Rumor Has It That I'm Pregnant with His Highness' Child

324 Enlightenment With Death

When they got married, she was in her youth. Her skin was fair and rosy, her black hair was soft, and her eyes were bright and clear. When she smiled, she was as bright as peach blossoms in spring.

However, she was now pale and thin. There was no longer any light in her dark eyes.

Empress Wen asked, “May I know why Your Majesty summoned me?”

The old emperor did not answer directly. Instead, he waved his hand and said tiredly.

“Everyone else, leave.”

Xiao Juan and the others left the study.

The door was closed. Everyone had to keep a distance from the door in case they eavesdropped on the conversation between the empress and the emperor.

Xiao Juan stood under the porch and looked ahead as if he was in a daze. Actually, he was listening to the voice in the study.

His five senses were naturally sharper than those of ordinary people. At this distance, no one could hear the commotion in the study, but he could.

In the study, the old emperor asked slowly, “Did Imperial Concubine Yue’s death have something to do with you?”

Empress Wen asked, “Would you believe me if I said no?”

The old emperor was silent in response.

Empress Wen curled her lips into a cynical smile.

“It seems that you’ve already convicted me. Even if I deny it, you won’t believe me. In that case, why ask me again?”

The old emperor sighed. “Wang Xue has already told me everything. Stop resisting in vain.”

Empress Wen said, “So you caught Wang Xue. No wonder I didn’t see her today. What did she say to you?”

“She said you poisoned Imperial Concubine Yue to death.”

Empress Wen laughed out loud as if she had heard a joke.

“Heh! As the empress, do I have to poison a mere concubine? So what if she was lucky and could really give birth to a prince? I’m the empress. When her son sees me, he has to call me Mother!”

“Even if he was lucky enough to inherit the throne in the future, he had to respect me as the empress dowager! What reason do I have to harm Imperial Concubine Yue and her son?!”

She had said too much in one breath. Coupled with her emotions, her breathing quickened and she coughed violently.

The old emperor had no intention of getting an imperial physician to take a look at her.

He just stared at her quietly.

Empress Wen clutched her chest and coughed so hard that she could not straighten her back.

In the silent study, only the sound of her persistent coughs could be heard.

It took a while for her coughing to subside.

The old emperor spoke slowly, “So you won’t admit to harming Imperial Concubine Yue?”

Empress Wen was already on the verge of collapse. Her face was so pale that she did not look alive.

However, she still tried her best to maintain her bearing as an empress and said word by word,”I’m innocent!”

Deep disappointment appeared in the old emperor’s eyes. “I’ve already given you one last chance to confess, but you’re unwilling to cherish it. In that case, I can only deal with this impartially.”

Empress Wen asked with a trembling voice, “What do you plan to do with me, Your Majesty? Will you give me the white silk? Or poison wine?”

The old emperor said, “You have to pay with your life for killing someone. On account of our relationship as husband and wife, I won’t make your crimes public. In the future, I’ll announce to the public that you died of illness. This way, I can protect the last bit of dignity for you and the Seventh Prince.”

Empress Wen looked at him blankly.

Even though she had long gotten over it, she still could not help but feel dazed when she heard the emperor’s words about killing her.

She entered the palace at the age of 15 to marry the emperor. To this day, she could still remember the scene back then. At the grand wedding, she married him in front of everyone.

At that time, she was still naive as a young girl, thinking that she could grow old with the emperor and be loving.

But the harsh reality slapped her hard. After so many years, all her expectations of the emperor had been eroded. In the end, all that was left was despair.

After a long time, Empress Wen came back to her senses. Tears rolled down her face, but a strange smile appeared on her face.

“It’s said that a day as husband and wife is a hundred days of kindness. His Majesty and I are husband and wife, but you’ve never trusted me.”

“In that case, I have nothing else to say.”

“I can only prove my innocence with my death. I’m innocent!”

When Xiao Juan, who was standing under the porch, heard this, he cursed in his heart!

In the next moment, he heard a muffled sound coming from Shang’s study, followed by the old emperor’s shout.

“Empress, what are you doing?! Someone, call the imperial physicians!”

Everyone rushed into the study and saw Empress Wen lying on the ground. Blood was flowing out of the wound on her forehead.

There was blood on the corner of the table beside her. It was obvious that she had hit the corner with her forehead just now, wanting to die this way.

The old emperor hurried toward her, almost falling over in his haste.

Fortunately, Xiao Juan used his Qinggong to fly over and support him.

After the old emperor stabilized himself, he quickly bent down to check on Empress Wen.

Wei Huai’en immediately got someone to summon the imperial physicians.

He and another eunuch helped Empress Wen up and let her lie on the soft couch that the old emperor usually used to rest.

The old emperor covered the wound on Empress Wen’s forehead with a silk handkerchief and said bitterly.

“Why are you so stupid?”

Empress Wen’s eyes were half-open and her breathing was weak.

...

She spoke with difficulty, “Your Majesty, I’ve never harmed Imperial Concubine Yue.”

The old emperor really did not expect her to still insist on being innocent.

He couldn’t help but wonder if Empress Wen was really wronged?

The imperial physicians quickly rushed over. They surrounded the soft couch and performed emergency treatment on Empress Wen.

The rest of the unrelated personnel were invited out.

Xiao Juan was no exception. He and Wei Liao stood at the door of the study.

Wei Liao gave Xiao Juan a provocative smile.

“Prince Lang, everyone says that you solve cases extremely quickly. Now it seems that’s all to you. I’ve already found the real culprit who killed Imperial Concubine Yue, but you still haven’t found anything.”

Xiao Juan asked calmly, “Do you really think Empress Wen is the murderer?”

Wei Liao asked, “What else could it be? Empress Wen has a sufficient motive. Coupled with Wang Xue as a witness, who else could it be but Empress Wen?”

Xiao Juan did not answer.

...

He had suspected Empress Wen at first, but from Empress Wen’s reaction just now, she did not look like the murderer.

Wei Liao sneered. “Why aren’t you saying anything? Are you speechless?”

Xiao Juan could not be bothered to respond.

From the looks of it today, he would not be able to return for a while. He wondered if Niaoniao would be worried.

Thinking of this, Xiao Juan called over a young eunuch and instructed.

“Help me send a message to the Justice Department. Tell them that I’m going back later today and let them do what they should do as usual.”

With that, he casually handed over a silver ingot.

The young eunuch took the silver ingot happily. “I’ll do it now.”

Seeing that Xiao Juan had ignored his existence, Wei Liao was very dissatisfied. Just as he was about to continue provoking him, he suddenly saw someone rushing over from afar.

The young eunuch announced loudly, “His Highness, the Seventh Prince, has arrived!”