northernbook Chapter 200 The Imperial Concubine Was Demoted
Chapter 200 The Imperial Concubine Was Demoted
In Xiefang Palace, Prince Guangcheng lay on Concubine Song's couch, his round eyes wide open, and said pitifully, "Mother, can I sleep a little longer? I studied until Chou Hour last night, and then got up at Mao Hour to practice martial arts. I'm so sleepy."
"You're so sleepy!" Concubine Song covered Prince Guangcheng with a thin blanket and said with a smile, "Then sleep a little longer."
King Guangcheng asked, "Is that child in class?"
"Hmm!" Concubine Song thought for a moment and said softly, "Then mother will send someone to tell them that you have an upset stomach and will come back later."
"Thank you, mother!" King Guangcheng got up, kissed his mother, and then lay down again.
"Go to sleep!" Concubine Song covered him with a thin blanket again and fanned him gently. Early autumn brought sudden changes in temperature, with unpredictable changes. The child fell asleep very quickly, and soon, the sound of steady breathing could be heard.
"Your Majesty, you dote on the little prince too much. If he falls behind in his studies, His Majesty will punish him." Jiaoli took the round fan from Concubine Song's hand and continued to wave it gently.
"No problem!" Concubine Song said, "My son, just be safe and happy. I will take care of everything else."
"Empress, something happened." Yunmeng ran in in a panic.
"What are you panicking about?" Concubine Song stood up and walked out from behind the screen, asking, "What's wrong?"
Yunmeng looked at King Guangcheng behind the screen and whispered in his ear.
"What? Lu Mingze is alive?" Concubine Song collapsed on the imperial couch and hurried to the side hall to confirm: "He said that I was the mastermind behind this?"
Yun Meng nodded: "This matter has caused a lot of uproar. His Majesty is summoning Lu Mingze to the Qinzheng Palace."
Concubine Song said anxiously, "So what if I summoned him? I only gave Sun Jisheng 20,000 taels of silver and asked him to pass on the message. I didn't ask him to kill anyone. As for Chen Hong, I haven't contacted him at all."
Yun Meng asked, "Could it be the Second Young Master?"
"Quick, send someone to ask." Concubine Song was panicking. Thirty thousand lives were no small matter. If things went wrong, the entire Duke Song's mansion would be in jeopardy.
Yun Meng reminded: "The Second Young Master is giving a lecture in Wenhua Hall today."
Concubine Song couldn't wait for anyone to ask, so she ordered someone to wake Prince Guangcheng up and rushed to Wenhua Palace. When she reached Jingyun Gate, she ran into Song Wei. Song Wei was accompanied by two eunuchs who were delivering the imperial edict.
"Wait!" Concubine Song stopped her, saying, "I want to have a conversation with Young Master Song."
The eunuch who delivered the imperial edict said, "Please forgive me, Your Majesty, your Majesty has summoned Song Shaobao to go to Lizheng Palace immediately without delay." Especially, he was not allowed to see anyone from Xiefang Palace.
The two eunuchs who delivered the imperial eunuchs did not dare to say the remaining half of the sentence.
Yunmeng stepped forward and stuffed the golden beans into the palace. The Lizheng Palace was right in front of them. The two eunuchs who delivered the imperial edict did not dare to accept it. They kowtowed and rushed to the Lizheng Palace with Song Shaobao.
Behind the Qinzheng Hall is the Lizheng Hall. If there is an undecided matter, the emperor usually summons relevant ministers here to discuss the matter.
Concubine Song followed her brother onto the platform and saw the people inside the Lizheng Hall.
The Emperor sat high up on the throne, flanked by the Prince of Ningyuan, the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Justice, the Deputy Minister of Justice, and the already deceased Lu Mingze. All of them were ministers involved in the trial of the former Marquis of Chengyang's death.
She was anxious and wanted to follow her brother in. But the eunuchs who were usually respectful to her were rudely blocking the way. She could only wait anxiously outside.
"Asshole, how dare you collude with the ministers and murder the Marquis of Chengyang."
Soon, the emperor's angry voice was heard from inside, and Concubine Song shouted anxiously: "Your Majesty, my brother is innocent. Please investigate clearly."
The emperor, who had always doted on her, didn't respond at all. Eunuch Su came out and invited her back to Xiefang Palace, followed by a team of imperial guards.
The Imperial Guards broke into Xiefang Palace and took away all the palace maids and eunuchs. Before nightfall, the left and right Zongzheng officers of the Imperial Clan Court arrived and interrogated Concubine Song.
After all, she was Prince Guangcheng's biological mother, so the two dared not offend her. Before asking, Zuo Zongzheng specifically revealed, "Song Shaobao has confessed that he was the one who ordered Chen Hong to put the Chengyang Marquis's army in danger. Your Majesty's maid Yunmeng has also confessed that you and Deputy General Sun secretly exchanged gifts."
At this point, he asked, "I wonder why, Your Majesty, you ordered Lieutenant General Sun to murder the Marquis of Chengyang?"
"I didn't!" Concubine Song said angrily, "I didn't instruct him to kill Marquis Chengyang at all. Who knows what kind of madness he has!"
Zuo Zongzheng advised: "Your Majesty, you'd better confess and avoid physical pain."
"How outrageous!" Concubine Song was shocked.
Zuo Zongzheng said, "Your Majesty said that if you don't confess, you can be tortured!"
"I don't believe it." She didn't believe the emperor would treat her like this. Concubine Song ran out frantically, but two eunuchs immediately stopped her.
While they were struggling, Eunuch Su rushed over.
"Let him go!" Eunuch Su bowed to Concubine Song and said, "There's no need to interrogate him again. Young Master Song has already confessed that he ordered Lieutenant General Sun to kill Marquis Chengyang."
"Impossible, absolutely impossible." Even if her brother had colluded with Chen Hong and Sun Jisheng, he would never have killed the Marquis of Chengyang. But no one listened to Concubine Song's grievances.
Xiefang Palace was locked, and she was the only one left in the huge palace, which was empty and freezing cold.
"Mother concubine, mother concubine!"
As the sun set in the west, the sound of King Guangcheng crying could be heard outside Xiefang Palace.
"Hui'er, Hui'er!" Concubine Song ran towards the palace gate, but Prince Guangcheng's voice had already disappeared. He was forcibly dragged away. Outside the crack of the door, only a pool of wet tears remained.
"Hui'er, Hui'er..."
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."
After calling out countless times, the door of Xiefang Palace opened again, and a strange eunuch held up the bright yellow imperial edict and read out: Imperial Concubine Song colluded with foreign officials and disrupted the government. She is ordered to be stripped of her title and banished to the cold palace.
It was a simple sentence, without any literary flourish, but it was obvious that he was in a hurry.
Watching his men take away the imperial seal and imperial decree symbolizing the Imperial Concubine's status, the eunuch announcing the decree leaned forward and said, "Song, although His Majesty has stripped you of your title and banished you to the cold palace, he still allows you to live in Xiefang Palace and have your personal maid serve you. This shows how much His Majesty has been kind to you. Please express your gratitude!"
Concubine Song sat on the ground in a daze, as if she had lost her soul.
After all, she was the biological mother of Prince Guangcheng, so the eunuch did not dare to care about Song's attitude. He put the imperial edict on the table aside and ordered people to move things.
Since it was a cold palace, no valuables or precious items were allowed. After the ceremony, the horn pear was thrown in.
"Your Majesty, why are you sitting on the ground?" Jiaoli hurried to help Concubine Song. Concubine Song grabbed Jiaoli's arm and asked, "How are you?"
Jiaoli cried out, "Sister Yunmeng was beaten to death."
Concubine Song's eyes were blurry, and she asked anxiously, "Where's my brother?"
Jiao Li said, "I heard that His Majesty originally wanted to depose the master's title, but it was Prince Ningyuan who interceded for it and saved it. The Duke of Song's mansion is fine, don't worry."
Concubine Song asked anxiously, "Let me ask you, where is my brother?"
Jiao Li had no choice but to say, "Your Majesty has demoted the Second Young Master to a commoner and will execute him in the autumn."
"My younger brother has always been good friends with Erlang of the Lu family, and he is Wan'er's husband. How could my younger brother kill them? How could Your Majesty believe in slander?" Song Moli stood up and wanted to find the emperor.
Jiaoli hugged Song Moli's legs tightly and cried, "Girl, it's useless, it's useless."
Song Moli smiled sadly.