roccoschili Chapter 131 The Emperor's White Moonlight 13
Chapter 131 The Emperor's White Moonlight 13
Concubine Liu was stunned. She looked at Lingjiu with a bewildered expression and subconsciously took a half step back, her heart filled with disbelief. How could this be possible? She had clearly seen the envoy and Lingjiu enter the palace, so how could Lingjiu be the only one lying on the bed?
"This... this is impossible! Your Majesty, I really saw it..." Concubine Liu defended herself in panic.
She still refused to give up, a trace of unwillingness flashed in her eyes, and she asked sharply: "My Lady, where is the adulterer? You'd better let him out quickly!"
After saying that, she turned around and knelt, crying to Ji Heng, "Your Majesty, I heard from your servants that I saw the envoy and the imperial concubine enter Dexing Hall together today, and I also heard ambiguous sounds coming from inside. The imperial concubine must have hidden someone. Please order a palace search!"
Ji Heng was so angry that he was shaking all over. He was about to scold loudly, but was gently held down by Lingjiu. Lingjiu shook his head slightly, signaling him to calm down for the time being.
"Your Majesty, don't be impulsive. Let's see how she ends up." Lingjiu whispered in Ji Heng's ear.
Lingjiu sat up, staring coldly at Concubine Liu who was kneeling on the ground, and said in a stern tone: "Concubine Liu, I want to ask you, you keep saying that I was having an affair, but do you have any evidence?"
Concubine Liu was speechless for a moment. "Yes, a palace maid saw it with her own eyes. I came here to report this."
"Hmph, I just drank a few more glasses at the banquet and was a little drunk, so I took a rest here for a while. I don't know how you accused me of adultery? Concubine Liu, what is your intention in doing this today?" Lingjiu glared at Concubine Liu.
Lingjiu paused, staring at Concubine Liu with a sharp gaze: "If Concubine Liu can't find the adulterer today, what are your plans?"
Concubine Liu thought that Lingjiu's calmness must be a deliberate provocation. She firmly believed that the adulterer was hiding in the palace, so she gritted her teeth and said loudly, "If there is no adulterer, I will leave it to your Majesty and the Imperial Concubine to deal with."
Lingjiu sneered inwardly. She was truly shocked by Concubine Liu's stupidity. Originally, she had planned to deal with the Queen first, but since Concubine Liu was so eager to commit suicide, she might as well oblige her.
Lingjiu curled the corners of his lips and revealed a mocking smile: "Then I will banish you to the cold palace!"
When Liu Fei heard this, her pupils instantly dilated. She stared at Ling Jiu with wide eyes, her face full of disbelief: "What? What did you say?"
"I am the princess of Yunlan Kingdom, of noble status, but now you are so wantonly attacking me. You are trying to ruin my reputation. I am not taking your life. I am just punishing you by sending you to the cold palace. You should be grateful." Lingjiu said majestically.
Then, Lingjiu's eyes became stern, and he shouted sternly, "Come here, search the palace! Don't miss a single corner. Let Concubine Liu take a good look at whether there is the adulterer she mentioned in this palace."
Seeing Lingjiu so calm, Liu Fei had a bad feeling in her heart.
"Your Majesty, I really heard someone coming in. If not, then something must have gone wrong." Concubine Liu cried to Ji Heng.
Ji Heng turned his head away in disgust: "Humph, don't try to quibble."
Lingjiu was about to get out of bed, and Ji Heng squatted down considerately and put on her shoes for her.
"I can do it myself." Lingjiu looked at Ji Heng with some emotion.
"Jiu'er has been wronged, I will not let you suffer this insult in vain." Ji Heng said gently.
This scene shocked everyone present.
The Queen stood silently by. She believed that no matter which of Lingjiu and Concubine Liu was defeated, it would benefit her. But at this moment, seeing His Majesty actually lower himself to help Lingjiu put on her shoes, she couldn't help but be surprised. She seemed to have underestimated His Majesty's love for Lingjiu all along.
A quarter of an hour later, the guard came to report: "Your Majesty, there is no one else in the palace."
Liu Fei stood up suddenly, her emotions completely broken. She screamed hysterically, "How could there not be? Someone clearly saw them come in with their own eyes."
She rushed to Ji Heng, knelt down and burst into tears: "Your Majesty, you must believe me! There must be a misunderstanding."
Ji Heng showed disgust on his face and waved her away: "You drugged Jiuer, and now you dare to slander Jiuer for having an affair with someone else. You deserve to die. Now that Jiuer's innocence has been proven, then as I said just now, you will be banished to the cold palace!"
"Your Majesty, I didn't give you any drugs. Your Majesty is very knowledgeable!" Concubine Liu defended herself in horror.
Concubine Liu was terrified. She crawled forward and tried to hug Ji Heng's legs and cried, "Your Majesty, you can't do this! My father and I have always been thinking about Your Majesty. Please forgive me this time!" She also tried to use her father's power to make up for it all, but she didn't know that Ji Heng had already planned to eliminate the Grand Tutor and the Prime Minister.
Ji Heng remained expressionless and unmoved. He loudly announced, "Prove my decree. Concubine Liu has framed the Imperial Concubine. This crime is unforgivable. She will be banished to the cold palace immediately."
Afterwards, Concubine Liu was forcibly dragged away by the guards. She was still struggling, and kept cursing: "Lingjiu! You bitch, you will not die well."
Upon hearing this, Ji Heng flew into a rage: "How dare you insult the imperial concubine? Drag him away and give him fifty slaps on the face every day as a warning to others."
The Queen was shocked when she saw this. She had never thought that Ji Heng would actually take action against Concubine Liu, whose father had always been loyal to him. At this moment, the Queen was a little panicked. If Ji Heng knew that she was involved in the drugging, would he also depose her without hesitation?
After returning to the palace, she was trembling with anger and gnashed her teeth, saying, "This idiot, with such a godsend opportunity, could have made that bitch Lingjiu infamous and made her have no place in the palace anymore. But she messed it up completely. What a pig brain!"
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Her brows furrowed, her eyes filled with resentment. "Not only did I not hurt Lingjiu at all, but I ended up getting myself into trouble."
She took a deep breath, trying to suppress her inner panic and calm herself. Her brow furrowed slightly, a hint of caution flashing in her eyes as she pondered, "The situation has become extremely unfavorable to us. We must not act rashly like we did before. Also, we must stop drugging Lingjiu immediately. Otherwise, if His Majesty learns of this, we will all be doomed."
"Yes, Your Majesty, we must proceed with caution." Pei'er beside her quickly responded, her face full of worry. "This time, Concubine Liu's incident is a lesson. His Majesty's love for the Imperial Concubine is far beyond our imagination."
"Hmph, I wonder what tricks Lingjiu used to bewitch Your Majesty to this extent." The Queen's eyes were filled with jealousy and resentment.
"By the way, my father's 50th birthday is in two days. Have you chosen the gift?" The queen suddenly asked, a hint of fatigue in her eyes.
Pei'er thought for a moment and replied, "Your Majesty, don't worry. Didn't we pick out the pair of jade ruyi together a few days ago? And the new tribute silks woven in Jiangnan were all prepared according to your instructions." Pei'er answered respectfully with a flattering smile on her lips.
The Queen gently rubbed her temples and said helplessly, "I don't know why, but my memory has been getting worse lately. The palace is full of complicated affairs, and it's really exhausting."
"Your Majesty, you are overworked. The envoys' banquet is a big event, and you have to do everything yourself. You also have to worry about all the affairs in the harem. It would be strange if you are not tired." Pei'er hurried forward and massaged the queen's temples attentively, saying as she did so.