Chapter 57: Married Away
It was a complete mess above.
The Secretary of Supervision deliberately threatened the titled women and womenfolk with marriage, and the imperial women present were also frightened.
It was not until the Yelu tribe’s loud and rowdy laughter came from off the platform that they were relieved to learn that Li De had conferred the Seventh Princess as Princess Wenzhao to send to the Yelu tribe.
They had just released a sigh of relief when a group of Jin Wu Wei suddenly rushed straight to the second floor and held down Concubine Rong who was whispering with the palace maids.
Several maids came forward, asking the officials’ womenfolk to leave.
They were eager to leave this place of danger as soon as possible, so they quickly got up and migrated from the flying pavilion to another pavilion in no time.
Only members of the imperial family, the Li clan, and the harem concubines were left on the Liangtai.
Concubine Rong was indignant and berated in a stern voice.
The concubines looked at each other. Crown Princess Zheng Biyu frowned and stood up.
The Jin Wu Wei cuppred their hands in obeisance toward everyone and said, “His Majesty ordered that Her Highness Concubine Rong has a malicious mind and conspired to poison Noble Consort Xie. The evidence is conclusive. I will be arresting and punishing this criminal.”
Everyone was in an uproar.
At that moment, there was a sound from the staircase. Princess Wenzhao Li Yaoying, surrounded by escorts, ascended the high platform, walking step by step until she faced Concubine Rong.
The crowd looked at her with fear and anxiety.
Yaoying looked down at Concubine Rong, not saying a word.
Concubine Rong screamed and struggled: “You framed bengong1! Bengong did not poison Xie shi! Bengong wants to see His Majesty!”
The eunuch clearly shouted: “His Majesty has already crowned Noble Consort Xie as Empress. You must address the Empress as Her Majesty the Empress.”
Concubine Rong’s complexion turned pale.
Yaoying said gently, “I know you won’t admit your guilt.”
She swept a glance at the Jin Wu Wei.
The two men cupped their fists and answered yes. Walking down from the high platform, they had dragged two middle-aged women onto the Liangtai not long after.
The middle-aged women knelt down in front of Concubine Rong with a thud, trembling all over.
One of them cried and said: “This slave is the servant of the Li family, and has known Concubine Rong for more than ten years. Concubine Rong had a low status, and often resented the Xie family in private. Fifteen years ago, the previous Empress died. Noble Consort Xie… no, Her Majesty the Empress’ depression became an illness. She often needed to have medicine. Concubine Rong insincerely looked after the Empress, and hid from the elder noble son that she had given the Empress Brahmin drugs. After being caught by this slave, Concubine Rong lied to this slave that Brahmin drugs had a calming effect, not something harmful. This slave, afraid of being silenced by Concubine Rong, did not dare to speak out. Afterward, seeing that the Empress did not have signs of poisoning, this slave believed her words to be true, and did not go to accuse Concubine Rong.”
She sobbingly finished, so the other woman trembled and took over: “This slave is Concubine Rong’s attending maid. The Brahmin drugs Concubine Rong used to poison the Empress was exactly what this slave bought from the Hu people. That drug truly does have a calming effect, but this drug is extremely harmful, and cannot be used often… Empress took this drug every day. She became absent-minded within a few months, crazy. Later, even Qin wang could not be recognized… This slave’s heart was uneasy, and urged Concubine Rong to stop, but every time, Concubine Rong said it would only be okay when the whole Xie family was dead. Only like this would no one ridicule her for her slave background…”
The concubines recognized the two women as Concubine Rong’s palace maids, frowned, and looked at Concubine Rong with gazes full of disgust and contempt.
Concubine Rong’s face was purple: “Nonsense! Malicious slander!”
Yaoying ignored her and looked at the concubines, her eyes clear and cold: “Concubine Rong poisoned my aniang. The human testimony and material evidence is all collected. As her child, how can I sit back and watch as such a vile person poisons my mother?”
Without waiting for the concubines present to declare they played no part in this, she called for the female official in charge of the palace’s Lateral Courts’ affairs2.
“According to the law, what should the punishment be?”
The female official’s voice was loud and clear: “As a maidservant and shu concubine, Concubine Rong poisoned her old master and the legal wife. She is sinister and vicious, devoid of conscience. According to the law, her hand ought to be cut off before being thrown into the palace prison for punishment.”
Her words fell, and the Jin Wu Wei immediately drew their swords. A dazzling, cold gleam flashed before blood gushed out.
In a split second, there were shrieks coming from all around.
Concubine Rong’s eyes bulged out, her face in disbelief and bewilderment. Only after a moment of dumbfounded realization did she feel the severe pain. She screamed like her lungs were being split open and was dragged down by the Jin Wu Wei.
A long trail of blood was left on the ground.
The Noble Consorts looked at the dripping right hand laying on the carpet that marked the start of the blood trail. Their faces paled, their bodies went limp, and they collapsed on their seats.
The Seventh Princess actually had someone cut off Concubine Rong’s hand!
Yaoying stood in front of the crowd, and slowly glanced around. Concubine Rong’s blood had splashed all over her, the drops of blood dripping down the twelve pleated pomegranate-red dresses sprinkled with gold.
She was once most afraid to see blood, but at this moment, she could not show a trace of cowardice or hesitation.
“The Empress is sickly, unable to take care of palace affairs. Her palace is damp. In the future, the Empress will move to the imperial villa’s Buddhist temple to recuperate.” Yaoying’s gaze swept one by one through the faces of all the concubines. Her sight finally fell on the face of Noble Consort Xue, “I have reported to His Majesty, Noble Consort Xue temporarily holds the phoenix seal. Hereafter, trouble Noble Consort Xue to manage the palace affairs of the six palaces3.”
Noble Consort Xue’s face was full of shock.
The other concubines were as shocked as her. After coming to realization, jealousy and resentment showed on their faces: Empress Xie could not govern, and also moved out of the Taiji Palace. Handing the phoenix seal to Noble Consort Xue to hold, was Noble Consort Xue not the same as a deputy Empress who wielded real power?
Noble Consort Xue finally reacted. Her trembling face was unable to hide her delight.
Yaoying turned around and left.
She had already sent someone to send Xie Manyuan to the imperial villa’s Buddhist temple where the environment was quiet and secluded, far from all the schemes and calculations. The guards and servants were the loyal servants of Jingnan’s Xie family. Xie Manyuan would be very safe living there.
The deputy Empress was also carefully selected by her.
Noble Consort Xue was the daughter of Li De’s subordinate, who married twice before marrying Li De and gave birth to a son and a daughter. In the harem, only she could not become the Empress.
She was a generous person, fair in her dealings. She was also a wise person who knew that she could not be crowned Empress and had to borrow Xie Manyuan’s Empress title to deter the other concubines. Naturally, she did not dare to slight Xie Manyuan and was the most suitable candidate for deputy Empress.
This was also what Li De wanted to see. He has always been wary of concubines born from noble families. With Noble Consort Xue managing the harem, he could be more at ease.