jdhmnovel Chapter 614 His heart can be punished
Chapter 614 His heart can be punished
After hearing this, the emperor said nothing.
He picked up the teacup on the small table and drank the slightly cold tea in one gulp, as if to quench the surging anger in his heart.
Zhen Yurao explained that after Zhen Huan came out of confinement, she secretly searched for palace maids with outstanding looks in the harem, intending to send them to serve her.
When she accidentally found out about it, she wanted to share her elder sister's worries.
Then the scene that happened at Wanchun Pavilion happened.
It was common in the palace for concubines to recommend new people to consolidate their favor, but what made the emperor angry was another thing Zhen Yurao said.
Zhen Huan has been learning to dance since she was young, and what she learned was the Jinghong Dance that Rou Ze restored.
Singers and dancers of all generations have been looked down upon by the world, and the emperor himself is no exception.
Even if such women were taken into the harem, they were only used as entertainment.
Any family that loves their daughters will not let them learn these seductive skills.
Rou needed to learn dancing to recuperate because of her weak body. Then why did Zhen Huan, who had been nurtured by the Wen family since childhood and had sufficient energy, specifically learn the Jinghong Dance?
It is said that the Zhen family does not love their daughter, but Zhen Yuandao personally takes Zhen Huan to read poetry and books.
This made the emperor even more suspicious that the Zhen family had ulterior motives.
Even he himself could not deny that Zhen Huan and Rou Ze were 50% similar in appearance and 50% in temperament.
He was initially attracted to Zhen Huan because of her appearance, but after deeper contact, he was attracted by her personality.
A person's appearance cannot be changed, but his temperament can be cultivated into what his elders expect.
If Zhen Huan was a concubine carefully cultivated by the Zhen family according to Rouze's image, then their intention is simply to kill them!
The more the emperor thought about it, the more terrifying it became.
"Su Peisheng, have you read the confession?"
"Your Majesty, I have read it and have just rushed to deliver it to you... Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
Su Peisheng quickly knelt down with his forehead touching the ground.
Not only did he read the confession, he also made a few corrections.
When Su Peisheng heard Zhen Yurao say that Concubine Zhen had been practicing the Jinghong Dance since she was a child, he had some ideas.
Su Peisheng accompanied the emperor all the way, and he witnessed with his own eyes how his master plunged into the gentle arms of Queen Chunyuan.
The emperor may favor Concubine Zhen because of Empress Chunyuan, but he may also dislike Concubine Zhen because the Zhen family uses Empress Chunyuan to cause trouble.
"Your Majesty, I have failed to perform my duties properly. Please punish me."
Su Peisheng kowtowed several times.
Although he didn't say it explicitly, the emperor knew that the old man was blaming himself for suggesting sending Zhen Yurao to the Ministry of Punishment, which in turn dug up things that he had always been unwilling to face.
Concubine He, who had served Zhen Huan for many years, once mentioned that the Zhen family had an elderly dancer. After getting drunk, the dancer revealed that she was from the palace and had accompanied a noble lady to practice dancing.
The emperor deliberately avoided a certain possibility and did not delve into it further.
Unexpectedly, this bloody fact has now been brought to light by Zhen Fei's own sister.
His biological mother plotted against him, his brothers plotted against him, the court officials plotted against him, and now even the women in the harem plotted against him!
The emperor closed his eyes tiredly. "Su Peisheng, when Concubine Zhen entered the palace, Zhen Yurao was still young, so her memory might be biased. Send someone to investigate as soon as possible."
"Then don't let Zhen Yurao out for the time being."
"When you're done, go get ten boards yourself."
"I obey your command. Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty."
Su Peisheng felt relieved. He still had a chance to be beaten, which meant that his master did not care about the role he played in this matter.
However, the Zhen Mansion had been ransacked before, so it was difficult to investigate what had happened before.
We definitely cannot arrest the people around Concubine Zhen for interrogation, so what should we do?
When Su Peisheng went out, he accidentally saw Baoque waiting at the palace gate. A light bulb went off in his mind and he thought of a person - Concubine He!
Every time she met the emperor, she would talk about the past of the Zhen family, and perhaps she had also revealed something to people around her.
Su Peisheng hurriedly took his men to Chunxi Palace.
After Concubine He died, the people who had served her were directly sent to serve the Ninth Prince.
When An Lingrong returned to the main hall, the emperor had already finished the pot of tea.
"Rong'er, how is Zhaohua?"
An Lingrong replied in a gentle voice.
"I have fed her pear soup and she has already fallen asleep. Nanny Suo is taking care of her personally, so please rest assured, Your Majesty."
"You have always taken good care of the children. I am most relieved."
The emperor gestured for An Lingrong to sit on the couch and spoke calmly.
"Rong'er, if I'm busy with government affairs and haven't come to Yongshou Palace to see you for a long time, would you recommend someone new to consolidate my favor?"
An Lingrong's heart trembled, and then she smiled gently.
"The Emperor cares about the world, and this is a blessing for all the people!"
"Since I am one of the common people, how can I have any extra thoughts?"
"As for your suggestion of recommending new people to secure your favor, I will not do such a thing. I know that the Emperor's heart holds too many things, and it cannot be monopolized by one person or one thing. I only wish to be by His Majesty's side, to enjoy the changing seasons together, and I will be satisfied."
"Your Majesty, why do you ask this?"
An Lingrong, who knew it well, pretended to be puzzled and looked at the people around her.
"I...I just had a sudden feeling."
The emperor patted her hand gently, "Rong'er, you are from Jiangnan. Can you tell me about the customs and practices there?"
An Lingrong suppressed the Yangzhou skinny horse that had been swirling around on the tip of her tongue for several times and spoke with a smile.
"Your Majesty, I was born and raised in Songyang. Let me tell you about this place... Yunshan Temple..."
The emperor listened to An Lingrong's gentle voice, and the depression in his heart gradually dissipated.
On the other side, Zhen Huan, supported by Cui Jinxi, walked into the main hall with a gloomy face.
When Mrs. Zhen saw her daughter's hair disheveled and her jewelry askew, she ran forward to support her.
"Huan'er, what's wrong with you?"
As she spoke, she looked back but did not see her little daughter.
Zhen Huan endured the pain and helped her mother to the couch. "Jin Xi and Bai Zhi will serve you in the palace. The others can leave first."
Then he ordered Baizhi to guard outside the hall.
When Mrs. Zhen saw that the plain hairpin on Cui Jinxi's head was gone, she felt an ominous premonition in her heart.
"Huan'er, you are going to Yikun Palace, but..."
"Mother, let's not talk about the Yikun Palace for now."
Zhen Huan interrupted her mother and stared at her.
"My daughter has something unclear, and I would like to ask her mother to explain it. Has Yu Rao behaved in any unusual way since returning to the capital?"
Mrs. Zhen's eyes flickered and she shook her head slightly.
"There's nothing wrong with your sister, and she's even more well-behaved than before. It's with her help that mother can take care of your father wholeheartedly."
Zhen Huan took a few deep breaths, revealing the bruises on her fair wrists.
"Mother, I went to the West Six Palaces and met the Emperor. He saw how eager I was to protect my sister, so he said Yu Rao's life was safe for now."
"Yu Rao... angered the Emperor!"
"Mother, at this point, are you still going to hide it?"
There was a hint of urgency and anger in Zhen Huan's voice. A heat surged in her throat and warm blood flowed out from the corners of her mouth.