Chapter 204: Imperial Consort Li’s Death News
“Li Qing is dead!”
Hearing this news, the Empress directly cut off a flower branch. Princess Pingcheng, who was writing calligraphy nearby, trembled, smearing a patch on the clean paper.
Wasn’t it said that this was the Emperor’s strategy, with arrangements already made? How could someone really die?
And the one who died was Imperial Consort Li?
“The Imperial Consort was stabbed by the assassin while protecting Miss Yang,” the palace maid said tremulously.
What?
The Empress didn’t know how to react for a moment: “Did I misjudge her? Back then, blocking my punishment staff for this Yang woman—wasn’t it just hypocritical pretense?”
She truly meant to protect this Yang woman, and now she even took a blade for her and lost her life.
“It was probably to save Princess Wuyang,” the palace maid also found it unbelievable.
Although Imperial Consort Li appeared steady and modest, she was no pushover. The Empress had living parents as her backing, while the Imperial Consort had her deceased father as backing; privately, there were plenty of tactics in competing for favor and benefits.
How could she give up her life for others?
“When the assassin appeared, Yang Luo’s maidservant and Zhu Yunxiao arrived. Imperial Consort Li personally led them over, so she ran into it…”
Miss Yang and Princess Wuyang were together; when the assassin rushed in, Princess Wuyang was surely in danger too.
When her daughter was in danger, as a mother she would naturally fight desperately to save her, so in the chaos, she took the blade for Miss Yang.
The Empress looked toward Princess Pingcheng; if it were her daughter in peril, she too would naturally give her life to save her.
However, Imperial Consort Li had only her son, the Prince of Linhai, in her heart and eyes. She deliberately indulged Princess Wuyang, raising her into such a state…
Could she really give her life for this daughter?
Probably, she just wanted to put on a show; after all, so many people were watching.
This is really…
What a pity.
Died in place of someone who deserved to die.
……
……
Li Xuan walked deep and shallow steps on the stone slab path in the Imperial Palace, unable to resist stopping again, looking up at the sky.
The spring day was bright and clear, deep blue and translucent.
Not gray and hazy like in his dream.
“You’re saying the Imperial Consort is dead?” He turned to ask the eunuch beside him.
The eunuch’s eyes were red, choking as he said: “Condolences, Lord Li.”
The news of the Imperial Consort’s murder was immediately sent to the Li Residence. At that time, Li Xuan was burning incense and writing calligraphy; upon hearing the news, he couldn’t believe it, and even now he was still in a daze.
The eunuch could understand; this matter was truly too sudden.
“There was an assassin in the palace. Your Ladyship, Your Ladyship was stabbed while saving Miss Yang…” He could only repeat it again.
Yes, Li Xuan thought.
There was an assassin in the palace; he knew that.
Miss Yang was saved; he knew that too.
But it had nothing to do with the Imperial Consort.
The one who saved her should have been Zhu Yunxiao.
The injured ones, besides Miss Yang, were Princess Wuyang.
The Imperial Consort would at most faint from crying.
How did it turn into this?
Did A Luo not listen to her? Or was something off about the situation?
But no matter how off the situation was, he still had to enter the palace.
Li Xuan looked toward the layered palaces ahead.
If the Emperor wanted to kill him, he could do so without him entering the Imperial Palace.
But it wouldn’t be that easy for the Emperor to kill him either.
The Li Clan had generations of pure reputation, had rendered great service in supporting the New Emperor, and since the new dynasty, had remained incorruptible and self-restrained.
One consort could die inexplicably, but without ironclad evidence and charges, killing Lord Li would cause the Li Clan’s disciples, classmates, and friends to stir up turmoil under Heaven.
Although he had followed the eunuch directly into the palace, he had left Madam Li at home and already spread the news through retainers, preparing rigorously.
“Let’s go.” He said in a deep voice, striding quickly toward the Imperial City.
……
……
“Brother Li—”
Lord Li hurried past layers of Imperial Guards, ignoring the Empress who was personally interrogating the palace maids, until the Emperor stumbled over to greet him.
The Emperor grabbed Li Xuan’s hand, calling out the private name from before ascension.
“A Qing, she—A Qing, she—”
The Emperor choked and couldn’t continue.
Li Xuan looked at the hall of Princess Wuyang, where the scene hadn’t been cleared yet—bloodstains everywhere, showing how fierce the fight had just been. The once luxurious hall, repeatedly scolded by Lord Li, was now a wreckage too awful to look at.
Imperial Consort Li lay in the center of the hall on a couch, covered with yellow cloth.
Li Xuan saw the blood seeping out in a large patch under the couch; his figure swayed, and the Emperor hurriedly supported him.
“Lord Li—” A female voice choked, accompanied by the sound of kneeling, “The Imperial Consort met with disaster for my sake—”
Li Xuan took a deep breath, opened his eyes, and looked at the young girl kneeling before him.
A maidservant closely following the young girl also knelt down.
Both had blood on their clothes, disheveled hair buns, trembling bodies, and pale faces.
Although he had never met this Miss Yang before, at this moment he could recognize her.
That Miss Yang looked up: “Your Ladyship Li saved me for the second time; this time even more… I truly have no way to repay—”
She couldn’t finish her words, covering her face with both hands and sobbing on the ground.
How was it no way to repay?
If you died, that would be repayment, Li Xuan thought.
“…Yang Luo, Yang Luo—” Another female voice shrieked.
Li Xuan’s vision blurred, and he saw a young girl stumbling over, grabbing the kneeling Miss Yang.
It was Princess Wuyang.
Li Xuan looked at Princess Wuyang, whose clothes were stained with blood and eyes were dazed, and hurriedly reached out to pull her as she choked and shouted “Wuyang—”
Princess Wuyang shrieked and pushed his hand away: “Don’t come over, don’t come over—Yang Luo, save me—”
Miss Yang hurriedly reached out to hug her, soothing repeatedly: “Princess, don’t be afraid, I’m here. His Majesty has arrived; all the thieves are dead. Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid.”
The Emperor choked beside them: “At that time, the assassin rushed into the hall and nearly injured Princess Wuyang. Miss Yang desperately protected her; then the Imperial Consort rushed in too, facing the assassin for these two children, and as a result…”
He too covered his face and couldn’t continue.
“…By the time I arrived, it was already too late.”
“Lord Li.” That maidservant sobbed, “The Princess and my young lady were both frightened. The imperial physician said they can’t take more stimulation…”
Wei Jiao walked in at this time, heard it, and curled his lip—his young lady was frightened again.
He glanced at the young girl kneeling on the ground.
That young girl was embracing Princess Wuyang, trembling.
She looked more frightened than before.
Was that necessary? This time only one person died.
Back then, with a street full of dead bodies at midnight, she hadn’t pretended like this!
Wei Jiao withdrew his gaze and looked toward the Emperor.
“Your Majesty.” He said loudly, “The search of the Imperial City is complete. No assassins survived; besides those killed on the spot, the ones who weren’t fatally wounded all poisoned themselves instantly.”
“Have you found out their origins?” the Emperor demanded.
Wei Jiao said: “Perhaps they are the assassins who escaped from the last palace banquet—”
The Emperor grew angrier: “I don’t want perhaps! Find out exactly what their origins are!”
Wei Jiao bowed and acknowledged.
“Your Majesty.” Li Xuan said from the side, “May I go take a look?”
His expression was both grief-stricken and angry.
“I must see what person killed my younger sister… otherwise, I don’t know how to explain to our parents in the underworld…”
Hearing him mention their parents in the underworld, the Emperor’s tears nearly fell too: “Of course Brother Li can go; investigate however you want.”
……
…..
Wei Jiao took Li Xuan away.
The imperial physicians came to diagnose and treat Princess Wuyang and Miss Yang and entered the inner chamber.
In the hall, the Emperor’s tearful eyes looked toward the door; Li Xuan’s figure was already out of sight.
“Are we letting him go again this time?” He said coldly, looking at Imperial Consort Li’s corpse covered with yellow cloth nearby; the tears in his eyes faded, leaving only disgust. “Killing just this one evil adulterer is really not enough.”
With that, he looked at Yang Luo standing nearby.
“A Luo, you don’t need to consider for me that the Li Clan will use scholars and students to create chaos under Heaven.”
“I was able to conquer the realm, and I can hold this realm. I’ve come through such difficult chaotic times; how could I fear these?”
Yang Luo shook her head: “I’m not worried about that.”
She looked at the Emperor.
“You are His Majesty, yet toyed with and deceived by these people like this. Your word is law; killing them is naturally easy, but it would be too lenient for them.”
She looked at Imperial Consort Li’s corpse covered with yellow cloth.
“This time, it’s their turn to be deceived and toyed with.”
……
……
The assassins’ corpses were in a palace in the Imperial City.
Wei Jiao brought Li Xuan there but didn’t accompany him personally, letting him look around freely before leaving somewhere.
Li Xuan didn’t mind; only the Emperor could command Wei Jiao.
He didn’t want others around anyway; he only wanted to look himself.
Moreover, here besides seeing the assassins’ corpses, he also saw Zhu Yunxiao.
The people present at the time were all here undergoing interrogation.
Zhu Yunxiao had slain assassins together with the Imperial Guards at the time, so he wasn’t locked up for interrogation but was assisting with the inquiry.
Learning Li Xuan had arrived, Zhu Yunxiao hurried out to pay respects to him.
“Young Lord Zhu, you were there at the time…” Li Xuan grabbed him and asked urgently, “How did the Imperial Consort—”
He choked up here and couldn’t continue.
Zhu Yunxiao supported him: “Condolences, Lord Li.” Then he lowered his voice: “…Something’s off about this.”
Of course something was off! Li Xuan looked at him, eyes dark, about to say something when Zhu Yunxiao pulled him toward several corpses.
“…Lord Li, take a look at these assassins. They’re really… strange.”
Strange? Li Xuan looked toward one of the corpses, with Zhu Yunxiao whispering in his ear.
“…These aren’t the people we arranged.”
