Chapter 440: The Martyrs of the Faithful

Chapter 440

This affair had reached a point where it was entirely tied to Consort Yun.

Xiao Jingheng darkened his gaze as he scrutinized Consort Yun for a moment before angrily asking, "I want to know, what was your aim in committing all these sinister acts?" Rêạd new chapters at novelhall.com

Seeing that the matter was exposed, before Consort Yun could speak, it was Concubine Li who hurriedly went ahead and fearfully said:

"Your Majesty, forgive me! Those words from earlier, Consort Yun came to seek this concubine last night and told this concubine to say them deliberately! This was not of this concubine's own volition! This concubine truly..."

"You simply did whatever Consort Yun told you to do, as if you have no mind of your own!" Xiao Jingheng roared, then said, "Since you listen to Consort Yun's words so obediently, then go be her senior palace maid in her palace!"

Concubine Li was startled with widened eyes, her whole body sweating as she cried, "This concubine knows her mistake! Your Majesty, please calm your anger! Forgive this concubine!"

Yet her tears at this moment only served to annoy Xiao Jingheng.

He coldly said, "If you keep rambling, you'll be sent to the Cold Palace to reside."

Thus, Concubine Li dared not speak further, only silently weeping like rain.

Consort Yun, who had been coldly watching all this, suddenly let out a cold laugh.

She disdainfully glanced at Xiao Jingheng, then impatiently said to the still-sobbing Concubine Li, "His Majesty has always been so heartless, what is there for you to cry about?"

Zhao Hua asked her in a solemn voice, "Consort Yun, Consort Shun had no grievances with you. For no reason at all, why did you have to tarnish her reputation?"

Consort Yun laughed, "Hah, tarnish her? It was her own fault for stumbling into it, she's just unlucky. What I wanted was simply to let His Majesty lose all face, to let the entire imperial court and masses know of his immoral behavior!"

As she spoke, she seemed to muster a great deal of courage from somewhere, pointing at Xiao Jingheng as she scolded, "I intend to let all under heaven know that you, this Emperor, are incompetent in every way, a useless waste who cannot even control his own consorts!"

"You're insolent!" Xiao Jingheng angrily slammed the table, his body lurching forward as he tightly clenched his teeth, forcing out each word through the gaps, "Vile woman! You've gone mad!"

"Mad? Haha, you're right, I have gone mad! You just look around, how many women in this palace have you not driven to madness? No... no." She shook her head bitterly, endlessly wry smiles on her face. "It was you who went mad long ago! You're the one who is completely, thoroughly mad! You forced my father to admit that his attempt to establish his own kingdom was instigated by the Prince of Rui, deceiving him by saying that after this, there would be no further consequences! But what was the reality?"

"Innocent people? Heh..." Consort Yun scoffed with a mocking smile. "Who in this palace is innocent? On the path to your current position as Empress, do you think you were pure and innocent? Have you never schemed against His Majesty or the other consorts?"

Zhao Hua idly stroked her hair, an ambiguous smile on her face as she said, "Whether I am innocent or not is something I have no need to explain to someone like you who is about to die."

She then said in an extremely light voice to Xiao Yinzi:

"Go and inform the ministry, Consort Yun... is deceased."

The implication of her words was that Consort Yun would be eliminated silently, without even a shred of dignity left.

Upon hearing Zhao Hua's decree, Consort Yun could only bitterly smile, no longer bothering to argue.

Xiao Yinzi responded, "This servant understands, but what about this Concubine Li..."

Concubine Li, seeing that Consort Yun would not be spared, became even more terrified.

Already kneeling on the ground, she crawled all the way to Zhao Hua's feet, desperately clutching at the hems of her phoenix robe as she begged incoherently:

"Empress Dowager, show mercy! This concubine knows her mistake, please give this concubine another chance! This concubine... ah!"

But before she could finish speaking, she was forcefully kicked in the shoulder by Yun Shan, sending her flying over a yard away.

"You vile maid! Don't let your dirty claws defile the Empress Dowager's phoenix robe!"

Concubine Li looked on in bewilderment, "You..."

Zhao Hua said, "Yun Shan's words do have a point. Xiao Yinzi, did His Majesty not just give Concubine Li to Consort Yun as her personal maid?"

"Yes."

Zhao Hua smiled pleasantly, clasping her hands in her sleeves as she calmly walked toward the exit. Only as she passed the still-uncontrollably weeping Concubine Li did she casually remark,

"Since Consort Yun is deceased, as a loyal servant, Li should... follow her master in death."