Reborn as the Crippled King's Beloved
Chapter 434 Your Life is as Insignificant as Grass

Chapter 434: Chapter 434 Your Life is as Insignificant as Grass

Consort Yun looked at the filthy, foul-smelling woman on the ground without any expression.

The Ministry of Justice’s dungeon was built underground; naturally, it was dark and damp. Any palace maid or eunuch who committed a mistake would be shut away here, and the walls were adorned with torture devices still tainted with dark, crimson bloodstains—silent testimony to the suffering of countless souls.

The air was thick with the pungent smell of blood.

The once arrogantly superior Aunt Su Jin, who had falsely ruled by intimidation, now lay prostrate on the filthy, cold ground that not even straw graced; perhaps because the pain had made her constantly writhe about these past few days, her originally fine, unblemished garment could no longer be recognized.

On her face was a sycophantic plea for help, akin to a dog’s desperate whimpering for pity.

Qing Zhi, Gui Zhi, do you see this?

This woman who caused your deaths has finally met her retribution.

"Your Majesty! I can swear to Heaven!" Aunt Su Jin saw the cold, merciless gaze of Consort Yun and felt her last hope plummet, yet she refused to give up this sole opportunity.

Consort Jing had been sent to the Cold Palace, no one could save her now!

Even if Consort Jing were to leave the Cold Palace, Su Jin knew her all too well—Consort Jing would rather place all the blame upon her; how could she possibly come to her rescue?

She said urgently:

"Your Majesty, I know many of Consort Jing’s secrets! I can help you get rid of Consort Jing once and for all!"

Consort Yun sat down on the chair brought by the eunuch, looking down loftily at Su Jin.

She did not inquire about Consort Jing’s secrets but simply spoke indifferently:

"What were Qing Zhi’s last words when she died?"

Su Jin was stunned.

Qing Zhi?

Who was Qing Zhi?

She had no idea who Consort Yun was referring to.

Seeing Su Jin’s reaction, Consort Yun’s gaze turned even icier.

She had drowned Qing Zhi in the lake, and such a living, breathing life had been snuffed out and forgotten utterly by her.

"And what about Gui Zhi?"

Consort Yun said expressionlessly.

"Gui Zhi..." Su Jin pondered, then suddenly her eyes widened in realization.

She certainly remembered Gui Zhi—she was a second-class palace maid by Consort Yun’s side when Consort Yun was still of consort rank.

Consort Yun had suffered an early miscarriage, after which she descended into a state of despair, spending her days in tears. In the beginning, the Emperor still felt compassion for her, but he swiftly grew tired of it.

Isn’t that how it goes in the palace? New favorites are always laughing, while the old ones weep heartbreaking tears.

Isn’t it a common affair for a consort from an ordinary background, pretty as she may be but lacking the skill to secure favor, be spurned and neglected?

Having spent over twenty years in the palace, Su Jin had watched one after another bloom wither away.

And, unsurprisingly, the once naïve and ignorant Consort Yun was also among those that withered away.

Naturally, this meant that the palace maids and eunuchs in her service would hardly fare well either.

Besides, at the time Consort Yun was somewhat close to Princess Consort Ling, and Su Jin deliberately targeted Consort Yun’s people.

Back then, Imperial Noble Consort Qin was like the sun at midday, having recently given birth to a prince, and her favor was at its peak. Even Consort Jing had to restrain herself. As a personal attendant of Consort Jing, she also faced bullying and ridicule from the palace maids of Imperial Noble Consort Qin.

Consort Yun’s palace maid Gui Zhi happened to fall into the line of fire. Pushed out by Su Jin, she offended Imperial Noble Consort Qin and was then beaten to death with clubs.

Su Jin remembered it well because Consort Jing had even rewarded her for it, saying she had set a target for Consort Yun to bring down Imperial Noble Consort Qin.

She had secretly laughed to herself at the time, thinking how could a mere Consort Yun Pin bring down Imperial Noble Consort Qin? After all, Imperial Noble Consort Qin had the entire Western Regions backing her!

But then, Imperial Noble Consort Qin really did fall.

At the time, she didn’t find it frightening because pitting Imperial Noble Consort Qin and Consort Yun Pin, backed by Princess Consort Ling, against each other allowed Consort Jing to sit high and dry, reaping the benefits without expending a soldier or lifting a weapon.

Su Jin had always felt that Consort Jing was blessed with good fortune, easily obtaining everything she desired while staying behind the scenes, with others to solve her troubles for her.

One could just sit by and watch the tigers fight.

But at this moment, she suddenly felt a chill in her heart as she realized that Consort Yun truly remembered such an insignificant palace maid and sought vengeance for her.

Imperial Noble Consort Qin had long since turned to dry bones; she and Consort Jing would be next.

Su Jin panicked, enduring the intense pain of her shattered bones, crawling and kneeling before Consort Yun.

"Your Majesty Consort Yun, it was all Consort Jing who ordered this servant, with my family in her grasp, I had no choice but to follow Consort Jing’s commands! There’s a debtor for every debt, your hate should be directed at Consort Jing!"

Consort Yun still looked at her with an expressionless face, "Is that so? What about Qing Zhi then, has Aunt Su Jin remembered her now? Do you need me to remind you?"

Su Jin’s face showed panic; she knew if she couldn’t remember, Consort Yun would grow even angrier, but she truly couldn’t recall anything—Qing Zhi... who was Qing Zhi!

Consort Yun indeed let out a cold laugh.

"Aunt Su Jin truly has the forgetfulness of nobility. Since that’s the case, bring in the punishment, perhaps Aunt Su Jin will come to her senses and remember who Qing Zhi is."

"Please, no! Your Majesty! I beg you! Spare your servant!"

Su Jin’s pleas were completely useless.

The most dreadful instruments of torture from the Ministry of Justice, which had once been used on others, were all now used on Su Jin.

When she could no longer endure it, a potion was forced into her mouth, making her acutely aware of the immense suffering she was enduring.

Finally, after going over everyone in her mind, she remembered who Qing Zhi was.

Or rather, she didn’t actually remember Qing Zhi’s name; she just remembered one of the palace maids she had killed.

In fact, over the past twenty years, she had killed many palace maids and eunuchs. In such a cutthroat cage where power meant everything, she knew she had the favor of Consort Jing while others did not. Thus, those who trampled on her were numerous, and when an opportunity arose, she would use any means necessary to make them dead or crippled without any links traced back to her.

She was a master at using others to do her dirty work.

The more people she killed, the more she trivialized life.

That palace maid named Qing Zhi had stumbled and dirtied the embroidery shoes she had just newly made, a pair she had crafted herself over half a month, only to be soiled on the first day by the clumsy maid.

She scolded that young palace maid.

After learning the other party was just an insignificant palace maid from the quarters of an un-favored concubine, she felt even more disdain for her.

Thus, with Consort Jing’s indulgence, she had the maids and eunuchs push the young palace maid into the icy lake.

Watching the maid struggle flounderingly in the water satisfied her heart.

Neither Consort Jing nor she ever took such an insignificant life seriously.

By making an example of a lowly palace maid, no one dared to underestimate her as a senior maid again.

"It seems Aunt Su Jin has finally remembered."

Consort Yun looked at her coldly, "When you considered other’s lives as worthless as grass, you surely never imagined that one day, your own life would be as worthless as grass."

"Your Majesty! Your servant knows her wrongs! It was all Consort Jing ordering your servant to harm others! Your Majesty, you are known for your kind heart, please forgive your servant!"

Forgiveness?

Consort Yun sneered; she thought letting Su Jin die now would be too easy on her.

She wanted her to experience the suffocating helplessness Qing Zhi felt while drowning, as well as the agony of Gui Zhi whose spine was broken by a brutal beating!

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