46: Princess Langhuan (Please collect and read)

Chapter 46: Princess Langhuan (Please Bookmark and Keep Reading)

"Your Majesty! Have mercy! Your Majesty!"

"Empress Dowager, Empress Dowager, have mercy! I beg you to spare my Family, I beg you..."

"Empress Dowager, Empress Dowager..."

The shrill cries of Fangcao and Granny Wang echoed, yet they were dragged out mercilessly by the Jinyi Guard all the same.

Soon, a series of heavy thudding sounds echoed from outside.

As far as executions went, second only to lingering death, beating to death with staffs was the most gruesome.

An intact human being beaten to death alive with wooden staffs—no one could endure it.

Unlike decapitation, where it was over as soon as your eyes closed.

Inside the Empress's bedchamber, everyone was silent as winter cicadas, not daring to breathe loudly.

The four babies seemed to be frightened by this tense atmosphere as well and immediately burst out crying.

"Waaah, waaah..."

The Empress snapped back to reality and hurriedly said, "The baby... quickly bring my baby to me..."

The nanny holding the Empress's daughter quickly took a few steps forward and handed the girl to the Empress.

"Sob sob, my baby, my baby..."

The Empress Dowager beside her couldn't help saying, "Lu Liner, there is no need to be sad. As long as the child is back, that is all that matters."

"Emperor."

Then, she turned to Zheng Yi and said, "Fangcao is an old servant of the palace after all, having served this old woman and the Empress for over twenty years with great meritorious service."

"Although she committed a capital offense, her Family is innocent. I ask that the Emperor show mercy and spare Fangcao's Family..."

"Oh? How does the Empress Dowager plan to handle them?"

"How... how about banishing them to Nanyue County, just like Granny Wang's Family?"

"Heh..."

Zheng Yi sneered, "Fangcao is suspected of plotting against imperial offspring. Does Royal Mother truly wish to plead for her?"

"If I had not noticed today, the imperial lineage would have been swapped by someone!"

"This person's crime is heinous in the extreme. How can she be let off?"

"If everyone else, for their own selfish gains, plots against imperial offspring or even goes a step further, thinking that even failure merely means banishment..."

"Sacrificing oneself to exchange for a century of wealth, honor, and safety for their Family, taking risks to commit treacherous acts..."

"Does Royal Mother truly wish for things to be this way?"

"This..."

The Empress Dowager's expression was exceedingly unsightly as she could only say, "Everything shall be as the Emperor says."

"Chengen."

"this servant is here."

"Investigate the identities of those three pregnant women and take them all away!"

"Understood!"

Soon, all irrelevant people withdrew from the bedchamber, leaving only the Empress Dowager, the Empress, Zheng Yi, and the child in her arms.

Zheng Yi said straightforwardly, "Royal Mother, I do not wish to look deeper into this matter. Let it end here."

"The inner palace must not fall into chaos."

"This old woman understands."

The Empress Dowager said, "Upon returning, I shall go to the Yuhua Pavilion to pray to the Buddha and will not leave unless there is a major affair."

"That is for the best."

Zheng Yi nodded and said, "Lu Liner, you have just given birth, rest well."

"This matter has nothing to do with you; do not take it to heart."

Lu Liner grew anxious and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, you have not named our daughter yet."

"Name her..."

Zheng Yi said, "Let her be named Zheng Yuhuan, Zheng Yuhuan. Bestow upon her the title: Princess Langhuan."

"Princess Langhuan?"

The Empress said in pleasant surprise, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

"Also, Lu Liner, as you have just given birth, you need quiet rest. Leave the management of the six palaces to Consort Duan."

Without waiting for her to speak, Zheng Yi said, "Alright, Lu Liner, get a good rest. I still have important matters to attend to."

Saying so, he didn't give the two women a chance to speak and turned to leave.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."

"Emperor..."

Lu Liner lay on the bed, watching Zheng Yi's departing back, filled with grief.

"Sob sob, Your Majesty, it has nothing to do with this concubine, it really has nothing to do with me..."

The Empress Dowager patted her shoulder and said, "Sigh, Lu Liner, stop crying out. I was a bit too impatient this time, sigh..."

"Aunt, why? Why?"

Lu Liner said with red eyes, "His Majesty is still young. Now that he and I have a daughter, if you just give us a little more time, there will definitely be an imperial prince! Why were you in such a rush?"

The Empress Dowager shook her head and said, "Was I not doing this for you, for the Lu Family?"

"Do you know that the Emperor is currently obsessed with immortal cultivation and has even formed an institution called the 'Grand Secretariat' to govern state affairs?"

"Although your father was selected into the Grand Secretariat, he is merely the Junior Grand Secretary rather than the Senior Grand Secretary—the Senior Grand Secretary is Xu Mujun!"

"Today's Xu Mujun has gained immense power at court through suppressing the rebellion of Yang Reverse. If this continues, our Lu Family is bound to clash with him."

"Even your position as Empress might be stolen by Consort Duan!"

The Empress Dowager said cautiously, "If you had given birth to an imperial prince, it would have been fine. Unfortunately, it's a princess. If Consort Duan gives birth to a prince and His Majesty considers establishing an heir..."

"It won't happen, it won't happen."

Lu Liner hurriedly shook her head, "Emperor Brother still loves me. Aunt, look at the title he gave to Zheng Yuhuan: Princess Langhuan. That is..."

Speaking up to here, Lu Liner suddenly paused.

"Zheng Yuhuan, Zheng Yuhuan, Princess Langhuan?"

"How... how could it be..."

Only then did the Empress Dowager say, "Did you only just realize?"

"Zheng Yuhuan, Zheng Yuhuan, Princess Langhuan."

"His Majesty named your eldest daughter 'Huan', identical to the traitor's daughter Consort Shu Yang Huan, specifically to warn you and me."

"Furthermore, His Majesty revoked your authority to manage the six palaces and gave it to Consort Duan. Are you still not awake to reality?"

The Empress Dowager exhaled a long breath and added, "Lu Liner, I am going to Yuhua Pavilion to meditate. There will be few opportunities to help you in the future."

"Fortunately for today's matter, Aunt Fangcao took all the blame alone. Regrettably, the Emperor did not give me the chance to save Fangcao's Family."

"From now on, the people around me will no longer think of my interests in everything."

"In this vast imperial palace, you can only rely on yourself from now on."

The Empress said with a sorrowful look, "Royal Mother, Lu... Lu Liner understands..."

On the way back to his palace, Liu Chengen stepped up quickly.

"Your Majesty, the identities of those three pregnant women have all been cleared up."

"Oh? What are their identities?"

"Two of them are peasant women from mountain villages around the capital, brought into the palace under cover of night a month ago. They knew nothing of what was happening and thought they were abducted by villains."

Liu Chengen said, "However, the third person is a woman from a branch of the Lu Family, who was brought into the palace long ago."

"That boy—which pregnant woman gave birth to him?"

"The Lu Family..."

"The Lu Family... Very good, Empress Dowager!"

Zheng Yi muttered, "The mastermind behind this must be the Empress Dowager, while the Empress might have known vaguely. As for Lu Xiangqing..."

Grand Secretariat Junior Grand Secretary Lu Xiangqing.

In Zheng Yi's mind appeared the figure of Lu Xiangqing, a thin elderly man.

He had already reached the pinnacle of an official's career, and with Xu Mujun pressing down on him, he would not take such wild risks.

The Empress Dowager, on the other hand...

As a woman, she was most skilled in these inner palace intrigues.

But being the Empress Dowager, unless there were an immense crime, she could not be convicted.

Unless...

Zheng Yi thought to himself, when he saw a young eunuch running over hurriedly.

"Halt!"

Liu Chengen stepped in front of Zheng Yi: "His Majesty is present! What manner of behavior is this, acting in such a panic?"

The young eunuch dropped to his knees with a thud and said quickly, "Liu Chengen, you previously mentioned that if there were news of Lord Shen Xing, I should report it first. That is why this servant..."

"Shen Xing is back?"

Zheng Yi asked in pleasant surprise, "Where is he?"

"R-reporting to Your Majesty, Lord Shen Xing has indeed returned and is currently waiting outside Hall of Neutral Harmony for an audience!"

"Summon Shen Xing at once!"

Zheng Yi said with satisfaction, "You did very well. What is your name?"

"this servant is Little Gui Zi!"

"From now on, wait for orders at Qiankun Hall."

"Understood!"