Reborn as the Crippled King's Beloved
Chapter 386 Shut Her Up!

Chapter 386: Chapter 386 Shut Her Up!

"Do you not know what has happened? If you don’t know, go ask your mother, the Empress, she must be aware!"

The Emperor’s voice was filled with anger as his icy gaze swept towards the Empress.

The Empress’s fingers trembled, yet she forced herself to suppress it and said with feigned calm:

"This servant does not know what exactly has happened, nor why Nanny Xu is here. The moment this servant heard from the eunuch that Consort Yun had fallen in the Imperial Garden, this servant rushed over immediately, pleading for Your Majesty to investigate."

The Fifth Princess anxiously added, "Yes, Father, the concubine mother and I were together talking, Nanny Xu was not serving nearby, and as to why she came here, both the concubine mother and I are unaware."

Both she and the Empress dared not say more, fearing that saying more might lead to mistakes.

The Emperor scoffed, "Ah Jiu, you tell us, what exactly happened just now!"

"Yes." Murong Jiu looked towards the Empress:

"In response to Mother’s question, this servant was just accompanying Consort Yun for a walk in the Imperial Garden when a palace maid found a Witchcraft Doll buried beneath a peony. The discovery of such an object is no trivial matter — guards nearby were all drawn to investigate. Suddenly two eunuchs carrying trays walked by, one of whom bumped into this servant. Consort Yun was right next to this servant, and the angle and force of the collision from the eunuch were severe. Fortunately, the maid Hong Yi, who had learned martial arts and was always vigilant, steadied this servant and prevented Consort Yun from being struck down and causing a major disaster."

The Fifth Princess clenched her fists secretly, angered at the two eunuchs for being incompetent, not even able to manage such a small task.

Yet the Empress’s face turned increasingly pale.

As she had not planned for the eunuchs to push Murong Jiu, although the two eunuchs were indeed her men, this was not part of her plans.

Her unease grew stronger and stronger.

Murong Jiu continued, "Hong Yi subdued that eunuch, but he committed suicide by poisoning himself. However, the other eunuch decisively revealed the truth, stating he was instigated by Her Majesty the Empress."

The Empress angrily retorted, "Nonsense! This palace would never do such a thing!"

"My mother could never have ordered the eunuch to harm Consort Yun; this must be a wrongful framing! Father! Mother had just been released from confinement and has been keeping a low profile, certainly not someone to cause trouble, and she is not such a vile person! Who exactly wants to harm Mother!"

The Fifth Princess panicked, slowly realizing that they might have fallen into someone else’s trap.

"Consort Yun, you are currently highly favored; surely there would be many who wish you harm. Have you offended anyone recently, someone who might seek to put you to death? And about the Eldest Imperial Sister-in-law, the eunuch did not push Consort Yun directly but only you. Is there not something questionable in this situation?"

The Fifth Princess wished to drag everyone down with her, stirring the waters to muddy them further, so the Emperor would direct his anger towards others, not focusing on her mother.

There would be no trouble, there must be no trouble. As far as she knew, her mother had harmed no less than ten concubines over the years, but her father had never suspected her mother, nor had any evidence been caught. She believed that this time, her mother would surely be able to escape smoothly.

The Emperor’s inherently commanding presence made her involuntarily shiver with a cold gaze upon her.

Why was Father’s gaze so cold-blooded?

"Ah Jiu, continue," said the Emperor.

The Emperor stood embracing Consort Yun with an expressionless face.

Everyone present knew that this was a prelude to an approaching storm.

Murong Jiu said, "This eunuch claimed he was instructed by Mother, which Consort Yun and I did not believe. In a bid to redeem himself, the eunuch implicated Nanny Xu, claiming she had bribed a palace maid who served tea to Consort Yun to poison her in an attempt to frame me."

"Impossible!"

"Fifth Princess, stay calm. In fact, all that the eunuch said was true, Consort Yun and I summoned Father here, and knowing of the scheme, Father decided to lure out the wolf from the den. Indeed, a colorless and odorless poison was found in the tea served in the pavilion, and the palace maid was caught on the spot. Overwhelmed by Father’s imperial power, she confessed Nanny Xu’s involvement. Father is the sovereign of all under heaven, but he would not allow anyone to be wrongfully accused, so using the maid’s confession as an excuse, he lured Nanny Xu here. Mother, Fifth Princess, it was Father who personally executed Nanny Xu. Do you still think this plot was meant to frame others?"

The Fifth Princess’s face lost all color as she shook her head vigorously, saying that Nanny Xu was not acting under the orders of the Empress, who absolutely could not have done such a thing.

However, the Emperor’s expression was cold and detached, making it clear he had already decided the truth in his heart and would not listen to any excuses.

To ensure that the Empress fully admitted her guilt, the Emperor ordered the involved eunuch and Palace Maid to be brought over.

They hesitated not a moment to expose the Empress.

"Empress, do you have anything else to say?"

The Emperor looked coldly at the Empress.

The Fifth Princess continued to defend the Empress, but the Emperor did not listen at all.

After the initial panic, the Empress strangely calmed down, and a cold smile appeared on her face repeatedly.

Everyone thought the Empress had gone mad.

At such a time, she could actually smile!

Murong Jiu knew very well, however, that this was just the Empress venting her desperation.

She had been ingesting poison for nearly half a year, severely affecting her mental state, and this incident had deeply provoked her.

As expected, the Empress suddenly said to the Emperor:

"Your Majesty, you wanted to get rid of me long ago, didn’t you? You deliberately made me jealous, luring me into your trap, even using the pregnant Consort Yun as bait. Consort Yun, do you think the Emperor truly loves you? In his eyes, you are merely a tool for bearing children, an item to prove that he can still produce offspring!"

The Emperor, feeling his motives exposed, could not contain his fury, "Empress, how dare you!"

"Your Majesty, don’t be angry. The Empress is trying to sow discord. How could I believe someone who wants to harm me? I don’t believe a word she says," Consort Yun said softly.

The Emperor’s expression did not ease, and he coldly told the Empress, "You plotted against the royal heir and framed the Princess Consort Ling, and over the years, God knows how many evils you’ve committed. I suspect that the miscarriages and misfortunes of the other Concubines in earlier years were your doing, and I intend to investigate thoroughly!"

The Fifth Princess fell to the ground, her lips pale.

Even she could hear the implication in her father’s words; the Emperor intended to severely punish the Empress, and it was no longer just about confinement. He wanted to dig up past affairs to pin more and graver charges on the Empress!

The Emperor wanted the Empress to die!!

The Fifth Princess was panic-stricken.

The cold smile on the Empress’s face grew even more mocking.

"Your Majesty really is heartless towards me, all to make room for Consort Jing by staging such a grand scheme."

"I have no idea what you are talking about. All I know is that your sins are abundant, and for years, I have been deceived by your pretense. After the investigation is concluded, I will ensure justice is served and you no longer have the chance to harm others. Guards, take the Empress away!"

The Empress laughed loudly, "Those words, only you believe them, Your Majesty! Everyone knows who you really love! What is Consort Jing but a stand-in! You think you are steadfast in love, but you are merely deceiving yourself!"

The Emperor’s face changed drastically, "Gag her!"