vstars Chapter 454 Counterattack
Chapter 454 Counterattack
early morning.
At midnight.
The palace is on fire again.
Flames filled the sky, and smoke billowed everywhere.
It turned most of the sky red.
The fire broke out in Consort Shen's bedroom, and the fire was very intense.
The concubines all locked themselves in their rooms, refusing to listen, look, or ask questions, choosing to protect themselves wisely.
Having lived in the palace for most of their lives, they were well aware of the power dynamics within the harem.
Initially, there were many factions, both large and small.
As the emperor grew old, almost all the concubines who had powerful backers and sons had their eyes on him.
Even if they don't want to compete, their families will force them to.
Who wouldn't want to sit in that golden position, the pinnacle of power?
However, with the intensification of competition...
Those who weren't smart enough, or whose families were less powerful, were either eliminated or recruited.
In the end, only Prince Chen and the Crown Prince remained.
The imperial harem is a microcosm of the imperial court; first, Consort Chen gained power.
After years of enduring hardship and biding their time, Consort Chen and her son, once they gained power, only thought of washing away their past humiliations and harming their own brothers and sisters.
The concubines were terrified and lived in constant fear.
However, a fire turned the tide.
The Empress remained in confinement, and the Crown Prince remained sickly; neither of them made an appearance.
But the situation has changed now.
It seems that the power in the harem has once again fallen into the hands of the Empress.
But in the end, it remains to be seen who will emerge victorious.
Don't be fooled by the scheming and backstabbing that the imperial concubines usually engage in.
But when faced with such a life-or-death situation, they are nothing more than insignificant ants in this palace.
They can be manipulated and trampled upon at will.
Their struggle, seemingly for the emperor's favor, was actually a fight for power.
The emperor was the center of that power.
Only by relying on him can one survive in this deep palace.
But this time and that time.
The emperor's health was deteriorating, and his power was gradually eroding and dissipating.
It was fought over by others.
They were also eager to hide themselves away, as if this person didn't exist in the palace.
But that night...
Consort Shen's bedchamber is on fire.
In this game of power, yet another person has been sacrificed.
That night.
After Consort Chen fell into the bedchamber.
No trace of Princess Yuqing was found, nor was there any aphrodisiac.
Only Consort Shen, dressed neatly, stood there waiting for her, holding a dagger in her hand.
There was murderous intent in his eyes.
Startled and feeling somewhat guilty, she turned and tried to run away.
Shen Zhaoyi grabbed her hair.
If there were any doubts about Yuqing's words before, now seeing the panic, fear, and guilt in Consort Chen's eyes...
She completely believed it.
Originally, she also felt that her son was not the biggest threat to the Crown Prince, and the Empress had no need to get rid of Xiao Ba. Moreover, leaving such a loophole was not like the Empress's style.
Although the Empress is ruthless, she would never lay a hand on a child.
Otherwise, the emperor might be extinct.
Now it seems that it really was King Chen and his mother.
Trying to take advantage of her brother? Keep dreaming.
Consort Shen slapped her across the face, the sound ringing out, knocking Consort Chen to the ground.
He then rode on top of her and gave Consort Chen a severe beating.
Don't be fooled by Consort Shen's usual delicate and charming demeanor; it's all an act.
She had followed her brother around since she was little, and she was never at a disadvantage when they played around.
Although her brother always gave in to her, he still had the strength to beat up a woman.
People outside the window were stunned.
Shen Zhaoyi must have been born in the Year of the Tiger, she's so fierce.
However, as they watched, the scene changed. Suddenly, a fire broke out in the palace, and Consort Shen was thrown over by Consort Chen and lay on her back on the ground.
A dagger was stuck in his chest, and blood was gushing out.
Consort Chen staggered to her feet, staring blankly at the person lying on the ground.
I never expected that Consort Shen would die at her hands.
Obviously...
The dagger was clearly always in Shen Zhaoyi's hand.
How did it suddenly get stuck in my body?
Everything felt like a dream, happening so fast that she didn't even have time to think. Her first thought was to escape as quickly as possible.
She didn't kill Consort Shen; she knew nothing about it.
Consort Dong, Lady Wang, Consort Lin, and even the eunuchs all witnessed the fight between Consort Chen and Consort Shen.
I saw the knife in Shen Zhaoyi's chest and the blood all over the ground.
I watched her die in the sea of fire.
Consort Chen, in her panic, stumbled and fell into a pond full of dead fish.
When Princess Yuqing was pulled out of the water, she was half dead.
The Queen Mother's bedroom.
The three concubines chatted amongst themselves, telling the Empress Dowager about what they had seen and heard that evening.
"Your Majesty, Consort Chen killed Consort Shen. I witnessed it with my own eyes."
"Your Majesty, I also saw Consort Shen choking Consort Chen, demanding that Consort Chen pay for her son's life..."
"Your Majesty, I have also heard that the death of the Eighth Prince may be related to Consort Chen and her son. Perhaps our child also lost his life at her hands..."
"Your Majesty, you must do us justice." The three knelt before the Empress Dowager.
As was the Empress Dowager's usual practice, she did not want to make a big fuss about this matter and damage the royal family's reputation.
She looked at Princess Yuqing: "Qing'er, what do you think?"
"Grandmother, I believe this matter should be handed over to the Court of Judicial Review for trial. Although it may damage the royal family's reputation, this matter is far-reaching and no longer a simple palace intrigue. My eighth brother died under mysterious circumstances, and Consort Shen died a violent death. The Shen family must be given an explanation. The current deputy commander of the Imperial Guards is Consort Shen's brother. If the matter is not thoroughly investigated, I fear that the Shen family will be exploited by those with ulterior motives because of the deaths of Consort Shen and her son..."
After Princess Yuqing finished speaking, she looked up at her grandmother.
She continued, "And the deaths of Ninth Sister, Eleventh Brother, and Thirteenth Sister—perhaps Consort Chen knows something about them."
According to custom, if a concubine made a mistake, she would either be stripped of her title and executed, or banished to the cold palace.
But Consort Chen cannot simply die quietly.
I absolutely cannot die before the Prince of Chen.
The crimes of the mother and son must be brought to the forefront, put on trial, and condemned by writers.
Only in this way can the injustice done to the Empress Dowager be rightfully cleared.
Leaving aside the Shen family, Shen Lu alone knew that his sister and nephew had died at the hands of Prince Chen and his mother.
Forget about cooperation, I'd probably tear them to pieces.
This is called using their own methods against them.
The Empress Dowager looked solemn.
Now that things have come to this, she no longer cares about the royal family's reputation.
Compared to the royal family's reputation, the lives of the Mu family are more important.
The Mu family devoted themselves to the great cause of Liang, and several of her younger brothers even sacrificed their lives for the country.
Now, the only son of the Mu family is still on the frontier, his fate unknown.
The Mu family has done so much for the people of Daliang, and half of Daliang's territory should belong to the Mu family.
From now on, every emperor of the Great Liang should have half of her Mu family's blood flowing in his veins.
This was also a promise the Empress made to her.
The Empress Dowager immediately ordered: "Strip Consort Chen of her title and imprison her in the Dali Temple for a thorough interrogation. Also, take away all those lackeys in her palace. If she is unwilling to speak, those lackeys will confess for her."
Princess Yuqing breathed a sigh of relief upon receiving the Empress Dowager's order.
This night.
Bloodshed erupted within the palace.
First, the imperial heir died.
Then Princess Yuqing led people to search and arrest people everywhere.
In an instant, chaos erupted within the palace, and all the demons and monsters that had been lurking in the shadows came out.
The princess ordered the palace to be sealed off, and even the dog holes in the palace were blocked.
Take this opportunity to capture all of Consort Chen's spies.
However, the news was also released outside the palace.
Consort Chen killed Consort Shen and set fire to Consort Shen's palace.
No trace of Consort Zhaoyi's remains has been found.
……