Jinyi Spring

Chapter 206 Disposition

Princess Yanghe was helped here by Shangguan Ruyu.

She held Shui Chuchen and wept uncontrollably, "No wonder you looked familiar to me, you're Empress Xiaoxian's own daughter. Those people were despicable, making you suffer so much. And Empress Xiaoxian, such a good person, yet she ended up like that..."

She was genuinely saddened for the mother and daughter, and also hated Xue Qinghe's ruthlessness.

Shangguan Ruyu, her eyes also red, said, "Cousin, please accept my condolences and take care of yourself."

Princess Changning, supported by Madam Ming, arrived at the mourning hall, also holding Shui Chuchen and weeping, "No wonder she looked like this old woman, she really is our Shui family's daughter..."

After Princess Yanghe finished mourning, she went directly to Cining Palace.

Empress Dowager Xue was leaning against her phoenix couch, her face somber. When she saw her daughter enter, she turned her head away, ignoring her.

Princess Yanghe tugged at her sleeve, looking aggrieved, and said, "Mother, why are you ignoring your daughter?"

Empress Dowager Xue said angrily, "Shangguan, the Imperial Son-in-Law, went to meet Ming Changqing, and Ruyu went to treat Wang Tu's illness, which means that your family already knew the truth! If you had told me earlier, I could have stopped Qinghe and Jicheng earlier and prevented them from getting deeper and deeper into trouble. In that case, Xiao Shi would not have been eaten by wolves."

She was genuinely angry at those nephews from her maternal family—they were such idiots! If Xiao Shi lived, there would be plenty of opportunities to exploit her. The Emperor wouldn't feel guilty either; he could simply appoint Shui Heng as Crown Prince…

Yang He hurriedly said, "Mother, you have wronged your daughter. I only found out yesterday, and I really knew nothing before that."

Empress Dowager Xue was even angrier. "I won't even mention Shangguan Yunqi; he's always harbored resentment towards the royal family. But Yu'er, how could he keep this from you and from me?"

Princess Yanghe defended herself, saying, "Yu'er was lured in by Ming Shanyue and didn't know Wang Tu's true identity. The Prince Consort... he has no resentment towards the royal family. He believes that doing so is fulfilling his duty as a subject and preventing Xue Qinghe from causing trouble in the palace..."

Yesterday, Shangguan Yunqi spoke with Princess Yanghe for a long time. He said that Consort Xue and her family were causing chaos in the palace and plotting against the imperial heir, which was a heinous crime of treason. As a subject, knowing the truth but doing nothing would be a betrayal of the emperor's grace. He kept it from her to protect her, fearing she would be put in a difficult position. Not telling the Empress Dowager would be unfilial, but telling her would be disloyal…

Princess Yanghe dared not say these words to her mother, nor dare she say that her husband "did the right thing." She could only repeat, with tears welling in her eyes, "Mother, don't you know how filial I am... Please don't be angry, take care of yourself..."

Empress Dowager Xue closed her eyes, sighed deeply, and said nothing more.

What angered her most was not the deaths of Xue Qinghe and Xue Jicheng, but that Shui Heng became the crown prince, ruining the entire plan.

At noon, Emperor Jianzhang personally visited Kunning Palace to offer sacrifices.

Inside the hall, white banners hung low, candlelight flickered, and incense smoke swirled.

He walked step by step to the altar, took the incense offered by the eunuch, and bowed three times respectfully.

Just now, Ming Shanyue went to the Taiji Hall to report that Xue Jicheng had confessed to the crime of murdering Empress Xiaoxian and Princess Yong'an. These things were all ordered by Xue Qinghe, decided by Xue Jixiang, and carried out by him personally.

The old palace maid who served Consort Xue also confessed that the half of the mandarin duck pendant was secretly placed under Empress Xiao's pillow by Consort Xue after she bribed a eunuch in Kunning Palace before Emperor Jianzhang went to Kunning Palace.

Emperor Jianzhang had already guessed these things. But hearing them with his own ears now still felt like something had been ripped out of his heart.

It wasn't for Xiao Shi, but for himself—for so many years, he had been manipulated by a woman, wronged Xiao Shi, forced her to become a nun, and forced her to die.

He covered his face with a handkerchief and wept bitterly, "I am sorry, Wan'er."

The assembled officials knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, please accept our condolences! Your Majesty, please accept our condolences!"

Emperor Jianzhang cried for a while, then his voice gradually faded.

He put down the handkerchief, revealing his red-rimmed eyes, and said in a hoarse but solemn voice, "I hereby swear that from this day forward, I will never appoint another empress. My empress will only ever be one, and that will be my Wan'er, Empress Xiaoxian."

When he said "Wan'er," his voice was so gentle that it didn't sound like that of an emperor, but rather like that of an ordinary husband who was sixteen years late.

Emperor Jianzhang's gaze slowly swept over the assembled officials, his voice suddenly turning cold. "Depose Consort Xue from her position and order her to drink poison. This must be carried out immediately. Xue Jicheng's plot to harm the Empress and the Princess is an unforgivable crime; he shall be executed immediately. Xue Jipeng's unauthorized troop redeployment is tantamount to treason; he shall be executed immediately."

He paused, then softened his tone, "Considering the merits of the late Duke Rongguo and the Empress Dowager's repeated pleas, the other men of the Xue family will be stripped of their titles and posts, their property confiscated, and demoted to commoners."

Upon hearing this, the ministers looked at each other in bewilderment.

The Duke of Mingguo stepped forward first, bowed and clasped his hands, "Your Majesty, Xue Jixiang is the head of the Xue family. The Xue family has committed evil for many years. How can he be let off lightly? I believe that even if he is spared death, he should be exiled to a remote and evil military prefecture as a warning to others."

Two imperial censors stepped forward and said, "We second that opinion! The Xue family's crimes are heinous. Even if Xue Jixiang was not the mastermind, he is still one of the main culprits. If he is kept in the capital, it will be difficult to convince the public!"

Then, more than a dozen ministers stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I second that proposal!"

When Emperor Jianzhang saw the Duke of Ming step forward, the suspicion that Empress Dowager Xue had stirred up in his heart resurfaced.

He frowned slightly and sneered, "I have already stripped them of their titles and official positions, and confiscated their property. What more do you want? Do you want me to exterminate the entire Xue family, leaving only the Empress Dowager as a lone figurehead, before you are satisfied?" The Duke of Ming was taken aback and hurriedly said, "Your subject dares not. It's just..."

"But what?" Emperor Jianzhang's gaze swept coldly over the Duke of Ming, then over the two censors, his voice deepening.

“I am not only a monarch, but also a son. The Empress Dowager is getting old and her health is not what it used to be. She needs a few people who know her well to keep her company. Letting them come to the palace occasionally to keep her company is a way for them to show their filial piety on my behalf. What, you even want to stop me from being filial?”

The censors wanted to argue further, but Emperor Jianzhang gave them no more chances to speak. "I know you think I've been too lenient with the Xue family. But what I want is stability in the court, not to implicate the innocent. This matter was decided by me personally, and there is no room for further discussion."

He paused, his gaze falling on the Duke of Ming's face. His voice softened, but it held a sharp edge. "The Ming family has contributed greatly to this case, and I remember that. But remember—do not overstep your bounds and make decisions for me."

These words were so harsh that both the Duke of Ming and Ming Shanyue felt a chill run down their spines and knelt down to kowtow, saying, "Your Majesty, we dare not."

The hall was completely silent. Even those who were dissatisfied had no choice but to keep quiet.

"Court adjourned. I am going to Kunning Palace to pay my respects to Wan'er."

Emperor Jianzhang stood up, flicked his sleeves, and left without looking back.

-

After lighting incense, Emperor Jianzhang gazed for a long time at the golden characters on the memorial tablet—"The Spirit of Empress Xiaoxian, née Xiao"—his eyes deep and sorrowful.

After a long while, he walked to the coffin again, gently stroking the black lacquered surface of the coffin with his hand, as if stroking the cheek of a sleeping person, and choked out a sob.

"Wan'er... my beloved wife..." he whispered, his voice filled with tenderness as sweet as honey.

A voice rang out, "Father, please accept my condolences."

It was the King of Zhao. He knelt below the Crown Prince, his face filled with grief, his voice trembling.

Then, the third prince also spoke up, saying, "Father, please accept my condolences."

The prince couldn't bring himself to say these words; his sobs grew louder.

He Quan, standing behind Emperor Jianzhang, also bowed and advised, "Your Majesty, your health is of utmost importance. Empress Xiaoxian, if she were alive, would not wish to see Your Majesty so grieved."

Emperor Jianzhang gradually stopped crying. He straightened up, looked at the coffin, as if he had a thousand words to say, but in the end, it all turned into a long sigh.

"My beloved wife is waiting for me over there. When I get there, we will be reincarnated together. In the next life, I will never let you down again."

Shui Chuchen couldn't help but roll her eyes. This pretentious, affectionate persona was so convincing, she almost threw up. Especially the terms "Wan'er" and "beloved wife," they gave her goosebumps.

After a long while, Emperor Jianzhang finally left Kunning Palace after being repeatedly persuaded by He Quan.

This aroused envy, jealousy, and resentment among the twenty-odd concubines on the other side, and also made the female relatives who came to mourn sigh with emotion.

Empress Xiaoxian's posthumous honor is rarely seen throughout history. She suffered for over a decade, but it was all worth it!

In the afternoon, news of the Emperor's treatment of Lady Xue and her family spread throughout the palace.

The Xue family offered poisoned wine, and Xue and Cheng were beheaded. As for the rest of the Xue family, they were merely dismissed from their official posts, stripped of their titles, and expelled from the Minister's residence.

The Crown Prince and Shui Chuchen exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with resentment.

They harmed that mother and daughter so badly, and you just let the whole family off so easily? At the very least, the Xue family should be banished back to their hometown and never allowed to enter the capital again.

But the emperor insisted on keeping them in the capital. Although they lost their official positions, the Empress Dowager was still alive, the Xue family's foundation of several generations was still there, and their in-laws were still there.

Is this to keep them around so they can keep the crown prince in check in the future?

Silence fell over the hall. The Crown Prince lowered his eyes, concealing the darkness within them. He had long anticipated this outcome; his mother's body was barely cold, yet his father was already making plans for the future.

In his father's heart, the Crown Prince was ultimately no match for the concept of "balance." Or rather, it was both a warning to him and a way to leave a glimmer of hope for Empress Dowager Xue, Prince Zhao, and even the Third Prince.

Shui Chuchen never held any hope for the Emperor. He was a terrible father; he loved no one but himself, or rather, he trusted no one.

The third prince's face was expressionless.

King Zhao looked sorrowful and said to the Crown Prince, "Brother, I feel dizzy and must take my leave now."

The Crown Prince knew he was going to visit Xue Qinghe. His expression remained unchanged, and his voice was gentle. "Go then." (End of Chapter)