her head, tears streaming down her face, but her gaze remained unusually firm as she looked at Emperor Kangxi and Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang.
His voice was hoarse but incredibly clear.
"It's all this old servant's fault. I was blinded by greed and deceived my superiors, which led to this disaster. Her Majesty the Empress... Her Majesty was completely unaware of the situation."
She hurriedly took all the blame upon herself, her tone both urgent and earnest.
Throughout Kunning Palace, only her status was enough to bear the blame for all the mistakes.
"That sterilization drug for Lady Wanyan was given to her by this old servant because I saw that she was thinking too much and was afraid that she would betray Your Majesty in the future. I took it upon myself to force her to drink it. Your Majesty is kind-hearted. If she knew, she would never allow this old servant to do such a wicked thing. And... and there's also the matter of Prince Chengrui..."
She made a tough decision and, in order to protect the Empress, took the blame for the biggest crime as well.
The voice carried a kind of madness that was willing to risk everything.
"It was also this old servant who, seeing Your Majesty's worry about the matter of the eldest son, took it upon myself to bribe the servants of Zhongcui Palace to open the window. That witchcraft doll was also made by this old servant. I only told Your Majesty after I finished making it. By the time Your Majesty found out, it was too late. She... she did it to protect this old servant and to protect the reputation of the Hesheli family... Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, all the blame lies with this old servant. It was this old servant who implicated Your Majesty. This old servant deserves to die. I only beg Your Majesty and Empress Dowager to see the truth. Your Majesty is innocent. Please spare Your Majesty. This old servant is willing to atone with my death."
This attempt to take the blame encompassed every imaginable charge.
This completely portrays the Empress as a victim who was deceived by wicked servants and forced into a corner.
Emperor Kangxi's gaze shifted slightly as he looked at his grandmother, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang.
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang nodded almost imperceptibly, her eyes reflecting the wisdom gained through life's vicissitudes.
Sacrificing the pawn to save the king is the safest course of action at the moment.
The life of a lackey is worth the temporary stability of the court.
Kangxi took a deep breath, suppressed the surging emotions in his heart, and shouted in a deep voice.
"What an audacious and wicked servant! How dare he commit such heinous acts, framing his master and causing chaos in the palace! Guards!"
The guards outside the hall responded and entered, their armor imposing.
"Take this scoundrel to the Censorate for rigorous interrogation to determine if he has any accomplices, and then..."
Kangxi's voice was cold and stern, devoid of any emotion.
"Show the law and punish such crimes to deter others!"
"Yes, sir!"
The guards obeyed the order and ruthlessly lifted the old woman up.
The old nanny did not struggle, but only gave the Empress one last deep look.
His gaze held a mixture of longing and farewell.
The Empress watched helplessly as the nanny, who was like a second mother to her, was dragged away.
Her heart felt like it was being torn apart. She wanted to plead for mercy, but what could she say?
The old woman risked her life for her and for the Hesheli family to secure a last chance of survival.
If she were to speak, she would be betraying this sacrifice and dragging the entire family back into utter ruin.
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