Chapter Twenty-Three: The Scapegoat Princess Consort Is Condemned to Death (23)

Ding Shui spoke those righteous words not out of a desire to uphold justice, but primarily to inform the Emperor Tianwu of what had occurred, sparing him the long and arduous process of investigating the situation himself.

Wasting time in such a manner would be frustrating to anyone—though here, "anyone" primarily referred to Ding Shui.

As for whether the Emperor would listen, it mattered little. It would be best if he did, saving Ding Shui the trouble of further meddling; if not, she would simply have to redouble her efforts. In any case, the Prince of Lu had to die, and his deeds had to be proclaimed to the world. Otherwise, how could she clear the name of the original owner of this body and secure a pristine legacy?

Because Ding Shui had spoken directly into the Emperor’s consciousness, he heard her immediately. However, others could not, which was why Li Zhong and Zhou Yan only saw the Emperor suddenly shudder.

His pupils contracted as he looked frantically around, shouting, "Bold! Who... who is speaking such nonsense?"

This left the two men feeling bewildered and deeply worried. Had His Majesty lost his mind? He was already known for his volatile temper; if he were to go truly insane, it would be a catastrophe.

"Your Majesty, no one has spoken. Would you like some calming soup, or shall I summon all the physicians from the Imperial Medical Academy for a consultation? They will surely be able to identify the problem!"

At this moment, only Li Zhong dared to speak. He offered his suggestion while answering as tactfully as possible.

The Emperor had only been momentarily stunned by the shock, which had caused his outburst. As he calmed down, he scanned his surroundings again, certain that only two visible people were present. Neither would dare utter such words, meaning the speaker must be someone invisible—and, judging by the voice, a woman.

Furthermore, her words were audible only to him. If others could hear her, Li Zhong and his companion would not be so composed.

Contemplating this, even the Emperor felt a chill. Perhaps it truly was a ghost; after all, if any charlatan possessed such abilities, they would have already ascended to the heavens!

After a long, agitated period of reflection, the Emperor finally steadied himself and ordered, "Do as you suggested. First, send men to bring all the physicians from the Imperial Medical Academy to examine me. Also, summon the Second-Rank True Masters from the Heavenly Master Mansion and the Director of the Imperial Observatory to see me.

"And most importantly, bring Consort Guang here. Regardless of her current state or her own wishes, bring her to see me at once."

He needed the physicians in case it was a physical illness, and if the supernatural were involved, the masters from the Heavenly Master Mansion and the Imperial Observatory were the appropriate experts to consult.

Finally, he needed to see Consort Guang because the voice had mentioned that this was merely a small lesson for both him and her. He knew the changes in his own body all too well, and naturally, he wanted to see what changes had manifested in her—and whether the physicians could detect them or offer a cure.

Ding Shui’s goal had been achieved. As dawn was approaching and the sun would soon rise, she did not linger to watch the spectacle. Instead, she rode the moonlight back to Zhaogan Prefecture to gauge the rumors among the common folk.

She might need to guide public opinion. She could not rely solely on the Emperor being frightened into obedience. An emperor accustomed to his word being law and his authority being absolute would not compromise so easily.

...

While Ding Shui had departed, the palace continued to carry out the Emperor’s orders methodically.

A flurry of eunuchs left the palace to deliver decrees. Another group, led by Li Ming, the godson of Li Zhong, hurried to the Mingguang Palace. Ignoring the attempts of the guards to block them, they pushed aside the eunuchs and palace maids and forced their way in.

Armed with the Emperor’s verbal decree, Li Ming encountered little resistance in locating the Buddhist shrine where Consort Guang was kept.

He offered a formal, polite request for her presence. At that moment, Consort Guang and Nanny Li were terrified. They had just attempted manual massage and acupuncture to induce labor, but all had failed; her belly remained unchanged, showing no signs of childbirth.

Yet, the Emperor had suddenly summoned her. It felt ominous.

Most crucially, they were ridden with guilt. Had Consort Guang’s body been normal, she might have felt a glimmer of hope that the Emperor had remembered her and intended to lift her confinement. But now, she only felt that her bloated belly would expose her. The Emperor was going to punish her!

To her ears, Li Ming’s polite, formal request sounded like a death warrant.

"What do I do? What do I do? What do I do!"

"Nanny Li, do something!"

"It’s useless, Your Highness. It’s too late. Even if I were to reach in now and pull that thing out of you, there is no way to hide it!"

"Your Highness, listen to me. You must stay calm and not talk nonsense. Later, I will use a blanket to cover you so no one can see your belly. When you see the Emperor, cry and beg for mercy; tell him you have been cursed by evil spirits. You must make it clear from the very beginning that you did not betray him and that what you are carrying is not a child. As for the outcome? We must leave it to fate."

Nanny Li knew that telling the truth now offered a slim chance of survival, but if they tried to hide it or lie when confronted, the crime of deceiving the Emperor would be inescapable. The current Emperor despised being lied to—he could deceive others, but they could not deceive him.

Thus, they could only play the victim and hope to stir a flicker of pity in his heart.

Finished, Nanny Li did not wait to comfort the panicked Consort Guang further. She grabbed a nearby blanket, draped it over the Consort to conceal her distended belly, and helped her up. She opened the small door, claiming the Consort needed the blanket because of the cold, and led her away toward the Zichen Palace to face the Emperor.

Although Li Ming and his men found the blanket strange, they dared not object, nor did they dare to stare too closely. Since the Emperor had not specified why he wanted to see her, there was no need to offend her.

Before long, they arrived at the rear hall of the Zichen Palace, waiting for the Emperor’s summons. Even upon arrival, they had to wait at the door for notification.

The Emperor was particularly eager to discover what strange changes had befallen the Consort, so she was admitted shortly after. Nanny Li was not allowed in, as the Emperor had not requested her presence.

Nanny Li could do nothing but pray silently that Consort Guang would not falter and would at least manage to speak clearly.