Reborn as the Crippled King's Beloved
Chapter 437: Granting Death to Consort Jing to Pacify the Wrath of the People

Chapter 437: Chapter 437: Granting Death to Consort Jing to Pacify the Wrath of the People

The Emperor didn’t even know when Consort Jing had left.

She was in a daze, her mind flashing between the image of Mei Yuzong hitting his head and the faces of Mei Yuzong’s parents.

She had long forgotten what they had looked like.

But suddenly, her memories became clear, even imagining the bloody faces of Mei Yuzong’s parents just before they died.

When several young women from the Cold Palace entered and saw this scene, they exchanged looks and silently walked past her from behind, suddenly pinning her arms and legs, and one of them choked Consort Jing from behind.

"Chen Honglian, give back my family’s lives!"

Just when Consort Jing was about to suffocate, they suddenly released her.

For several days after this,

Consort Jing went mad.

"To be precise, she was half-mad but not entirely, maintaining self-awareness, but began to suspect everyone around her, believing that the three members of Mei Yuzong’s family were beside her, turned into evil spirits trying to kill her,"

Murong Jiu had visited the Cold Palace and later spoke to Consort Yun.

Her purpose today was to treat the Young Prince.

It had been continuously raining and temperatures plummeted; many masters in the palace fell ill, including the Young Prince, who had caught a cold.

Fortunately, it wasn’t severe. Consort Yun took good care of him; he just had a fever and cough, which early medication could control.

The Emperor, however, fell seriously ill this time.

Last year, Murong Jiu had mentioned that the Emperor’s health was greatly depleted but was maintained by expensive nourishing medicines, so his decline wasn’t too evident.

However, this time, the Emperor was deeply "hurt" by Consort Jing. He could not tolerate such betrayal and was terrified of gaining a reputation of infamy after death, leading to frequent anger and panic exacerbated by the sudden weather change, so he naturally fell ill.

All three of his sons came to attend to him, but the Emperor was afraid of death. He became even more suspicious than before, fearing his sons would poison him and usurp the throne, just as Consort Jing had said.

Therefore, he sent all his sons away and even specifically ordered that The Third Prince’s comings and goings be restricted, preventing him from acting on behalf of Consort Jing.

Because the Emperor was paranoid and fearful of death, he didn’t call Murong Jiu to take his pulse and instead trusted the Imperial Physicians from within the palace; not even Divine Doctor Miao, whom he valued, was summoned.

He was concerned because Divine Doctor Miao had previously been assigned to The Third Prince, fearing that The Third Prince could manipulate the doctor to endanger his life.

Consort Yun watched her son fall into a deep sleep and let out a long sigh, murmuring,

"I never expected His Majesty to be so afraid of death; didn’t he always say that the Imperial Medical Office was filled with incompetent doctors?"

A hint of mockery appeared in her eyes.

All the eunuchs and palace maids in the palace had been dismissed, and now only Murong Jiu, Consort Yun, and Hong Yi, Murong Jiu’s personal maid, were left.

Thus, Consort Yun spoke without any reservations.

Murong Jiu chuckled and said, "The weaker the body, the greater the fear of death. Being an emperor and holding immense power, how could he bear to give it away to someone else? Why else would emperors throughout history seek immortality?"

Consort Yun also smiled.

Great Yan is in trouble having such an Emperor; if not for Prince Ling, the invincible War God, Great Yan might have already been ruined by this Emperor, who desperately clings to his power. It would be better for him to die early.

But now she was no longer the naive young woman she used to be; she understood the magnitude of the power held by the Emperor, the strength of the seemingly idle noble families in Capital City, who wouldn’t take sides because even with the change of the emperor, their position remained largely unaffected. They were only loyal to the present emperor, loyal to whoever was on the throne.

If there really were a coup, it would unleash a storm of blood and violence.

Only legitimacy and righteousness could ensure a smooth progression.

Prince Ling was an upright gentleman, he didn’t need to plot a coup; he simply needed to eliminate other obstacles gradually, gain support in the court, and compel the Emperor to establish him as the heir.

On the day the Emperor would die, everything would be legitimate and rightful.

Thus, Consort Yun understood why Prince Ling and Princess Consort Ling were never in a hurry, always as stable as Mount Tai.

Only those truly capable possessed such confidence.

Consort Yun, of course, hoped that Prince Ling would become the Emperor, as he would be a wise ruler, perhaps lifting Great Yan to unimaginable heights, and Princess Consort Ling, kind and virtuous, would also be a beneficial Empress for country and people.

"Wouldn’t it be better if he died now?"

Unwittingly, Consort Yun voiced her thoughts aloud.

Hong Yi was startled, and hurriedly stood guard at the door.

Murong Jiu chuckled, "Your Majesty, the Emperor’s illness probably won’t ease anytime soon. When the Young Prince is a bit better, you should attend to the Emperor. The more vulnerable the Emperor’s heart is now, the more he needs you."

The other concubines didn’t dare court disaster, and even if they did visit, the Emperor would not see them, but Consort Yun was different, she had a Young Prince, which held a different significance.

Consort Yun nodded, "Princess Consort, I understand."

She knew Princess Consort Ling was looking out for her interests.

Gaining the Emperor’s trust would be of great practical benefit to her.

Even if it was just for rewards, she had to earn more to provide a wealthy, leisurely life for her son.

Meanwhile, she could sway the Emperor by whispering in his ear to execute Consort Jing sooner.

The Minor Snow season.

On this day, the cold wind howled, and the Emperor, who had been ill for several days, finally attended court.

During this period, the complaints against Consort Jing and the Third Prince snowed into the Imperial Study Room.

Upon seeing the Emperor, these civil and military officials were filled with righteous indignation, vehemently denouncing the cruelty of Consort Jing, which tarnished the Emperor’s reputation.

Naturally, no one dared to accuse the Emperor of being that detestable "Ximen Official"; they only cursed how hateful Consort Jing was.

What was originally a sordid private affair of Consort Jing’s infidelity had now escalated into a matter of state.

The situation was somewhat better in the Capital City, where the Son of Heaven’s feet trod, and regulations were strict.

But in other places, it was utterly uncontrollable. No sooner had the officials warned the public than people gathered again to discuss the matter.

Mainly, there were too many evildoers who kidnapped common women and bullied the villagers; people had long hated them, and what more, the act of a concubine poisoning her husband’s first wife and family was abhorrent. If it were just a rich scoundrel, the public wouldn’t be so agitated, but the perpetrator was the Emperor, the ruler of a country. If even the ruler of Great Yan could commit such acts, wouldn’t it set a precedent for everyone else?

It’s said that many fearless scholars in Yangzhou have come together, intending to travel to the Capital to offer their stubborn remonstrations.

If this isn’t suppressed, the stability of the state could be at risk.

But the Emperor was genuinely ill these days; he was seriously unwell, drowsy and barely recovered, when the submissions of his ministers made his head pound violently again.

He had no patience to continue listening, directly ordering Eunuch Li to read out the causes and effects of the matter and to declare to the world that Consort Jing would be selected for execution.

The ministers, upon hearing that the Emperor had been deceived by Consort Jing, denounced her even more viciously. Whether they believed it or not, it was the best solution available.

The death of Consort Jing, at the very least, would quell the public’s outrage.

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