Chapter 1822

"Presumptuous!"

Empress Dowager Sun was furious.

"Consort Jing, things have come to this, and you still dare to be arrogant. You think it's still the time of the late Emperor, when the late Emperor would unconditionally trust and protect you. I will tell you the truth: if there were no evidence, I would not question you personally. For the sake of Prince Rui, you had better confess honestly. Otherwise, once Prince Rui is implicated, then, even if you want to confess, I won't be interested in listening."

"Evidence?"

Consort Jing looked blank, then cried out in grievance, "I haven't done it, so where would there be evidence? It must be someone framing me! I ask Your Majesty to produce the evidence; I want to argue my case on the spot. Even a death-row prisoner is given a chance to speak in court; Your Majesty wouldn't deny me even that chance, would you?"

"You, you, you..."

Empress Dowager Sun's face was ferocious.

Looking at Consort Jing, who sat below with full confidence, outwardly obedient but inwardly arrogant, it stirred up some unbearable memories for Empress Dowager Sun, with hatred for Emperor Emperor Jian Shi surging in her heart, as well as hatred for Consort Jing and Consort Xiao.

It was them...

They teamed up to bully her.

She was the dignified Empress, yet she was bullied and humiliated, her brows never relaxing for many years. It was only when her own son became Emperor that she finally held her head high.

She hated them!

Consort Jing, it's all your fault; it was you who stirred up my hatred. Today, I will sentence you to death!

"Someone, drag her down and beat her hard! Beat her until she confesses."

"Late Emperor, open your eyes and look. The Empress Dowager executes without teaching, without proof or evidence, just pinning the crime of an affair with an outsider on me, wanting to put me to death. Late Emperor, you cannot close your eyes in death! The scene you feared most before you died is about to happen now. If I die, I die, but it is a pity for Prince Rui; he is still so young and is about to be buried at the hands of his stepmother."

Consort Jing went all out, completely disregarding her life, daring to say anything.

Since Empress Dowager Sun didn't want to maintain decorum, then no one should expect to maintain it.

"Cover her mouth, quickly cover her mouth, don't let her talk nonsense!"

Empress Dowager Sun was almost driven crazy.

If even a word of what happened in the Kunning Palace today were to spread, her reputation would be ruined, and the Emperor's reputation would also be implicated.

Even if the court officials wouldn't stand up for Consort Jing, they would certainly stand up for Prince Rui. At that time, even if she claimed Consort Jing had an affair and she was acting according to the rules, no one would believe her.

Everyone would suspect her, and even conclude that in order to kill Consort Jing, she had fabricated such a vicious rumor.

She didn't even dare to imagine the consequences, didn't dare to imagine how the court officials would write about her, or how future history books would evaluate her. Calling her jealous and vengeful would be the least of it!

The brush in the hands of scholars is the most vicious and cruel weapon in the world.

Killing someone is just a matter of a moment.

But a scholar's brush can make one stink for ten thousand years, to be spat upon for centuries.

"Drag her out and beat her to death!" Empress Dowager Sun was furious, gnashing her teeth, unable to care about anything anymore. She would execute Consort Jing first and worry about the rest later.

Consort Jing had brought two palace maids and two eunuchs into the palace, and now all five of them were controlled, their bodies covered in signs of being torn and beaten, their mouths also gagged. Despair appeared in everyone's eyes!

Today is our day of death!

I am not reconciled!

Empress Dowager Sun couldn't even produce evidence of an affair, yet she dared to sentence her to death!

Hahaha...

Consort Jing was angry, wanting to destroy everything, but was helpless.

For the first time, she urgently wanted to see Chen Guanlou.

If Chen Guanlou were here, he would surely save her regardless of the cost. From then on, wandering the ends of the earth, she would accept it.

No!

She wanted to overturn the case!

She wanted to nail Empress Dowager Sun to the pillar of shame, to make her stink for ten thousand years!

She thought of many things, but in reality, only a few seconds had passed.

Just at this moment, a palace servant reported hurriedly, "Reporting to the Empress Dowager, the Empress has arrived."

The eunuch had just finished reporting, and before Empress Dowager Sun could give an order, Empress Chen, leading a group of palace servants, strode into the main hall of the Kunning Palace.

"It's so lively here at Mother's place! Your daughter-in-law pays her respects to Mother!"

Empress Chen bowed and paid her respects.

Empress Dowager Sun breathed rapidly, suppressing her anger, "Exempt from the ceremony." Then she scolded the palace servants who were escorting Consort Jing, "What are you all standing there for? Why don't you hurry up and take her away."

"Oh, isn't this Consort Jing? What is going on? Why is she tied up?"

Empress Chen said while walking toward Consort Jing; the palace servants of the Kunning Palace wanted to stop her, but were pushed aside by the people Empress Chen had brought.

"Consort Jing, are you well? I heard early this morning that you entered the palace to pay your respects to Mother; you have a kind heart."

Before the words were finished, Empress Chen took the rag from Consort Jing's mouth.

Consort Jing's mouth was freed, and she took the opportunity to cry out, "Your Majesty, please see clearly, I was ordered to enter the palace to pay my respects to the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager heard a rumor that I had an affair with an outsider, but there is no evidence. It is clearly someone who cannot stand to see me and my son, intentionally framing us. I cried out in injustice, perhaps disturbing the Empress Dowager's rest, and the Empress Dowager ordered the palace servants to drive us out."

She made this accusation very skillfully.

Empress Chen kept a straight face, "Consort Jing, you were indeed a bit noisy. Mother is unwell, and the imperial physician advised her to rest quietly. Yet you were shouting and yelling in the palace; what kind of behavior is that? Even if Mother doesn't punish you, I must. Someone, take Consort Jing and her servants away and help her tidy up. A dignified Consort, looking so disheveled, do you still want any decorum? The other palace servants are to be given twenty strokes to serve as a warning. Mother, do you think this handling is appropriate?"

The moment Empress Chen stepped into the Kunning Palace, Empress Dowager Sun knew that today's plan would not succeed.

She could handle Consort Jing privately, beat her to death, and then find a way to clean up the aftermath.

But she could not execute her in front of the Empress.

National laws and family rules, the face of the royal family, all involve too much.

Empress Chen could not just watch her execute a concubine of the late Emperor without evidence, especially one who had a son. Once the Empress sat by and did nothing, she would be incompetent, unworthy of being Empress, and would certainly be impeached by court officials.

Even the Emperor, if he wanted to execute a concubine of the late Emperor, had to find a legitimate reason to convince everyone.

Wanting to kill someone secretly is not called an execution; that is called an assassination!

Today, Empress Dowager Sun could only swallow this anger.

She gnashed her teeth and said to Empress Chen, "Your handling is very appropriate! She should be beaten hard! As soon as she came in, she was noisy, giving me a headache. Someone accused her, and I asked her a few questions as usual, and she started acting like she wanted to die, with no decorum at all. Empress, regarding the rumor, I will leave it to you; investigate it well, be sure to investigate it clearly, and restore Consort Jing's innocence. Whoever is framing her behind the scenes must not be spared!"

"I will obey! However, who is the accuser? Can Mother tell me?" Empress Chen's face was serious; since it concerned the innocence of the late Emperor's concubine, it had to be treated solemnly.

Empress Dowager Sun was stunned, then said impatiently, "I am old, how could I remember so many things? If I tell you to investigate, then investigate properly; if you can't even handle this little matter, what kind of behavior is that!"

"Mother's instruction is correct. I will take my leave now and arrange for people to investigate carefully, to be sure to restore Consort Jing's innocence!"