bestfiction Chapter 246 Becoming a Discarded Pawn
Chapter 246 Becoming a Discarded Pawn
"Enough." Emperor Wenjing's rebuke, though calm in tone, seemed to carry an oppressive and terrifying atmosphere, as if a storm was brewing. "Shut up, all of you."
In an instant, the imperial study fell silent.
Emperor Wenjing's gaze was like a cold, sharp blade, ruthlessly cutting into the Prince of Xiang and his wife, sending chills down their spines.
He slowly sat back on the dragon throne, his fingers rhythmically tapping the armrests, each tap seeming to strike the hearts of everyone present.
A suffocatingly heavy atmosphere permeated the Imperial Study.
King Xiang felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, his heart sinking straight into an abyss.
At this moment, the Emperor must be weighing in his heart whether or not to continue protecting him.
Originally, the news of Old Lady Sheng striking the grievance drum in front of the Dali Temple spread like wildfire throughout the city, but in the eyes of the Emperor, the life and death of a commoner was nothing more than a matter of ants, and he would not take it to heart at all.
That's why he was able to be so confident and repeatedly avoid the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.
But now, the people involved in the accident are the Mongol-Li ethnic group from Yuanbei River.
Although it was Wang Xunzhen who targeted the Mongol-Li people, when Wang Xunzhen's evil deeds were exposed, he was using his name. Outsiders all believed that he was the one who instigated Wang Xunzhen to be hostile to the Mongol-Li people of Yuanbei River.
If it were anyone else, his father would not have abandoned him.
But they happen to be Mongol-Li people from Yuanbei River.
These people are very important to the current Zhao Dynasty, and the Emperor would never abandon them.
He was certain that he would escape unscathed from any one of these three matters: the old woman's lawsuit, the forced rebellion of the Li people of Yuanbei River, and the testimony of the Princess Consort of Xiang.
But these three things happened all at once...
Just then, the eunuch that Xu Haifu had sent to the Prince of Xiang's residence returned.
Xu Haifu brought the men up, and the little eunuch knelt down tremblingly and reported: "Your Majesty, this servant led men to check the secret room of the Prince of Xiang's mansion and indeed found many bloodstains. Although there were signs of cleaning, they were still clearly visible."
After speaking, the young eunuch tightly closed his lips in fear, not daring to utter another word.
Inside the imperial study, a deathly silence once again spread, so oppressive that everyone felt as if they were suffocating.
"Fourth Prince, you have disappointed me greatly."
These words were tantamount to sentencing King Xiang to death.
King Xiang was struck dumb, all his strength was instantly drained, and he collapsed to the ground like a lump of mud in despair.
Emperor Wenjing closed his eyes, took a deep breath, as if suppressing his inner anger.
After a long while, he slowly opened his eyes and said to Xu Haifu, "The Prince of Xiang..."
However, just as the words were about to be spoken, a sudden commotion arose outside the Imperial Study.
Immediately afterwards, a clear, cold, and sharp female voice, like an icy wind on a cold night, broke the silence: "I wish to see the Emperor!"
Everyone in the imperial study recognized the voice as belonging to Consort Xian, the birth mother of Prince Xiang.
A glimmer of hope instantly rekindled in the King of Xiang's previously desolate heart.
His mother must have come to save him!
Emperor Wenjing's deep, unfathomable gaze fell upon the entrance to the imperial study. After a moment of silence, he instructed Xu Haifu, "Tell Consort Xian that if she is pleading for him, she need not come in."
Xu Haifu accepted the order and left, but soon returned with a troubled expression.
"Your Majesty, Consort Xian said she didn't come to plead for Prince Xiang..."
The Prince of Xiang was taken aback, and Emperor Wenjing lowered his eyes. "Let her in."
A moment later, a beautiful woman with graceful bearing and noble demeanor walked in.
She looked to be only about thirty years old, and perhaps because she practiced martial arts regularly, her complexion was better than that of the other concubines in the palace.
His eyes were bright as stars, his face was fair as jade with a healthy blush, and his heroic eyebrows revealed a hint of coldness.
She stepped into the imperial study, first bowing to Emperor Wenjing, but her gaze did not linger on Prince Xiang, as if he were an insignificant person.
Emperor Wenjing asked, "What brings Consort Xian here?"
Consort Xian then turned to look at Prince Xiang kneeling in the hall, took a few steps closer to him, and said, "Your Majesty, I have heard about Ming'er's matter."
Emperor Wenjing frowned as he looked at her. "If you're not here to plead for him, what are you trying to do?"
As he spoke, Consort Xian was already standing in front of Prince Xiang.
She looked down at the Prince of Xiang with a calm expression, but before anyone could react, she raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face!
With a loud "snap," everyone in the imperial study was startled.
The slap from Consort Xian was powerful, leaving a clear handprint on the Prince of Xiang's cheek.
He stared wide-eyed in astonishment, looking at Consort Xian in disbelief.
"Mother, why...?" the Prince of Xiang asked, his voice trembling.
The virtuous concubine looked at him coldly, her eyes devoid of any warmth, and said in a chilling voice, "Shouldn't you have hit me?"
"You kidnapped, imprisoned, and drove innocent women to their deaths, and allowed Wang Xunzhen to harm the people. Which of these things isn't related to you?!"
"You have committed such an outrageous and unforgivable crime that disgraces the royal family! Do you know how many innocent lives you have implicated and how much you have trampled on the dignity of the royal family?"
The virtuous concubine's words were sharp and incisive, each word piercing the King of Xiang like a sharp arrow.
Her gaze toward the Prince of Xiang was devoid of warmth, filled with disgust. "How could I have given birth to such a wicked son as you!"
With red eyes, the Prince of Xiang pleaded, "Mother, I was framed! I absolutely did not..."
Consort Xian ignored his explanation and interrupted him, saying, "Even now, you still dare to argue! How do you explain the bloodstains in the secret room of Prince Xiang's mansion? Is Old Lady Sheng's injustice just a rumor? And what about the matter of the Li people of Yuanbei River? Even if you weren't the mastermind, can you really escape responsibility?"
King Xiang was rendered speechless by Consort Xianxian's barrage of questions.
He originally thought that the Princess Consort of Xiang and the Consort Xian would be his lifeline, but unexpectedly, the two of them wished he would die immediately!
Emperor Wenjing narrowed his eyes slightly, watching this scene without making a sound.
Princess Xiang watched silently from the side, also surprised by Consort Xian's actions.
It turns out that Consort Xian was not blindly protecting Prince Xiang.
Consort Xian took a deep breath and turned to face Emperor Wenjing.
She knelt down and bowed, raising her eyes to look at Emperor Wenjing. "Your Majesty, Ming'er has made a mistake, and it is my fault as his mother for not teaching him properly. I beg Your Majesty to demote me from my rank as a concubine. I am willing to move to the Cold Palace and spend the rest of my life praying for those innocent people who died tragically."
Emperor Wenjing stared at Consort Xian, a complex and unfathomable dark look flashing in his eyes.
He slowly rose, walked to Consort Xian, and gently helped her up.
“It doesn’t come to that,” Emperor Wenjing said.
Emperor Wenjing's voice was deep and calm, yet it carried an undeniable authority: "How can the faults of children be entirely attributed to their parents? How can you bear the consequences of their own mistakes?"
"You should get up first."
Consort Xian placed her hand on Emperor Wenjing's arm, hesitated for a moment, and then slowly stood up.
Her voice was soft and respectful, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
She said no more and truly did not plead for the King of Xiang.
Emperor Wenjing's gaze lingered on Prince Xiang for a moment, then he took Consort Xian's hand and said without turning his head, "Xu Haifu, convey my decree that Prince Xiang be confined to his residence immediately, and the Court of Judicial Review, the Ministry of Justice, and the Censorate shall jointly try this case."
"As the main person involved in the case, the Three Judicial Offices may summon and question the Prince of Xiang at any time."