The grand entrance to the main hall was tightly shut,
Yet a cool breeze managed to seep through the narrow gaps.
As if with eyes, it found its way into the collars and sleeves of Consort Shu,
Sending shivers down her spine.
After a brief silence, Xiao Jingheng spoke again,
"You seem to handle this matter with ease. But if you value your child so much, why did you resort to terminating your own pregnancy and then shift the blame onto Yi Concubine? At that time, Yi Concubine had just entered the palace, and you had no interaction with her!" (Chapter 26)
"Hahaha..."
Upon hearing his words, Consort Shu seemed to go mad.
She burst into laughter,
Her voice hoarse, bitter tears sliding into her mouth,
Laughing in a way that made Xiao Jingheng's scalp tingle.
"Enough! You madwoman!"
He grabbed the nearby inkstone and hurled it fiercely at Consort Shu.
The inkstone fell before her, splattering ink on her pristine white garment,
Blooming into tiny ink flowers.
Still smiling, she choked out these words,
"Did the Emperor think I willingly chose this path? If I wasn't already aware that I couldn't carry this pregnancy to term, why would I resort to such extreme measures?"
Clearly unaware of this, Xiao Jingheng questioned, "Couldn't carry to term? Didn't Imperial Physician Zhang, who was responsible for preserving your pregnancy, always assure you that the child was fine?"
"If it weren't for me forcing him to say so, would the Emperor have shown such concern for me during those months, knowing I was pregnant?"
Consort Shu wiped her tears with her hand, shaking her head with a bitter smile. "When I was three months pregnant, Imperial Physician Zhang already informed me that I could only carry this child for a maximum of seven months. Even if it was born prematurely, it would undoubtedly be a stillborn that couldn't survive..."
"No wonder! No wonder Imperial Physician Zhang mysteriously died at home after your miscarriage. I fear this was your wicked act to silence him!" Xiao Jingheng's chest heaved violently. The more Consort Shu spoke, the more he shuddered.
"This child of yours can't be preserved, but why does it have anything to do with the Empress?"
"It's not unrelated to her! Has the Emperor forgotten? At that time, the Empress's grandmother had just passed away, and she was deeply saddened by the loss. She would ask me to accompany her in drinking to drown her sorrows every day. But it was during that time that I unknowingly carried the child!"
Consort Shu clutched her abdomen in despair, slumping to the ground. "I drank with her several times during the early stages of my pregnancy, which caused the deficiency in the fetus. How can this not be considered the Empress's fault for killing my child?"
"Are you out of your mind?" Xiao Jingheng's gaze bore heavily into her, filled with disbelief. "You didn't even know about your own pregnancy, let alone the Empress. You made a foolish mistake, yet you completely blame others? It's simply unreasonable!"
"Yes! I am mad!"
Consort Shu shouted at Xiao Jingheng with a strained neck, "The craziest thing I've ever done in my life was becoming your consort! I, a foolish person, dreamt a futile dream, only to end up with blood on my hands. In the dead of night, even when I see myself in the mirror, I feel a chill in my heart. I don't even understand how I became this way. I am not such a malicious woman!"
Her tears seemed to have run dry,
Her sobs were empty, without a single tear.
After crying and shouting,
Exhausted, she collapsed on the cold ground, shaking her head in despair.
"A while ago, the imperial physician told me that due to a miscarriage, I have injured my palace and can never conceive again... I know that you will never look at me again, and I despise these days, despise every lonely and desolate night in the palace."
She forced herself up, once again kneeling respectfully on the ground, kowtowing to Xiao Jingheng three times.
"I am truly exhausted, I beg the Emperor not to involve my maternal family and grant me a quick death."
Consort Shu's maternal family is far away in Long City,
Her father was a brave general who played a crucial role in pacifying external turmoil and intimidating neighboring countries during the Qi Dynasty.
So Xiao Jingheng would not execute Consort Shu,
He would not let the affairs of the harem interfere with his own kingdom.
His gaze at Consort Shu turned cold, colder than ever, and he spoke mercilessly,
"I will not execute you. Jiang Deshun, convey my decree to Xiao Yu, confining Consort Shu to a commoner's status and isolating her in the cold palace. She shall not leave unless dead."
In one sentence, Consort Shu would be trapped in this golden cage for the rest of her life.
At that moment, Jiang Deshun had already ordered someone to take Consort Shu away,
But Consort Shu struggled and cried out,
"Emperor! Why? I wholeheartedly sought death, why do you insist on imprisoning me in the palace? Why?"
Her tearful question was met with Xiao Jingheng's indifferent response,
"If you attempt suicide, I will hold your entire family accountable. Take her away."
In Xiao Jingheng's eyes, most of the women in the palace
Were nothing more than pawns to be used.
The life or death of a pawn was inconsequential,
Why would he care if the pawns were driven to madness by this ruthless harem?
After Consort Shu was banished to the cold palace, it was as if she had never existed in the palace. No one mentioned her again.
She disappeared just like that,
More terrifying than death itself.
After this incident, Xiao Jingheng was busy with state affairs for several consecutive days and did not enter the harem.
Finally, when he had some free time, he turned over Song Zhao's signboard.
On this day, when Song Zhao arrived at Chaoyang Palace, he saw Xiao Jingheng reviewing memorials.
The hall was dimly lit, and Xiao Jingheng's complexion appeared particularly grim amidst the flickering candlelight.
Quietly approaching, Song Zhao added two more candles near him and then went behind him to massage his slightly stiff shoulders and neck.
"Your Majesty, you have been working hard recently. Perhaps it would be better if..."
Just as she was speaking, Xiao Jingheng suddenly stopped marking the memorial, reaching back to grasp Song Zhao's wrist.
He slowly turned around, raising his gaze to meet hers.
His eyes were icy cold, exuding an oppressive aura that made one feel suffocated.
"Your Majesty... Why are you looking at me like this?"
"Consort Shu has confessed to her crimes. She has admitted that she deliberately framed you by hiding a sachet containing Huzi grass in your inner chamber when she visited you."
Upon hearing this, Song Zhao felt a chill run down her spine. (Chapter 31)
Before she could even speak to defend herself, Xiao Jingheng continued,
"Since it was Consort Shu who placed the Huzi grass in your palace, then why did the investigation conducted by my officials find evidence that Li had previously purchased Huzi grass, thus clearing you of suspicion?"
His sharp gaze locked onto Song Zhao's flickering eyes, seeming like the sharpest sword in the world.
"I need you to give me an explanation for this matter."
