novelraw Chapter 151 The Emperor's Chapter Has Arrived
Chapter 151 The Emperor's Chapter Has Arrived
Consort Shao raised her eyes and stared intently, her gaze unwavering:
"Your Majesty, the crime of bringing disaster to the country and the people is extremely serious. How can it be judged so easily? We, your humble servants, know Yuan Zhaoyi's character better than anyone else, having spent every day with her. She is by no means a wicked person. Your humble servants implore Your Majesty to reconsider and not to go against Your Majesty's will by moving back to the palace."
After speaking, Consort Shao and Consort Xu bowed gracefully to the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager's temples throbbed with anger.
Seeing this, Xuan Du stepped forward and said with a lowered head, "Your Majesty, please calm down. In my opinion, we might as well wait for the abbot to return before discussing this further. Since the abbot has gone to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to offer his advice, he should be able to explain the advantages and disadvantages. However, His Majesty has always had his own ideas. If we really wait for that news to come, I'm afraid it may not be to Your Majesty's liking."
Consort Shao and Consort Xu exchanged a glance.
The monk appeared to be calming people down, but in reality, he was stirring up trouble.
That's really impressive.
The Empress Dowager abruptly shook off the support of the nanny beside her, her tone suddenly turning fierce, "The Emperor will surely prioritize the country and kill this evil witch."
"Today, the sacrificial ceremony must proceed as planned. The Emperor will return to the palace tomorrow. Even if he blames me for acting on my own initiative, he will understand in the future that I did it for him and for this beautiful country."
Consort Xu tried to persuade her, but Consort Shao grabbed her wrist and gently shook her head.
The Empress Dowager is determined to defy the Emperor's will; even the Imperial Seal can no longer restrain her.
The black-robed monk remained silent, but the sinister glint in his eyes sent chills down one's spine.
Consort Shao gritted her teeth, knowing that a tough battle was destined to be fought at Yaohua Palace today.
The Empress Dowager raised her voice and said, "Bring Consort Yuan here."
The noise shattered the tranquility of the hall.
Song Shuangning was jolted awake from her sleep, the Empress Dowager's hysterical voice clearly piercing her ears.
Song Shuangning slowly sat up, her eyes darkening.
Tingyu and Tinglu hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, don't be afraid. Consort Shao and Consort Xu will definitely handle this matter well."
Song Shuangning raised her hand to brush their hands away and stepped calmly out of the palace gate.
The afternoon light was so bright it was hard to open one's eyes, casting a long, slender shadow as she looked down at the palace servants below, who were itching to make a move.
"Empress Dowager, have you forgotten that the Emperor and Empress are currently performing a sacrificial ceremony at the Imperial Ancestral Temple? Are you trying to disturb our ancestors or make the world laugh at the imperial family? Furthermore, the Emperor left the Imperial Seal at Yaohua Palace before his departure. Doesn't the Empress Dowager understand what that means?"
Song Shuangning stood under the corridor, staring directly at the Empress Dowager.
"When the Empress Dowager set up an altar in the palace to exorcise evil spirits, did she consult the ancestors in the Imperial Ancestral Temple? The Emperor is currently offering sacrifices to Heaven and ancestors in the Imperial Ancestral Temple with sincere devotion, yet the Empress Dowager is engaging in witchcraft here. Does this behavior indicate that she doubts the Emperor's sincerity in his sacrifices, or that she suspects the ancestors did not give any explicit instructions?"
The Empress Dowager angrily pointed at Song Shuangning, "Nonsense!"
"Everything I have done is for the sake of the country and its people."
Song Shuangning sneered and slowly walked down the steps. Looking at the Empress Dowager's face, contorted with rage, she softly asked, "Is that so?"
"Is the Empress Dowager truly acting for the sake of the nation, or for her own selfish desires? By disregarding the Emperor's will and ignoring his edicts, is she truly protecting the realm, or eliminating dissidents?"
Xuan Du strode forward, reaching out to firmly support the Empress Dowager's swaying body. His voice was extremely low, carrying a hint of seduction:
"Your Majesty, do not fall for our trap! Every word Consort Yuan spoke was meant to provoke you. You must not lose your composure, lest you ruin this carefully prepared altar, lest you destroy everything..."
He abruptly stopped speaking, a dark glint flashing in his eyes, and swallowed the rest of his words.
Having said that, he looked away from the Empress Dowager and turned to walk toward the center of the altar.
He picked up three sticks of sandalwood incense with his fingertips, lit them with the candlelight, and the wisps of smoke rose up, swirling and drifting into the air.
He raised his hand and grasped the peach wood sword on the table, then, with strange steps, jumped up in the center of the altar.
The dance steps were chaotic and disorderly, sometimes spinning around, sometimes pausing, and the peach wood sword drew strange arcs as the arms were swung.
Halfway through his dance, he poured himself a cup of strong liquor from a nearby bronze vessel, tilted his head back and drank it down. Then, he suddenly turned to the side and sprayed the liquor all over the blade of his peach wood sword.
The wine splashed everywhere, landing on the yellow paper talismans on the altar, and made a soft "sizzling" sound.
A wisp of pale blue smoke rose up, adding to the eerie atmosphere.
The scent of sandalwood mingled with the aroma of the altar, wafting into our noses and mouths.
The altar was set up in the same direction as where she was standing.
Song Shuangning felt a sudden dizziness, and the figures in front of her became double.
She shook her head vigorously, and as soon as her fingertips touched the pillar, her body went limp, and she collapsed heavily onto the cold bluestone slab.
"Your Majesty!" Tingyu and Tinglu exclaimed and rushed over, trying to help her up from either side.
Xuan Du stood on the altar, watching her swaying figure, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth: "Hmph, this incense is called 'Soul Lock,' it is specially designed to kill those who harbor evil thoughts. Consort Yuan, you are tainted with the aura of a malevolent star, so when you smell this incense, your blood will surge and you will feel dizzy and weak."
Song Shuangning sneered, "What bullshit! This incense is called Soul Locking. That wisp of pale blue smoke is the condensed gas from the incense candle burning incompletely. It just happens to drift towards her, and its concentration is far greater than that of others. Only by inhaling too much will you feel dizzy."
"Consort Yuan, what else do you have to say?"
Just as Xuan Du finished speaking, a series of earth-shattering footsteps suddenly came from outside Yao Hua Palace, mixed with the clanging of armor.
"The Imperial Guards will escort you—"
Song Shuangning opened her eyes wide, her head buzzing with dizziness. She struggled to lift her head, but Tinglu quickly supported her back.
It's the Imperial Guards!
Last night, she used the imperial seal to write a handwritten edict and ordered her trusted confidants to send it out of the palace overnight.
If anything were to happen at Yaohua Palace today, the Imperial Guards would be sent to the palace immediately to protect the Emperor.
She anticipated that the Empress Dowager would resort to desperate measures, so this was a last resort.
She strained to look up, and at the end of her line of sight, a figure in bright yellow robes strode towards her, surrounded by Imperial Guards. The bright yellow dragon robes billowed in the wind, making a rustling sound.
It's the Emperor! It's the Emperor!
Song Shuangning stared blankly at the increasingly clear figure, almost thinking she was seeing things.
"Ningning."
It wasn't until that familiar voice rang out that Song Shuangning realized she wasn't seeing things; the Emperor had truly returned.
A feeling of indescribable astonishment and bitterness welled up in my heart.
The sacrifices at the Imperial Ancestral Temple were of paramount importance, concerning the fate of the nation.
According to ancestral rules, the emperor had to stay for three days and could not leave for even a moment. He risked being accused of blaspheming his ancestors and hurriedly returned to this place of trouble.
She opened her mouth, wanting to call out to him, but no sound came out; she could only let her eyes gradually heat up.
"Emperor, how could you..." The Empress Dowager exclaimed in disbelief.
Xiao Yan ignored her and walked straight to Song Shuangning, pulling her into his arms.
"I'm back, everything's alright."