Reborn as the Crippled King's Beloved
Chapter 433: The Servant Works Like an Ox and Horse for You

Chapter 433: Chapter 433: The Servant Works Like an Ox and Horse for You

Start anew...?

Mei Yuzong watched the indescribable radiance in the girl’s eyes, her exuberant tone of voice seemed to slowly revive his decaying heart.

Could it be that his life still had the option to "start anew"?

"Troupe leader, you have avenged your great grudge, that evil woman has been cast into the Cold Palace, and now her scandal is being talked about everywhere. However, however, it’s better for you not to listen."

Rumors of the scandal grew more and more exaggerated, painting the troupe leader as some sort of male succubus. But the troupe leader was no male succubus, he was the most upright man under the heavens!

A good man who avenges his grudges!

"What about the others, did they all leave the palace smoothly?"

"They’ve all left the palace!" Xiao Yuyu said, "Rest assured, the Emperor has no time to deal with us. After investigating and ensuring there are no issues with Consort Qi and Qiu Sheng, the Emperor kicked us out of the palace. But for safety reasons, Prince Ling sent all the brothers and sisters out of the city. Once you’ve recovered, we can go find them."

Mei Yuzong shook his head: "I can’t go. From now on, Mei Yuzong will no longer exist in this world."

Staying with the troupe, it would only be a matter of time before someone realized he had faked his death, which could implicate Prince Ling and Princess Consort Ling.

Xiao Yuyu laughed and said, "Princess Consort Ling has already spoken with me. She said if you want to return to the troupe, she will give you a human skin mask and help you assume a new identity to enter the troupe."

After that, she lowered her voice, speaking words of great treason: "The Princess Consort said that when the Emperor passes away one day, you won’t need to wear the mask anymore."

Hearing this, Mei Yuzong couldn’t help but laugh.

Xiao Yuyu also laughed: "If you don’t want to go back to the troupe, that’s fine too. Wherever you want to go, Xiao Yuyu will accompany you. The world is vast, there are plenty of places for us to stay."

The world is vast...

Mei Yuzong thought to himself that his spirit was not as broad as that of a young girl.

Yes, the world is vast, why confine oneself to sulking in a corner?

"Don’t rush to think about these things, there’s still plenty of time in the future, the most important thing for you now is to take good care of your health!"

Mei Yuzong smiled and nodded.

He did not want to leave yet because the Emperor had not yet decided the fate of Consort Jing.

He wanted to know that Consort Jing would have no chance of turning over a new leaf.

Of course, Consort Jing had no chance of turning over a new leaf.

"The Emperor has already sent people to Consort Jing’s hometown, and he will soon find out the whole truth about what happened back then."

Jun Yuyan said so to Murong Jiu.

After they had finished dinner, one holding a child in each arm, they took a walk in the back garden to aid their digestion.

The children were heavy in their arms, looking just like the cherubs in paintings, fair and delicate, very endearing. Hence, despite the weight, Murong Jiu liked to hold and tease them.

Jun Yuyan’s arms were strong and muscular, with good-looking muscle contours underneath his robes. When Murong Jiu grew tired, he would take the children into his own arms, one Zhijin and one Zhiyu, both hands steady and sure.

The two little ones liked being held like that by their father even more, emitting giggles during their play and baring their few little teeth in smiles, absolutely adorable.

Murong Jiu pinched the soft cheeks of her son and daughter and said, "Now that things are settled, the Emperor should not think about the matter of establishing a Crown Prince anymore."

The "settled matter" she referred to was Consort Jing’s inability to turn her situation around.

Consort Jing had been insisting on her innocence, trying to shift the Emperor’s suspicion onto Consort Qi, for the Emperor to find the torn clothing of Consort Qi, which naturally was not found because the scene was crowded and chaotic.

When the Emperor came in, Mei Yuzong had kicked the clothes under a cabinet, and the guards Jun Yuyan had arranged quietly cleared them away without anyone noticing.

Unable to find the clothes, Consort Jing was not resigned, she said that the outfit worn by Consort Qi that had the tea spilled on it must have disappeared and asked the Emperor to investigate.

However, Consort Qi had actually prepared two identical outfits in advance, and the one with the tea stains on it was still in her palace.

The Emperor felt that he was being repeatedly played by Consort Jing and was also bothered by Consort Qi’s incessant crying, which gave him a headache. He summoned the Imperial Physician, who said that his anger was damaging his liver and his heart rhythm was irregular, and it was not advisable for him to get angry, to prevent a short lifespan.

Of course, the Imperial Physician spoke very tactfully.

Upon hearing that his anger could shorten his life, the Emperor’s resentment towards Consort Jing grew even deeper.

Murong Jiu could not help but admire Jun Yuyan for knowing the Emperor so well.

As a result, the Emperor had no inclination to think of a dignified charge for Consort Jing and threw her into the Cold Palace, and he specifically ordered that she be made to suffer.

There were more opportunists in the palace than anywhere else. Once this incident occurred, most people felt that Consort Jing would never be able to turn the tables. There were especially many who kicked her while she was down, and the number of people ingratiating themselves with Consort Qi and Consort Yun increased.

The Emperor dispatched his trusted aides to investigate Consort Jing’s affairs. The evidence was sufficient to erode the affection he had accumulated for her over the years.

Moreover, Consort Jing was very clear about the foundation on which the Emperor’s small amount of affection for her was built.

And for the sake of The Third Prince, she dared not reveal a single word.

"By the way, my husband, do you think father would harbor any inappropriate thoughts towards the Empress Dowager because of this?"

Murong Jiu whispered with a bit of worry.

Consort Jing was a stand-in, but if the stand-in was gone, would the Emperor go mad for the real person?

No one could be sure about that.

"Ah Jiu, don’t worry. As long as Consort Jing is dead, father won’t be able to switch her with anyone else."

What was meant by "switching the beams for the pillars" was to forcibly bring the Empress Dowager into the palace to replace Consort Jing, but if Consort Jing were dead, such a thing naturally could not happen.

The Emperor couldn’t just bring the Empress Dowager into the palace without any legitimate reason and confine her there. Considering how much the Emperor cared for the Empress Dowager, if he intended to seize her by force, he would have done so long ago. This must be the last bit of humanity the Emperor had.

"Father is furious right now; he probably hasn’t thought of this yet. If he does get this idea, I will have people in the palace take action, and then let everyone in the palace know that Consort Jing is dead."

Murong Jiu nodded, as there was nothing else to be done.

Besides, the Empress Dowager had people sent by Jun Yuyan to protect her. If the Emperor ever intended to do anything, they would be able to respond.

Even if the Empress Dowager did enter the palace, they had ways to get her out.

...

"Your Majesty! Consort Yun! Please, I beg you, save me. I am willing to work like an ox or a horse to repay your kindness!"

In the Ministry of Justice, Aunt Su Jin lay prostrate, struggling to survive.

Her back was covered with bloodstains from the flogging, and after three days, the mangled flesh seemed to have merged with the ragged clothing. If it hadn’t been for the cold weather, the wounds might have started to rot and breed maggots by now.

During these days, she’d been barely conscious. The Emperor had ordered her to be beaten to death with rotten sticks, but she hadn’t died. Just when she was barely hanging on to life, a eunuch had force-fed her some medicine.

Someone had saved her!

Aunt Su Jin harbored hope. When she saw that her savior was Consort Yun, she pushed her painfully injured body and shouted excitedly.

Consort Yun saving her must mean she was useful to Consort Yun!

Why would the Emperor care about a trivial palace maid like her? As long as Consort Yun spoke well of her in front of the Emperor, she could keep her life!