Chapter 313 - Consort Yu is Banished to the Cold Palace (1/2)

Chapter 313 Consort Yu is Banished to the Cold Palace

Consort Yu shuddered and knelt at the jade stairs. Her knees hurt and felt a little numb and her forehead was pressed to the ground. She did not move an inch.

She had already been kneeling for several hours. If the two palace maids accompanying her were not holding her up, she would have already fainted.

“Your Highness, His Majesty invites you in.”

Lead eunuch Liu Xi stood at the entrance with a smile on his face. However, to Consort Yu, his smile was cold and sinister.

“Yes!” She did not dare to say anything else. She stood up with some difficulty, holding the palace maid’s hand. She stumbled for it was hard for her to even move.

“Your Highness, please hurry. His Majesty is waiting for you.” Liu Xi seemed not to notice how difficult it was for her to move. He continued rus.h.i.+ng her with a smile.

Consort Yu did not dare to dawdle. She leaned against the palace maids and they helped her to move forward as she dragged her numb feet forward.

She heard Emperor Zongwen’s angry roar the moment they entered the study. Consort Yu did not manage to remain standing and she immediately knelt at the threshold that was carved with dragons.

“You are in charge of the women in the palace, and yet, you have been so neglectful. Alright then, I shall have three judicial chief ministries go and investigate and question that gentle and gracious daughter of yours.”

The Empress knelt down in fright, her expression was one of fear. She opened her eyes wide incredulously and pleaded with Emperor Zongwen. “Your Majesty, please forgive Xueyu. She is just young and ignorant. She is just jealous and it is her first time doing something like that. Furthermore, a princess should not be punished nor interrogated by the judicial ministries. Please, Your Majesty, forgive Xueyu!”

“Can a jealous girl do something like that that will ruin someone’s reputation! She is so young but vicious. I wonder who she learned it from. “The Emperor’s expression darkened. Then, he said angrily, “This is my edict, lock the Fifth Princess up and send her to…”

The Empress paled when she saw that the Emperor was truly angry. She reached out to clutch the Emperor’s robes and pleaded anxiously, “Your Majesty, don’t you want Xueyu to marry to the Yan Kingdom? If her reputation is ruined, it would not reflect well on our country. The First Prince of Yan likes Xueyu, so it would not be suitable if you send another princess.”

The Empress had never approved of this matter, but she had no choice but to bring it up now. She looked pleadingly at Emperor Zongwen with a tearful gaze as she pleaded. Could Xueyu even stay in the cold palace? That place was dark, cold, and desolate. There were many consorts there who had died because of her. She could feel their anger even when she walked by in the day. When the Empress thought of that, she felt a chill go down her spine and her limbs felt icy cold.

Her daughter could not end up there.

“So you are not going to allow me to punish her?” Emperor Zongwen glanced at the Empress from the side of his eyes. There was a hint of darkness in his eyes as he spoke to her coldly from where he was standing.

“I do not dare. I will definitely educate her well and make sure she does not do anything to Princess Anping. She will be married far away in a while and it would be impossible for her to come back again. Your Majesty, please, let Xueyu and I spend the last of our days together. I fear… it would be difficult for us to meet again!” The Empress could not help but cry softly when she said that.

The Princess was to be married off to a neighboring country and it would be impossible for her to return. Any parent would feel sad about it. Furthermore, Emperor Zongwen doted on this daughter of his.

Emperor Zongwen’s expression softened when he heard that. He gave it a thought and that waved his hand to the person who came to hear his edict. Liu Xi left the room respectfully.

“Empress, I do not wish to hear anything else about the Fifth Princess pestering Yihao. I do not wish to hear any rumors about her and Yihao. Her behavior has made sure that she can only be the Yan’s First Prince’s consort. She must not have any other entanglements with Yihao. It has nothing to do with her who likes Yihao or who Yihao likes.” Emperor Zongwen rebuked coldly.

“Yes, I understand. I will educate her well.” The Empress did not dare to say anything else. Then, she bid Emperor Zongwen farewell and left.

The Empress stopped when she pa.s.sed Consort Yu who was kneeling at the threshold. She looked at the consort coldly and sinisterly before leaving.

If not for Consort Yu, that s.l.u.t, and her provocations, why would Xueyu do something so stupid? She only found out when she asked Xueyu that Consort Yu was the person who started the matter. The Empress thought of how Consort Yu was especially close with the Empress Dowager lately and found out that some of her maternal family felt that they were even closer with King Ning’s bloodline. She felt even angrier.

King Ning was related to the Empress Dowager but had nothing to do with her. If Feng Yuzhen, King Ning, were to ascend the throne, then the Empress would have no place with the Empress Dowager and the Empress would also not become the Empress Dowager. When she thought of that, the Empress could feel the anger surging up within her. She could not do anything to the Empress Dowager, but could she not complain about Consort Yu? Earlier, she had already openly and secretly pushed the blame to the s.l.u.t. She believed that the s.l.u.t would not be able to get out of it unscathed.

A consort who was only favored for a few days wanted to surpa.s.s her? She really did not know her place.

“Consort Yu, look at what you did!” Emperor Zongwen’s expression was cold as he looked down at Consort Yu from where he was standing.

“Your Majesty, I, I only said…” Consort Yu looked up after a moment of being startled. She slid on her knees to the Emperor’s feet and started crying.

“There were so many people who saw you giving the ruby hairpin to Princess Anping. The ruby reflected light and shone on their faces. The s.h.i.+ne and glitter were so bright. I suppose you didn’t expect that!” Emperor Zongwen did not look at her and kicked her away indifferently.

Liu Xi, who was standing by the side lowered his head and took two steps back, avoiding Consort Yu who fell in his direction.

“Your Majesty, please forgive me. I will not dare to do this in the future.” Consort Yu sprawled out on the ground. She was very pale and her lips trembled as she pleaded, “Your Majesty, I only listened to the Empress Dowager…”

“Shut up!” Emperor Zongwen bellowed. The sudden yell shocked Consort Yu so much that she could not say another word. She suddenly realized something and bit her lips tightly. She did not dare to say anything else. Instead, she kowtowed forcefully. Everyone in the palace knew how filial the Emperor was to the Empress Dowager.