The Traitor Crown Princess (Transmigration) - Chapter 19

Mo Li supported Hao Tian as he slumped to the ground, cursing, “Eunuch Li, you’ve killed so many people aren’t you afraid of divine retribution?”

Li Dequan seemed to have heard something amusing and burst into loud laughter. “Hahaha, retribution? As long as the Empress remains in the palace for a single day, this world… won’t be changing hands.”

“Eunuch Li certainly has clever means. On the surface, you use the name of a plague to slaughter the common people; in reality, it is merely to cover up the Empress’s desire to rebel. You are just finding a grandiose excuse for your actions.”

Li Dequan’s smile stiffened. He turned around to look, but aside from the soldiers, there was no one else behind him. He grew furious from embarrassment, pinching his orchid-shaped fingers, and shrieked: “Who! Who is so bold as to speak to this old servant like that! If you have the guts, come out!”

Shen Yi leaped up and kicked Li Dequan squarely in the back, sending him sprawling to the ground. “I’ve come out. Now what?”

Li Dequan, trembling with rage, scrambled up from the ground in a disheveled state and pointed at Shen Yi, cursing: “It’s you… Very well! Just wait until I report this to the Empress; I’ll make you pay dearly! Quickly, seize them all! Hang them at the city gate to be shown to the public!”

The people behind him remained motionless. Li Dequan’s face turned red with anger: “What are you all doing? Why aren’t you moving!”

Under duress, a few finally began to move.

Shen Yi asked: “Are you truly going to listen to him and turn your blades against innocent commoners? You are also people of flesh and blood. How would you feel if, one day, your own families were wantonly slaughtered by Eunuch Li and the Empress he speaks of, purely for their own selfish desires?”

Two soldiers paused, feeling that Shen Yi’s words made perfect sense.

“Rebellion! This is true rebellion!” Li Dequan screamed, “I will kill you lot! It is truly rebellion!”

Shen Yi stepped forward, tossed a pill into Li Dequan’s mouth, and pressed on his Adam’s apple, forcing him to swallow it completely. Li Dequan was enraged: “What did you feed me?”

Shen Yi smiled: “Naturally, something that will make you obedient.”

Shen Yi then took out a flute and began to play. Li Dequan immediately collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony.

“Ouch, it hurts, hurts, hurts! What on earth did you feed me!”

Shen Yi stopped playing: “A poisonous insect from the Western Regions. As long as Eunuch Li answers my questions truthfully, I will spare you.”

The Imperial Palace.

Officials were exchanging drinks, with eight-treasure incense burners placed at the four corners of the rugs. Several dancing girls performed in the center of the stage; every time they executed a move, the golden bells tied to the red ropes at their waists emitted a crisp “ding-dong” sound.

Prime Minister Feng, feeling the atmosphere had been sufficiently built up, rose from his seat, raised his cup, and said: “Your Majesty, if it were not for the Empress’s help, the plague in Jiangnan would have spread to other towns, and the resulting losses would have been massive. Furthermore, the Second Prince under the Empress is also resourceful. I hear he returns from the frontier tomorrow. Once he is back to serve the country, he will surely accomplish great things. His future is truly limitless!”

Chu Chen’s ears were calloused from listening to such things; he impatiently interrupted him: “I know all of this.”

Feng Ju: “I propose that we strip Chu Yun of his title as Crown Prince and install the Second Prince as Crown Prince instead. I wonder what the Emperor thinks of this?”

Chu Chen’s face was gloomy; he did not speak.

The Empress, gauging the Emperor’s intentions, spoke up at the opportune moment: “Your Majesty, our Lin’er is no longer a child. If you do not intend to make him Crown Prince, bestowing upon him the title of Prince would also be acceptable.”

Feng Xi spoke reasonably, appearing to care for Chu Chen at every turn, which moved him.

Feng Ju struck while the iron was hot: “Moreover, a saint once pointed out that the Crown Prince would not live past twenty. The Crown Prince will turn twenty next year; if anything untoward happens then, it would shake the very foundation of the nation. It would be better to change it sooner rather than later.”

Chu Chen hesitated, remaining silent for a long time. The crowd below was also struck dumb with terror.

“Report—”

A guard ran in, knelt on one knee, and cupped his hands toward Chu Chen: “Reporting to Your Majesty, the Crown Prince and Master Su request an audience.”

Chu Chen waved his hand: “Bring them in.”

Feng Xi looked at Feng Ju without revealing her thoughts.

One black-clad figure and one white-clad figure walked in. Chu Yun and Shen Yi saluted Chu Chen together: “Greetings to Your Majesty.”

Chu Chen waved his hand: “Rise. How did the Jiangnan case go?”

Shen Yi: “The two of us were originally out of our depth, but with the help of the Empress, it became much easier. This official thanks the Empress here.”

The Empress felt suspicious and uncertain, unsure what schemes Shen Yi was hatching.

Chu Chen looked at Feng Xi: “Is this true?”

“Yes.” Feng Xi had no choice but to bite the bullet and accept it: “This consort also wanted to help the Crown Prince…”

“The Empress is truly putting on a magnificent performance; it would be a pity if you didn’t go to the theater.” Chu Yun’s face was grim. “You had your man Li Dequan smash porridge shops and tear down thatched huts for the sole purpose of forcing Magistrate Chen to serve you, so that you could exploit more mines. And because the disaster victims were in your way, you used the pretext of a plague to slaughter the common people. That you can now sit calmly beside the Emperor and pretend to be ignorant truly brilliant.”

Feng Xi’s face turned deathly pale: “Do you think that by slandering me, you can sit firmly as Crown Prince? I tell you, His Majesty will never tolerate someone like you by his side!”

“If the Empress does not believe it, we can confront him face to face.”

Shen Yi clapped his hands. Leng Feng dragged in the trussed-up Li Dequan, walked to the front, threw him to the floor, and removed the cloth from his mouth.

Li Dequan was terrified: “Em… Empress.”

Feng Xi’s expression was clearly very poor, yet she struggled to maintain her composure.

Shen Yi repeated what Chu Yun had just said and asked: “Is this true?”

Li Dequan dared not look at the Empress. Thinking of how he was now left all alone, and that if he didn’t speak, he would be tormented by the insect inside his body, suffering the pain of ten thousand arrows piercing his heart, he could only answer according to Shen Yi’s words: “This is indeed the case.”

“Presumptuous!” Chu Chen slammed his hand on the table. All the officials left their seats and knelt on the ground one after another.

Feng Xi also knelt down, trembling: “Your Majesty… this consort has been framed!”

Chu Chen scolded: “With witnesses and evidence, what part of this is a grievance against you? Speak!”

Feng Xi: “This consort was not rebelling. I saw that the Jiangnan mines were rich in resources and wanted to forge sharp weapons for the Chu Kingdom’s soldiers! It is not as Your Majesty thinks! Moreover… I have borne you a son and a daughter; if there is no credit, there is at least hard work!”

A clumsy excuse, combined with her exaggerated performance, still failed to convince Chu Chen.

“Someone, strip the Empress of her title, revoke her status, and throw her into the dungeon to await judgment. As for Li Dequan, behead him immediately.”

Li Dequan’s face instantly collapsed, and he cried out: “Your Majesty—”

Leng Feng gave him no chance, dealing him a hand-chop to the neck and knocking him unconscious.

Chu Chen walked to Feng Xi, tilted her chin up, his eyes sharp: “I trusted you so much, and yet you betrayed Me.”

Feng Xi shook her head: “This consort is innocent!”

“Enough.” Chu Chen did not want to hear her nonsense: “Someone, drag her away!”

Two palace maids stepped forward, hoisted Feng Xi up from left and right, and dragged her away without regard for her dignity.

The people below were all whispering, expressing pity for the Empress, though they were mostly gripped by fear of the Emperor’s wrath.

He then looked at Shen Yi and Chu Yun: “You both did well this time. I will reward you properly. Sit and have a meal together.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

After having the servants drag Li Dequan away, the palace attendants prepared seats for the two. Shen Yi hadn’t eaten much all day; as soon as the dishes were served, he cleared them away completely, soon choking on them. Chu Yun rubbed his back: “Slow down.”

Shen Yi hurriedly pushed his hand away. The place was crowded, and if some ill-intentioned person saw it, they would surely impeach him and Chu Yun.

An attendant poured wine for the Emperor, who raised his cup: “All ministers, drink freely.”

He had not lost his mood in the slightest because of the Empress’s earlier defiance.

To him, it didn’t matter who was Empress; they were all toys to be manipulated.

He downed the wine in his cup and picked up his chopsticks, prepared to taste the dishes.

Suddenly, a violent pain surged in his lower abdomen. He instinctively covered his belly, and fresh blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, dripping onto the dragon robe and staining the yellow fabric red.

The young eunuch beside him screamed: “Your Majesty something is wrong! The Emperor is vomiting blood Quick, protect the Emperor”

The Imperial Guards rushed into the palace and surrounded the gate. The scene turned chaotic, with some screaming in fear and others at a loss for what to do.

Shen Yi and Chu Yun appeared much calmer.

As a prince, Chu Yun was qualified to visit.

Chu Chen lay on the bed, his face and lips pale. Zhao Jing took his pulse and sighed: “The poison has entered the five viscera and six bowels. Whether or not the Prince can survive depends on tonight; if he can hold on, there will be improvement. If he cannot, this official is powerless.”

The Emperor was delirious, muttering: “Investigate… investigate for Me… find out, and I will kill him…”

Chu Yun answered casually: “Your son will investigate it clearly.”

He then walked out of the palace. Before leaving, he didn’t forget to tell Zhao Jing: “If anything happens to His Majesty, or if he is critically ill, send someone to the Eastern Palace to find me.”

Zhao Jing nodded: “Yes.”

After Chu Yun left, Leng Feng came sticking close to him. He was spirited and showed not a hint of displeasure. As soon as he saw Zhao Jing, he seemed like a miser seeing money, instantly becoming excited.

“Doctor Zhao~”

Zhao Jing: “Hmm. Young Master Leng, hello.”

Leng Feng: “Is Doctor Zhao going to eat in a while? I’ll have the small kitchen make the lotus porridge you like.”

Zhao Jing: “Thank you, but this official is not hungry yet.”

Leng Feng saw the refusal in Zhao Jing’s words, and his raised tail slowly dropped: “Hmm… then just say a word when you’re hungry, and someone from the Imperial Kitchen will make it for you.”

Doctor Zhao nodded, and Leng Feng grinned foolishly: “Then I’ll be off. See you later.”

Doctor Zhao hesitated for a moment and called out to Leng Feng: “Leng Feng.”

Leng Feng turned his head and gave a brilliant smile: “Is there anything else?”

“I have prepared the osmanthus cakes you like. They are being kept by the cook in the Imperial Kitchen; you can go and get them.”

Leng Feng was instantly overjoyed: “Thank you, Doctor Zhao! See you later.”

“I have already sent men to surrender the weapons in the mines and dispatched secret guards to call a doctor for Hao Tian; in a while, he will be able to return to walking normally.” Chu Yun paused: “With the Empress imprisoned, the ministers in the Ministry of Revenue are much more obedient. Not only are they willing to allocate silver, but they are also much more polite to the servants of the Eastern Palace. I have already ordered people to head to Jiangnan for disaster relief.”

Shen Yi nodded: “That is good.”

The two entered the study and closed the door. Shen Yi took the initiative to explain his plan to Chu Yun: “With the Emperor fallen ill, normally, you should handle the government in his stead. But the Second Prince returns tomorrow, and I am worried that the Empress and the princess she bore might play some tricks. I intend to make them delay their return to the capital so that the Emperor can hand over the political power to you.”

Chu Yun: “The faster this matter is handled, the better.”

Shen Yi: “Naturally. I have already bribed people in the Imperial Hospital; they are now listening to my arrangements.”

He rose, walked to the window, opened it, and asked: “I have done so much, when will you untie the poison from my cousin?”

Chu Yun’s gaze grew dim: “Why ask about this?”

Shen Yi pulled at the corners of his mouth: “Please, she is the only relative I have. If I don’t help her, then who am I helping?”

Shen Yi turned around and saw Chu Yun take a red pill out of the medicine bottle and hold it between his lips, his gaze flippant and ambiguous, as if to say, I have already given you the chance, but you dare not.

Shen Yi gazed at those lips and felt his throat go dry, hesitant and indecisive.

Chu Yun even deliberately lowered his head, stretched his body forward slightly, and curled his lips, seemingly mocking Shen Yi’s cowardice.