eurekapd Chapter 268 Heavy Punishment
Chapter 268 Heavy Punishment
After Xiao Lingzi finished speaking, he slowly took off his eunuch hat. His movements were very slow, and each movement was filled with endless heaviness.
After taking off his hat, he gently put it aside, then sat upright on the bed, his back straight, with no expression on his face. He just sat there quietly, as if he had accepted everything that was about to happen.
Jinzhong stood aside, looking around at the tools in the house that could be used for execution.
He glanced at the various items before finally settling on the bundle of hemp rope. The rope was rough and strong, looking somewhat eerie in the dim light.
Although strangling him with a hemp rope would take some effort, at least it wouldn't be bloody, and it would also allow him to be clean all over. He didn't want to have to deal with the bloody scene afterwards, so as not to cause himself unnecessary trouble.
"Hold him down."
Jinzhong spoke coldly, his voice devoid of emotion. Following his order, several eunuchs nearby immediately rushed forward and held down Xiao Lingzi's body.
Xiao Lingzi did not resist, he just quietly let them do what they wanted, as if he had lost the will to resist. The eunuchs pressed down Xiao Lingzi's shoulders and arms hard, making him unable to move.
There was no expression on their faces, they just mechanically carried out Jinzhong's orders.
He closed his eyes, his face calm, as if he had transcended the fear of death. His breathing was even and slow, and seemed particularly clear in this silent space.
He quietly waited for death to come, with no fear in his heart, only a sense of relief. He knew that his life was coming to an end, and all this was his inescapable fate.
The footsteps gradually approached, the sound becoming clearer in his ears, and every step seemed to step on his heart. Then, a rope was quickly fastened around his neck. The rope was rough and cold, tightly tightening around his skin.
Jinzhong was very strong. His hands tightly gripped the rope, veins bulging on his hands, showing his determination and ruthlessness. He pulled the rope hard, without a trace of mercy.
In just a few breaths, Xiao Lingzi struggled twice. His body instinctively wanted to resist, but the strength was so weak.
His hands scrabbled at the air, trying to break free from the deadly restraints, and his feet kicked relentlessly. However, he soon passed out, and then slowly lost his breath. His face turned pale in that instant, like a lifeless sheet of paper, and the light of life completely vanished from his eyes.
The body fell to the ground with a muffled groan, a dull and oppressive sound, as if it were Xiao Lingzi's last echo in this world. Jinzhong threw the hemp rope down with disgust, as if it were a very dirty thing.
He took out a handkerchief and carefully washed his hands. The handkerchief was as white as snow, forming a sharp contrast with the bloody scene. His movements were graceful and delicate, as if he was performing a sacred ritual to wipe away all traces of death on his hands.
Finally, he carefully took out the ring and put it on his hand. The ring flickered faintly in the dim light.
"Send him to a mass grave and say... he committed suicide out of fear of punishment."
Jinzhong spoke indifferently, his voice flat and emotionless. It was as if Xiao Lingzi's life was just an insignificant existence in his eyes, and his death was just an ending that could be arranged at will.
After saying this, Jinzhong smiled, a smile that held a hint of pride and satisfaction. He strode out of the dark, cramped little room, heading out into the outside world without looking back.
The snow outside finally stopped, and a faint moonlight leaked out, shining on the snow, making the surroundings look white.
A biting wind blew across his somewhat hardened face, stinging his skin like a knife, but he didn't care. His smile suddenly disappeared, replaced by a slightly fierce expression.
His eyes became sharp and deep, his cloak was blown up and fluttered in the wind, and his whole body merged with the biting cold wind.
He flew away, leaving behind only two messy footprints.
In February of the 25th year of Qianlong's reign, the Han tribe decided to surrender to the Qing Dynasty by offering a tribute of beautiful women in order to thank the Qing Dynasty for clearing out the remnants of the Dzungar Khanate who had been exploiting them.
In order to please the Qing Dynasty, the envoys of the Han tribe set out for the Qing Dynasty early in the morning, carrying various precious gifts and beautiful women.
In the same month, good news came from Yongshou Palace: the head concubine of Yongshou Palace, Consort Ling, was pregnant again, and it had been over a month. This news made the entire Yongshou Palace immersed in joy.
According to the date, the baby would be born in October. Concubine Ling was extremely happy. She stroked her belly, her eyes full of love and anticipation.
According to the date, it was Yongyan, the fifteenth prince who later ascended the throne, Emperor Jiaqing.
Yanwan stroked her lower abdomen, with a lingering hint of desire in her eyes.
My child, just wait and see how your mother single-handedly seizes the throne for you.
The recent presentation of a princess from the Han tribe has once again spurred the emperor's attention. At court, the emperor is preoccupied with matters such as the placement of the princess and subsequent negotiations with the Han tribe.
In the midst of this busy time, he heard the news from Yongshou Palace, and his brows immediately lit up with joy. His joy was beyond words, and in his ecstasy, he generously rewarded everyone in Yongshou Palace. Even the little rabbit that Yan Wan kept in the palace received a reward.
He had never liked Concubine Chun, and after that incident, her health had been poor, leaving her with a chronic illness. As for Concubine Shu, for some reason, she had gradually drifted away from him, which inevitably left the emperor feeling somewhat disappointed. Concubine Mei, on the other hand, was completely devoted to the Eleventh Prince and seemed to pay little attention to other matters.
As for Concubine Yu... she's not smart enough.
The other concubines were either too reserved or lacked talent, and it was always difficult for them to truly win his heart.
After much thought, if he really needed someone to take care of his complicated harem, Concubine Ling would be a good choice. She was intelligent and knew how to judge the situation. In the emperor's mind, she was the only one who could handle the affairs of the harem properly.
He felt most at ease leaving the harem to her.
It's a pity that she is of low status, was born in the Imperial Household Department, and is a Han Chinese. She only gave birth to a princess for him. If she is forced to be promoted to Imperial Noble Consort, it will cause turmoil in the previous dynasty.
There is a distinction between Manchus and Han people in terms of social status, and only after Concubine Ling gave birth to a prince could he openly promote her and confer the title of Imperial Concubine on her.
The emperor summoned Cao Yi, the director of the Imperial Observatory, and ordered him to carefully calculate the condition of Yanwan's unborn child. After careful observation and calculation, Cao Yi respectfully reported to the emperor, stating that the pregnancy was auspicious, and based on various signs, it was most likely a boy. He also asserted that if it was a prince, he would bring great benefits to the Qing Dynasty.
Hearing this, the emperor was overjoyed. He valued the baby in Yanwan's belly even more than when Ruyi gave birth to Yongjing.
In his harem, it is not only the mothers who are honored because of their sons, but also the sons who are honored because of their mothers.
He loved Concubine Ling so much that the fetus in her belly would naturally be favored as well.
Because of Ruyi, he didn't like the twelfth prince very much, so he just let the nanny raise him, and now he rarely tests him on his homework.
The emperor was quietly keeping a watchful eye on the selection of the master of the harem.
Ruyi's disobedience left him deeply traumatized. He would never allow another queen to dare disobey him again. He wanted to ensure that the harem master could manage all harem affairs well while being loyal to him and assisting him wholeheartedly.
Of course, everything has to wait until the person from Yikun Palace leaves.
If she is really that lucky and can survive in this palace for decades, then she is lucky.
After Xiao Lingzi died, the emperor went to see the empress dowager.
This incident caused a big uproar. Yurong, who used to serve Ruyi, told the empress dowager everything, and Zhu Yun, who served Ruyi, was executed.
"Emperor, why did you hide such a big thing from me?"
The Queen Mother sat in her chair, her expression calm, her hands slowly plucked at the string of beads made of fine jade. The round, crystal-clear jade beads slid gently between her slender fingers, making a subtle and crisp sound.
The emperor suddenly felt a little uneasy. He shifted slightly, trying to find a more comfortable sitting position, but found that he could not relieve the cramped feeling.
A hint of embarrassment flashed across his face. In that expression, there was both the embarrassment of being exposed by the Queen Mother and a hint of helplessness at not knowing how to explain it.
"This matter is detrimental to the reputation of the royal family. I will make the decision myself and deal with him." The emperor's voice was low and suppressed, with a bit of helplessness and determination.
How should I tell the Queen Mother about this?
He said that his most trusted imperial guard actually had ill intentions towards his queen?
Wouldn't that make people think that everyone around him is so unfaithful, even the guards dare to covet the queen?
Or is it that his queen couldn't stand the loneliness and sought comfort from the people around him?
You have to know that he himself had gone through untold hardships to raise this queen.
Every statement was like a sharp knife, piercing his dignity as an emperor.
"You are foolish. How can you prevent something like this by doing this? You even turned him into a eunuch and sent him to the Empress. If more rumors spread, will your reputation as the Emperor and the entire Imperial Family be ruined? You should have dealt with him from the beginning."
The Queen Mother slowly opened her eyes, stared at her adopted son in front of her, and couldn't help but let out a long sigh.
No one knows this adopted son better than her. Even at this age, he still does some stupid things that teenagers often do.
Castrate your lover and send him to you?
Ridiculous, so ridiculous!
It's no wonder he's so extreme. Ruyi was the one he married when he was young, even against his parents' wishes. Now that she's been betrayed like this, it's truly tragic...
It was the first time that the emperor was speechless after being scolded by the empress dowager.
As an emperor, he would not normally listen to such admonitions.
The Empress Dowager saw how much he favored and indulged Ruyi. Today, she also saw herself being betrayed. She remembered her previous advice to herself not to pamper Ruyi too much, and now all of it turned into slaps in his face.
"Don't worry, Empress Dowager. That man is dead, and the Empress is under house arrest in the Yikun Palace. No one will know about this..."
He spoke a little tiredly. He thought he would never see Ruyi again, but he didn't expect that he would be under house arrest and still be troubled by the aftermath of that incident.
Was it really because of her punishment?
"We can't just let this go. This is a good daughter raised by the Ulanara family. If she dares to do something so immoral in the palace, she will not be forgiven!"
"What does the Empress Dowager think?"
"There's no need to give her the treatment a queen deserves. Everything will be provided according to the promised rank. Furthermore, I will send someone to discipline her daily, watching her copy the "Female Instructions," "Female Instructions." We'll end it when she wakes up..."
Although the Queen Mother ignored the disputes in the harem, she would never allow anyone to disturb the harem.
The two of them have known each other for a long time. If the royal bloodline is really mixed up, the consequences will be unimaginable.
As far as she knew, the queen had known the guard when she was in the cold palace.
"Then I'll trouble you, Empress Dowager. You're already at the age of old age, yet you're still worrying about me. I'm being unfilial..."
The emperor nodded when he heard this.
The Queen is so disrespectful, she should learn some more etiquette.
Hearing Tai's words, the Queen Mother suppressed the urge to roll her eyes.
When he was young, he was impatient and disobeyed her in everything. Now that he has reaped the fruits of his labor, he realizes that he has become unfilial.
"It's alright. I'm your Imperial Mother. If not you, whose affairs should I worry about? The harem cannot be left without a leader for a single day. With the Empress in this state, do you have any thoughts on appointing an Imperial Consort? Do you have anyone in mind?"
Her words hit the nail on the head, and the emperor nodded.
"This son of yours was just thinking about this. Your Majesty, do you have a candidate in mind for this?"
The Queen Mother shook her head upon hearing this, a slightly tired look on her face.
"Your own Imperial Noble Consort, you can choose it yourself. However, with the Empress as a precedent, I don't care about family background or status. As long as she is respectful, can manage the affairs of the six palaces, and pleases you, the Emperor, that's enough. After all, she is your harem."
The crisp sound of plucking beads rang out in the hall, neither loud nor soft, but it touched the emperor's heart little by little.
"I understand. Thank you, Madam Queen, for your guidance. It's getting late, so I won't disturb you. I'll take my leave."
If we talk about obedience, among the harem, Concubine Chun, Concubine Qing, Concubine Wan... are all obedient. If there is anyone who can please him, then there is only one person in Yongshou Palace.
After notifying the emperor, the nanny opened the door of Yiku Palace the next day.
Day after day, the voice of the governess could be heard from inside.
One hour of verbal admonition and one hour of copying the female admonition were performed every day, and he became the most eye-catching presence in the palace.
In such a situation, Ruyi's dignity as the queen was completely shattered. Day after day, year after year, the mental and physical torture gradually eroded her mind and destroyed her rationality.
Ruyi looked at the high palace walls, feeling depressed and with nowhere to release the pressure, and was gradually becoming a walking corpse.
In the same month, Princess Han Xiangjian of the Han tribe entered the palace.
With a quick glance at Ruyi at the banquet, the emperor's empty heart, which was hurt by Ruyi, was suddenly filled, and his mind was ignited like a young man.
The only difference from her previous life was that she never drew her sword to kill the emperor again.