"Execute the rest of the palace maids with sticks!"
"No, Your Majesty! I'm wronged—"
Wang Chengbi stared at Jun Wuyuan in disbelief, the one who had made the final decision.
She never expected that His Majesty would so mercilessly demote her to a commoner and throw her into the Cold Palace directly.
Even if she accidentally pushed that lowly maid, she was a noble lady from the Wang family of Langya.
Could she be inferior to this lowly maid?
If it weren't for that lowly maid Ling Shan, acting so rambunctiously like a mischievous monkey and repeatedly provoking her, how could such an accident have happened?
"Commoner Wang, this is His Majesty's order. Please go."
Liang Jiusi stepped forward, shattering Wang Chengbi's last glimmer of hope.
Jun Wuyuan held the person in his arms, not even willing to spare a single glance. His gentle eyes were like a sharp sword, piercing mercilessly into her heart.
Wang Chengbi felt as if her heart was pried open by a sharp sword. With a ruthless twist devoid of any affection, it was immediately dripping with blood.
"Get out of my way, eunuch!"
Wang Chengbi felt a raging fire burning all over her body. Countless obvious or veiled gazes were fixed on her, and the boundless humiliation was about to consume her.
The ferocity roaring deep in her bones urged her to kill all these lowly people who were watching her in amusement!
Wang Chengbi arrogantly cursed a few times, but failed to notice that the eunuch's eyes had instantly turned extremely cold.
Liang Jiusi had originally intended to maintain a show of courtesy, but unexpectedly, this woman didn't want any dignity and had to be dragged away like a dog.
As a servant, Liang Jiusi naturally had no objection.
He waved his whisk and gave a stern look. Immediately, palace maids stepped forward, covering her mouth and dragging her away from Qingyun Terrace.
Although the concubines in the waterside pavilion were happy to see Wang Chengbi lose power, they didn't expect His Majesty to be so decisive.
She was the legitimate granddaughter of Grand Tutor Wang, the niece of Empress Dowager Wang, and a noble lady of the Wang family of Langya!
Unexpectedly, His Majesty would directly confront the Wang faction for a mere palace maid?
Could it be that His Majesty really favored this palace maid?
Although this little palace maid was pregnant with the imperial heir and the crime of harming the imperial heir was undeniable, once he took action against Wang Chengbi, it would be equivalent to tearing his relations with the Wang faction.
For Jun Wuyuan, who hadn't yet firmly secured his throne, couldn't reach out to the court affairs, and couldn't control the court,
was such radical protection really worth it?
Soon, they had no chance to find out. They could only watch helplessly as the handsome and cold emperor carried the one he cherished most and strode away.
Except for Concubine Xue, no one in the entire waterside pavilion had the mood to appreciate the precious flowers anymore.
The flower - viewing banquet, nominally held to pray for the well - being of Empress Dowager Wang, finally ended in bloodshed.
One couldn't help but wonder if Empress Dowager Wang would feel pleased when she heard about her niece's well - intended flower - viewing banquet for her prayer?
——
Yao Tai Jin Feng.
The just - brewed medicine bowl, still steaming, smashed onto the brocade carpet in the palace hall with a thud. The shattered porcelain pieces, carrying the hot liquid, splashed onto the faces of the palace maids.
The burning and painful bloodstains immediately appeared, looking extremely pitiful.
However, the palace maids kneeling on the ground didn't dare to show the slightest sign of grievance. They bowed their heads respectfully and carefully.
"Your Ladyship, no matter how angry you are, you can't take it out on your own body."
Nanny Dou stepped forward, bending down to pat Empress Dowager Wang's back. Her eyes were full of worry.
"Hurry up and go boil another bowl of medicine! If you delay Her Ladyship's well - being, you'll all lose your lives!"
The palace maids quickly thanked her and tidied up the mess on the carpet. Then they quickly retreated.
Nanny Dou's sharp eyes swept across the hall again, and the palace maids serving inside immediately withdrew.
"Your Ladyship, what should we do about Concubine Xian? Grand Tutor Wang, the Minister of the Secretariat, and the madam probably won't let this go easily."
Nanny Dou really didn't expect that in just a few days, such a terrible incident would happen during a well - intended flower - viewing banquet.
Especially, why did it have to be Concubine Xian who ruined the "hope" that Her Ladyship had been looking forward to for so long?
"Won't let it go easily?!"
Empress Dowager Wang's sickly face was filled with a fierce look. "That's attempted harm to the imperial heir! Don't say it's that stupid Chengbi. Just wait and see. That ungrateful Jun Wuyuan will definitely not let go of such a good opportunity!"
Attempting to harm the imperial heir was a great crime that would lead to the execution of the entire family!
Especially since Great Yan had had several new emperors, the most important thing now was the stability of inheritance.
Once this incident happened, not only would the Wang family have enemies, but even those stubborn great scholars and loyal officials wouldn't be lenient towards the Wang family.
Unless the Wang family really rose in rebellion to overthrow the Jun family of Great Yan and become the emperors themselves.
Otherwise, for the great crime of attempting to harm the imperial heir, which was a crime of high treason, the parents and relatives would be implicated, and the entire family would be executed according to the law.
This stupid girl not only ruined the "imperial heir" that Empress Dowager Wang had planned for, but also dragged the Wang family into a passive situation.
Empress Dowager Wang knew that Jun Wuyuan couldn't and wouldn't be able to exterminate the Wang family with just an imperial edict.
It would only be a back - and - forth trial and game of concession between the imperial power and the aristocratic families.
The heavy losses of the Wang family were exactly a great opportunity for Jun Wuyuan to gather power, enter the court, and take control of the court affairs!
"This..."
After hearing what Empress Dowager Wang said, Nanny Dou's face showed a solemn worry.
What should they do?
"Send someone to investigate if there are any doubts about the miscarriage. Then you go and visit Ling Shan in person. I want to know exactly what's going on behind this and try to probe a bit."
Empress Dowager Wang always felt that things were too coincidental, as if all the events were directed against the Wang family.
If there were doubts about this matter, it meant that the chess pieces on the chessboard were disobedient.
Empress Dowager Wang should think carefully about whether the antidote to that strange poison was still useful.
Otherwise, where did this person get the courage to act against her and betray her?
"Your Ladyship means..."
Nanny Dou frowned in surprise and suspicion. "It can't be. Does she not want to live anymore?"
The strange poison, Biluo, was such that if the antidote was stopped for a season, instead of the previous painful symptoms when the poison flared up, the poisoned person would dissolve both bone and blood and be completely destroyed within half an hour.
"Whether it is or not depends on whether the person is obedient."
Empress Dowager Wang's eyes turned cold. "I gave her a chance. It wasn't for Ling Shan to bite me back."
If she wanted to be so cunning and betray her, she should first weigh whether she had the fortune to survive.
"Yes, this servant understands. I'll give the order right away. But... what about Concubine Xian?"
"What Concubine Xian? Now she's just commoner Wang!"
The disgust in Empress Dowager Wang's eyes was obvious, and her tone was full of coldness. "A place like Jiyuan, so secluded and desolate, is just right for her to sober up. I think the Wang family has spoiled her too much."
Otherwise, how could she be so stupid and disgusting?
She had repeatedly warned her not to act rashly. A palace maid from a lowly background, even if she really received the emperor's favor and was pregnant with the imperial heir, couldn't stir up much trouble.
After the imperial heir was born, the child would naturally be placed under her care. With a baby in the Wang family's hands, they would at least have another twenty - odd years of glory.
But unfortunately, Wang Chengbi just had to seek her own doom.