Chapter 362: Fainted Again
When Xingnong and Chu Tiankuo left the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, both of them were in a very good mood.
The revenge was taken, and the Marquis Changping’s family was not completely wiped out. God was not so cruel, at least leaving a glimmer of hope. The heavy stone in Chu Tiankuo’s heart was finally lifted.
When the two returned to the Eastern Palace happily, Songbai came to Chu Tiankuo’s side and whispered, “The Grand Commander has found the missing woman.”
Chu Tiankuo glanced at Xingnong after hearing this and reached out to touch the dark circles under her eyes, “You have a good rest, I’ll go take a look.”
He originally wanted to accompany her for a nap, but now it was impossible.
Xingnong was indeed sleepy. She hadn’t slept much for the past two nights, and she couldn’t help with the investigation, so she nodded, “Go ahead and take care of your business!”
After Chu Tiankuo and Songbai left, Xingnong went back to bed to catch up on sleep.
~
Palace of Earthly Tranquility
The Empress Dowager woke up in the evening. When she learned that Chu Tiankuo and Xingnong had already paid their respects in the Palace of Earthly Tranquility and returned directly to the Eastern Palace, without any intention of coming to the Palace of Earthly Tranquility to pay their respects to her, she was so angry that she almost fainted again.
“Let the Crown Prince and Crown Princess come to see me!” The Empress Dowager was so angry that she threw the medicine bowl in her hand, hitting a palace maid.
Such a big movement strained her old waist, and the pain made her frown.
The forehead of the palace maid who was hit immediately started bleeding.
But she didn’t dare to cry out in pain, she quickly knelt down and replied “Yes,” then hurriedly retreated.
Princess Changle sat beside the Empress Dowager and comforted her, “Grandaunt, don’t be angry. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess should know that Grandaunt hasn’t woken up yet, so they didn’t come over.”
The Empress Dowager snorted coldly, “They’re simply going against the heavens! They don’t have any respect for me! Where’s the Emperor? Has the Emperor come over!”
Princess Changle was about to say something when the announcement “The Emperor has arrived!” came from outside.
Everyone in the room quickly knelt down, “Your servant greets the Emperor, long live the Emperor.”
At this time, the Emperor walked in. He seemed to have not heard the previous words and said with a smile, “Rise!”
Then he casually found a chair to sit down and asked with concern, “Has the Empress Dowager woken up?”
The Empress Dowager snorted coldly, “Of course the Emperor hopes that I won’t wake up for the rest of my life!”
The Emperor said calmly, “You’re joking, Empress Dowager!”
Then he took out two confessions and handed them to the Empress Dowager, “This is what the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Ministry of Justice, and the Court of Judicial Review jointly investigated. Have a look, Empress Dowager!”
Princess Changle’s heart skipped a beat.
But why were there two confessions?
The momo beside the Empress Dowager immediately stepped forward and respectfully took them, then unfolded them for the Empress Dowager to see.
The Emperor glanced at Princess Changle and said calmly, “Changle, have a look too.”
The Empress Dowager glanced at them, her eyes widened in disbelief, “This is impossible! The Heir Apparent is not that kind of person!”
The Emperor said calmly, “The evidence is conclusive, he was caught red-handed. The Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Ministry of Justice went to arrest him together.”
After Shen Ruolan was taken away by the Yong’an Heir Apparent last night, Chu Yuehou secretly followed them.
The Yong’an Heir Apparent took Shen Ruolan to a secluded courtyard. Afterward, he restrained her and several female corpses were found in the courtyard.
The Grand Commander directly took him to the Ministry of Justice.
Almost without any interrogation, the Yong’an Heir Apparent confessed to everything!
He was the one who captured them, and he was the one who beat them to death.
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Because those women were not as gentle as Shen Ruolan when facing him, they kept crying and resisting when he favored them. In a fit of anger, he accidentally beat them to death.
“No! Impossible!” The Empress Dowager looked incredulous. How could such a gentle and refined child like the Yong’an Heir Apparent do such a thing!
Princess Changle widened her eyes after reading it. She knew that the Yong’an Heir Apparent liked Shen Ruolan, but she couldn’t imagine that he had actually captured so many women who looked like Shen Ruolan and tortured them to death?
The Emperor said calmly, “If the Empress Dowager doesn’t believe it, you can go to the prison and ask the Yong’an Heir Apparent. He will tell you everything!”
The Empress Dowager: “. . .”
The Empress Dowager took a deep breath. With the Emperor’s attitude, this matter was probably true. But the Yong’an Heir Apparent was her daughter’s child, “The Emperor imprisoned the Yong’an Heir Apparent? How could the Emperor imprison the Heir Apparent? He’s the child your Eldest Imperial Sister left behind!”
The Emperor’s face darkened upon hearing this, “A prince breaking the law is the same as a commoner breaking the law!”
The Empress Dowager was so angry that she cursed, “Bullshit a prince breaking the law is the same as a commoner breaking the law! I don’t care, the Emperor must release the Heir Apparent and compensate those families with a sum of silver, and this matter will be settled!”
The Emperor didn’t say anything, he just sat there.
The Empress Dowager: “. . .”
After a while, the Empress Dowager was angered by his silent disobedience. At the same time, she felt uneasy in her heart, worried that the Emperor would punish the Yong’an Heir Apparent according to the law!
That was a capital offense!
Seeing the Emperor’s attitude, Princess Changle couldn’t help but feel anxious.
The Yong’an Heir Apparent was her younger brother. He had been studying at the Imperial Academy, and his scholarship was excellent. His identity was the son of the Eldest Princess, the Heir Apparent, a noble identity, he simply had a bright future.
She was still thinking that she would have to rely on this younger brother to support her after she got married.
If the Yong’an Heir Apparent was gone, wouldn’t she be completely helpless in the future?
Princess Changle quietly tugged at the Empress Dowager’s sleeve.
The Empress Dowager still couldn’t help but speak first, “What does the Emperor intend to do?”
The Emperor, “I don’t intend to do anything. These matters all have laws to follow!”
“No!” The Empress Dowager cried out in a shrill voice!
The Emperor ignored her and looked at Princess Changle, “Yesterday’s matter has also been investigated. I won’t pursue what you did in the palace. After all, you can be considered to have suffered the consequences of your own actions and deserved your punishment. At the morning court today, the Vice Minister of Revenue asked me to bestow a marriage upon his son, and I have agreed!”
Changle: “. . .”
No, she didn’t want to marry Liang Ting, he was a homosexual!
The Empress Dowager widened her eyes upon hearing this, “Emperor, that Liang Ting is not a good match! You can’t push Changle into a fire pit!”
The Emperor’s eyes were full of sarcasm, “You’re joking, Empress Dowager. The two have already consummated their marriage, what’s not a good match? The imperial decree will be issued soon. Changle, you should go back and prepare to receive the decree.”
Princess Changle shook her head, no, she didn’t want to marry Liang Ting!
She looked at the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager was so angry that she rolled her eyes and fainted again.
Princess Changle: “. . .”
The Emperor said calmly, “The Empress Dowager is unwell and needs to rest properly. From now on, without my permission, no one is allowed to disturb her at will.”
Princess Changle: “. . .”
Was the Emperor putting the Empress Dowager under house arrest and not allowing her to enter the palace to see the Empress Dowager again?
After saying these words, the Emperor flung his sleeves and strode away.
Why were the Yong’an Heir Apparent and Princess Changle so audacious?
It was because the Empress Dowager was too indulgent!
And the Empress Dowager’s maternal family, the Duke Cheng’en’s family, had been domineering for many years. He had reached his limit!
