stonecrandall Chapter 238 Confession
Chapter 238 Confession
Upon hearing this, Chao En was about to take action, but Shen Shixi raised her hand to stop him.
"Go on!"
"It was the Empress, Consort De, and Consort Qing who did it together. They were all involved in killing your sister and my sister! The pine nut cake served to your sister was poisoned, but my sister didn't put the poison on it!"
My sister had no idea there was poison in it. How could there be a plate of poisoned pine nut cake at the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet? Someone as smart as you can't possibly not understand why this pine nut cake didn't poison anyone else, but instead killed your sister. You understand without me saying it.”
She was in so much pain that she was covered in cold sweat and gritted her teeth.
"Shen Shixi, don't think the Emperor likes you. He's promoting you now just to use you to deal with the Pei family. Didn't the Emperor favor my sister back then?"
My sister is pregnant with the Emperor's child! If it weren't for your sister's actions, the baby would have been miscarried at four months—and it was a boy! The Emperor hasn't even punished your sister!
Shen Shixi's pitying gaze fell on her. "Whether she lives or dies, whether she did evil or not, has nothing to do with me. She is my sister, not my daughter. I have no responsibility for her actions, nor do I have any interest in commenting on anything she does."
She chuckled. "You expect me to avenge her, and incidentally avenge your sister as well? You're dreaming!"
Chen Yuxi gave a bitter smile. "That's true. Your sister wasn't good to you, unlike my sister, who was always good to me since we were little. She's dead, and I hate you! Shen Shixi, I hate you. I'll haunt you even as a ghost."
"Write down everything you've done, or I will exterminate the entire Marquis of Zhongyong's family!"
Chao Yu presented him with writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. Chen Yuxi wrote a confession and signed it.
Shen Shixi glanced at it and asked, "Who ordered this?"
"I don't know!" Chen Yuxi said calmly. "It's just the same few people. When I woke up, there was a packet of powder on my bed. I knew then that someone wanted me to target you."
She smiled. "Shen Shixi, you won't let those people go, will you?"
Shen Shixi remained noncommittal, saying, "Let's send her on her way!"
Chen Yuxi struggled, "Shen Shixi, you can't do this..."
Her mouth was covered, and all she could hear was Shen Shixi saying, "Give her a quick death!"
Today, Shen Shixi wreaked havoc in the harem, making the Empress tremble with rage. With Tingqin adding fuel to the fire, and then news of Chen Yuxi's execution, the Empress fell ill.
After examining the Empress's pulse, Physician Zhang found that she was both angry and upset, which led to stagnation of liver qi and blood stasis.
"Your Majesty should think more positively and take good care of your health so that you can give birth to a legitimate son in the future. That is the most important thing," Granny Qu advised.
The Empress said, "How can I possibly accept this? She has the power to manage the affairs of the six palaces; does that mean she can act so recklessly in the harem?"
Tingqin said, "Fortunately, none of our people showed up at Chen Yuxi's place."
Granny Qu thought to herself, what does it matter whether he shows his face or not? Who in the entire palace doesn't know that Chen Yuxi is someone the Emperor protects?
On the way back to Zhaoyang Palace, Chao'en asked Shen Shixi, "Your Majesty, what should we do about the person behind this?"
"It's not time yet!" she said. "Give this confession to the Emperor."
Inside the Qian Yuan Palace, the emperor received the confession and remained silent for a long time.
Chao En knelt on the ground, trembling, wondering what the Emperor was thinking. Chen Yuxi should be killed, but what if the Emperor liked him? If this was a mistake, wouldn't the Emperor blame him?
"Where is your master?" the emperor asked.
"Your Majesty, the Empress has returned to the palace!" Chao En replied.
When Li Yuanke arrived at Zhaoyang Palace, Shen Shixi did not come out to greet him. To be precise, she had basically skipped that procedure.
Li Fude is quite interesting. Whenever he comes to Zhaoyang Palace and there are no other people around, he doesn't bother to shout "The Emperor has arrived," because it would be pointless to do so.
Not shouting can avoid embarrassment.
It's quite awkward if no one greets you.
Where is she?
When Li Yuanke did not see Shen Shixi in the main hall, he asked.
"Your Majesty, the Empress is in her bedchamber," Lan Ying replied.
As soon as Li Yuanke entered, he saw Shen Shixi wearing a bellyband and a pair of shorts, lying on the bed, flipping through a storybook, while Qinghao was applying perfume to her.
Her skin was as smooth as ice and her bones as white as jade, like snow piled up in the moonlight.
Li Yuanke's blood boiled instantly.
When Qinghao saw Li Yuanke, she was startled. "This servant greets Your Majesty!"
Li Yuanke waved his hand, signaling her to leave.
Shen Shixi threw down the storybook. "Li Yuanke, didn't you even ask someone to announce your arrival? Have you no manners?"
"What part of you haven't I seen before? Now that I've been informed, are you just going to come and greet me?"
Li Yuanke took the perfume balm and was about to apply it to her, but Shen Shixi complained, "Did you even wash your hands before putting it on me?"
"Take it or leave it!" Li Yuanke threw away the perfume.
Shen Shixi called out, "Qinghao, come in, you haven't finished applying it yet."
She chased Li Yuanke away again, "Get out of here, don't stand there, I'm not dressed."
With Li Yuanke present, Qinghao dared not enter.
Li Yuanke then embraced her and kissed her.
Shen Shixi got excited, hugged him and kissed him back, their breaths mingling.
"Why did you give that to me?" Li Yuanke stroked her back and ripped off the drawstring of her bodice. "Don't you want to vent your anger? According to the law, you can implicate the Marquis of Zhongyong's family."
Shen Shixi kicked him, "You talk too much. Do you want me to go to the imperial court and have a dialogue with you before the emperor? Can't you concentrate?"
Li Yuanke's leg was kicked, and he grabbed her leg, saying, "You bastard, I was just trying to be kind."
"Are you going to do it or not? If you're not going to do it, get out of the way. If you are, concentrate! You're insulting me!"
Li Yuanke couldn't help but laugh and buried his head in her chest.
Shen Shixi immediately felt a tingling sensation on her skin.
She couldn't help but straighten her body.
Li Yuanke seized this opportunity.
They both took a deep breath at the same time, and Li Yuanke pushed her high into the air.
……
Sweating profusely!
The perfume I just applied is now wasted.
Shen Shixi, now lying on top of Li Yuanke, finally had a chance to ask, "What are you doing here?"
Li Yuanke rested for a while, then picked her up, and the two entered the hot spring pool. "That confession, you don't want to vent your anger anymore?"
"Isn't the person dead? Why are you still venting your anger? Why implicate others? What good will it do me to cause turmoil in the court?" Shen Shixi sat in his lap, splashing water and raising it high.
"Didn't you want to take action against the Pei family? If the Grand Secretary knew what was good for him, how much trouble would he have saved? Wouldn't that be better than taking their lives? Besides, what's the big deal? Is it worth making a fuss over with the previous dynasty?"
Li Yuanke hugged and kissed her.
This time, Shen Shixi took the initiative and wouldn't let him move. Since she didn't have much strength, she kept him at bay, which made Li Yuanke furious.
Splashing waves!
The following morning, after the court session, Li Yuanke kept Chen Bingzheng, the Grand Secretary, behind for a talk.
Chen Bingzheng was from the Chen family of Yingchuan. He married a woman from the Lu family of Fanyang. The Gao family were his cousins, and the two families were very close.
Although Prime Minister Pei did not form an alliance with the Five Clans and Seven Noble Families, everything was much easier to discuss because of Chen Bingzheng as a link.
After Chen Bingzheng finished his worship ceremony, Li Yuanke didn't say much, but showed him the confession.
"Last time, I spared the life of Consort Chen Yuan when she tried to harm her. I did not expect that she would not repent and would still be so vicious as to try to ruin Consort Chen Yuan. How can my harem tolerate such a vicious woman?"
As his father, you have a responsibility to raise him. Even if I do not wish to implicate others, how can I silence the public outcry?
Chen Bingzheng closed his eyes briefly. "Your Majesty, I am old, senile, and useless. My adopted daughter is like this; I have truly failed Your Majesty and my ancestors. I wish to retire and return to my hometown. I humbly request Your Majesty's permission!"
After returning to the capital, the emperor entrusted many matters to five academicians, making his intention to sideline the three ministries all too obvious.
However, the court officials did not guess that the emperor intended to dismiss the prime minister, but thought it was a power struggle with Prime Minister Pei. Chen Bing was caught in the middle, and one wrong move would mean certain death.
At this moment, the emperor was giving him a chance.
"My dear minister, you have devoted most of your life to the cause of our Great Zhou, and I am truly heartbroken. However, the Chen family has committed such a rebellious act, which involves the Imperial Noble Consort, and I cannot leave them unpunished. According to the law, the punishment extends to the entire family, and the Imperial Noble Consort, out of consideration for your lifelong dedication to our Great Zhou, is willing to show leniency!"
"Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness and Your Highness the Imperial Noble Consort for your leniency and forgiveness. My family and I are deeply grateful."