SFS Chapter 405 The Confrontation Between Lady Zhaohua and the Emperor
Chapter 405 The Confrontation Between Lady Zhaohua and the Emperor
Madam Sun swayed and suddenly began to cough violently.
"Mother!" the brother and sister exclaimed at the same time.
Madam Sun waved her hand and took a breath: "No need to say anything more, I will not agree."
Sun Haining remained kneeling, tears mingling with blood as they fell to the ground: "I swear, if I cannot achieve great things, I am willing to die on the battlefield!"
She suddenly drew her short sword from her waist, "If Mother doesn't allow it—"
A flash of cold light, and a strand of black hair fell to the ground.
Lady Sun gazed at the sword that gleamed with a cold light, and finally collapsed onto the couch.
"You wretched child, how could I have given birth to such a wretched child!"
Sun Huanzhi knelt down with a thud: "Mother, Haining has a talented general; this has been her dream since childhood. Please let her give it a try."
"You dare bring that up again!"
Madam Sun grabbed a jade pillow and threw it at him, shouting, "If you hadn't indulged her, how could she have become like this!"
Just as things were getting out of hand, the steward rushed in to report: "Young Master Liang Nian requests an audience, saying he has something important to ask of you."
Sun Huanzhi was taken aback.
However, one wouldn't visit a temple without a reason; something must have happened.
He kowtowed three times deeply: "Mother, your son will go to greet the guests first. Please rest well."
As he stood up, he lowered his voice and said to his younger sister, "Don't rush, take your time."
Sun Haining nodded: "I know."
-
In the front hall of the Duke of Xin's mansion, Liang Nian stood upright, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the fabric of his sleeves.
The candlelight cast a long shadow of his thin figure, which, when projected onto the blue brick floor, resembled a drawn sword.
Sun Huanzhi strode in, bringing with him a gust of night wind.
"Brother Liang."
Sun Huanzhi raised his hand to stop him from bowing. "What happened?"
Liang Nian's Adam's apple bobbed as she briefly explained how the Fifth Prince had forcibly taken Liang Yuhua.
"Prince Lu said that only Prince Sun can solve this problem."
"Well done, Murong Jun!"
Sun Huanzhi abruptly stood up, his jade belt striking the table with a resounding clang. "Brother Liang, please wait a moment, I'll be heading to the palace now."
Liang Nian suddenly bowed deeply, her forehead almost touching the toe of Sun Huanzhi's boot: "I cannot express my gratitude for such a great kindness."
His voice choked, and his back trembled slightly.
Sun Huanzhi held his arm and touched a cold hand.
"There's no need for that."
Sun Huanzhi gripped his shoulder tightly. "You once tipped them off, saving the Yuan family of Nanjiang County from annihilation. I and..."
He paused, then changed his words, saying, "Lu Jiangnian is a good friend, and I remember that kindness as well."
"You go back to your residence first, I will go to the palace to meet the Emperor right away."
Liang Nian's eyes stung, and she almost cried.
The second branch of the Liang family were originally insignificant people, nothing more than dust in the dust.
He was deeply moved that these exceptionally talented individuals like Lu Jiangnian and Sun Huanzhi were willing to go to such lengths to help him.
Whether it succeeds or not, he is grateful.
-
Sun Huanzhi strode through the vermilion palace walls and saw the lights on in the Imperial Study in the distance, which made his heart feel slightly heavy.
The king sitting inside was his uncle.
When his aunt was still alive, he and Haining were never reserved in front of the emperor.
Time flies, things change, and over the years, he has never wanted to enter the palace unless there is something to do.
"Your subject, Sun Huanzhi, requests an audience with Your Majesty!"
When the palace doors opened, the emperor was reviewing the closing statement of the Liang Consort case.
Upon seeing that it was him, he raised an eyebrow: "Huanzhi, what's the matter so urgent so late?"
Sun Huanzhi remained neither humble nor arrogant, saying, "Today, the Fifth Prince forcibly entered the Liang residence, wanting to take Liang Yuhua as his concubine."
"When Liang Nian came to the Duke of Xin's mansion, he was in tears, his words were earnest, and he was filled with grief and indignation. I am grateful for his kindness in saving Haining, and I also think of His Majesty's magnanimity in pardoning the second branch of the Liang family. He must not want to see this scene."
After much deliberation, and without daring to delay, he hurriedly entered the palace.
"Snapped!"
The Emperor slammed the memorial in his hand heavily onto the table.
The emperor's eyes blazed with fury: "Nonsense! Murong Jun is forcibly taking a woman from the people! How can he be so arrogant!"
Then, his gaze held an ambiguous meaning: "Didn't you ask the Crown Prince to intercede for the Liang family's second branch in rescuing Haining last time?"
"What, is this debt of gratitude never going to be repaid?"
Sun Huanzhi calmly replied, "Your Majesty is wise, and I am ignorant. I do not know whether Your Majesty pardoned the second branch of the Liang family because Liang Jing has a pardon and dares not take credit for it."
The emperor paused for a moment, then laughed out loud: "That's honest enough."
"Alright, I understand. You may leave now."
Sun Huanzhi lowered his head to hide his deep thoughts.
"Yes."
-
Because of Princess Anning's instigation, the Emperor has not seen Consort Zhaohua for the past few days.
Upon hearing news of Sun Huanzhi, he was filled with anger and went to Yaoguang Palace to confront him.
When the emperor stepped into the palace, Lady Zhaohua was leaning against the window embroidering a handkerchief.
The candlelight illuminated half of her profile, making her appear exceptionally gentle. Upon seeing the imperial carriage arrive suddenly, the silver needle in her hand trembled, nearly pricking her fingertip.
"Your Majesty..." She hurriedly stood up and bowed, but the emperor grabbed her wrist.
"My beloved concubine, you've been quite leisurely these days," the Emperor said, his voice unreadable, his thumb tracing the pulse beating on her wrist. "Do you know what good deeds the Fifth Prince has done today?"
Lady Zhaohua's pupils contracted slightly, and she forced a smile, saying, "Has Jun'er done something to displease you?"
"you do not know?"
The emperor suddenly shook off her hand. "He's your son, don't you know that? He was so arrogant today, going to the second branch of the Liang family and declaring he wanted to take a descendant of a disgraced official as a concubine. It's utterly absurd."
Lady Zhaohua's knees buckled and she knelt on the ground, the gold hairpin in her hair swaying violently: "Your Majesty, I am innocent! I am in the palace all day long and do not know what is happening outside. I did not know that Jun'er had done such a foolish thing."
"He is so ignorant and annoys the Emperor. It is only right that the Emperor is angry and upset."
"But I truly knew nothing about it."
The emperor sneered: "Completely unaware?"
He suddenly leaned down and grabbed Lady Zhaohua's chin. "I want to ask you, all these years you've pretended to be gentle and considerate, yet behind my back you've reached out to me—what exactly are you trying to do?"
This sound was like a thunderclap, and Lady Zhaohua's heart panicked instantly.
However, she quickly calmed down.
She finally understood where the neglect she had been experiencing these past few days came from, and in a flash, she had already come up with a solution.
She suddenly kowtowed heavily: "Your Majesty, I have failed in raising my son. I will have no complaints no matter how Your Majesty scolds me."
"But where did this charge of spying on the emperor come from?"
The emperor gazed at Lady Zhaohua's trembling shoulders. She was crying so hard she could barely breathe, and pearly tears rolled down her pale cheeks, soaking her clothes.
"After all these years, I never imagined that Your Majesty would actually suspect me..."
She suddenly grabbed a pair of golden scissors from the table and pointed them at her heart, saying, "Why don't we cut out this heart and show it to the Emperor!"
The sharp scissors pierced the gauze dress, and a little scarlet blood seeped out.
The emperor was startled and quickly snatched the golden scissors.
Lady Zhaohua collapsed into his arms, her frail body trembling with sobs: "Jun'er is young and impetuous, it is my fault for not disciplining him properly, but how can Your Majesty suspect me of spying on His Majesty's whereabouts?"
She raised her tear-filled eyes, "All these years, I haven't dared to step on even an ant."
The emperor ran his fingertips over the faint bloodstain on her neck and suddenly remembered that Princess Anning had never mentioned her name.
The person in his arms was crying so hard that she almost fainted; she had no strength left to pretend.
"I have misunderstood you."
He sighed and hugged her tightly, then took the ointment and applied it to her personally. "It's just that Jun'er is really absurd."
The pressure on his fingertips unconsciously softened. "What kind of status does he have with the Liang family? How dare he get involved with them!"
Lady Zhaohua leaned against the dragon robe, sobbing, "I will summon him tomorrow and reprimand him."