Chapter 410: The Concubine Who Was Buried with the Emperor VS The Ruthless and Romantic Emperor 58
After hearing the news in Qionghua Palace, Yu Yao just sighed softly.

She looked at the second prince and the little princess in the cradle, her heart filled with relief.

If I hadn't been vigilant, I would have ended up like Concubine Yun.

Concubine Zhen also received the news in Ningshuang Palace, and she hugged the eldest prince tightly in her arms.

After this period of recuperation, the eldest prince has recovered a lot. His little face is rosy and his eyes are bright as he looks around.

Zhenfei had mixed feelings. It was true that the Queen had harmed people, but she was an indirect beneficiary.

If the Queen had not killed Concubine Yun, she would not have become the eldest prince.

She felt complicated, thinking that the queen didn't even have a child, and it was too hasty for her to take action against others so early.

In the west hall of Yihe Palace, Concubine Shu learned that she had been drugged and was horrified and angry.

She was looking forward to the birth of her baby with great joy, and she fantasized about what the baby would look like after birth every day.

But now, all these beautiful visions have been shattered by the queen's evil deeds.

Concubine Shu sat on the couch, her hands tightly covering her belly which had been bulging for more than seven months, tears welling up in her eyes.

Her personal maid Bi Yuan was also shocked and frightened, not knowing how to comfort her master.

"Bi Yuan, why? Why is it that I have never had any grudges with anyone, but the Queen is so cruel?"

Shu Guiren asked angrily with tears in her eyes.

Bi Yuan bit her lip and whispered, "My dear, the competition for favor and power in the harem is too cruel. The Queen is probably afraid that you will threaten her position after giving birth to a prince."

Shu Guiren felt sad. She had always lived carefully in the harem, never taking part in those fights, and only wanted to give birth to the child safely.

"Then what shall I do? My child..."

As she spoke, her hands unconsciously tightened around her stomach.

She didn't want to die, and she didn't want to risk her life to give birth to a child that would be given to someone else.

I don't want my child to be born as weak as the eldest prince...

Shu Guiren was extremely excited and suddenly thought of Yu Yao and Concubine Chen.

"Yes, go find Sister Chen, she will definitely find a way to save me..."

Concubine Shu wiped away her tears and went to the Qionghua Palace holding her belly.

Bi Yuan and a group of palace maids followed carefully behind.

As night falls, the Forbidden City is shrouded in a solemn and murderous atmosphere.

Nanny Qin, the secret guard, and the midwife were all executed in the Sky Prison that night.

Fengyi Palace.

The former majesty has long disappeared, and now it looks like an isolated island swallowed by darkness.

The vermilion door was tightly closed, but it could not block out the dead silence emanating from inside.

The queen sat on the phoenix chair in the main hall. Her makeup was still exquisite, but her eyes were empty and lifeless, like a puppet without a soul.

The palace maids and eunuchs around her stood far away, not daring to approach her. The whole palace was so quiet that only the sound of her breathing could be heard.

Jinxuan knew that she was at the end of her rope. She was angry and unwilling, but she also understood that the situation was hopeless.

"I want to see the Emperor..."

The queen held herself up and spoke to Jinxuan, her personal attendant beside her.

Although Jin Xuan knew that this trip was dangerous, she did not dare to disobey and had to rush to the imperial study to ask for an audience.

Royal study room.

Emperor Jing put down his red brush, slowly walked to the window, looked at the scenery outside, and felt mixed emotions.

He recalled every moment with the Queen. Although their feelings were not deep, she was his first wife after all, and they had once had a sweet and loving time.

Young couples are always happy.

However, as more and more beauties surrounded him, the queen attached more and more importance to power, and her dignified and reserved personality did not please him, so the relationship between the two gradually faded.

Although their feelings had faded, he always respected the queen and never treated her badly.

At this moment, Lu Xi rushed in and reported: "Your Majesty, the Queen... No... Zhao Shu Ren said she wanted to see Your Majesty."

The Queen has been stripped of all her honorific titles and has become a commoner, so it is naturally no longer appropriate to call her Her Majesty the Queen.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Jing remained silent, with mixed feelings.

After a long time.

"Forget it. Considering that we are husband and wife, I will go and see her for the last time."

He sighed softly and left the imperial study.

Fengyi Palace.

Emperor Jing didn't know how long it had been since he last came here. He just felt that this palace was inexplicably unfamiliar to him.

He stepped into the palace gate, and the silence in the palace was like a deep pool into which a stone was thrown, causing ripples.

The queen sat on the phoenix chair in the main hall, her plain palace dress seeming to blend in with the dead silence around her.

Her makeup was delicate, but her eyes and eyebrows revealed fatigue and sadness deep in her bones.

Their eyes met, and it was as if they had traveled through many years and returned to the youthfulness and innocence when they first met.

"Your Majesty, you are finally here..."

The queen hesitated to speak, tears welling up in her eyes.

Emperor Jing looked at the empress in front of him. He felt complicated when he saw his former wife now in such a miserable state.

But more of it was anger at the crime she had committed, "Queen, do you know your crime?"

The queen lowered her head, tears finally falling: "I know my crime, but everything I did was to protect the royal family's reputation and to keep the peace in the harem."

"Peace? The peace you speak of is built on the suffering and lives of others!"

Emperor Jing's voice rose a little, but then he calmed down again. "I remember that we had sweet times when we were young. At that time, you were gentle and virtuous, and I thought I had found a partner to spend my life with. But later, I found that you became more and more unfamiliar and cold."

When the queen heard this, tears fell like beads from a broken string: "Your Majesty, I am also a human being, and I have feelings. Seeing you favor other concubines, how can I not feel bitter? I have no children, so I can only pin my hopes on the order of the harem, thinking that only in this way can I keep your heart."

"Keep my heart?"

Emperor Jing sneered, "Queen, you are wrong. True love cannot be maintained by calculation and conspiracy. Although Concubine Chen is of humble origin, she is pure, kind, and dares to speak her mind. This is what I admire. But you, step by step, are on a path of no return."

The queen burst into tears, "I also want to be a virtuous queen, and live with the emperor for the rest of my life. But your majesty is romantic and passionate. First, you favored Concubine Shu every night, and then you fell in love with Concubine Chen. In your heart, how can there be a place for me? Your majesty, I am your wife..."

Emperor Jing was slightly stunned. He didn't expect the queen to say such a thing.

He frowned, and a complex expression flashed in his eyes, including anger and a hint of imperceptible guilt.

"I am the emperor, and it is normal for me to have many beauties in my harem. You are the queen, and you should be the mother of the country and be generous and tolerant. How can you commit such a heinous crime out of jealousy?"

Emperor Jing's voice softened a little, but it was still cold and majestic.

The queen smiled sadly, "Be generous and tolerant? Your Majesty, how can you expect me to be generous? I have seen those women give birth to children for you, but I have nothing. In this deep palace, without children, I have no one to rely on. I am afraid that one day I will be replaced and trampled upon by others. I am also afraid that you will disband the harem for Concubine Chen and depose me..."

The Emperor no longer turns over the green cards of his concubines. It is only a matter of time before this happens.

The queen didn't think she had done anything wrong. Her only mistake was not being careful enough, which led to her being discovered and ending up like this.

After hearing what the Queen said, Emperor Jing was silent for a long time, with mixed feelings in his heart. He had indeed thought of this before, Yao'er was the woman he loved most.

I also promised her that we would be together for the rest of our lives. We would stay together forever and share the glory and wealth of the world.

And the queen, the first wife, became somewhat of an eyesore.

But he didn't do anything.

After a long silence, Emperor Jing said in a complicated tone, "Empress, even if you have a thousand reasons, this is not a reason for you to harm your children and concubines."

The queen smiled miserably, her vision blurred by tears.

She knew that she could not redeem herself, so she could only plead, "Your Majesty, I know that I have committed a grave sin, but I beg you to spare my family for the sake of our marriage. They are innocent."

Emperor Jing was silent for a moment, and finally sighed: "Empress, you have committed a heinous crime. I did not order the execution of your entire clan, but saved the lives of your clan members. This is already a consideration for the relationship between us as husband and wife."

Upon hearing this, the Queen burst into tears and cried, "Your Majesty, you have such a cruel heart."

Emperor Jing had a complicated expression. Although he felt reluctant, he didn't say anything else. He turned around and left slowly.

The Queen looked at Emperor Jing's departing back and slumped on the Phoenix Chair in despair.

The palace maids and eunuchs around didn't dare to make a sound.

Not long after, Lu Xi came in carrying a tray with white silk, poisoned wine and a dagger on it.

Lu Xi lowered his head, with a complicated expression, and said, "Mr. Zhao, this is the emperor's order, so end it yourself."

The queen looked at the things on the tray and smiled bitterly.

She knew that she was doomed to die today and thought back on her life.

From marrying into the Eastern Palace and becoming the Crown Princess, to gloriously entering the Central Palace, and even to now being deserted and destitute, her heart is filled with overwhelming hatred.

She slowly picked up the cup of poisoned wine, her eyes flashing with deep hatred, and she gnashed her teeth and said, "Noble Concubine Chen, you are such a seductive person. Although I am dead today, I curse you. I hope you will turn into a mouse in the next life, and I will turn into a cat, chasing and biting you in every life, so that you will never have peace and die in torture."

After saying this, he drank the poisoned wine in his hand.

Lu Xi, who was listening carefully, was shocked and knew that this matter was of great importance.

After the queen died of poison, he quickly ordered people to collect the queen's body and properly arrange her affairs after her death.

He did not dare to delay for even a moment, and after everything was arranged, he hurried to the imperial study.

When Lu Xi entered the imperial study, Emperor Jing was reviewing memorials with a frown on his brow.

Lu Xi knelt down hastily, with his forehead pressed against the ground, and reported in a trembling voice: "Your Majesty, I have come to report an important matter to Your Majesty. The deceased commoner Zhao…spoke a very vicious curse to Concubine Chen before she died. I dare not conceal anything, so I have come to inform Your Majesty."

Afterwards, he repeated in detail the queen's last curse before her death.

After saying this, he prostrated himself on the ground, not daring to look up, as if he had already realized the impending thunder and wrath.

When Emperor Jing heard this, his face instantly turned gloomy. He slapped the imperial desk, stood up, and gnashed his teeth: "This evil woman, she committed a heinous crime, and she dared to curse Yao'er like this when she was about to die. She really deserves to die."

He paced back and forth in the imperial study, the anger in his heart still difficult to calm down.

He suddenly stopped and said loudly to Lu Xi: "Pass on my order. The Zhao family has committed so many crimes and now dares to curse Concubine Chen. I can no longer tolerate it. I want all the Zhao family members to be slaves for generations and prostitutes for generations. There will be no forgiveness. Also, from now on, cats are not allowed in the harem."

Then he thought that after the baby was one month old, he would go out of the palace with Yao'er to play, and continued: "Pass on my decree again, the whole country is prohibited from keeping cats. In short, cats are not allowed to appear in the territory of Daqian."

Emperor Jing's decree was like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, causing a thousand waves in the court and the harem.

In the court, when the ministers heard the news, they all showed expressions of disbelief.

The Zhao family was instantly plunged into a devastating disaster.

The Zhao family's mansion was heavily surrounded by soldiers and officers, and the men were driven out roughly, their faces full of fear and confusion.

Some elderly people were dragged tremblingly, and children were crying loudly beside them, but were scolded by the soldiers.

The men's hands were tied together with ropes. Under the escort of officers and soldiers, they staggered towards an unknown place of slavery with despair in their eyes.

The female members cried and screamed and were forcibly dragged to the Jiaofangsi.

The young women looked haggard and had messy hair. Their struggles and pleas were useless in the face of the officers and soldiers.

The young ladies who had once lived a life of luxury were now like lambs to be slaughtered and were taken to the humiliating Jiaofangsi.

What awaits them will be endless torture and a tragic fate as prostitutes.

The entire capital city was thrown into turmoil because of this incident.

People in the streets and alleys were talking about the Zhao family's plight, and people looked horrified.

In the teahouse, the lively laughter and chattering disappeared, and people whispered to each other: "It is terrible that the Zhao family has suffered such a fate because of the Queen's evil deeds and curses."

The street vendors had no interest in doing business and were all talking about the impact of court affairs on the capital.

The people were filled with anxiety, as they didn't know whether such palace turmoil would affect their lives.

The high-ranking officials were more cautious. They warned their families to keep a low profile, fearing that they would be accidentally drawn into the vortex of court disputes.

At the same time, the cat ban issued by Emperor Jing swept the entire country like a storm.

There were several cats in the palace that were used to catch mice, but now they have all been driven out.

The palace maids and eunuchs searched everywhere, fearing that they would miss a cat and offend the emperor.

There was even more chaos outside the palace.

The news quickly spread throughout the streets and alleys of the capital, and every household fell into panic.

Some families who keep cats have the heart to kill their cats to avoid being discovered and punished.

Some people release the cats to distant suburbs under the cover of night.

As time went on, the news spread across the country.

The ban is being enforced in both bustling towns and remote villages.

Overnight, countless cats were either executed or exiled, their wailing sounds like the background music to the country's turmoil.

The news soon reached Qionghua Palace.

Although Yu Yao was in confinement after giving birth, she was not completely isolated from the outside world.

She also heard about what the queen had done, and even the vicious curse she uttered before she was sentenced to death, but she didn't care.

She is a tasker and will never enter the cycle of reincarnation, so it is naturally impossible for her to turn into a mouse or for the queen to turn into a cat.

I heard that Emperor Jing had issued a nationwide ban on cats. I felt both amused and helpless. I was afraid that the common people would spread rumors that she was a witch.

I was just about to ask Xiaoqing to call the emperor over so that we could have a good talk about this matter.

Then she saw Concubine Shu coming towards her with a big belly, looking panicked and with tears in her eyes.

As soon as Shu Guiren came in, she held her belly and hurriedly bowed, crying and begging, "Sister Chen, you must save me and the baby in my belly."

When Yu Yao saw Concubine Shu bowing with her big belly in her arms, she was shocked and hurriedly asked Amber and Liuli to help her up.

After Lady Shu sat down, she said, "Sister Shu, don't worry. I have heard about your situation. Don't panic. The imperial physicians in the palace are very skilled and will definitely keep you and your baby safe. Just relax."

"Thank you, Sister Chen. I'm really scared. I'm afraid that I'll end up like Concubine Yun. I'm still so young and don't want to die. I also don't want the child I gave birth to after a narrow escape to be given to someone else. Please save me, Sister Chen."

Shu Guiren was very excited and spoke anxiously.

Yu Yao felt helpless and could only keep comforting her with kind words.

Afterwards, he asked Xiao Qingzi to call the imperial physician over.