SFS Chapter 195 Seizing Power
Chapter 195 Seizing Power
Emperor Jing'an personally helped the Duke up: "Your eldest son lacks ambition, and your second son is unreliable. The Duke's mansion will not prosper in their hands. As for your grandchildren..."
He shook his head and sighed, "What a pity, your most capable offspring was born out of wedlock."
These words struck at the Duke's weak point, and he suddenly looked much older.
Emperor Jing'an said earnestly, "Father-in-law, you should make plans as soon as possible."
The Duke nodded: "This old minister has already made a plan."
He emerged from the main hall with a heavy heart and saw Consort Ling and Prince Yu kneeling before the hall's entrance.
The Duke withdrew his gaze and slowly descended the steps.
The steps that used to be easy to climb now feel extremely difficult.
Seeing the Duke looking exhausted while kneeling before the palace gate, Consort Ling's heart skipped a beat, and she became even more aware of the seriousness of the situation.
If even the Emperor is no longer showing mercy to the Duke, then the mother and son probably can no longer rely on Empress Yuanrong's past relationship to escape this calamity.
Consort Ling's face turned pale. She clenched the handkerchief in her hand, wanting to send another message through the eunuch, but considering the current situation, she suppressed the thought.
Half an hour later, when Consort Ling's legs went numb and she was about to give up, a commotion came from inside the palace.
She perked up and looked over, only to see Eunuch Cao come out.
Eunuch Cao said, "Your Majesty, the Emperor invites you in."
Consort Ling breathed a sigh of relief, as long as the Emperor was willing to summon her and her son.
She hurriedly asked the palace maid to help her up. Her legs were sore and numb that she almost collapsed to the ground. She leaned on the palace maid to steady herself.
Consort Ling, unable to stand upright, endured the pain and said to Prince Yu, "Jing'er, get up quickly and go to see your father, the Emperor."
Eunuch Cao continued, "Your Majesty, the Emperor only sees you."
Consort Ling was startled, countless thoughts flashing through her mind, and she entered the palace with unease.
She saw Emperor Jing'an sitting upright on the dragon throne, enveloped in dim light and shadow, only his facial features were vaguely visible.
Pushing aside the palace maids who were helping her, Consort Ling knelt on the ground and said, "Your Majesty, I have come to beg for forgiveness."
Emperor Jing'an looked at Consort Ling with deep eyes. Her face was pale, her eyes were filled with tears, and she knelt below him with trepidation.
This time, she not only wore a blood jade bracelet on her wrist, but also wore the same jewelry as Empress Yuanrong on her neck and head.
These pieces of jewelry were not out of order. Empress Yuanrong cherished this sisterly bond and would send some jewelry to Consort Ling during festivals.
Consort Ling waited for a long time, but Emperor Jing'an did not speak, and her heart sank to the bottom.
Ever since Madam Shen denounced Marquis Chengen, the mother and son have been keeping a close eye on the situation here. As long as one of Marquis Chengen's sons is still alive, he will not implicate Prince Yu.
The Marquis of Chengen and his wife were convicted and would be subjected to the punishment of slow slicing. Others implicated, aged sixteen and above, would be executed.
Of their branch of the family, only Shen Shaoheng and Shen Shaobai, the legitimate sons, are still alive.
Consort Ling guessed that Marquis Chengen would not implicate Prince Yu, but the case was far-reaching and complex. No matter how thoroughly Prince Yu destroyed the evidence, he would probably still leave some clues.
Rather than be punished by the emperor, it's better to come and plead guilty first.
They were ruler and subject, and also father and son.
"Your Majesty, Jing'er has failed his master's teachings. He has not been able to share your burdens, but has instead caused you trouble, almost leading to a great disaster." Consort Ling said with tears streaming down her face, "As his mother, I am also at fault for failing to protect him properly."
At this point, Consort Ling's tears rolled down her cheeks: "He used to be so obedient and well-behaved. It's all my fault for being useless. During the winter hunt, I failed to protect him and he almost lost his life."
“He was covered in blood, not a single part of him was unharmed, and he was barely clinging to life. The imperial physician said that if we had arrived any later, it would have been too late to save him. If I had stopped him when he insisted on hunting a silver fox for the Emperor, he wouldn’t have suffered this calamity. It’s all my fault.”
Consort Ling wept uncontrollably: "I feel guilty. I was too lenient with him and failed to be a strict mother, which led him astray."
Emperor Jing'an couldn't help but think of the winter hunt when Jing'er was ten years old. She disappeared in the royal hunting grounds and was found dead in a cave, her body mangled and barely alive.
Seeing his son in such a miserable state, the father was naturally heartbroken.
He went up to hug Jing'er himself, but Jing'er resisted strongly.
For a long time afterward, Jing'er refused to leave the palace and refused to see her master. She became melancholy and was no longer as quiet and obedient as before.
When he reappeared in public, he was thirteen years old and had become a little more outgoing.
Upon realizing this, Emperor Jing'an understood that he had neglected this son too much.
“As a subject, Prince Yu failed to fulfill his loyalty. I am the sovereign, and he should be punished.” Emperor Jing’an said in a deep voice, “As a son, and I as his father, he did not act out of loyalty to the sovereign, did not think of me, and did not think of the future of the Great Zhou. This is unfilial and he should be punished.”
Consort Ling's heart sank, and she said anxiously, "Your Majesty, I..."
"I have dismissed him from his post and ordered him to reflect on his mistakes in his residence. As for the Qingzhou matter, he is to return all the money he was involved in, and I will forgive him for what he did." Emperor Jing'an finally felt a pang of pity and looked at Consort Ling with a cold gaze: "You shall hand over the seal in your hand to Consort Xian, and she shall take charge of the affairs of the six palaces."
The color drained from Consort Ling's face. The Emperor had not only stripped Jing'er of her power and confined her to her quarters, but he had also taken away her power.
The emperor was not a lustful man, and he had few children, only three princes and two princesses.
Prince Yu was born to her, Prince Rui was born to Consort Xian, and there was another prince whose mother was Consort Zhao, who had long since passed away. He was only thirteen years old and had not yet been granted a title of prince.
Emperor Jing'an pointed to her wrist: "The item Yuan Rong gave you, I will send Cao Chunxiang to retrieve it."
Consort Ling felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave, with chills seeping into her bones, causing her to shiver all over.
The Emperor's move was to take back her protective charm.
She could no longer rely on her gratitude to Empress Yuanrong to soften the Emperor's heart.
Jing'er made a mistake, and she and her son were stripped of their power.
They were simply thinking of their blood ties.
If they make the same mistake again, the Emperor will never forgive them again.
Consort Ling realized this and teetered on the brink of collapse.
Emperor Jing'an ordered: "Cao Chunxiang, escort the Imperial Concubine back to the palace and retrieve the late Empress's belongings."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Eunuch Cao summoned a palace maid and helped Consort Ling back to Yanxiang Palace.
Emperor Jing'an issued several imperial edicts in succession.
-
The news of the Marquis of Chengen's conviction has spread throughout the capital.
The atmosphere in the Duke's mansion was somber.
In particular, the Duke was summoned to the palace, and when he returned to his residence, he looked exhausted. He sent someone to summon Zhao Jue to the study in the front courtyard.
The second lady was filled with fear and unease, afraid that Emperor Jing'an would punish her.
She hated Shen Mingzhu to the core; she was a jinx.
Ever since Shen Mingzhu married into the Duke's mansion, the second branch of the family has never had a single day of harmony.
If it weren't for the fact that Shen Mingzhu was pregnant, they would have already given her a letter of divorce.
Just then, the second madam saw a maid rushing in and asked, "Has Jue'er returned to the manor?"
He went to the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion early this morning, but I don't know if he has gained the Prince of Zhenbei's favor.
"Third Master has returned to the manor," the maid said, catching her breath. "An imperial decree has arrived at the manor."
The second wife's face changed drastically. An imperial edict at this critical juncture must be a great disaster.