Chapter 119: The One Hundred and Nineteenth

When the Son of Heaven rages, the entire palace trembles thrice.

Jiang Yuan uttered horrifying words in an utterly calm tone. Quan Fuhai instantly broke out in beads of sweat on his forehead, yet he dared not utter a single word of admonishment. He knew perfectly well that if he spoke even one extra word now, the first to die would be him.

Quan Fuhai silently retreated to carry out the order, inwardly lamenting his wretched fate. What a sin, truly a sin! The palace servants from three palaces combined number over a hundred. If they were all killed one by one, they could fill that well!

Among them were certainly many innocent people, but the Emperor was clearly determined to stop evil with killing; they could only die. There was also a way not to die: if the guilty party's psychological defenses crumbled and they confessed all the secrets.

The benefit of this approach was quickly grasped by Qi Daiyu as well, but the thought of the scene to come still made her heart turn cold. Yet, what chilled her even more was yet to come.

Then she heard Jiang Yuan add, "Bring all the imperial consorts and their personal palace maids and eunuchs to the scene. Let them all open their eyes wide and see clearly what fate awaits those who play mind games and scheme against their superiors in this palace!"

Previously, petty squabbles were one thing—fighting over a piece of jewelry or a bolt of cloth. Jiang Yuan paid no mind to these tricks of vying for favor. Sometimes, when he was weary from busy government affairs, they even served as a bit of entertainment.

If the fights got too heated, the Empress would handle everything. Matters of the rear palace were, after all, the Empress's duty to manage! If there was something the Empress couldn't handle and it reached him, demotions, punishments, or even death sentences would, at most, stir a momentary ripple in Jiang Yuan's heart, soon forgotten.

Ultimately, of all the women in the rear palace, there were very few Jiang Yuan truly cared about. Among them, the Empress was undoubtedly the most important.

Whether out of affection or her status.

What infuriated Jiang Yuan most about the Empress's poisoning was this: if someone dared to lay hands on the Empress, who stood at the pinnacle of power in the rear palace, would the person behind it dare one day to move against him, the Emperor?

This single point alone sent this sovereign into an uncontrollable rage, murderous intent surging.

What were a hundred or so lives? Jiang Yuan even wanted to sift through the entire palace.

Thus, before dawn, all the imperial consorts and a number of palace servants were brought to the abandoned well in the Imperial Garden.

There used to be an opera pavilion nearby. Last year, heavy snow collapsed part of its roof, and as the area was remote and seldom visited, the Imperial Household Department repaired it after spring and repurposed it as a flower room.

With so many people arriving now, the Director of the Imperial Household Department, Xu Jilai, was on high alert. He couldn't quite grasp the Emperor's intention. Since it was to witness an execution, it was surely to establish authority. But if so many consorts were frightened into illness, his directorship would likely come to an end.

Xu Jilai was a shrewd man. He had people bring out many chairs and stools from the opera pavilion and sent his junior eunuchs to make a trip to the Kunning Palace to fetch two imperial physicians at all costs. This way, if any consort fell ill, a physician could attend to them immediately.

While Xu Jilai was arranging these things, the consorts were still bewildered. With such a grand display, what was about to happen?

The highest-ranking present was Consort Nie Zhiyu. Some, feeling anxious, cautiously asked Nie Zhiyu.

Nie Zhiyu did not answer, only frowned at Ye Qiong, who had a prominent belly. "Stay close to me later."

Ye Qiong nodded, whispering, "Sister, what is His Majesty going to do?"

Nie Zhiyu: "It can only be concerning the Empress's matter." As she spoke, her eyes searched for Qi Daiyu. Yan He, Xiao Li, and others from the Changchun Palace had also been brought over, but Qi Daiyu was not among them. Nie Zhiyu remembered Qi Daiyu should have stayed at Kunning Palace last night.

Just as she was thinking this, she saw Qi Daiyu arriving behind the Emperor.

The consorts hurriedly performed their courtesies. Then they saw several squads of Imperial Guards escorting a group of palace servants into view, followed by Consort Ning and Consort An, their faces ashen.

Consort Ning never imagined that the Emperor's first act upon returning would be to take away all their palace servants. It happened too fast. When Quan Fuhai arrived at the Yikun Palace, she didn't even have time to prepare, and could only watch helplessly as the Imperial Guards took away Yangxue, Suihe, and the others.

Yet, even then, Consort Ning clung to a sliver of hope. If they were just taken to the Discipline Office, and if Yangxue and Suihe could endure for a few days, she would find a way to save them. But upon hearing the Emperor's order for her to follow as well, and being brought to this abandoned well, Consort Ning finally felt a surge of panic.

Jiang Yuan's gaze swept past Consort Ning and Consort An. He glanced at the arranged chairs and stools but said nothing to Xu Jilai.

He sat down leisurely in the central chair at the head, flicked the jade pendant at his waist, and said, "Bring them forward."

Qi Daiyu took the opportunity to move to Yan He and the others. As Yan He supported Qi Daiyu's arm, she nodded slightly, meaning: the Third Princess has been settled.

Only then did Qi Daiyu feel relieved. She also sat on a chair. Thinking of what was about to happen, her hands trembled slightly.

They saw Imperial Guard Commander Wei Meng lead several men carrying over a corpse. The corpse's head was a bloody mess, and its limbs were bent at unnatural angles.

At the sudden sight of such a horrifying scene, many let out screams, which they forcibly stifled when the Emperor's gaze turned their way, nearly biting their tongues in the process.

Quan Fuhai used his sharp, thin voice to announce, "This is Ju Yi from Kunning Palace. Ju Yi, audacious to the extreme, poisoned Her Majesty the Empress. She deserved to die ten thousand times over! Hatefully, she was killed and discarded in this abandoned well, and her murderer hides among you!"

Quan Fuhai pointed at the palace servants from the Chengqian Palace, Yanxi Palace, and Yikun Palace. Many paled.

Quan Fuhai made a gesture of cupping his hands in salute. "By His Majesty's decree, if you wish to live, speak all you know. If what you say holds value, your life may be spared. If not... then don't blame this humble servant for being merciless with the blade."

"Who shall go first?" Quan Fuhai's eyes swept over these people. Those his gaze fell upon retreated in terror.

The order of selection was naturally not random. Concubine Shu's death was suspicious; logically, the maid who served her would most likely know something and should be kept a while longer.

Between Consort Ning and Consort An, Consort An was more suspect. Starting with someone from Yanxi Palace would yield better results.

Thus, Quan Fuhai's gaze settled on the chief eunuch of Yanxi Palace.

A single stroke from an Imperial Guard's blade, and blood splattered.

Qi Daiyu closed her eyes. Even though there was still some distance, she felt as if the eunuch had died right in front of her. She could clearly hear the sharp intakes of breath from Yan He, Shiliu, and the others behind her.

"Ah!!"

Screams and pleas for mercy erupted from all around. Some of the fainter-hearted directly fainted. Two consorts also fainted. Jiang Yuan raised a hand, and Xu Jilai immediately had his men carry them away.

Ye Qiong, supporting her lower back, felt only panic and confusion, with a faint pain creeping from her abdomen. Nie Zhiyu noticed her discomfort and, forcing down her own nausea and fear, prepared to speak to the Emperor.

"Your Majesty, Concubine Ye is still with child. Such a bloody scene might be harmful to the imperial heir. Could she be permitted to leave first?"

Ye Qiong also pleaded pitifully, "Your Majesty..."

Although furious, Jiang Yuan had not lost his reason. Ultimately mindful of the fetus in Ye Qiong's womb, he said, "Escort Concubine Ye to the theater pavilion over there."

However, that place was not far from here; even if she couldn't see the scene, she could still hear the sounds. Ye Qiong wanted to say more, but upon meeting Jiang Yuan's gaze, she swallowed her words. Before leaving, she instinctively glanced back towards Consort Ning's direction.

Then, lowering her head hurriedly, she bit her lip. If Consort Ning were to fall today, it might actually be a good thing for her...

Once Ye Qiong had left, Jiang Yuan ordered Quan Fuhai to continue.

The next one was Pu Jiu, who served by Consort An's side.

"Don't kill me! Don't kill me!" Pu Jiu pushed herself backward with her hands on the ground, her eyes filled with terror as she looked at Consort An, begging her to speak up and save her. But before her plea even faded, a long sword pierced her chest.

Pu Jiu's eyes widened, as if she hadn't yet processed what happened, before her entire body slumped to the side, falling right next to Puying. When the sword was pulled out, blood splattered all over Puying.

Puying's lips trembled uncontrollably, her pupils filled with the image of Pu Jiu collapsing.

Quan Fuhai deliberately skipped over her. The imperial guards executed several more palace maids and eunuchs before finally stopping in front of Puying.

Seeing the imperial guard raise his long sword, Puying screamed, "Don't kill me! I'll talk! I'll tell everything!"

If it were a normal interrogation process, or even if she had been taken to the Punishment Office for torture, Puying would not have betrayed Consort An. After all, for personal maids like her, especially those who had served their mistress since childhood, the lives and fates of their entire families were tied to their mistress. They would rather die themselves than betray her.

But the impact of watching the people of Yanxi Palace die one by one before her eyes was too great. Puying's reason completely shattered. Her fear of death overwhelmed her loyalty to Consort An, and her mind echoed only Quan Fuhai's words: "If what you say is valuable, your life may be spared."

"I'll tell everything, don't kill me! Don't kill me!" Clearly terrified by the killings, Puying clutched at Quan Fuhai's robe hem, begging for mercy, not even sparing a glance for Consort An.

Consort An... Consort An's clenched hands loosened. She was not a heartless person, and besides, she shared years of master-servant bond with Puying and Pu Jiu. When Pu Jiu died, she had nearly lost control. Now, hearing Puying's words, she actually felt a trace of relief.

She truly had not harmed the Empress, but her hands were not clean of blood either. Once the Emperor learned of those things, he would likely not spare her. Consort An did not blame Puying. She was only somewhat worried: if the Emperor sentenced her to death, what would become of her Bao En?

With Puying setting the precedent, several more people began to beg for mercy. Serving in various palaces, they all knew some secrets to varying degrees. Father Quan had said that revealing valuable information could save their lives—what if the things they knew were enough to spare them?

Quan Fuhai didn't care if anyone was trying to muddy the waters. As long as someone raised their hand, he had them taken away for interrogation. After all, if their information proved false, they would still lose their lives.

Father Yu from the Punishment Office had been waiting. They had their own methods for interrogation. They didn't group people together but separated them, allowing for cross-checking of testimonies to prevent fabrication, and occasionally obtaining more detailed supplementary information.

These people, desperate to live, truly told everything—from major scandals like what shady deeds they had helped their masters commit, to minor matters like eunuchs drinking and gambling in private, and even things like which eunuch and which palace maid had formed a secret partnership. They held nothing back.

They not only confessed about their own palaces but also about other palaces. The servants had their own private networks, and some things their masters thought they didn't know had actually spread secretly long ago.

Sheet after sheet of testimony was delivered to Jiang Yuan. Reading them, his expression grew increasingly grim. These papers recorded the hidden affairs of every palace.

Consort An had also been involved in Concubine Mei's miscarriage. Moreover, Consort An had schemed against selected palace ladies.

The Empress had planted someone in Chengqian Palace; the nanny by the Eldest Prince's side was the Empress's person.

Consort Ning had secret dealings with Yanping.

...

Among the affairs of each palace, some concerned Jiang Yuan, others he didn't care about, but almost every palace was far from clean.

Reading through them, the cleanest turned out to be Changchun Palace.

Jiang Yuan couldn't help but glance at Qi Daiyu. The testimonies regarding Changchun Palace were all things like: "Consort Hui is obsessed with mahjong, the whole palace follows her lead, servants staying up all night playing are listless," "The constant hammering noises from Changchun Palace disturbing the peace are because Consort Hui wants to build a trampoline in the courtyard," "Consort Hui coaxing the Eldest Prince to eat candy was actually feeding him medicine to expel worms"...

It was truly absurd, yet with a peculiar kind of purity.

Jiang Yuan saw that Qi Daiyu's face was pale. She seemed very frightened, her nails digging into her palms.

Remembering her timid nature, Jiang Yuan summoned a young eunuch. "Go bring a bowl of sweet soup for Consort Hui."