Tonight's Chaoyang Palace was the most ‘lively’ that Song Zhao had ever seen since entering the palace.
Xiao Jingheng was going to personally interrogate Concubine Ru as usual, but for some reason, whether it was because he was too grieved, he had forgotten to dismiss everyone after getting into the palanquin, so all the consorts had no choice but to follow along to Chaoyang Palace.
When Concubine Ru was brought to Chaoyang Palace, she saw Xiao Jingheng seated above, with the Empress Dowager and Empress standing on either side of him, and all the consorts of the palace lined up in the hall below.
The hall was dimly lit by candlelight, and countless eyes were staring at Concubine Ru, causing goosebumps all over her body.
She was held in custody in the middle of the great hall. Before Xiao Jingheng could even start questioning her, she suddenly knelt down and began to explain in a panic,
"Your Majesty, please forgive me! I really have nothing to do with this! I never thought of cursing Noble Consort Chen and the imperial heir in her womb, I really didn't!"
She was terrified and kowtowed after every sentence, the muffled 'thud thud' sound echoing on the golden dragon patterned ceiling, like muted thunder.
"You didn't? But the voodoo doll was found in your palace? You poisonous woman!"
Because of the sudden loss of his son, Xiao Jingheng was very emotional. His angry shout echoed in the spacious hall, pounding Concubine Ru's ears, and forcing cold sweat out of her.
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger! Although I did make a straw doll, I didn't privately intend to curse the Noble Consort! It was just because... just because Consort Yin bullied me too much, and I was muddled for a moment, wanting to frame her..."
She knew she was wrong, and begged, "I plead for Your Majesty to consider that I just entered the palace and was bound to be muddled for a while, to forgive me this once!"
When Consort Yin heard this, she immediately scowled and said sarcastically,
"Oh, you really have an eloquent defense. It makes sense, framing me and cursing the imperial heir in the Noble Consort's womb would indeed be a much lighter crime in comparison."
Concubine Ru was attacked from both front and back. The more she said, the more mistakes she made.
She still wanted to defend herself, but Xiao Jingheng directly announced her death sentence,
"You have done such a malicious thing with evil intentions. I cannot tolerate such a poisonous woman by my side. Considering your father's contributions during the chaos in court, I will show you leniency and allow you to take your own life, and return your intact corpse to your maternal home!"
The atmosphere in the hall was suffocatingly low.
Although no one said it out loud, everyone was thinking:
The Mongols and Consort Yin's Ada Tribe were the forces Xiao Jingheng was most wary of.
If he wasn't really furious, he wouldn't directly condemn Concubine Ru to death.
This move showed that Noble Consort Chen's position in his heart was superior.
But Song Zhao had a different perspective.
She didn't feel that Xiao Jingheng's move showed how much he cared for Noble Consort Chen. On the contrary, she felt that everything that happened tonight was strangely suspicious:
Xiao Jingheng said he wanted to call Concubine Ru to personally interrogate her, but what did he interrogate?
He just had someone scold her a few times, then hastily issued an edict allowing her suicide.
His decisive edict showed that he had already made up his mind.
If he had already decided, he could have issued a holy edict to execute Concubine Ru back at Yonghe Palace. Why go through the extra effort of seeing her and having all the consorts of the palace listen and watch?
At that time, the only sound left in the hall was Concubine Ru's muffled kowtows, one after another, and her hometown language that no one could understand, cried out in extreme fear.
Jiang Deshun led the eunuchs to quickly come forward and drag Concubine Ru out of the hall.
Concubine Ru struggled desperately, scratching the eunuchs' hands bloody with her long, sharp nails.
As soon as the eunuchs loosened their grip, she slipped out like a slippery loach, breaking free of her restraints and throwing herself at Xiao Jingheng's feet again, crying out,
"Please give this concubine one more chance! I really know I was wrong..."
Seeing that Xiao Jingheng didn't even want to look at her again, and waved his hand again to have her taken away,
Concubine Ru's eyes flashed, and she suddenly thought of something. She hurriedly said,
"This concubine is willing to write a letter to my father's family, to have the Mongols dispatch 30,000 troops to atone for my crimes! I plead for Your Majesty's mercy!"
Everyone was visibly stunned by these words.
Although the Mongols and Ada Tribe were both subordinate to the Qi Dynasty, they still had their own tribal troops, with considerable influence.
These troops were under tribal autonomy and allegiance to other tribes, not under the military command of the Qi Dynasty.
Therefore, the condition proposed by Concubine Ru was very tempting.
In fact, with her status as an imperial consort, even if she had committed other offenses and was sentenced to death by the emperor, her Mongol King father would not possibly dispatch so many troops to save her life.
But the situation was different now.
Concubine Ru was now accused by Xiao Jingheng of using witchcraft to harm the imperial heir.
Anything involving the imperial heir that invoked the death penalty of extermination of nine generations.
In his fury, Xiao Jingheng could easily portray this incident as the Mongols deliberately sending Concubine Ru into the palace to harm the imperial heir and damage the Qi Dynasty's legitimacy.
By then, not only Concubine Ru, but the entire Mongol tribe would face the possibility of the Qi Dynasty destroying them even at the cost of eight hundred casualties.
At this time, the Mongol King handing over troops to the Qi Dynasty was not just to protect his daughter.
It was to protect the entire Mongol tribe from a cruel war with corpses strewn everywhere.
Even so, Xiao Jingheng still refused.
He still angrily shouted, "How can 30,000 Mongol troops redeem the life of my son? Drag her away!"
"Then 50,000!" Concubine Ru cried out, "50,000 troops! This concubine implores Your Majesty's mercy! Your Majesty, please show mercy!"
50,000 troops was almost half of the Mongol tribe's military strength.
But Xiao Jingheng still refused, not even responding, letting the eunuchs drag Concubine Ru to the door.
Just as Concubine Ru was half dragged across the threshold,
The Empress Dowager suddenly spoke, "Wait."
She stopped the eunuchs and looked at Xiao Jingheng, saying word for word,
"Has the Emperor considered this clearly? 50,000 Mongol troops would be greatly beneficial to the Qi Dynasty."
Xiao Jingheng's fingers trembled as he pointed at Concubine Ru and shouted,
"She killed my own flesh and blood son! How can Mother expect me to let this go? If I do, how will I explain it to the Noble Consort when she finds out about this in the future?"
The Empress Dowager said, "Witchcraft is just superstition. If Concubine Ru really had the ability to determine someone's life and death by making a doll and sticking in two needles, she would have ascended to immortality long ago! In my opinion, the death of the imperial heir was purely an accident. When the time comes, if the Noble Consort makes a fuss over this, I will explain it to her. She understands reason and will be considerate of the Emperor's position."
Seeing that Xiao Jingheng did not refute her, the Empress Dowager continued,
"Let me take charge of this matter. Concubine Ru, write a letter to the Mongol King immediately. If he is willing to resolve this matter with 50,000 troops, then the Emperor and I will not pursue your mistakes further."
