In a fit of rage, Cheng Simian was imposing and fierce, nothing like her usual gentle and kind self.
The room fell silent instantly. Even Yang Shi, who had been feigning madness, stopped shouting and threatening.
"I'm a first - rank imperial - titled lady. You can't punish me!"
She was quite lucid at this moment.
In the end, she was afraid.
She had the audacity to do it but lacked the courage to face the consequences.
Brave in words but cowardly in deeds. No wonder she had been so frightened by the "ghost" of Hongrui that she had soiled herself.
Cheng Simian's anger hadn't subsided, and her words were rather blunt.
"You still remember you're a first - rank imperial - titled lady? Who gave you that title? How dare you raise a knife and curse at the royal family? Your words were so venomous, and you intended to assassinate. Is this how you repay the grace of the emperor and the empress?"
Yang Shi was rendered speechless by the scolding. Then, the guards dragged her out like a worn - out sack.
Outside the hall, the sound of slaps on the face soon rang out.
The crown prince took Imperial Physician Shen to check on Qin Ziqi's injuries. Qin Feng was still relatively lucid and didn't make a scene in front of the crown prince.
"Your Highness, Yang Shi has gone mad and almost hurt the princess. Her crime is unforgivable. I'll write the divorce letter right away and expel this crazy woman who has defied her superiors from the Rongxiang Duke's Mansion!"
The crown prince looked at him, gave a faint smile, and suppressed the sarcasm in his eyes.
"Lord Qin knows how to protect himself. At this moment, shouldn't the injury of the son - in - law be the most important thing?"
He was mocking Qin Feng for valuing power and fame more than his own son's injury. All Qin Feng wanted was to distance himself from Yang Shi.
Qin Feng's face darkened. He certainly understood the crown prince's words.
In the face of power, emotions were the most useless things.
Only by being ruthless and giving them up could one keep one's wealth and honor.
Yang Shi deserved to die.
Qin Ziqi was seriously injured, and the princess was being unreasonable. The Qin family was the victim in this incident.
Even if this matter were brought before the emperor, the Qin family would be in the right.
Divorcing Yang Shi was also a show for the emperor, demonstrating his determination and loyalty.
Then the emperor would be embarrassed to immediately take back his power as the head of the central secretariat.
He must make good use of this opportunity!
Qin Ziqi, who was lying on the bed, groaning weakly, had no idea that his own father cared less about his injury than the crown prince did.
Inside the palace bedroom, Cheng Simian summoned the medical maidens to treat the palace maids who had been injured while protecting the princess.
The female official Yuqin and two other palace maids were all bleeding.
Cheng Simian immediately rewarded the three generously.
Especially Yuqin. Even though she was injured, she remained calm - headed and rushed to the Eastern Palace to send for help at the first moment.
"You've been loyal to your master and brave. I'll ask the empress tomorrow to promote you to a third - rank female official."
Yuqin was currently a sixth - rank female official.
A promotion of three ranks was quite rare, and Yuqin was momentarily stunned.
The other two palace maids were also promoted to fifth - rank female officials.
After the chaos in the palace bedroom gradually subsided, Cheng Simian sat down beside Princess Lingyang and hugged her trembling body.
"It's okay, Lingyang. I'm here, and your crown prince brother is here too. No one can hurt you. Don't be afraid."
Princess Lingyang didn't say a word. Her eyes were extremely red.
She had been in a state of high - tension and anger. Although the dagger in her hand had been taken away, her hands still maintained the posture of holding the dagger tightly.
A large part of her collar had been torn open, and there were obvious finger marks on her neck. There were also bruises of varying degrees on her side face, chest, and shoulders.
These were the marks left by the abuser.
Cheng Simian was burning with anger.
She asked Nanny Yan, "After the crown prince and I left, what happened? Tell me in detail."
Nanny Yan was Princess Lingyang's wet - nurse. Apart from the empress, she was the one who cared most about Princess Lingyang.
The old woman wiped away her tears and said angrily, "That damned Qin Ziqi! He doesn't act like a son - in - law at all! He came in drunk. When he saw the princess, he didn't even salute. Instead, he arrogantly said that the princess was a woman of the Qin family and demanded that the princess serve him to take a bath and change clothes!
The princess ignored him, but he got even more insolent. He said that the princess lacked womanly virtues and even tried to force himself on the princess. When the princess refused and told him to leave, he roughly pressed the princess onto the couch. I could hear everything clearly outside the hall. His vulgar words never stopped.
I was afraid that something might happen to the princess, so I brought some people in to persuade him. But the son - in - law went crazy and started hitting people. The princess argued with him, and the son - in - law even said that the princess was just a plaything given to him by the emperor. Once she entered the Qin family, she had to obediently follow his orders.
The princess has been high - spirited since childhood. How could she bear such humiliation? She picked up a dagger and stabbed him in the abdomen."
Seeing the bruises on Princess Lingyang's body, Cheng Simian had already vaguely guessed what had happened.
After hearing Nanny Yan's account, she was still shocked.
It was as if there was a raging fire of anger burning in her chest.
How dare Qin Ziqi humiliate the princess and be so arrogant!
"Sister - in - law, did I cause trouble?"
Princess Lingyang finally came to her senses. Her body trembled even more violently. "I caused trouble. I've let down the crown prince brother. Are Father and Mother disappointed in me?"
She threw herself into Cheng Simian's arms, and tears streamed down her face.
"You're not wrong. Based on the crimes committed by Qin Ziqi and Yang Shi today, the Qin family deserves to be exterminated to the ninth degree."
Just for the crime of humiliating the princess, Qin Ziqi deserved to die.
The sound of slaps on the face outside the hall stopped. Qiluo came in to report, "Princess Consort, Yang Shi has fainted. She still owes twenty - seven slaps."
There was not a trace of pity in Cheng Simian's eyes. "Wake her up with cold water and continue beating."
"The emperor has arrived! The empress has arrived!"
The first thing the emperor did was to inquire about Qin Ziqi's injury.
The empress went straight to the palace bedroom.
When Princess Lingyang saw her mother, she flinched and lowered her head, not daring to look into the empress's eyes.
The empress hugged Lingyang tightly, tears pouring down her face. "My poor child!"
Even when she was crying, she was restrained. She sobbed a few times and quickly stopped.
Cheng Simian had already arranged for the informed palace maids to greet the empress. On the way here, the palace maids had told the empress everything that had happened.
"Where is Yang Shi?"
No one had ever seen the empress so furious.
Her eyes were cold, and her aura was fierce, even more so than the princess consort.
"Reply to the empress. She has just finished being slapped. She is being detained outside the hall, waiting for your summon."
Qiluo replied.
"No need to question her. Beat her to death with a rod immediately!"
Lingyang raised her tear - filled eyes in surprise and stared at the empress in disbelief.
Cheng Simian gave her a look, indicating that she shouldn't say anything.
She already understood the empress's intention.
"Mother, Yuqin and the others have done meritorious service in protecting the master. I've rewarded them and promoted them without permission."
The empress looked at Cheng Simian, and the coldness in her eyes faded slightly.
"Mianmian, you've done a great job!"
If they had done nothing, been afraid of making a big deal out of it, and even tried to appease Yang Shi, then Princess Lingyang would have completely become the wrongdoer and would have been manipulated by the Qin family.
Beating Yang Shi to death with a rod and promoting the palace servants who had protected the master was to tell the world that the princess was also a victim and that justice needed to be served for her.
In the side hall, when Qin Feng heard the news that Yang Shi had been beaten to death with a rod, he didn't even bat an eyelid.
He was more concerned about how to make Qin Ziqi an even more pitiful victim.
Imperial Physician Shen had treated Qin Ziqi's wound.
"Report to the emperor and the crown prince. The son - in - law was injured at the fifth left lower rib. It's not a fatal wound. The princess is weak, and the stab was not deep. It didn't hurt any vital organs. With good care for a month or so, he'll be fine."
The crown prince summarized it well. "It's just a minor injury. Lord Qin can rest assured now, right?"
Qin Feng's face didn't look good.
On the way here, the emperor had already thought of a way to deal with the matter.
He must turn a big matter into a small one and a small matter into nothing.
"Lingyang is arrogant and willful. She needs to get along better with the son - in - law. During this period, I'll bestow two concubines on you. Let them accompany and take care of you. I'll also issue an imperial edict allowing you to return to the Rongxiang Duke's Mansion to recuperate. After you're recovered, you don't need to live with the princess. Just remember to come and pay your respects every month."
The princess's right not to share a room with the son - in - law was a privilege of the royal family.
Qin Ziqi had overstepped his bounds, but Yang Shi had already been beaten to death with a rod. The emperor didn't want to pursue the matter further.
Normally, the son - in - law needed the princess's permission to take concubines. By directly bestowing concubines on Qin Ziqi, the emperor had given him great honor.
Qin Ziqi groaned twice, as if he was trying his best to endure the pain.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I'd like to have Qiluo. Please grant my request."