"Was the empress really cursing me?"
When Emperor Kangping learned that the Eastern Depot had found an Evil God statue in Empress Xiao's bedchamber, an exceedingly complicated expression crossed his face.
He seemed angry, resentful, ashamed, yet also faintly relieved in a way he could not put into words. His whole body went slack, and he lay back in his chair without speaking for a long time.
"Your Majesty..." An attendant tried to prompt him, but the perceptive Eunuch Ma stopped them with a look.
The emperor's mind was unfathomable. There was no need for pointless words at a time like this; it was best to let him work through it himself.
Only after a long while did Emperor Kangping finally recover from his daze. He heaved a long sigh and asked, "Is the evidence truly conclusive?"
Eunuch Ma replied, "The palace maids and eunuchs present, along with the Demon-Quelling Bureau and the stewards of the Eastern and Western Depots, can all bear witness."
"In that case, I leave the interrogation to you." Emperor Kangping sighed deeply again and murmured to himself, "I am doing all this for Jin's sake. If you and the Xiao Household remain, you will surely become obstacles in his path."
A great surge of paternal love welled up within him. Recalling the sense of shared blood he had felt while holding Crown Prince Jin, Emperor Kangping immediately cast everything else beyond the ninth heaven.
Eunuch Ma replied excitedly, "As you command!"
The Demon-Quelling Bureau and the Eastern and Western Depots immediately took the empress into custody on imperial orders and interrogated her in secret. Although they dared not subject her personally to severe torture, her trusted attendants implicated a host of people in the palace and members of the Xiao Household's faction.
Naturally, the Xiao