Chapter 361: Drag Her Out and Beat Her to Death
The people in the banquet hall were utterly stunned.
After a moment of profound silence, the room erupted in uproar.
"Over thirty years ago, I did hear that Minister Li had a mistress. But before it became public, Lady Li died, and Minister Li quickly remarried—turns out he married his mistress!"
"Marrying his mistress is one thing, but letting the illegitimate daughter born from the mistress take the place of the legitimate eldest young lady—what was he thinking?"
"All these years, she’s been throwing her weight around relying on the Emperor’s favor. The Duke died early, and all the men in the household are gone—it’s hard not to suspect she had a hand in it!"
"The real Miss Li suffered so much—driven mad and imprisoned for thirty years!"
"What a vicious woman!"
"..."
Various accusations poured into Li Jingshu’s ears.
She dug her nails into her palms, activating the Gu poison within her body.
As she did so, she rushed before the Emperor, tears streaming down her face like pear blossoms in the rain: "No matter what the truth was thirty years ago, the one who has been by Your Majesty’s side for these thirty years is me! It was I who comforted you in your moments of despair, I who defied morality to maintain a secret affair with you, I who..."
Yun Chu noticed the Emperor’s expression softening.
She calmly interrupted Li Jingshu: "You’re wrong. The one who has accompanied His Majesty for thirty years is the Empress! The reason you were able to reside in the Hall of Mental Cultivation is because you stabbed yourself and framed the Empress! Not only do you fall short of the Empress’s righteousness, you’ve also tarnished the pure feelings between His Majesty and the true Miss Li. Your words only further expose the evil you’ve committed."
"You!"
Li Jingshu glared at her with fury.
She suddenly felt regret.
Regret for envying Yun Chu and conspiring with Consort Fang to frame her.
She never expected Yun Chu to be someone who would repay every slight—even after so much time had passed, she still sought revenge.
If Yun Chu hadn’t interfered, that wretch Li Jingshu would never have had the chance to appear before the Emperor again.
But it was too late for regrets.
She heard an all-too-familiar voice utter extremely cold words: "Drag her out and beat her to death!"
Li Jingshu’s eyes widened in shock.
Her knees buckled, and she opened her mouth to beg for mercy.
She knew what tactics worked on the Emperor—if she humbled herself and cast aside her dignity, she could surely make him change his mind.
But Chu Yi gave her no opportunity.
With a cold glare from him, two Imperial Guards stepped forward—one pinned Li Jingshu’s shoulders, while the other covered her mouth, dragging her out.
"Mmph! Mmph!"
Li Jingshu struggled desperately.
But as a fifty-year-old woman, how could she overpower young guards? She was hauled away just like that.
The real Li Jingshu burst into loud sobs. Overwhelmed by the extreme emotional turmoil, she cried until she fainted.
"Summon the imperial physician at once!"
The Emperor immediately picked up Li Jingshu and carried her toward the main hall.
Those left behind exchanged bewildered glances, then gathered in small groups to discuss what had happened.
"Chu’er, if not for your careful planning, I might have truly ended up in the cold palace," Consort Yun said, her voice trembling with lingering fear. "Who would have thought this Li Jingshu was an imposter? Who could have imagined such a thing... The Emperor’s sincere devotion was completely wasted! The true eldest young lady of the Li family is truly pitiable, alas."Yun Chu also sighed. "Her madness is difficult to cure. I hope Father Emperor can protect her for the rest of her life, ensuring she isn't bullied or humiliated."
Before long, rumors spread that Li Jingshu had vomited blood and died after receiving over thirty cane strikes.
After all, she was advanced in years and had always lived in luxury, completely unaccustomed to such harsh treatment. Moreover, Chu Yi had given the order, and the guards carrying out the punishment had shown no mercy.
The flower-viewing banquet concluded amidst the crowd's murmurs and discussions.
Yun Chu and Chu Yi exited the palace.
They encountered the Crown Prince head-on.
"Eldest Brother Crown Prince," Chu Yi greeted.
The Crown Prince's expression was complex as his gaze swept over Chu Yi and Yun Chu. He asked slowly, "You both knew long ago that this Consort Jin wasn't the real one, didn't you?"
Chu Yi spoke indifferently, "What does Eldest Brother mean by that?"
"Since you knew all along, why didn't you expose her identity sooner!" The Crown Prince grew agitated. "If she had been executed earlier, my mother wouldn't have been framed and confined to the cold palace! She wouldn't have been driven to desperate measures for my sake! She wouldn't have died! Why? Why didn't you bring the real Li Jingshu into the palace earlier? Why! It's all your fault!"
Chu Yi actually laughed. "As members of the imperial family, fratricidal strife is our fate. But I have never laid a hand on you, Eldest Brother, and I am completely guiltless regarding the Empress."
The Crown Prince clutched his head, utterly broken.
"Eldest Brother, the Empress wasn't killed by someone else. She chose death willingly," Chu Yi said, enunciating each word clearly. "Only through this could she make Father Emperor feel remorse toward her and, at the critical moment, preserve your life. I hope you can live well, Eldest Brother, so that Mother may rest content in the afterlife."
Having said this, he put his arm around Yun Chu's shoulder and walked past the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince collapsed into a crouch, weeping silently.
Granny Yin had told him that the assassination attempt during Father Emperor's birthday banquet had been orchestrated by his mother.
He needed to have everything spelled out for him word by word to understand the truth behind it all.
And Chu Yi—he had everything under control from the start.
How could he ever hope to compete with Chu Yi?
His mother wanted him to live well, but in this terrifying imperial palace, how could he possibly survive?
So many of his brothers—the second, fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth princes... one after another, they had either died, gone mad, or been sent to their fiefdoms.
What would his own fate be?
Yun Chu had walked quite a distance. Just as she was about to turn the corner, she glanced back and saw the Crown Prince still crouched on the long palace path, crying silently.
She couldn't help but sigh. In her previous life, even with the Empress's protection, the Crown Prince had still failed to overcome the Gong Xi Prince, and his only son had died in the struggle.
The two exited the palace gates and were about to board their carriage.
She looked up and saw Chu Rui, once again enfeoffed as Prince Zhuang, helping a young woman into a carriage in the distance.
The girl was very young and appeared docile and well-behaved in front of Chu Rui.
"That is Chu Rui's fiancée, the Third Miss of the Su family, Su Ziyue," Chu Yi explained. "Their wedding is scheduled for next month."
Yun Chu said softly, "Without the Empress Dowager's protection, Prince Zhuang, who has been seriously ill since birth, has managed to survive until now. I can't help but feel this person isn't as simple as he appears on the surface."
Just as Chu Yi was about to respond,
they saw Chu Rui turn around and cup his hands toward them in greeting.
Chu Yi returned the gesture with a cupped-hand salute of his own.
The two returned home. Before they even entered, they heard a childish voice calling, "Mother! Mother!"Yun Chu smiled gently and hurried inside. "Jue Ge'er, Mother is back."
The little one waved his chubby arms and rushed toward Yun Chu.
Now that spring had arrived, the little fellow was about eight or nine months old—just at the babbling stage. But no matter how much he chattered, he could only call out "Mother" and play with his drool.
"You little rascal," Chu Yi said, tapping his nose. "You never want your father to hold you—such an ungrateful cub."
No sooner had he spoken than the child reached out his arms toward him.
Chu Yi was delighted, but as soon as he took the child into his arms, he felt a warmth spread across his chest.
Chu Hongyu gloated, "Jue Ge'er peed! He peed all over Father! Hahaha!"
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