Chapter 317: Taking Punishment for His Wife
Discussions erupted among the crowd.
"I knew no one would dare scheme against the Crown Prince's Side Princess Consort in the palace—that would be seeking death."
"So it was Consort Fang's own orchestration, using her unborn child to frame someone. I wonder what she hoped to gain."
"I heard Consort Fang has been taking pregnancy-preserving medicine all this time. Perhaps the child was already lost, and she simply used the opportunity to frame the Princess Consort of the Pacifying West."
"What I don't understand is why Guogong Furen would provide false testimony for Consort Fang."
"..."
Guogong Furen's hands suddenly clenched.
Her lips parted as she spoke with difficulty: "Perhaps I saw wrong... she should have fallen forward..."
But few believed her words now.
Biting her lip in embarrassment, she glanced subtly toward the Emperor.
She said slowly, "When I was young, I lost my child due to an accident and lost the ability to become a mother. I cannot bear to see anyone harm a fetus... Regardless of how Consort Fang fell, I can responsibly tell everyone that it was indeed the Princess Consort of the Pacifying West who caused it... At my age, I have no reason to lie about such matters."
The Emperor's expression suddenly changed.
Normally, such harem affairs were handled by the Empress without his intervention.
But now...
The Emperor said coldly, "Audacious woman of the Yun family! How dare you harm the bloodline of our Great Jin imperial family? What punishment do you deserve!"
Everyone present was stunned.
The matter clearly had hidden complexities—how could the Emperor so readily convict the Princess Consort of the Pacifying West?
Chu Yi stepped forward: "Father, the two children were also present. We shouldn't rely solely on Guogong Furen's one-sided account."
"Two children barely five years old—their words cannot serve as testimony." The Emperor's gaze was icy. "The Yun woman has harmed the imperial bloodline. According to law, she shall be confined under house arrest with restraints..."
Chu Yi's gloomy eyes swept toward Guogong Furen.
He knew there was no room for reversal in this matter.
Lifting his robes, he knelt directly on the ground: "Father, your son is willing to receive punishment in his wife's stead!"
"Your Majesty, why not have the Court of Judicial Review investigate more thoroughly?" the Empress gently suggested. "This consort believes perhaps..."
"No further investigation is needed." The Emperor said coldly, "Third Prince, since you wish to take the punishment, you shall receive twenty cane strikes. Your duties at the Ministry of Works are also temporarily suspended."
Chu Yi bowed: "As you command!"
The Emperor left with a flick of his sleeve.
Chu Yi went to receive his punishment while Yun Chu took the two children with him.
The Empress remained to manage the aftermath, first seeing off the guests, then inquiring with the imperial physician about Consort Fang's condition.
The physician shook his head: "The fetus has already died in the womb. She needs medicine to expel it..."
The Empress slowly exhaled: "Then please prepare the prescription, Physician."
Standing in the courtyard, she watched as a matron brought a bowl of medicine into the room. Soon after, Fang Xinyan's cries of pain were heard, and palace maids began carrying out basins of bloodied water...
Suddenly, a shadow fell before her as the Empress saw Guogong Furen approaching.
"Your Majesty need not grieve," Guogong Furen said. "The Crown Prince is still young. There will be more children."
The Empress pressed her lips together without responding.
Guogong Furen sighed: "During the last flower appreciation banquet, this humble wife found an immediate connection with Consort Fang in the rear garden. At that time, her face was full of the joy of impending motherhood. Who could have imagined the child would be lost like this."
The Empress's expression changed.
It was after that last flower appreciation banquet that Consort Fang's health began to deteriorate, with her constantly summoning imperial physicians and taking pregnancy-preserving medicine.Could it be that this matter is related to Guogong Furen?
Guogong Furen suddenly raised her hand to touch her temple.
The Empress looked over and saw that as Guogong Furen lifted her arm, her sleeve slipped down slightly, revealing a bracelet on her wrist.
The bracelet was quite unique, with a circle of colorful small jade stones inlaid and wrapped with gold threads. It sparkled brilliantly under the sunlight, making it impossible to look away.
Guogong Furen deliberately shook her wrist, making the bracelet shimmer with iridescent light, even more dazzling.
Ensuring that the Empress had seen the bracelet, Guogong Furen then lowered her hand and said, "It's getting late, so I shall take my leave now."
After walking several steps away, she turned back and saw the Empress inquiring about Consort Fang's condition from the palace maid.
She couldn't help but curl the corner of her lips.
This bracelet was a rare tribute from the Western Regions last year, the only one of its kind in the world. It should have been given to the Empress of the nation, but the Emperor had gifted it to her instead.
She had deliberately revealed the bracelet in front of the Empress, yet the Empress showed no suspicion at all.
In the past, she had always avoided the Empress, fearing that their illicit affair would be discovered.
But now, she no longer wished to keep it hidden.
She wanted to step out of the shadows and stand openly by the Emperor's side.
After Guogong Furen left, Fang Xinyan's cries of pain gradually weakened.
The Empress, her face cold and stern, stepped into the inner chamber. The room was filled with the smell of blood, causing the Empress to frown.
She sat down on a chair beside Fang Xinyan's bed and asked indifferently, "Today's incident is suspicious. Will you speak voluntarily, or shall I summon someone from the Court of Judicial Review to pry open your mouth?"
Fang Xinyan bit her lip tightly, remaining silent.
"I may not be able to interrogate Guogong Furen, but questioning you is not difficult," the Empress sneered. "This is your last chance."
Fang Xinyan trembled all over.
She dared not speak of the affair between Guogong Furen and the Emperor, but if she remained silent, the Empress would not let her off.
Taking a deep breath, she said in a hoarse voice, "At the flower-viewing banquet hosted by the Crown Princess not long ago, I encountered Guogong Furen. At that time, the Emperor was also there... I clearly heard Guogong Furen call the Emperor 'Erlang'..."
The Empress's heart sank heavily, plunging into an unfathomable abyss.
"The Emperor, wanting to keep the secret, sought to silence me..." Fang Xinyan's body trembled. "Guogong Furen pleaded for me, and I managed to survive. However, I was so frightened that day that I've been bleeding continuously since returning... I don't know why Guogong Furen helped provide false testimony this time."
The Empress tightened her grip on her handkerchief.
To prevent their affair from being discovered, the Emperor had actually sought to kill the Crown Prince's Side Princess Consort, who was carrying the Crown Prince's bloodline.
More than twenty years had passed, yet in the Emperor's heart, the most important person was still Guogong Furen—the former eldest daughter of the Li family, Li Jingshu.
No matter how absurd the Emperor and Li Jingshu's private actions were, she could have turned a blind eye.
But Li Jingshu should not have flaunted it in front of her.
It made her, the Empress, seem utterly pathetic.
"Mother Empress!" The Crown Prince walked in, his face filled with grief. "The third prince and his Princess Consort dared to plot against my heir. I will never let the third prince get away with this! Mother Empress, please think of a solution!"
"This matter has nothing to do with the third prince," the Empress said. "The third prince was merely an innocent victim. If you have time, go and see him. Do not let discord grow between brothers."
The Crown Prince was taken aback. "If not the third prince, then who was it?"The Empress said gently, "This matter will be handled by your mother. Do not trouble yourself over it."
As she stepped out of the room and reached the exterior, a figure emerged from the shadow of the palace wall nearby: "Your son pays respects to Mother Empress."
The Empress looked at Chu Mo before her and replied indifferently, "It is late. Why are you still in the palace?"
"I was unable to present my birthday gift earlier due to the incident at Mother's banquet," said Gong Xi Prince Chu Mo, holding up a small box. "Please accept this humble token."
The Empress took the box and handed it to the matron behind her. "You are thoughtful, Mo'er."
Chu Mo lifted his head. "Would Mother care to view the gift now?"
Uncertain of his intentions, the Empress opened the box to find a letter inside. Frowning as she read it, her expression abruptly shifted dramatically.
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