The Emperor was so furious that he immediately shouted, “Seal this place! Lock everyone up in Yaohua Palace. Wake Shangguan Lingluo up and bring the guard along. Everyone come with me to the side palace hall!”
Everyone there followed the Emperor to Yaohua Hall’s side hall.
At this moment, the Emperor was a little scary. He didn’t have the smiling and approachable expression that he had when he was chatting with Zi You earlier.
His face sunk deeply. His body exuded cold and suppressive pressure, scaring Yin Xiaoxia into her legs softening. If Zi You did not help her, she would have collapsed onto the ground.
“What is going on?” The Emperor glanced at Third Wangzi and Zi You. His words were like hail that could smash someone to death. “You speak first, Three.”
“Yes, Fuwang.” The Emperor was clearly angry. Third Wangzi was also a little afraid. Zi You could tell that his voice was trembling. “This is what happened. Erchen, Taizi gege, You’er, and them……”
Third Wangzi spoke while he pointed to the other gongzis and xiaojies. “We went to the Ronghua Palace Hall to rest. We were planning to play kickball. Fourth meimei’s palace servant said that fourth meimei was feeling unwell and wanted Taizi gege to take a look. Then he left.
“Then we and imperial sister who came later, smelled the plum blossoms and went to appreciate the plum blossoms. Upon entering the plum blossom grove, we heard Yu Xiaojie say to Ling gege that…… That Mu Xiaojie’s hunting injury was caused by fourth meimei sending assassins after her. Mu Xiaojie couldn’t believe it and went to ask fourth meimei for the truth.
“Who knew that when we arrived at Yaohua Palace, the palace servants said that fourth meimei was seriously ill and wouldn’t let Erchen go inside? Erchen and second imperial sister were worried, so we pushed them aside and went inside. Erchen really didn’t know…… Didn’t know that fourth meimei…… Please forgive Erchen, Fuwang!”
“Mu Zi You, say what happened.” The Emperor called her out.
Zi You immediately kowtowed and replied, “Replying to Emperor, Chennu’s account is pretty much the same as Third Wangzi’s. Chennu drank too much today, so Chennu wanted to rest for a bit in Ronghua Palace. Chennu met Taizi, Third Wangzi, and these gongzis and xiaojies. We then wanted to start a kickball game.
“We first rested for a bit in Ronghua Palace. Chennu, Yin Xiaojie, and Wei Xiaojie wanted to go look at the plum blossoms. We met with Third Wangzi, Second Gongzhu, Yu gongzi, Li gongzi, and Ke gongzi. Then we went to the plum blossom grove, where we heard what Yu Xiaojie and Shizi Ye said……”
Zi You summarized what the two people had said. She continued, “But Chennu didn’t believe it because Fourth Gongzhu toasted Chennu at the banquet. She said that she wanted to become friends with Chennu. We drank a cup of wine. This is something that everyone saw. Chennu didn’t believe that Fourth Gongzhu would send someone to kill Chennu. So, Chennu wanted to go to Yaohua Palace to ask her if Yu Xiaojie was telling the truth.
“At Yaohua Palace, the palace servants were arrogant. They not only didn’t salute Third Wangzi and Second Gongzhu, but they also blocked Third Wangzi and Second Gongzhu from going inside. Third Wangzi was anxious when he heard that Fourth Gongzhu was seriously ill. He pushed the palace servants aside and charged in. And then we saw……
“No. Chennu covered my eyes immediately and didn’t see anything. But Fourth Gongzhu did look like she was suffering from an aphrodisiac like the man said. Although Chennu has never seen someone with the symptoms, Fourth Gongzhu looked the same as what is depicted in medical books.”
The Emperor angrily slammed his hands down on a table. He looked at Yu Meilian and shouted, “How do you know that Shangguan Lingluo sent assassins to kill Mu Xiaojie? And how did Shangguan Lingluo know that Mu Xiaojie went into the mountains?”
Yu Meilian kowtowed in fright. She didn’t know what to say and could only cry.
Her brother saw this and quickly kowtowed for mercy. “Please have mercy, Emperor. Chen’s sister must be afraid that Shizi Ye will look down on Fourth Gongzhu, so she made up such things.”
Zi You coldly smiled. “Is your sister a fool? How dare she tell such a lie? No matter what, Chennu is still the Emperor’s personally conferred commander of the female medical team. If the lie of Fourth Gongzhu sending someone to kill Chennu is spread out, your sister isn’t afraid of committing the crime to deceive the monarch?”
Zi You’s “crime to deceive the monarch” was spoken and Yu Meilian fainted away. A puddle of water came out of her pants. She apparently lost control of her bowels.
The Emperor was immediately disgusted. He secretly scolded her and Minister Yu a few times. ‘What trash Minister? What trash prominent family’s xiaojie? How did he give birth to such a useless and troublesome thing? If she didn’t say such nonsense, Mu Zi You wouldn’t have gone to find Lingluo and Lingluo’s scandal wouldn’t be exposed. But how did Lingluo ingest the aphrodisiac?’
This scandal was exposed! And so many people had witnessed it. He really couldn’t cover it up. The Emperor really had a headache!
Third Wangzi immediately pretended to be considerate and went over to give a reminder. “Fuwang can summon Taizi gege here. Fourth meimei’s palace servants called him away earlier. He might be able to understand what happened to fourth meimei.”
“Summon Taizi.” Third Wangzi finished speaking and the Emperor immediately ordered.
However, the unlucky Taizi was hiding in Shangguan Lingluo’s wardrobe. Yaohua Palace was also sealed by the Emperor, so he could not get out.
The wardrobe was not very large. He curled up inside and almost suffocated! Cold sweat in the wintertime soaked his clothing.
The people the Emperor sent searched here and searched there…… Taizi’s palace servants were found, but they could not find Taizi.
At this time, Shangguan Lingluo woke up. An imperial doctor came over with ice water and acupuncture to get rid of the aphrodisiac’s effects.
She was sober now when the aphrodisiac dissipated and her rationality returned. She thought of what had happened and cold sweat suddenly dripped down.
She crawled over to the side hall and asked to see the Emperor. “Bengong wants to see Fuwang. Hurry and let Bengong inside!”
The Emperor heard her wailing and howling outside. His previous love and doting for her completely disappeared. There was only boundless anger now!
He used to think that she was naïve. Now it seemed that she was arrogant, domineering, and shameless.
Such a Gongzhu would only blacken him and the imperial family’s reputation. If he knew that she was going to turn out like this, he rather that she had passed away with her Mufei too.
Shangguan Lingluo completely did not know that during the time that was unconscious, Second Gongzhu had told the Emperor everything.
The Emperor had brought Yu Meilian, Shangguan LingRan, Second Gongzhu, Third Wangzi, Zi You, the involved gongzis and xiaojies, Old General Mu, and the other officials to another side hall.
The Emperor was not letting anyone leave since the situation wasn’t clear and the scandal could not be suppressed. How shameful would it be if this was spread out?!
The Emperor strongly suppressed the surging anger in his heart and said, “Let her in.”
Shangguan Lingluo came inside and didn’t even salute the Emperor. She looked at Zi You as if she saw a criminal who had killed her mother. She immediately pounced over and bared her claws and fangs. “You cheap wench! Bengong lowered myself to make amends with you. Why do you want to frame Bengong and put an aphrodisiac in Bengong’s wine?”
Third Wangzi shifted. He wanted to jump over and stand up for Zi You. But he looked at the Emperor’s green and livid face and stopped his feet.
Shangguan Lingluo was, after all, his own sister. If he stood up for an official’s daughter and reprimanded his own sister, Fuwang wouldn’t say it, but his heart would be chilled.
A long set of nails wanted to scratch Zi You’s small face. Shangguan LingRan flipped his finger in the air and Shangguan Lingluo’s knee was hit.
Shangguan Lingluo was in pain. She fell to the ground with an “Ouch.” Her long nails didn’t scratch Zi You’s face, but ripped out the silk in her brocade dress.
It could be imagined that what Zi You’s face would look like if she had scratched Zi You’s face.
The Emperor had never thought that his daughter would strike an official’s daughter in front him, her Fuwang. He furiously said, “Presumptuous! Why aren’t you pulling her over for Zhen?”
He thought that his fourth daughter went overboard! Who was Mu Zi You? She was the precious treasured granddaughter of Old General Mu. If she was really hurt by his own daughter, would Old General Mu still be loyal to him?
Thinking of this, the Emperor quickly said to Zi You, “You’er, are you okay? Come over to Zhen. Don’t let this madwoman hurt you.”
It was as if Zi You finally reacted from shock. She shook her head miserably and obediently went over to the Emperor’s side.
Shangguan Lingluo struggled even more frantically. She shouted, “Fuwang, are you making a mistake? I’m your daughter. This cheap wench harmed me. Why are you not going to kill her? Why are you all mesmerized by her?”
Shangguan Lingluo’s jealousy and anger made her forget how she received the Emperor and Empress Dowager’s doting. She suddenly looked terrifyingly ferocious.
Actually, she wasn’t a fool. After her Mufei, Hui Fei, passed away, the Empress did not immediately take her and Fourth Wangzi in to raise.
She suffered every master and even palace servants’ insult. Finally, she began to learn how to please every master and try to win over even the palace servants.
That was how she slowly gained a foothold in the Palace. The Empress saw that the Emperor began to pay attention to her. That was why she took her and her brother to raise.
She was eight years old when Hui Fei passed away. She was nine and a half years old when she was brought to be raised by the Empress.
During that one and a half year, she tried hard to please the Emperor and Empress Dowager. When the Empress Dowager was sick, she personally took care of her. When the Emperor was unwell, she used her own blood to make medicine.
She was kind, sensible, and virtuous. That was why the Empress Dowager and Emperor loved her. She finally became the noblest Gongzhu in the Palace.
But the original sensibility and virtuousness were faked. The Emperor looked at his daughter’s mad appearance with a face of disgust.
His mind constantly turned. Shangguan Lingluo’s reputation was destroyed now. She was the shame of the imperial family. Did he need to offend Mu Junyuan for such a daughter?
If he offended him, there were no other loyal generals available. It seemed like he could only sacrifice Shangguan Lingluo to pacify the scandal and appease Mu Junyuan.
The Emperor was about to speak, but Zi You asked, “Fourth Gongzhu, you said that Chennu drugged you. But the only close contact with you was when you came over to toast Chennu. The wine jug and wine are yours. How can Chennu drug you? Also, you have made amends with Chennu. Why would Chennu drug you?”
“Exactly.” Second Gongzhu stood up for Zi You. “The wine jug and wine are carried by your palace maid. Can it be that your own palace maid wants to harm you too? Besides, it isn’t the first time between you and that guard. There is no smear of red on the bed. What are you refuting? Mu Xiaojie even wanted to bite her finger to cover up for you. Now, you’re here accusing her. You’re really inhuman.”
Fourth Gongzhu’s mind turned and she suddenly looked at Shangguan Yunluo. She fiercely scolded, “Shangguan Yunluo, you b*stard! It’s you! It’s you who wants to harm me, right?”
“Are you a mad dog? Biting everywhere?” Second Gongzhu was angry and also yelled out.
The Emperor looked at his two daughters attacking each other. His head pained even more. He finally waved his hand. “Fourth Gongzhu is un-virtuous. From today on, she is abolished of the Gongzhu title. She is demoted to a commoner. She will become a nun and never be allowed to enter the palace again. The man will be executed.”
The Empress had rushed over and only heard the last words of the imperial decree.
She quickly knelt down and begged. “Please calm your anger, Emperor! Fourth Gongzhu……”
“Shut up!” The Empress had not finished speaking, but was interrupted by the Emperor. “Look at the Gongzhu whom you have raised. She makes a mess in the court and attempts to murder an official’s daughter. Even till now, Taizi can’t be found. What are you doing? Are you too busy to take care of the wangzis and gongzhus? Then let Liu Guifei help you manage half of the harem’s affairs.”
The Empress’ peach blossom eyes that were very similar to Taizi’s looked deeply at Zi You. Although she didn’t say anything, she questioned in her heart what role this Mu Xiaojie played in today’s matter.
The Emperor thought for a long time, but didn’t have the heart to kill Shangguan Lingluo. He reduced her to a commoner and a nun to block everyone’s mouths.
Zi You coldly smiled. She, with her grandfather and uncle, quietly thanked the Emperor for his grace. Then she looked at the wardrobe in Shangguan Lingluo’s palace and let Taizi off.
This was not the time to kill him. If Taizi fell, Third Wangzi would dominate. Second Wangzi might not be able to beat him. Only if Taizi and Third Wangzi kept each other in check would Second Wangzi have the opportunity to rest, recuperate, and make plans.
Taizi was about to suffocate to death in Shangguan Lingluo’s wardrobe when the Emperor finally left with everyone.
