novelaction Chapter 253 Demoted to Common People
Chapter 253 Demoted to Common People
"Concubine Shu, you are overstepping your authority! How can you have any say in the prince's marriage? Princess Ning'an has made contributions to the country and is a meritorious official of Dasheng. She is not a tool for you to use to fight for power and profit!" Emperor Jingzhao was furious and slammed the table and stood up.
Concubine Shu knelt at the feet of Emperor Jingzhao, her face flushed and pale.
She didn't expect that she just wanted to take the opportunity to sow discord and test the emperor's attitude, but she didn't expect to be ruthlessly reprimanded by the emperor in public.
The emperor's move was to clearly stand on the side of the Seventh Prince, and Concubine Shu's heart sank.
The resentment and anger that had been suppressed for a long time in her heart were roaring, and she secretly cried out that something was wrong.
I have been plotted!
Realizing that something was wrong, Concubine Shu's mind went blank and the words came to her lips but she couldn't say anything.
"Father, please calm down. It is most important to take care of your health. Mother just spoke out of turn. I hope you can forgive me." The fifth prince's face changed drastically and he quickly stepped forward to apologize.
"Forgive me, how can I forgive you? I thought you were a steady person, but I didn't expect you to be as ambitious as your mother. I really misjudged you!"
There was tremendous anger in Emperor Jing Zhao's voice, and everyone below fell silent for a moment.
Fine beads of sweat had already appeared on the fifth prince's forehead.
When Concubine Shu spoke just now, he realized that the situation was not good, but he had no way to stop it.
The Fifth Prince couldn't understand why his mother, who had always been low-key and cautious, could have lost her mind for a moment.
She had been repeatedly warned earlier to act with caution and not to cause any unnecessary trouble at this critical juncture.
Shufei's irrational behavior at this time made the Fifth Prince feel powerless.
"Father, I know my identity and I dare not have any improper thoughts. Mother has lived in the deep palace for many years and does not know much about the outside world. This action was an unintentional mistake. I am willing to take full responsibility for the mistakes made by mother today."
The Fifth Prince's voice trembled slightly as he knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Emperor Jing Zhao.
At this moment, memories of the hard days of being bullied and surviving in the harem flooded into Concubine Shu's mind like a tide.
Concubine Shu felt as if her head was pricked by needles, and she couldn't help but cover her head.
The nameless anger in my heart was burning fiercely.
"That's enough! Your Majesty is disappointed in me and Ce'er? When have I not been disappointed in your Majesty? When Ce'er and I were living in Lingxi Palace and were being oppressed, did you ever come to us once on your own initiative? I was being presumptuous! But wasn't it you, your Majesty, who forced me to do that?"
Concubine Shu suddenly stood up from the ground, her eyes filled with tears and her voice filled with undisguised resentment.
Everyone present was shocked. No one could have imagined that Concubine Shu would dare to say such treasonous words to the Emperor in public.
Emperor Jing Zhao's face was gloomy, and a hint of murderous intent flashed in his eyes.
"Xu, have you been pretending to be gentle and non-aggressive all these years? Are you plotting against me?" Emperor Jing Zhao had a frosty face and raised his hand to sweep the cups, bowls and dishes on the table to the ground.
"Your Majesty, please calm down!" The minister knelt on the ground, his heart trembling.
"Father, my mother must have been murdered by a traitor. She was so mad that she said something she didn't want to say. I beg you to summon the imperial physician to check my mother's pulse right away."
The Fifth Prince was shaking all over, with a pleading tone in his voice.
He just realized that his mother might have fallen into someone else's trap.
He only knew that if his mother was taken away like this and he could not clear her name in public, all his plans over the years would go to waste.
However, Concubine Shu seemed to have completely lost her mind. At this moment, there was only resentment for the past in her eyes.
"Pretending? Didn't you learn that from your Majesty? You allowed Concubine Zhao to run rampant in the harem and praised the Sixth Prince to the skies. You also deliberately promoted the Fourth Prince's family, causing them to fight tooth and nail for the position of crown prince. Now the First Prince, the Ninth Prince, and the Seventh Prince have been added to the harem. Does Your Majesty think that the court is not lively enough?"
You clearly cannot make my Ce'er the crown prince, but you have used the same old trick to put my Ce'er in the spotlight. Are my mother and I only worthy of being the victims of your political games? Or are you, Your Majesty, only thinking about clearing the obstacles for the true crown prince in your mind..."
Shufei's voice became increasingly sharp, and there was a mad light flashing in her eyes.
"Shut up!"
Emperor Jing Zhao, who always prided himself on being rational, was so furious when Concubine Shu revealed his true feelings that he slapped Concubine Shu to the ground.
"Hahaha! I am just a chess piece in your harem. You hold me in your hands when you need me, and discard me when you don't! We are both descendants of the emperor, but other princes can sit on the throne, so why can't my Ce'er? Am I only worthy of being a sacrifice? What's wrong with my Ce'er?"
With blood oozing from the corners of her mouth, Concubine Shu, who was lying on the ground, started laughing like crazy.
The Fifth Prince's face was ashen, and he sat on the ground in a daze. He closed his eyes, and a tear slipped down quietly.
After today, all the glory will turn to dust, and my situation is likely to fall into an even deeper abyss.
Qin Ruo lowered her head and knelt on the ground with everyone else, but her eyes became sharp.
She noticed the abnormal behavior of Concubine Shu just now, and she carefully smelled it. Sure enough, she smelled a faint fragrance in the hall.
Others may not be able to smell this "bewitching incense", but it cannot escape Qin Ruo's keen sense of smell.
Qin Ruo sneered in her heart, but maintained a submissive attitude on her face, as if all this had nothing to do with her.
Concubine Shu's actions were nothing but her own fault.
There was no trace of sympathy in Qin Ruo's eyes.
Emperor Jing Zhao, who was furious just now, suddenly calmed down. He looked at the disheveled Concubine Shu lying on the ground and shouted in a deep voice: "Come here, draft the decree!"
"Shufei Xu has repeatedly spoken disrespectfully, disturbed the palace, and behaved inappropriately in front of the emperor. Considering her contribution to raising the five princes, I will spare her life for the time being. Now I will demote her to a commoner and move her to the cold palace. She cannot leave without the emperor's order."
"The Fifth Prince's Si Ce failed to restrain his mother, and cannot escape the guilt of negligence. From now on, the Fifth Prince's Si Ce will be relieved of all his duties outside the palace, and ordered to reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors in the mansion. He is not allowed to leave without my summons."
As soon as Emperor Jing Zhao finished his announcement, several eunuchs lifted up Concubine Shu, who had a blank look in her eyes, and dragged her out of the palace.
When a gust of cold wind blew in from outside the palace, the concubine Shu, who was under tight control of the eunuchs and had just been demoted to a commoner, suddenly shuddered and her mind became clear.
Seeing the huge crowd of people kneeling in front of her, she vaguely remembered the confrontation with the emperor just now, and her face suddenly turned pale.
She desperately tried to break free and cried to Emperor Jingzhao: "Your Majesty, I am innocent. I was framed, so I spoke wildly and offended the majesty of heaven! Those words just now were not my original intention, uh uh uh..."
There was endless hatred and despair in Concubine Shu's voice, but before she could finish her words, she was covered with her mouth and dragged away by several eunuchs.
Emperor Jing Zhao watched this scene coldly without moving his eyelids.
The sad cries of Concubine Shu gradually faded away.
There was deathly silence in the hall; everyone held their breath, not daring to make a sound.