dognovel Chapter 1274 A Completely Formed Prince
Chapter 1274 A Completely Formed Prince
"This incident happened suddenly, and I am deeply shocked. But I can guarantee with my life that this matter has nothing to do with me. I hope Your Majesty will understand!"
Concubine Zhuang spoke at a steady pace and with clear logic. She not only stated the facts but also pointed out her virtue in taking the initiative to distribute her share.
She even attributed the accident to the eunuch's misstep, clearing herself of all blame and suggesting that she was just an unfortunate bystander.
Shen Zhinian listened coldly, his mind clear as a mirror.
Concubine Zhuang's response was flawless.
It's a pity... Since Concubine Chun set up this trap, how could she let her get away easily?
Shen Zhinian's face was as gloomy as water, and her eyes swept over everyone present with the unique pressure of an imperial concubine.
As she was the vice-empress, all affairs of the harem were under her control, and this matter was no exception.
"Somebody come!"
Shen Zhinian said in a cold voice, "Go to the Ministry of Punishment immediately and summon Su Quanye!"
"Such a mistake has occurred in the palace, putting the heir to the throne in danger. This must be thoroughly investigated!"
Xiao Zhouzi immediately responded, "Yes!"
Concubine Zhuang's drooping eyelashes moved slightly, and she felt a little relieved.
Su Quanye is Your Majesty's man, directly under the Emperor, in charge of palace punishments and prisons, and has always been loyal only to Your Majesty.
Even the Imperial Noble Consort could not truly make Su Quanye obey her.
As long as the Imperial Noble Consort didn't torture someone to extract a confession in private and the investigation was conducted openly and thoroughly, she would naturally not be afraid of being investigated for things she hadn't done.
Not long after, the imperial physician finally arrived, panting, carrying his medicine box.
He didn't bother to wipe the sweat off his face, and hurriedly saluted Shen Zhinian and Concubine Zhuang, who had just been allowed to stand up: "May the Imperial Concubine be blessed with good health!"
"May your Majesty, Concubine Zhuang, be blessed with good health!"
Shen Zhinian waved his hand and said, "No need to be polite, go in and see Concubine Chun!"
"Wei Chen obeys!"
The imperial physician did not dare to delay and hurriedly bowed and went into the inner room.
Shen Zhinian signaled everyone to retreat to the outer room and wait, leaving only the necessary palace servants to serve inside.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the outer hall was so oppressive that it was suffocating. One could only vaguely hear the intermittent moans of Concubine Chun in the inner room and the whispered orders of the imperial physician.
Soon, Su Quanye also arrived, hurriedly bowed, and went out to investigate.
Although it is the end of the first lunar month and the temperature is still cold, Su Quanye still raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
In recent times, the harem has been much calmer and he has felt much more at peace.
I didn't expect that this kind of thing would happen again...
In the midst of the anxious wait, a clear announcement came from outside the palace: "His Majesty has arrived——!!!"
Everyone knelt down to greet him: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you!"
Nangong Xuanyu strode in, and the hem of his dragon robe brought up a gust of cold wind.
His face was gloomy, and his eyes were like lightning. He swept over Shen Zhinian and Concubine Zhuang who were kneeling on the ground, and finally fell on the direction of the inner room. His voice was cold and cold: "Everyone, get up."
"How is Consort Chun?"
Shen Zhinian stepped forward and bowed his head, saying, "Your Majesty, the imperial physician is doing his utmost to treat the patient inside. The specific situation is still unknown."
Nangong Xuanyu's gaze then fell on Concubine Zhuang, his eyes filled with undisguised scrutiny and displeasure.
Concubine Zhuang felt that His Majesty's gaze was like a substance pressing on her back, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.
Even though there was no evidence to indicate that she was involved in this matter, the incident happened near Changchun Palace and right after she had a conversation with Concubine Chun. She was naturally suspected and could not escape blame!
This feeling of being unable to defend herself made Concubine Zhuang feel like a dumb person eating coptis chinensis, unable to express her suffering...
Nangong Xuanyu didn't explode immediately, but his silence was more frightening than any rebuke...
The emperor walked to the main seat and sat down, waiting for news from the inner room.
Every second seemed to be extraordinarily long.
The entire Changchun Palace side hall was shrouded in a silence that seemed to imply a storm...
Such a major event soon spread throughout the harem.
Soon, the main ladies of each palace arrived at Changchun Palace one after another.
Even some low-ranking palace concubines who were well-informed and quick-witted followed from a distance and gathered outside the palace gate to peek in.
Regardless of whether they were genuinely worried or had ulterior motives, everyone had a worried look on their faces at this moment.
All they said were polite words like "I heard that Concubine Chun was in trouble, so I came to visit her", "The royal heir is important, I hope he is safe".
However, upon entering the side hall of Changchun Palace, one could sense the oppressive atmosphere. After everyone had paid their respects, they immediately shut their mouths, holding their breath, not daring to make the slightest sound. No one dared to cause any disturbance at this time.
Time passed slowly in the anxious silence...
Finally, the curtain of the inner room was lifted, and the imperial physician walked out with a heavy face and cold sweat on his forehead.
Nangong Xuanyu immediately stood up and asked, "How is the royal heir?!"
The imperial physician walked before the emperor and knelt on the ground with a thud, his voice trembling uncontrollably: "Your humble servant is incompetent..."
"Reporting to Your Majesty and the Imperial Concubine... the prince in Concubine Chun's womb... could not be saved..."
The word "prince" was like a heavy hammer, hitting everyone's heart hard!
Concubine Zhuang's body shook violently, and her face turned pale as paper in an instant.
If Ruoji hadn't been holding her tightly, she would have almost collapsed to the ground.
Even if she hadn't done it, a fully grown prince had vanished near Changchun Palace. How could she possibly escape responsibility?!
Shen Zhinian's pupils also shrank slightly, and a hint of complexity flashed in his eyes.
Concubine Chun really spent a lot of money this time!
The virtuous concubine closed her eyes, with sadness and regret between her brows.
The other concubines also had different expressions, some sighing, while others were secretly frightened.
Those low-ranking palace concubines who usually envied Concubine Chun were now overjoyed and felt that it was a great pleasure!
That lowly servant from the Western Regions, hadn't she always relied on her position as the heir to the throne to bully others? Now even Heaven couldn't stand it and took away her little bit of good fortune!
However, they dared not show the joy in their hearts. Instead, they tried their best to force out a sad and sorrowful expression, and whispered to comfort him: "Your Majesty, please accept my condolences. Take care of your health..."
When Nangong Xuanyu heard this, a trace of pain clearly flashed in his eyes.
Having lost his father at a young age, he has a complex obsession with the mother-son bond. Even though he sees Chun Guiren as a pawn, the unborn child is ultimately his flesh and blood.
Hearing that it was a fully-formed prince, how could the emperor remain calm?
At this moment, the heart-wrenching sobs of Concubine Chun were heard from the inner chamber. Her voice was filled with despair and pain, and it was heartbreaking to hear...
Nangong Xuanyu took a deep breath and walked inside.
Everyone quickly followed.
As I stepped into the inner room, the strong smell of blood had not yet dissipated.
Concubine Chun collapsed on the couch, her hair disheveled, her face tear-stained, and her complexion pale, as if all her life had been drained away.
As soon as she saw Nangong Xuanyu coming in, she struggled to get off the bed and kowtow, but was stopped by Yingxiang.