novelhk Chapter 150 The Murderer Who Killed the Empress
Chapter 150 The Murderer Who Killed the Empress
"I went to pay my respects to the Empress Dowager for the New Year. My grandmother and mother came. Oh, don't even mention it. It really makes me so angry. The man my cousin married is a real scoundrel. His brother died not long ago, his body was still warm, and he got involved with his widowed sister-in-law and got her pregnant."
That old woman is no good either. She wants that man to take on two wives. Oh my god, does she have a mine or a throne to inherit? Does she have to have a son to carry on the family line? Is she seriously ill? Waaah, what are you doing...?
Li Yuanke released his grip, shook it off (it was covered in her saliva), and wiped it with her handkerchief. "Speak properly, and don't swear!"
"I'll have my cousin go to the palace tomorrow afternoon to find out what happened! She's really stupid, isn't she? Why keep such a scumbag around? Are all the men in the world dead? Three-legged toads are hard to find, but two-legged men are easy to find!"
"Shut up!" Li Yuanke said. "You're getting more and more worked up. How can you be like this? You're supposed to advise people to reconcile, not separate, but you're the one advising them to separate."
"Divorce my ass! Divorce would be too good for him! He wants to divorce me!" Shen Shixi cursed, gritting her teeth in anger.
Although she is my aunt's cousin, we have had a good relationship since childhood. Cousin Hanyun is a typical well-bred lady, dignified and gentle, and beautiful. Shen Shixi is a looks-obsessed person and likes this cousin very much.
Besides, she didn't think much of the marriage back then, but as soon as her father spoke up, her aunt agreed with profuse thanks, thinking that marrying down would make her cherish the relationship.
"This whole thing is my dad's fault!"
"How does this have to do with your dad again?"
"The righteous are often butchers, while the ungrateful are often scholars! Back then, my father took a fancy to that bastard surnamed He, and I said he was no good. What good is his education? But my father insisted on valuing his education."
You didn't see that kind of determination. If my eldest sister hadn't insisted on marrying you back then, he definitely would have betrothed her to this man. When my eldest sister was going to enter the Eastern Palace, my father went to find my uncle, saying, "Oh my, that guy, what a golden catch! We can't let him fall into someone else's hands."
Li Yuanke didn't speak, mainly because he didn't want to talk about her sister after she was mentioned.
"You can't force things. Sure enough, only a few years have passed! Taking a concubine or something is understandable, following the trend. But to have an affair with your widowed sister-in-law, isn't that disgusting? What a stupid idiot, what a disgraceful thing!"
Li Yuanke couldn't keep up and didn't know how to respond. He was also hungry. "Let's eat. Then stay with me for a nap. I'm exhausted after the New Year!"
Unexpectedly, people from Fengyi Palace arrived outside, saying that the Empress wanted to speak with the Emperor.
"I know, I'll go over after I've had my meal!" Li Yuanke said somewhat impatiently.
He was mainly tired; he hadn't slept well for the past few days.
It's been a never-ending cycle of staying up all night and holding banquets.
After finishing their meal, Li Yuanke wasn't in a hurry. After the two of them ate a hearty meal, he took Shen Shixi's arm and went to sleep.
Shen Shixi hadn't been getting enough rest lately either. After the two lay down in bed, they fell asleep without exchanging more than a few words.
I don't know how long I slept.
Shen Shixi woke up, while Li Yuanke was still asleep.
There is also a grand banquet at Qianyuan Palace today, which is also for the officials. The banquet will continue until the fifth day of the month.
The imperial seal was opened on the 20th day of the first lunar month.
Just as she was about to get up, Li Yuanke put his arm around her waist. "Awake? Still sleeping?"
"I'm not sleeping anymore, I'm getting up."
He then let go.
After Shen Shixi got up, he didn't get up either. He remained lying flat on the bed with the back of his hand covering his eyes. He lay there for a while before reluctantly getting up.
Shen Shixi asked Lan Ying to comb his hair, change his clothes, put his hair crown back on, and wipe his face with a hot towel before he was more awake. He then instructed Li Fude, "Have someone take Lady Fan to the Empress's palace."
The plot to murder the Empress was orchestrated by Lady Fan. The fire that broke out in Consort Li's palace was also a tacit collaboration between Lady Fan and Lady Xu.
Xu had oil stolen and spilled on the floor and pillars of Zhenxia Pavilion. Fan, on the other hand, used her own people to place the coal that had been replaced on the oiled floor, near the pillars.
The residual heat from the coal is enough to ignite a fire.
The Empress could not believe that Lady Fan was someone her mother had given her, an accomplice in the palace.
Although he knew that Fan was someone whom the Prince of Jin and his associates had framed in the past, Li Yuanke never dealt with Fan. Even after ascending the throne, he did not forget Fan when he was promoted.
When the emperor arrived, the empress struggled to get up and pay her respects, but the emperor said, "No need for formalities, you should lie down, your health is more important."
He sat down by the bed. The empress looked unwell; even with thick makeup, she couldn't hide her dejected appearance.
"My miscarriage has caused me a lot of trouble, especially for Consort Chen," the Empress said, still trying to probe.
"Um."
The emperor simply responded with a nod and said nothing more, leaving the empress somewhat puzzled.
"Speak your mind, I'm listening!" he advised.
"Your Majesty, I have two matters to discuss. First, it is New Year's Eve. I originally intended to ask Your Majesty for permission on New Year's Eve, when everyone is in a good mood, to raise the ranks of all the ladies in the palace. I would also like to benefit from Consort Chen's influence."
They have served the Emperor for a year and have worked hard. I wonder what the Emperor's opinion is.
The promotion shouldn't be limited to just Lady Shen; the Empress is just trying to curry favor.
Now that the power in the palace is no longer in her hands, she cannot let the people in the palace forget her.
The emperor was indifferent. "Since the empress has come up with this idea, let's proceed according to her suggestion. Just draft the plan and give it to me!"
The Empress secretly breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes! On behalf of my sisters in the palace, I thank Your Majesty for your great favor!"
"What else?"
"And then there's the matter of the Second Prince!"
"What's wrong with the Second Prince?"
"Now that the Second Prince has lost his mother, I should, in principle, bring him to the palace to raise him. However, I am currently very weak, and even the palace affairs need to be handled by Consort Chen. I am thinking, perhaps we should find a foster mother for the Second Prince?"
The emperor nodded. "I'll consider it."
The Empress was slightly disappointed that she hadn't even asked for her opinion, so she forced a suggestion, "Your Majesty, you must have forgotten about the old folks who came from the Prince's residence to the Eastern Palace and then followed Your Majesty to the inner palace..."
"I haven't forgotten!" The emperor gave her a meaningful look. "Li Fude!"
Li Fude then said, "Bring the person up!"
Lady Fan was brought in, and two men escorted her to kneel before the Empress's bed. The Empress sat up in shock, bewildered and confused. "Your Majesty, what is this?"
The emperor slowly picked up his teacup and took a sip. Li Fude then said to Madam Fan, "Speak for yourself!"
Having already endured immense torture, Lady Fan dared not disobey the Emperor in the present moment. "I am willing to confess!"
The Empress suddenly remembered many things, and she gripped the bedding tightly as she listened to Lady Fan's testimony:
"The musk deer in Your Majesty's palace was secretly planted by me. Your Majesty, no one wants you to give birth to a legitimate son!" Her tone was calm, but her eyes were filled with madness as she looked at the Empress.
The Empress was struck dumb. "You were the one who put out the fertility-inducing incense?"
"It was I who put it there!" said Madam Fan. "Even if you had drunk the contraceptive soup that day, you would still have gotten pregnant. However, you wouldn't have conceived until now and miscarried. Your Majesty, after this, your body is no longer suitable for pregnancy."
"Why? Why? You wicked woman!" The Empress lunged at her like a madwoman, but Granny Qu quickly caught her. "Your Majesty, please don't be agitated. The Emperor is dealing with her. You just miscarried; you mustn't get angry, Your Majesty!"
The Emperor stood up. "Fan Shi is to be beaten to death and thrown out of the palace. The Empress should take good care of herself. You all should serve her diligently!"
After giving his instructions, he left.
The Empress was not given another chance to speak.