Chapter 46: Chapter 46: Princess Langhuan

“Your Majesty! Spare me! Your Majesty!”

“Empress Dowager, Empress Dowager, spare me, please let my family go, I’m begging you…”

“Empress Dowager, Empress Dowager…”

The heartrending screams of Fangcao and Granny Wang still echoed, yet they were ruthlessly dragged away by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Soon, there came a sound of ’bang bang bang’ from outside.

When it comes to executions, aside from being sliced to death, being beaten to death is the most horrific.

A person in perfect health, being brutally beaten to death with rods, no one can withstand that.

Unlike beheading, where once the eyes are closed, it’s over.

In the Empress’s sleeping quarters, everyone was as silent as cicadas in winter, not daring to breathe heavily.

The four infants seemed to be frightened by the tense atmosphere and immediately began to cry.

“Wah wah, wah wah wah…”

The Empress came back to her senses and hurriedly said, “The child, quickly, bring my child to me…”

The nurse holding the Empress’s daughter quickly took two steps forward and handed the daughter to the Empress.

“Sob sob sob, my child, my child…”

The Empress Dowager beside her couldn’t help but say, “Lin’er, there’s no need to be sad, the child has returned.”

“Emperor.”

She then addressed Zheng Yi, “Fangcao has been an elder in the palace, taking care of me and the Empress for over twenty years, with much labor and merit.”

“Though she has committed a capital crime, her family is innocent. I ask the Emperor to be merciful and spare Fangcao’s family…”

“Oh? How does the Empress Dowager intend to deal with it?”

“Just like Granny Wang’s family, exiling them to Nanyue County, how about that?”

“Heh…”

Zheng Yi sneered, “Fangcao is suspected of attempting to murder the royal offspring, Mother truly wants to plead for her?”

“Had I not realized it today, the Royal Family’s offspring would have long been swapped!”

“Such a heinous crime, how can it be forgiven?”

“If everyone acts for their own benefit, attempting to harm the royal offspring, thinking that even if they fail, it’s just exile.”

“To exchange one’s self for the family’s hundred years of wealth and safety, taking the risk to commit treasonous acts.”

“Mother, is this truly what you desire?”

“This…”

The Empress Dowager’s face was also very unpleasant to look at, and she could only say, “Let everything be as the Emperor decides.”

“Cheng’en.”

“This servant is here.”

“Identify those three pregnant women’s identities and take them all away!”

“Understood!”

Soon, all irrelevant people left the sleeping quarters, leaving only the Empress Dowager, the Empress, Zheng Yi, and the child in her arms.

Zheng Yi straightforwardly said, “Mother, I do not want to delve deeper into this matter, let it end here.”

“The Harem must not fall into disorder.”

“I understand.” The Empress Dowager said, “Upon returning, I will go to Yuhua Pavilion to pray to Buddha and not step out unless it’s a major issue.”

“That would be best.”

Zheng Yi nodded and said, “Lin’er, you have just given birth, you should rest more.”

“This matter has nothing to do with you, do not let it weigh on your mind.”

Lu Lin’er panicked and quickly said, “Your Majesty, you haven’t given our daughter a name yet.”

“A name…”

Zheng Yi said, “Let’s call her Yuhuan, Zheng Yuhuan. Bestow her the title: Princess Langhuan.”

“Princess Langhuan?”

The Empress said joyfully, “Thank you, Your Majesty!”

“And Lin’er, since you’ve just given birth and need to recuperate, leave the management of the Six Palaces to Consort Duann.”

Without waiting for her to speak, Zheng Yi said, “Very well, Lin’er, you must rest now, I have other matters to attend to.”

With that said, he didn’t give the two women a chance to speak, turned around, and left.

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty…”

“Emperor…”

Lu Lin’er lay on the bed, staring at Zheng Yi’s departing back, filled with sorrow.

“Sob sob sob, Your Majesty, it has nothing to do with me, it really doesn’t…”

The Empress Dowager patted her shoulder and said, “Ah Lin’er, stop calling, this time I was a bit rash, ah…”

“Aunt, why? Why?”

Lu Lin’er said with red eyes, “The Emperor is still young, since we have a daughter, give us more time, we will surely have a prince, why are you in such a hurry?”

The Empress Dowager shook her head and said, “It’s not all for you, it’s for the Lu Family.”

“Do you know, the Emperor is now obsessed with immortal cultivation and has established an institution called ’Cabinet’ to govern state affairs.”

“Your father, although selected into the Cabinet, is only the Vice Chief Minister, not the Chief Minister, and the Chief Minister is Xu Mujun!”

“Now Xu Mujun, taking advantage of the suppression of Yang Ni rebellion, has gained immense power in the court, if this continues, our Lu family is bound to clash with him.”

“Even your position as Empress could be taken by Consort Duann!”

The Empress Dowager cautiously said, “If you can bear a prince, it would be fine, but unfortunately, it’s a princess, and if Consort Duann bears a prince, the Emperor might entertain thoughts of succession…”

“No, no, that won’t happen.” Lu Lin’er quickly shook her head and said, “The Emperor Brother still loves me, Aunt, look at the title he gave Huan’er, Princess Langhuan, that is…”

At this point, Lu Lin’er suddenly stopped.

“Zheng Yuhuan, Huan’er, Princess Langhuan?”

“How, how can it be…”

The Empress Dowager then said, “You just realized?”

“Zheng Yuhuan, Huan’er, Princess Langhuan.”

“The Emperor gave your eldest daughter the name ’Huan’, exactly the same as the traitorous Consort Shuu Yang Huan, to warn us both.”

“Moreover, the Emperor has withdrawn your rights in managing the Six Palaces and given them to Consort Duann, are you still not clear?”

The Empress Dowager let out a sigh and said, “Lin’er, Aunt will go to Yuhua Pavilion for seclusion. There will be fewer chances to help you in the future.”

“Fortunately, today, Aunt Fangcao took all the blame, but it is regrettable that the Emperor did not grant me the opportunity to protect Fangcao’s family.”

“From now on, the people by my side will not always have my best interests at heart.”

“In the future, in this vast Imperial Palace, you will have to rely on yourself.”

The Empress said with a somber face, “Mother, Lin, Lin’er understands…”

On the way back to the palace, Liu Cheng’en quickly approached.

“Your Majesty, the identities of those three pregnant women have all been clarified.”

“Oh? What are their identities?”

“Two of them are peasant women from villages around the Capital City, brought into the palace a month ago at night, unaware of what happened, they thought they were forcibly taken by bandits.”

Liu Cheng’en said, “But the third one is a woman from a branch of the Lu Family, who had been brought into the palace earlier.”

“Which woman gave birth to the boy?”

“The Lu Family…”

“The Lu Family, very well, Empress Dowager!”

Zheng Yi murmured, “The mastermind behind this must be the Empress Dowager, the Empress might have some vague knowledge about it. As for Lu Xiangqing…”

Lu Xiangqing, the Vice Chief of the Cabinet.

An image of the thin old man Lu Xiangqing appeared in Zheng Yi’s mind.

He has already reached the highest rank one could attain, and with Xu Mujun suppressing him, he wouldn’t take such a risky action.

Instead, it would be the Empress Dowager.

As a woman, she’s most skilled in these Harem plots and schemes.

But being the Empress Dowager, without a heinous crime, she cannot be convicted.

Unless…

Zheng Yi was deep in thought when a little eunuch suddenly rushed over.

“Stop right there!”

Liu Cheng’en stepped in front of Zheng Yi, “The Emperor is here, why such haste and disorder?”

The little eunuch fell to the ground with a ’thump’, speaking quickly, “Eunuch Liu, you previously said that if there was news about Lord Shen Xing, to report it immediately, and this servant…”

“Shen Xing has returned?”

Zheng Yi said excitedly, “Where is he?”

“Reply, reply to Your Majesty, Lord Shen Xing has indeed returned and is now waiting outside Zhonghe Hall for an audience!”

“Quickly summon Shen Xing!”

Zheng Yi said with satisfaction, “You have done very well, what is your name?”

“This servant is Xiaogui!”

“From now on, await orders at Qiankun Hall.”

“Yes~!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep