readytorunbook Chapter 835: The Repentance Edict, the Queen's Assassination
Chapter 835: The Repentance Edict, the Queen's Assassination
Everyone turned around and looked at the woman who walked in from outside, with surprise on their faces.
The queen was dressed in plain clothes, without a single piece of jewelry on her body. Her thick, smooth long hair was tied up with a white silk ribbon and hung neatly at her waist.
She walked slowly but with extraordinary composure, as if other people's gazes had no effect on her at all.
There were whispers of discussion, all about how the concubines in the harem could come to the front hall to participate in government affairs? It was really against tradition!
Some people pointed and talked, some glared, and some watched coldly. Only Shu He stood at the back with a worried look.
Although she did not have a close relationship with the queen, perhaps because they had been in the same place and had the same secret, she always felt inexplicably close to her.
Hearing the discussions and dissatisfaction of the officials, Emperor Qiwen snorted lightly. Even though the voice was very light, it still made the court suddenly silent.
It was not until the Empress walked to the Emperor's side that Emperor Qiwen spoke, "Liu Qin, summon him."
Liu Qin's face turned pale. He handed the tray in his hand to the young eunuch behind him, and took the imperial edict from the emperor.
He opened the edict and took just one look at it, and his heart sank to the bottom.
"Read!"
Seeing that he was hesitant, Emperor Qiwen spoke again.
Liu Qin glanced at Emperor Qiwen, then steeled himself and took two steps forward, reading to the officials, "I, the Emperor of Heaven and the Mandate of Heaven, decree this: I have inherited the heavy responsibility of the ancestral temple for five hundred years, and have carried the mandate of Heaven for thirty-five years. Now, as candlelight flickers and a bright mirror hangs in the hall, I issue this decree, to make it known to the sun and moon, and to the people with tears and tears of my heart."
"In the thirty-first year of the Tianqi era, I committed a crime, killing my own flesh and blood, and destroying all human ethics..."
The imperial edict clearly stated the details of the second prince's death. It was basically true and there was no part that deliberately glorified himself. This surprised Shu He.
After hearing this imperial edict, all the officials' faces changed drastically. They lowered their heads and looked at each other, exchanging shock and surprise in their eyes.
The emperor actually issued an edict of repentance! This was the first emperor in the history of the Tianqi era to issue an edict of repentance!
There was also some surprise in the Queen's eyes. Obviously, she didn't expect that Emperor Qiwen would issue the edict so easily.
If that was the case, why did he wait until Baili Moqing left Kyoto before issuing this edict of repentance?
Like the Queen, Shu He did not expect this matter to go so smoothly; she even thought that the Emperor would cheat and not issue the edict of apology.
Now it seems that she misunderstood the emperor.
"Although I hold the highest rank in heaven, I am truly a sinner under heaven. I shall now shave my head in place of my head, wear plain clothing, and kneel for seven days in the Imperial Ancestral Temple."
"This edict does not seek leniency, but rather asks future kings to take note: power is like poison, kinship is like a blade; a single deviation can lead to eternal damnation."
"From this day forward, I will reduce my meals and abandon my entertainment, inspect the prisons every day until midnight, and use my broken body to atone for any sins I commit."
"Appreciate this!"
After the imperial edict was read, silence fell in the hall. Everyone looked at Emperor Qiwen and did not dare to say a word.
Emperor Qiwen pretended not to see it and asked Liu Qin to bring another scroll of imperial edict.
"Here, there is another decree, Liu Qin, announce it together!"
Just as everyone was holding their breath and preparing to listen, suddenly, a silver hairpin appeared in the hand of the Queen Suyi above, and pierced into Emperor Qiwen's chest when everyone was caught off guard.
The person opposite him didn't show any intention of dodging.
"emperor!!"
"emperor!"
"Escort! Escort!!"
Suddenly, screams were heard everywhere and everyone gathered around in panic.
"Queen..."
Shu He was also shocked when she saw this scene. She subconsciously stepped forward, but was stopped by someone.
She looked at the person who came and was surprised again.
How could it be him?
As the hall was in chaos, Emperor Qiwen from above suddenly said, "Back off!!"
A cold shout made everyone stop.
Emperor Qiwen stood in front of the empress, his expression unchanged. He slowly reached out and held the empress's hand holding the hairpin.
The queen's expression remained unchanged, as if she had no emotion at all, but her eyes, which were so clear and pure yesterday, were now filled with hatred and humiliation.
She knew that the edict in Liu Qin's hand was the edict to depose the empress, which was an absurd statement denying Baili Moxuan's identity!
She may not care about her own reputation, but Xun'er cannot be a "bastard" born from an affair with someone!
As long as the emperor died before this edict was announced, his conspiracy would never succeed. As for her, at worst, she could die with him, leading him to the underworld, and kowtow to apologize to the sons he had killed!
"emperor……"
Liu Qin panicked when he saw Emperor Qiwen's bright yellow dragon robe stained with blood. "Imperial Physician, quickly call the Imperial Physician!"
When the officials from Baili Moyan's lineage saw this scene, their eyes lit up instantly.
Qin Liang was the first to speak up. "Your Majesty, the Empress's attempt to assassinate the Emperor is a heinous crime and she deserves the death penalty!"
After Qin Liang finished speaking, someone else echoed him, but before they could finish their words, they were angrily scolded by Emperor Qiwen.
Everyone was stunned. How could they be scolded for speaking up for the emperor? Could it be that the emperor wanted to protect the queen?
Emperor Qiwen felt a chill in his heart as he looked at the face in front of him that was once very familiar but now very strange.
However, he was not too surprised.
He looked at her, holding her hand, his eyes filled with indescribable complexity.
The queen frowned slightly and tried to withdraw her hand, but he held it tightly, not letting her move at all.
She couldn't quite understand him.
For a moment, she seemed to see the man she first met more than thirty years ago, the man who amazed her and made her fall in love with him at first sight.
But it was only for a moment.
"open!"
He saw her face turn cold, and every word she uttered seemed to contain icy thorns, piercing his heart fiercely.
Once upon a time, they were very close, but now, they were facing life and death.
A trace of sadness and regret flashed in his eyes. He lowered his eyes slightly and said to Liu Qin behind him: "Read the imperial edict!"
When the queen heard this, murderous intent flashed in her eyes, and the hairpin in her hand couldn't help but move forward a little.
These few points made the vertical lines on Emperor Qiwen's already frown deepen even more.
“Don’t read it!!”
The queen shouted coldly, and her aura was not much weaker than that of the emperor.
Liu Qin was so frightened that his hands trembled and he looked at Emperor Qiwen in panic.
The conflict between the emperor and the empress simply doubled his stress.
"read!!"
Emperor Qiwen stared at her, and the strength in his hands became deeper and deeper, until she could no longer bear the pain and frowned.
Liu Qin no longer hesitated. After all, his master was the emperor, so of course he would only listen to the emperor.
"The Emperor, by the Mandate of Heaven, proclaims: Empress Su..."
"shut up!!"
The queen wanted to stop him, but Liu Qin's voice had already been heard and he showed no sign of stopping.
Her whole body was cold, and she felt extremely desolate and desperate inside.
In the end, she still couldn't protect Xun'er's reputation...
Why didn't she use a little more force just now? ! !