The crime of deceiving the emperor

Seeing that Sun Wenxun knew when to yield, Emperor Jinyuan finally found him a little more tolerable.

At least he wasn't hopelessly stupid.

"Thank you for your trouble, Minister Sun."

He replied, "I will see that Wanwan's name is cleared."

Emperor Jinyuan cast a sideways glance at the consorts who had knelt earlier to demand impartial judgment. Somewhat displeased, he did not tell them to rise.

Let them kneel a little longer and clear their heads.

Perhaps that would stop them from joining in every foolish uproar.

He turned toward the instigator of today's vicious slander, his gaze turning icy.

"Consort Liu, the facts are before you. All of this was nothing more than your own wild imaginings. What else do you have to say?"

Emperor Jinyuan looked at her with utter disgust.

He had never much liked Consort Liu, not even when he first met her all those years ago.

Her eyes had been full of scheming and restless ambition.

She must have thought she concealed it well.

Unfortunately for her, as the Crown Prince, he had long grown accustomed to women in the palace who dreamed of rising from obscurity to greatness.

He had seen through the intentions hidden beneath her demure facade long ago.

He had been the reigning Crown Prince of the Jin Kingdom, its future sovereign.

He had no desire to bring such a calculating woman into his harem and let her turn it upside down.

So he had done his best to avoid meeting her privately or spending too much time with her, lest he become entangled in a troublesome relationship.

Even when she disregarded her reputation and repeatedly confessed her feelings, he had rejected her every time.

Even so, he had failed to extinguish her determination to pursue him.

She had cost him several opportunities to grow closer to Wanwan.

In the end, she had even shamelessly drugged him, forcing him to take her as a consort.

Had Wanwan not pleaded for her back then, he would have cut her down long ago.

In all his years as Crown Prince, when had he ever suffered such an insult?

She had actually dared to scheme against him.

Letting her live until now had already been an act of mercy.

Whenever Emperor Jinyuan recalled the past, he could never suppress his anger.

He looked at Consort Wan.

His Wanwan had pitied Consort Liu for the hardships she faced as a concubine's daughter. Seeing that she was close to Wanwan's younger sister, Wanwan had looked after her in every way.

And what had she done?

How had she repaid Wanwan?

Repeatedly slandering and plotting against Wanwan in secret had not been enough. Now she even dared to frame her for an "illicit affair," a charge that would ruin her reputation.

Ungrateful wretch!

His Wanwan was simply too kind.

No.

Soon, Wanwan would be crowned Empress and receive the homage of the realm. She would also have to manage the entire harem. She could no longer be so meek and easily bullied.

He would set an example for her today.

Emperor Jinyuan withdrew his gaze.

He fixed Consort Liu with a piercing look. "Slandering the Empress constitutes the crime of deceiving the emperor. Under the law, it is punishable by death."

"Consort Liu, do you admit your guilt?"

Consort Liu's face instantly drained of color.

The expressions of Consort De, the Worthy Consort, and the others changed as well.

Consort Wan had not expected the foolish emperor to charge Consort Liu with such a grave offense. She could not help looking at him.

Thinking she meant to plead for Consort Liu again, Emperor Jinyuan gritted his teeth and hardened his heart, turning his head away rather than looking at her.

He had to make Wanwan understand.

Being softhearted toward an enemy meant being cruel to oneself. He had to teach her to be ruthless.

He addressed Consort Liu again. "Consort Liu, do you admit your guilt?"

Consort Liu's pupils trembled, and she collapsed to the ground.

With her eyes lowered, hatred began to fester.

She raised her head, her face contorted. "I have done nothing wrong!"

She would never admit it!

She refused to accept this!

Why had all her years of scheming still come to nothing?

Why did His Majesty believe every absurd word Consort Wan said, yet refuse to believe a single word of hers?

She whipped her gaze toward Consort Wan.

Her eyes brimmed with hatred and venom.

Bitch!

It was all because that bitch Consort Wan had bewitched His Majesty. That was why he could not see her... could not see how good she was!

His Majesty would surely realize that she, Liu Ruomei, was the woman who loved him most in this world...

No one loved His Majesty more than she did...

Only she... only she was worthy of His Majesty!

That bitch Consort Wan did not deserve His Majesty!

Consort Wan! You bitch, why wouldn't you just die!

A sudden spark of inspiration flashed through Consort Liu's mind.

Then she began laughing viciously!

That was right.

As long as Consort Wan died, wouldn't everything be solved?

[Oh no!]

[Consort Liu is going to kill my sister-in-law!]

The Crown Prince, Emperor Jinyuan, and Sun Wenxun all paled and immediately looked toward Consort Wan.

"Mother! / Wanwan!"

Thud-

Before they could reach Consort Wan, they saw Consort Liu fly through the air in an arc!

Consort Wan straightened her clothes and sat back down in her chair, as though nothing had happened.

[My sister-in-law is incredible! We men have been utterly useless today!]

The Crown Prince, Emperor Jinyuan, and Sun Wenxun froze where they stood.

They awkwardly withdrew their outstretched hands, their eyes still filled with uncertainty and disbelief.

They had apparently never imagined that Consort Wan, who was always so tearful and delicate, could have such a fierce... well... formidable... brave side!

Emperor Jinyuan was the first to recover.

When he noticed Sun Wenxun beside him, displeasure flashed in his eyes.

If he had heard correctly just now, this man had called Wanwan by her personal name with unmistakable intimacy.

Though he knew Sun Wenxun had merely been worried about Wanwan, he was still unhappy!

He said acidly, "Minister Sun... I will protect the Empress myself. There is no need for you to concern yourself with her!"

"You worry too much, Your Majesty," Sun Wenxun replied calmly. "Protecting Your Majesty and Her Majesty is my duty!"

"..."

Seeing that his answer was perfectly airtight, with not the slightest intention of distancing himself to avoid suspicion, Emperor Jinyuan's frustration mounted.

He nearly ground his teeth to pieces. "Then I truly must thank you, Minister Sun!"

"Pfft-"

Consort Liu spat out a mouthful of blood from her internal injuries, her eyes filled with resentment.

"Ruomei!" The captain of the guards could no longer keep up his pretense. He rushed to Consort Liu and helped her up.

His eyes were full of anguish.

Hearing the cry, Xiao Yu asked Qinggeng to push him a little closer.

His gaze flickered when he saw the captain of the guards beside Consort Liu.

[Has Guard Shen finally reached his limit?]

[Well, no one could stand by and watch the woman he loves get hurt.]

[Come to think of it, Shen Zhuocheng really is a fool for love.]

[For Consort Liu, he came to the palace alone to serve as a guard, spending over a decade at her beck and call.]

[After Consort Liu entered the palace, Shen Zhuocheng saw that her maternal family was declining. She had no powerful relatives to rely on, and the foolish emperor didn't like her either.]

[Afraid she would be lonely and helpless in the palace, he volunteered to enter it so he could protect her from being bullied...]

[If he hadn't happened to meet the foolish emperor and earn his appreciation, he would be Eunuch Shen by now!]

Sun Wenxun involuntarily glanced at Shen Zhuocheng.

When he had brought him into the palace, he had recognized him immediately.

He had recognized him as Brother Shen, the young man with whom he had once shared drinks and cheerful conversation on a rooftop.

Back then, they had been brimming with ambition, one pursuing civil service and the other martial service. They had promised to work together for the Jin Kingdom's prosperity.

He would wield his brush to bring order to domestic affairs, while Brother Shen would wield his spear to repel foreign foes.

Times had changed.

In the end, romantic attachments had reduced all those dreams to nothing.

One had become a minor magistrate in a remote, impoverished county, while the other had become a palace guard.

Different choices had led to the same outcome, all because they could not have the women they loved.

Only, his own resolve was weaker. He could never match Brother Shen's willingness to make such a drastic sacrifice, much less his courage to take a blade to himself and become a eunuch.