As he spoke, Emperor Zhou bent down and snatched the Imperial Seal from her hand, then raised it high, demanding, "Then tell me, what is this?!"
"It's the Emperor's Imperial Seal. The Emperor was just playing around with me when he entrusted it to me for safekeeping." Damn it, in my panic I completely forgot to put the Imperial Seal away!
"Then what is this?!" Emperor Zhou roared angrily, tearing the draft imperial edict off his desk and throwing it in front of Empress Yao. "What is this?! Explain it to me!"
"Yes, yes..." Empress Yao lowered her head, not daring to speak. She had just thought he really wouldn't wake up, but now he actually knew everything! How could she escape now?
Ji Wushang smiled and stepped forward to gently massage the Empress Dowager's back. The Empress Dowager smiled and gently patted Ji Wushang's small hand.
Huangfu Xuan's dark eyes were cold. Kneeling beside him was Ma Ruyi. He turned to look at Ma Ruyi, whose face showed a hint of apology. She uttered, "I'm sorry."
Huangfu Xuan understood what she meant; she was apologizing for failing to capture Empress Yao. He smiled, indicating he didn't blame her. After all, things had already turned out quite well.
Nan Xuzong stared at everyone expressionlessly. Ji Wushang looked at Nan Xuzong with bright eyes, her gaze filled with questions. Yes, she would definitely ask him later! Why had he kept all of this from her?
Nan Xuzong met Ji Wushang's gaze and they looked at each other. Ji Wushang read a sigh in his eyes. A sigh? This question immediately popped into Ji Wushang's mind. What was he sighing about?
Emperor Zhou's gaze was cold. "Tell me the truth, and I might spare your life out of consideration for our years of marriage! But if I insist on finding out the truth, I will ensure your eternal damnation!"
Empress Yao's body stiffened, and her face turned deathly pale. She looked at Huangfu Ting, who was filled with panic. His lips trembled as he looked at Empress Yao, and he was about to kneel out when Empress Yao spoke first, "Yes, Your Majesty, I am guilty! Your Majesty confesses!"
"But all of this has nothing to do with Ting'er, please spare Ting'er, Your Majesty!" Empress Yao knelt down and prostrated herself on the ground, "Your Majesty, I confess my guilt."
"Speak!" Emperor Zhou's tone was as cold as ice. He waved his hand, making Nan Xuzong, Huangfu Xuan, and Ma Ruyi stand up, while Huangfu Ting was made to kneel.
"Your Majesty, I love my son so much that I made such a mistake! I beg Your Majesty to punish me!" Empress Yao said.
"You actually plotted to kill me by giving me those medicines, didn't you?" Emperor Zhou stepped forward and grabbed Empress Yao's collar. Empress Yao looked at Emperor Zhou in horror, "Your Majesty, I truly did it for your health! You wanted to live forever, so I searched the world for alchemists. Who knew that once you took the medicine, you would have to keep taking it... I dare not lie, please, Your Majesty, investigate thoroughly!"
Emperor Zhou threw Empress Yao to the ground. Empress Yao dared not relax for a moment and quickly knelt down again, saying, "Your Majesty, I am telling the truth!"
"Father, may I ask if Wu Shang may say a few words?" Ji Wu Shang stepped forward only after receiving a smile from the Empress Dowager.
But the Empress Dowager spoke first, "I will allow you to speak, not just a few words, but many, many words!"
"Thank you for your permission, Your Majesty." Ji Wushang bowed and expressed his gratitude.
"I will allow the three of you to speak," the Empress Dowager said to Huangfu Xuan, Nan Xuzong, and Ma Ruyi. "Tell me what exactly happened. I spoke frankly because you were all present. I want to see what really happened."
"Yes," Huangfu Xuan and the other two said almost simultaneously.
When Emperor Zhou heard the Empress Dowager say this, he let them come.
“Father, I have read some books and know that Mother was born into General Yao’s family. Before she was married, she already had the reputation of being a little miracle doctor. That means that Mother, your medical skills are quite good. As for Father’s medicine and diet, you have been in charge of it all. Now that Father is taking this kind of medicine, I’m afraid Mother will have to explain it more clearly.”
"Explain what?" Empress Yao's cold eyes met Ji Wushang's with hatred. "I have already made myself very clear, Fourth Imperial Consort. What do you want me to explain?!"
"Mother, I saved the few alchemists you ordered killed." Ji Wushang smiled, successfully seeing Empress Yao's expression change drastically!
"What, what did you say?" Empress Yao stammered, barely able to speak!
Emperor Zhou found it even more hard to believe!
"Wu Shang, you... you said she wanted to kill those alchemists?" Emperor Zhou stepped forward, his eyes bloodshot!
"Father, yes, Mother is thinking of killing people to silence them and destroying all the evidence!" Ji Wushang said coldly, and immediately waved his hand.
Hongfei immediately ordered his men to bring over several alchemists dressed in civilian clothes.
Emperor Zhou and the others were astonished. Nan Xuzong never expected Ji Wushang to have such a move! He was always by her side, so how come he didn't know she was doing these things?
"Kneel down!" the guard commanded authoritatively, and the alchemists immediately knelt down.
"Fourth Imperial Consort, do you think you can just grab a few people and have them act as alchemists? This is a crime of deceiving the Emperor!" Empress Yao said coldly. She had already cursed them hundreds of times in her heart; damn it, she hadn't managed to kill them!
"Mother, don't be hasty," Ji Wushang sneered. "Strip them of their outer robes!"
Several guards received the order and were about to do as it was given, but then they looked at Emperor Zhou, for the emperor was the most powerful person here!
"Just do whatever Wu Shang tells you to do." But unexpectedly, the Empress Dowager spoke again!
Immediately, the guards bowed and stepped forward, quickly stripping off the outer robes of the men, revealing the palace attire of the alchemist.
Emperor Zhou stepped forward, casually drawing a long sword from one of the guards and striding forward. "Are you the ones who refine medicine with me?" The long sword immediately pointed at one of the medicine refiners!
The alchemist remained kneeling on the ground in terror, "Reporting, reporting, reporting to Your Majesty..." He looked at the other alchemists, but they were all filled with fear and dread!
Looking at Empress Yao, her gaze was cold and her eyes were fixed straight ahead.
"...Yes!" The longsword was about to pierce his skin, but the alchemist didn't care about anything else! He immediately kowtowed and begged for his life, "Yes, it was Her Majesty the Empress who ordered us to make medicine. We did everything according to Her Majesty's instructions and dared not slack off in the slightest!"
"Empress, what do you have to say?" Emperor Zhou looked at her, his face pale. "You dared to plot my life! You actually wish I were dead sooner!"
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..." Empress Yao knelt on the ground, completely lacking any confidence!
Huangfu Ting looked at the woman kneeling beside him, wondering how he could say or persuade her, but it would all be in vain.
It's better to remain silent.
"Search all the medicines they have concocted and hand them over to the imperial physicians for examination to see what ingredients they contain!" the Empress Dowager said.
"Yes." A dozen guards immediately stepped forward and dragged the man away.
"What else do you have to say?" Emperor Zhou stared intently at Empress Yao, looking somewhat disheveled and dejected.
"Your Majesty, I have nothing to say. I did all of this. It has nothing to do with Ting'er. Please punish me alone, Your Majesty," Empress Yao said in a cold voice.
"Your Majesty, according to my wishes, let someone search the Empress's Ningfeng Palace and see what kind of shameful things she has! This old woman is really no longer of any use; she just wants to give her grandsons some face and provide her daughter-in-law with a safe haven." The Empress Dowager looked at Empress Yao with some contempt. "For an Empress to do such a thing, humph!"
"Your Majesty, I deserve to die." Empress Yao trembled slightly.
Damn it, is the heavens going to destroy me?
"Go search!" Emperor Zhou had no choice but to give the order when he saw the Empress Dowager speak like this.
The Empress Dowager looked at Ji Wushang, her eyes smiling.
Anyone with eyes to see can tell that Ji Wushang used the Empress Dowager's words to order the search of Ningfeng Palace! This is probably unprecedented in the world!
Seeing this, Huangfu Ting knelt down and stepped forward, "Father, please forgive Mother's mistake. She... she didn't mean it. She was deceived by those alchemists! Please forgive her for raising so many of us brothers and sisters!"
"How dare you! What right do you have to discuss this matter with me!" Emperor Zhou utterly despised Huangfu Ting! Empress Yao wanted Emperor Zhou dead and even used drugs to control him—how could he not hate and be furious! If he hadn't just discarded his longsword, he might already be holding it and stabbing these two men in the chest!
Huangfu Ting knelt and stepped aside. Empress Yao was prepared to die, but she just couldn't swallow her anger! It was Ji Wushang, Ji Wushang!
She glared angrily at Ji Wushang, who had already walked to the Empress Dowager's side and was gently massaging her back. Everything seemed so leisurely!
Nan Xuzong's eyes darkened. He looked at Huangfu Xuan, and Huangfu Xuan looked at him. Now, Empress Yao will definitely be deposed, but there is still Huangfu Ting. If Huangfu Ting wants to be eliminated, an opportunity is needed!
At that moment, footsteps approached quickly, and several palace servants entered the palace carrying a lot of things.
They all knelt down and presented everything.
Emperor Zhou looked on in surprise and walked forward step by step, but his legs felt as if they were filled with lead!
"Divine medicine, longevity ointment, a life of debauchery, a single thread connecting us, arsenic..." Emperor Zhou's voice trembled as he muttered, "Empress, are you trying to kill me? Or are you trying to kill everyone in this palace?"
Empress Yao was speechless. Since things had come to this point, what chance was there for her to defend herself? This grudge could only be avenged in the next life!
"...What, what is this?" Suddenly, Emperor Zhou seemed to see something and was terrified!
"Yes, it's the Pearl-Bearing Grass!" Emperor Zhou exclaimed in shock. "...I, I smelled this fragrance in Consort Zhen's palace twenty-three years ago...It's you, it's you!" He pointed his long finger at Empress Yao. "You, you killed Zhen Rong!"
Nan Xuzong was startled, and suddenly looked at Empress Yao with anger in his eyes, "Father, what are you saying?"
Emperor Zhou was suddenly stunned; he had completely forgotten that Nan Xu Cong was here!
He turned around and looked at Nan Xuzong, "My Zhenfei, my Zhenfei!"
Empress Yao suddenly sneered, "Hahahaha, that's right, Consort Zhen was killed by me!" She then stood up! The surrounding guards wanted to step forward, but Emperor Zhou waved them away, "Why, why? Consort Zhen was so kind, why did you want to kill her!"
"Why? Your Majesty, do you think I can accept a woman enjoying Your Majesty's favor alone? No, I, Yao Ningfeng, cannot bear it! I am extremely jealous of your care for Consort Zhen! When I was pregnant with Ting'er, Your Majesty, you were in other palaces every night, but when Consort Zhen was pregnant, you went to Consort Zhen's palace every day! I am the Empress, the mother of the nation! How can I have the face to live in this world if you do this?!"
Emperor Zhou was taken aback. "Consort Zhen is frail, while you are robust. How can you compare?"
"Compared to? Hmph, I wouldn't stoop to comparing myself to that little slut!" Empress Yao sneered.
Upon hearing this, Nan Xuzong immediately wanted to rush forward and kill her, but unexpectedly, Ji Wushang had already sided with him, grabbing him and shaking her head. "Zong, don't be impulsive..."
Emperor Zhou, enraged, slapped Empress Yao across the face, shouting, "You're the slut! You're no longer the empress, you're just a criminal!"
Empress Yao covered her swollen face, glaring angrily at Emperor Zhou. "She deserved to die! If it weren't for that accident, I don't think Nan Xu Cong would still be alive! I miscalculated! Otherwise, none of her children would have survived!"
"What do you mean?" Emperor Zhou felt he had been blind to have made this extremely vicious woman his empress!
"What do you mean? Fine, I know I don't have much time left. Then I'll tell you all that Consort Zhen gave birth to twins back then." Her eyes gleamed with smugness, and she was thrilled to see the astonishment on the faces of Emperor Zhou and the Empress Dowager!
"But Your Majesty, you will never see your other son! Huangfu Zong, you will never see your twin brother!" Empress Yao sneered. "You will never be reunited! Consort Zhen died with her eyes wide open, and you will die with your eyes wide open in the future too!"
"Thud!" With a crisp sound, Emperor Zhou slapped Empress Yao across the face again!
Empress Yao suddenly stumbled and fell to the ground!
"Guards, drag Yao Ningfeng out and dismember her, turning her into a human pig! Exterminate her entire Yao clan!" Once enraged, Emperor Zhou becomes cold-blooded, ruthless, and violent!
"Haha, hahaha!" Empress Yao laughed wildly.
"Huangfu Ting! You are demoted to a commoner! You shall never be allowed to enter the imperial city again!" Emperor Zhou coldly stared at Huangfu Ting.
Empress Yao turned deathly pale upon hearing this! Demoted to commoner status, forever forbidden from entering the capital! That meant Huangfu Ting would never have another chance to become crown prince!
"No, Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I did it all by myself! It has nothing to do with Ting'er! Please spare Ting'er! Don't blame him! He is innocent!" Empress Yao cried out loudly.
Huangfu Ting didn't show the slightest expression, as if it had nothing to do with him!
"Ting'er, Ting'er!" Empress Yao immediately looked at Huangfu Ting, "Ting'er, plead for him, quickly, quickly plead for him with your father!"
Huangfu Ting smiled and ignored Yao Hou's words.
A guard came forward to drag Empress Yao away to carry out Emperor Zhou's orders. Empress Yao struggled, but was still pinned to the ground by several guards!
"Your Majesty the Empress also killed my mother, didn't you?" Huangfu Xuan said coldly, exuding a murderous aura. He stepped forward and took out a small medicine bottle from the things they had just searched. "Full of Heart's Desire. Heh, a good name, a good name!" He turned to look at Empress Yao, who had stopped struggling. Everyone was looking at Huangfu Xuan.
"Full of Longing," what a beautiful name. After taking this medicine, anyone who holds a person in their heart will be tormented! The more they long for someone, the more painful it becomes! When they finally meet that person and their longing is relieved, they die.
Emperor Zhou was shocked; he had never expected such a thing to happen!
"Consort Yuan, didn't Consort Yuan die of illness? How, how did she get involved with Manxin?"
"Father, heh..." Huangfu Xuan sneered twice. He looked at Emperor Zhou, "Why won't you go to Mother's palace to see her? Why let her walk alone like this? You will never know that she shed tears in front of me and said, 'Don't blame Father,' heh... She said that until her death! But what about you?"
"I...I believed what the Empress said. She said that Consort Yuan had caught a cold and was easily infected...I...I was busy with state affairs, and at that time, I had already taken those medicines..." Emperor Zhou turned deathly pale.
Huangfu Xuan snorted coldly, "Heh, impressive, impressive!" He paused, tears welling up in his eyes.
Ma Ruyi stepped forward, ignoring the stares of the crowd, and hugged him from behind, saying, "Xuan, you still have me... I will stay with you."