readytorunbook Chapter 108 The Legend of Zhen Huan 3
Chapter 108 The Legend of Zhen Huan 3
After much deliberation, Yongzheng decided to deal with Shen Meizhuang first.
In her previous life, on the very day of the blood test for kinship, Shen Meizhuang was shocked to learn that her lover, Wen Shichu, had castrated himself. She fainted on the spot, suffered a difficult childbirth, and died from postpartum hemorrhage after giving birth to a daughter.
He decided to respect her fate and send her off today.
Then look at Su Peisheng, who was serving at the door. He was the original owner's trusted eunuch, but he betrayed the original owner because he was having an affair with Cui Jinxi, who was by Zhen Huan's side.
This person cannot be allowed to live!
Thinking of this, Yongzheng leaned back in his chair and raised his voice to call Su Peisheng in.
"What time is it?"
Su Peisheng, who was standing by, quickly replied, "Your Majesty, it is already late afternoon."
Yongzheng leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes and thought for a moment. As if he had thought of something good, a smile appeared on his lips: "Go and take a look at Consort Hui!"
"Whoo!"
Su Peisheng immediately went down to prepare the ceremonial carriage and instructed Xiaxiazi to go to Suiyuxuan to inform Consort Hui to receive the emperor.
When Shen Meizhuang of Suiyu Pavilion learned that the Emperor was coming, a hint of disgust flashed in her eyes. Unlike the other concubines who were busy preparing to receive him, she simply continued to sit on the couch, stroking her high, protruding belly.
If it weren't for her and Shichu's child, she really wouldn't want to look at the Emperor even once.
Caiyue, who was serving, sighed silently, gave the little eunuch who had come to deliver the message a purse, sent him away, and then asked the small kitchen to prepare tea and snacks.
When Yongzheng arrived, she didn't come out to greet him, but instead pretended to get up while holding her pregnant belly. Yongzheng raised an eyebrow, not minding, and simply waved his hand, saying, "You're pregnant, so there's no need for you to bow."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Shen Meizhuang said with a cold expression, then remained seated and said nothing more, waiting for Yongzheng to leave out of boredom.
Yongzheng, however, sat down in the main seat without any hesitation, his gaze naturally falling from her face to her abdomen, where the illegitimate child from their affair was located.
His eyes flickered slightly as he quietly sipped his tea: "How is Mei'er feeling today? Is the baby in her belly being naughty?"
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. Imperial Physician Wen came to take my pulse today and said that I and the baby in my womb are both fine!" Shen Meizhuang said calmly, her expression softening only for a moment when she mentioned Wen Shichu.
"Hmm!" Yongzheng nodded and smiled, "Wen Shichu's medical skills are quite good. With him taking care of you and your child, I feel much more at ease."
Upon hearing this, Shen Meizhuang's face melted like ice and snow, blossoming into a captivating smile.
She gave Yongzheng a meaningful look, her heart filled with a sense of vengeful pleasure. So what if you're the emperor! You're still being played like a fool by me.
Yongzheng then inquired about Shen Meizhuang's health and the baby in her womb, his tone gentle and expectant, just like any father anticipating the birth of his child.
Shen Meizhuang gradually became impatient, wishing the person in front of her would disappear immediately. Her intense emotional fluctuations made her displeasure easily noticeable.
Seeing her like this is really annoying.
You're really asking for it!
Emperor Yongzheng, who had ruled for decades with few defiant figures, raised his eyes, a murderous glint in them, and instantly overturned his previous plans regarding Shen Meizhuang:
"Su Peisheng, the tea has gone cold. Go and get a hot cup."
"嗻"
Su Peisheng immediately stepped forward, deftly picked up the teacup, and prepared to go downstairs to replace it with hot tea.
Yongzheng, feigning exhaustion, raised his hand and pressed it against his brow. A sudden red spot appeared where he pressed, and an invisible force emanated from his brow.
As Su Peisheng passed by Shen Meizhuang, an invisible force slammed into his leg, as if he had been hit hard with a hammer, and he was instantly thrown towards Shen Meizhuang.
The incident happened suddenly. Shen Meizhuang was heavy and the two were close together, so she had nowhere to dodge. She was knocked to the ground by Su Peisheng and could only cry out in pain while clutching her stomach, with a pool of blood slowly flowing out beneath her.
"what!"
"Your Highness! Quickly, summon the imperial physician!"
A chaotic scene ensued!
Yongzheng calmly instructed: "First, carry Consort Hui to the delivery room to prepare for childbirth. Call in all the midwives we selected earlier to help. Then go to the Imperial Hospital and summon Wen Shichu, Wei Lin, and Zhang Mi to be on standby."
His gaze then shifted to Su Peisheng, who was kneeling on the ground in a disheveled state, his face deathly pale: "Take Su Peisheng away and deal with him after Consort Hui gives birth."
Su Peisheng was pushed down, his face ashen. He didn't know why things had turned out this way, but he knew he was finished.
If Consort Hui and her child are safe, he will have a glimmer of hope; otherwise, he will face utter destruction.
Su Peisheng prayed in his heart that Shen Meizhuang would have a safe delivery, but unfortunately, Lady Luck did not smile upon him.
"My lord!"
Less than a quarter of an hour later, suppressed cries could be heard coming from the delivery room. Several midwives and three imperial physicians knelt down in front of Emperor Yongzheng.
"Your Majesty, we are utterly incompetent! Consort Hui suffered too severe an impact and has now died in childbirth, and the imperial heir in her womb has also been lost!"
As soon as the Empress and Zhen Huan led a group of concubines into Suiyu Pavilion, they heard the imperial physician say this.
Zhen Huan was struck dumb. She knelt down, gave a hasty greeting, and then quickly turned and strode into the delivery room.
The Empress was overjoyed. She had been worried about how to abort Consort Hui's pregnancy, but Consort Hui was not lucky. Not only did she not give birth, she also died in childbirth.
This is wonderful!
The Empress put on a sorrowful expression, and after paying her respects to Yongzheng along with the other concubines, she asked...
"Your Majesty, how could Consort Hui have suddenly become like this?"
Yongzheng sighed, lowered his head and remained silent, looking extremely heartbroken, but in reality he didn't want to pay any attention to these people.
Seeing his expression, the Empress dared not speak further. After all, she had just been rejected today and dared not offend the Emperor again.
The delivery room reeked of blood. Zhen Huan looked at Shen Meizhuang's corpse and could no longer hold back, sobbing uncontrollably as she collapsed onto the bed.
Her best friend is dead! Her sister Mei is dead!
Cui Jinxi knew that Zhen Huan and Shen Meizhuang had a deep bond, and that Zhen Huan wouldn't listen to anything she said at this point, so she didn't try to persuade her.
After crying for a while, Zhen Huan regained some composure and asked Caiyue, who was kneeling, "What happened to Sister Mei? Why did she suddenly have a difficult childbirth?"
Caiyue was sobbing uncontrollably. When she heard Zhen Huan's question, she choked out, "It was Eunuch Su who suddenly fell and bumped into you, causing you to have a difficult childbirth and postpartum hemorrhage."
"Ah!" Zhen Huan, who was ready to unleash a massacre to avenge Shen Meizhuang, was stunned.
"You mean Eunuch Su Peisheng?"
“That’s right! Your Highness Consort Xi, please stand up for us!” Caiyue said resolutely, then collapsed to the ground in tears, begging Zhen Huan to intervene.
Zhen Huan was completely numb. Shen Meizhuang was her good friend, but Su Peisheng was also one of her own!
Before she arrived, she thought it was the Empress who had given the gift to Shen Meizhuang, but she never expected that it was Su Peisheng who had harmed Sister Mei.
Shen Meizhuang is her best friend, and she will not show mercy to anyone who harms her.
But why Su Peisheng of all people?
Who is behind this?
Zhen Huan hadn't expected the situation to be so difficult. For a moment, she even forgot her sadness and began to think about what she should do.
Mei Jie is already dead. Regardless of whether Su Peisheng had any intention to harm others, he is doomed to die.
The only concern now is whether Su Peisheng will reveal her secret during the Emperor's interrogation.
We need to get rid of Su Peisheng before he speaks.
Thinking of this, Zhen Huan turned to look at Cui Jinxi, her eyes filled with guilt. Cui Jinxi wasn't stupid; having served Zhen Huan for so long, she understood Zhen Huan very well and grasped the meaning behind Zhen Huan's look almost instantly.
Cui Jinxi's tears streamed down her face, her voice trembling as she shook her head and said, "Your Majesty..."
“It’s an undeniable fact that Su Peisheng harmed Sister Mei. If you really care about him, you should give him a quick death so he won’t suffer in his lifetime.”
This can be considered as giving Sister Mei an explanation.
······
Emperor Yongzheng promoted Shen Meizhuang to the rank of Consort Hui, instructed Zhen Huan to handle her funeral arrangements, and then returned directly to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
As soon as he sat down, he couldn't wait to call Xia Yi from the Sticky Rod Office over and instructed him: "Su Peisheng's matter is suspicious. I suspect there is something going on behind the scenes. Go and investigate personally, and don't let any clues slip by."
"嗻"
Xia Yi was the leader of the Sticky Rod Office. Although his combat strength was not great, and he was later defeated by Xiao Yunzi, a mere eunuch, Xia Yi was quite capable. Most importantly, he was loyal, and loyal only to him.
Xia Yi was about to leave when the emperor on the throne spoke again: "Recently, Su Peisheng and Consort Xi have been getting quite close. You must find out whether this matter is related to Consort Xi."
Yongzheng emphasized the words "investigate thoroughly" and "related to," and Xia Yi instantly understood the emperor's meaning. Without the slightest hesitation or curiosity about why the emperor would give such an order, he readily went down to interrogate Su Peisheng overnight. To avoid leaks, he specially changed the location for the interrogation and arranged manpower at the original location.
When Cui Jinxi went to visit Su Peisheng under the pretense of delivering food, she not only found no one there, but was also subdued by the people arranged by Xia Yi.
The next day, after the morning court session, a confession was placed on the emperor's desk.
Yongzheng picked it up and looked it over, then threw it back on the desk, tapping the table with his fingers: "This confession is not enough!"
"Consort Xi has many cronies in the palace. You must thoroughly investigate each of them."
Xia Yi's brows finally twitched involuntarily. Was the Emperor planning to wipe out the entire harem in one fell swoop?
"This servant will go back and re-examine the case immediately."
"Go!"
Yongzheng waved him away.
He had originally devised a detailed plan to deal with the women in his harem, but upon seeing Shen Meizhuang, he suddenly realized something.
He is the emperor!
An emperor with absolute power!
Why bother getting involved in a power struggle with the concubines in the imperial harem?
Moreover, he doesn't know how long he will live this time, so time is tight and the task is heavy. He doesn't have much time to deal with the harem.
But he couldn't just leave his harem to its own devices. After all, the women in his harem were all ruthless characters who dared to do things like slaying dragons. He wouldn't take his own safety lightly.
Therefore, it would be better to cut the Gordian knot and vent one's anger on the inner palace, so that one would have no more worries and could concentrate on the affairs of the court.
Shen Meizhuang's affair with Imperial Physician Wen Shichu is unacceptable and cannot be allowed to continue. She cannot be allowed to die with the crime of adultery, as that would ruin the emperor's reputation and seriously damage his authority.
Now that Su Peisheng has killed Shen Meizhuang, he has directly solved this problem. He can also use this as a springboard to bring down Zhen Huan and others.
Although he fabricated facts and created a miscarriage of justice, Zhen Huan was not wronged. The things she did deserved the punishment of executing her entire family.
As for the Empress, she has a lot of dark history and plenty of flaws. Putting aside everything else, the death of Empress Chun Yuan alone is enough to successfully condemn her, yet she still manages to maintain her image and make people suspicious.
"I cannot gamble with my own safety, so I can only ask you to make do."
As Yongzheng watched the candlelight flicker, his heart remained calm. He picked up a brush, dipped it in ink, and began to write down the achievements of his previous life.
This life doesn't offer the same steady, methodical approach as the previous one, addressing internal problems before external threats. However, there are shortcuts available: building upon the foundation laid in the previous life, further developing industry and military weaponry to strengthen ourselves, which will likely lead to even faster progress.
The original owner of this body was a diligent emperor, but after Yongzheng arrived, he was even busier because he had to quickly memorize the knowledge in his mind and at the same time not neglect state affairs.
After just one night of staying up late, my already weakened body couldn't take it anymore, and I had a headache that lasted for a long time the next day.
Xia Yi was efficient in his work, and with the Emperor's guidance, he became even more efficient.
Inside the Shenxing Division, Su Peisheng was hanging on an iron chain, and a man stood beside him without saying a word, but instead held a leather whip and lashed him repeatedly.
"clap clap"
The sound of the whip striking flesh echoed crisply through the torture chamber.
Su Peisheng was now covered in wounds, his clothes were just strips of cloth, and he looked as if he had been dragged out of blood. Where was the high spirits of the former favorite of the emperor?
Under this constant whipping, his sense of pain had become numb, his consciousness was gradually fading, and his throat had become so hoarse that he could no longer make a sound.
However, no one told him what to say. Xia Yi sat at the only table in the room and wrote furiously, comparing what he had found and writing one sheet after another, mentioning one name after another.
After an unknown amount of time, he finally stopped writing, looked through what he had finished, nodded in satisfaction, got up and walked to Su Peisheng, grabbed Su Peisheng's blood-stained hand, and pressed his fingerprint on it.
"Mission accomplished!" Xia Yi breathed a sigh of relief, then shook his head at his colleague, as if sighing, "Look at you! Wasn't it good to be the glamorous chief eunuch? Why did you have to betray the emperor? Now look what happened! Not only have you suffered so much, but you probably won't even be able to save your life in the end."
Su Peisheng's ears were ringing, and he couldn't hear what Xia Yi was saying at all, but he knew it wasn't anything nice. He wanted to retort, but he didn't have the strength to speak anymore. He could only weakly twitch the corners of his mouth and reveal a bitter smile.
Xia Yi ignored him and went to the Hall of Mental Cultivation again with the freshly produced confession and the information he had found. This time, the paper in his hand was much thicker than the last one.