Chapter 27

“Your Majesty.” Minister Chu’s face was ashen, his eyes full of pleading. “I… I am your uncle…”

Is Your Majesty really going to let me die without saving me?

Emperor Zhaoming’s face darkened. “I know you are my uncle, but do you think I want to see this happen? Yan Donghuang has gone mad. Who knows what she will do next? If she harms the Empress Dowager, can you bear that responsibility?”

Minister Chu felt like a bucket of ice water had been poured over him, making him shiver coldly. “Your Majesty, you know that everything I have done is—”

“Uncle.” Emperor Zhaoming’s face turned pale, almost frantically interrupting him. “I will find a way. Don’t worry, I will find a way.”

Prime Minister Pei squinted, a deep color flashing in his eyes.

What did Minister Chu mean by that?
Everything he did was because of whom?

“I am going to see the Empress Dowager.” Emperor Zhaoming did not want to stay here any longer, not wanting to face the ministers’ suspicions. He turned and walked out without looking back. “Prepare the carriage for Cian Palace.”

Li Dean staggered to his feet to follow, his legs weak. After just two steps, he stumbled and fell, then hurriedly got up to follow again. “Prepare the carriage… prepare the carriage for Cian Palace!”

Emperor Zhaoming had just returned from Cian Palace, and now he urgently ordered the carriage again. When he sat in the imperial carriage, he usually only lightly held the eunuch’s hand, but today, he gripped Li Dean’s arm tightly, causing him great pain.

Li Dean lowered his head, not daring to guess how uneasy the Emperor was.

When the imperial carriage was far from the Qin Zheng Hall, Emperor Zhaoming finally spoke. “Li Dean.”

Li Dean bowed his head. “I am here.”

Emperor Zhaoming commanded, “Tell me everything that happened at the Chu residence.”

“Yes.” Li Dean followed beside the imperial carriage, replying with lowered eyes. “When the chief commander and I arrived at the Chu residence, a large number of Qingluan soldiers were guarding the gate. They only allowed me to enter the mansion; the chief commander couldn’t even see the Grand Princess.”

Emperor Zhaoming’s expression was grim, and he said nothing.

“When I went in, I saw Madam Chu and the Chu children being held in the front yard. There was a concubine’s son… that concubine’s son named Mingzhu, who was very good-looking but very weak. His wrists were chained…”

“Chained?” Emperor Zhaoming turned to look at him, his eyes sharp. “What is going on?”

“They said… they said the eldest son of the Chu family did it.” Li Dean replied fearfully. “Madam Chu and the eldest son have always mistreated the concubine’s son. Lord Chu has several concubine’s sons who don’t even have formal names and are not included in the family register…”

“The inner residence of the Chu family is filthy to the extreme.” Emperor Zhaoming finally found a reason, his tone cold and murderous. “Such a family head, if not my uncle, should have been executed a thousand times.”

Li Dean dared not respond, continuing, “That concubine’s son named Mingzhu had been chained for five or six years. General Yaoguang of the Qingluan Army ordered him to cut off the eldest son’s hand. He…”

Recalling the scene, Li Dean shivered. “They said to cut it off, but the concubine’s son had been so long tortured that he had no strength. He almost sawed it off bit by bit with a dagger. The eldest son’s screams were horrifying.”

Emperor Zhaoming felt the same horror as he listened. He never imagined things would escalate to this point, nor did he expect Yan Donghuang to be so cruel when she went mad.

He was wrong.
He should not have used the Seven-Day Heartbreak Powder. He should have had Sheng Jing’an use poison to kill instantly rather than giving Yan Donghuang a chance to retaliate.

Emperor Zhaoming was filled with regret, almost to the point of despair. He would never leave this scourge alive if he could repeat it.

When the imperial carriage arrived at Cian Palace, Emperor Zhaoming sat for a moment to compose himself, then got off the carriage with Li Dean’s help and walked towards Cian Palace.

The Empress Dowager was still copying Buddhist scriptures in the hall. Hearing the Emperor’s arrival, she quickly put down her pen and eagerly walked towards the outer hall.

“Mother.” Emperor Zhaoming stepped into the hall, his steps unsteady, unable to hide his panic. “Yan Donghuang has gone mad. She has completely lost her mind!”

The Empress Dowager’s face changed. “What happened? What did she do?”

Emperor Zhaoming took a deep breath. “Yan Donghuang ordered someone to cut off the Chu family’s eldest son’s hand.”

“What?” The Empress Dowager’s face turned pale, her vision darkened, and she almost couldn’t stand. “Your Majesty, what… what did you say?”

Emperor Zhaoming repeated Li Dean’s words, and the Empress Dowager was so shaken that she seemed about to faint.

“How dare she?” The Empress Dowager grabbed Emperor Zhaoming’s hand. “Your Majesty, the Chu family is your uncle’s family! You must not let anything happen to them. Talk to Donghuang and tell her it was a misunderstanding. If she doesn’t believe it, you can hand over Sheng Jing’an to her, let her punish him as she wishes, even execute the entire Sheng family, just to appease her anger.”

Emperor Zhaoming gritted his teeth. “Mother, Yan Donghuang wants you to leave the palace and meet her.”

“Leave the palace?” The Empress Dowager was stunned. “I will go right away…”

Emperor Zhaoming interrupted her. “Mother, what if Yan Donghuang takes you hostage? What should I do then?”

A bucket of cold water was poured over her, and the Empress Dowager stood frozen, shivering.

Yes, what if Yan Donghuang took her hostage?

“But if I don’t go, the Chu family will not be safe.” The Empress Dowager was almost in despair. “That wretched woman, I should never have been so kind to her. How could she… how could she dare…”

Emperor Zhaoming’s face was grim. He couldn’t let his mother go. Once she left the palace, Yan Donghuang would have her in hand and become even more reckless.

If the Chu family couldn’t be saved…
After Yan Donghuang died from the poison, he would have all her Qingluan Army generals executed in the marketplace, making her regret it in the afterlife.

“Mother, don’t worry. I am still thinking of a way.”

“Your Majesty, I…” The Empress Dowager’s legs were weak. “I can’t just watch the Chu family suffer…”

Emperor Zhaoming gritted his teeth. “I sent people to arrest the Sheng family to give Donghuang an explanation, but… but the Imperial Guards could only reach the front yard of the Duke’s mansion and couldn’t even see Sheng Jing’an…”

The Empress Dowager collapsed into a chair, her face bloodless. She never imagined that she would face such a desperate situation, even after becoming the Empress Dowager. Not even during the six princes’ struggle for the throne was she this desperate.

The Empress Dowager held a teacup, trying to calm herself. But as she lifted the lid, her hands kept trembling. Hot water spilled on her carefully maintained hands, making her shiver. The teacup fell to the ground and shattered.

The palace maids in Cian Palace all knelt.

“Your Majesty.” The Empress Dowager’s voice trembled uncontrollably. “You must… you must save the Chu family, you must save the Chu family!”