Chapter 248: Chapter 248

No one could have imagined that the Duke of Cheng'en's household—a family of three-dynasty elder statesmen with disciples throughout the realm, once incomparably illustrious—could fall so quickly and completely.

Private weapons manufacturing, conclusive evidence of rebellion intent, and even the witness providing testimony was none other than the current Young Mistress of the Duke of Cheng'en's household. Genuine witnesses and material evidence were all present.

No room for defense, no escape possible.

Within three days, aside from the Second Prince who remained under house confinement, all other faction members were dismissed from their positions and imprisoned.

When the emperor rages, corpses litter thousands of miles.

Property confiscations, exiles, executions—for a time, the scent of blood at the execution grounds lingered unbearably long.

After twenty years on the throne, the Mingde Emperor once again demonstrated what could only be called an iron-fisted approach to his ministers. In less than half a month, the Duke of Cheng'en's faction of officials was nearly completely eradicated.

Those unaware of the truth marveled at the emperor's authority, but many cunning individuals, especially officials who had experienced "that incident" years ago, couldn't help but feel a chill in their hearts.

Judging by this clean and efficient method, His Majesty wasn't acting on impulse but had clearly prepared for a long time. Even without today's incident, without such legitimate justification, as long as the current emperor remained on the throne, he would inevitably crush the Empress's faction into the dust.

His Majesty, it seemed, had never intended to leave the Duke of Cheng'en's household even the slightest chance of survival from the very beginning.

Understanding this, the ministers couldn't help but gasp in shock, inevitably recalling the palace turmoil twenty years ago that shocked the entire court when the current emperor first ascended the throne.

Imperial Consort Shu died in difficult childbirth overnight, both mother and child lost. The current Empress, the mother of the nation, was nearly executed by the new emperor's own hand. Virtually every consort of any significance in the palace was affected—it was said the bloodshed in the palace that day couldn't be washed clean for days and nights.

And this was when His Majesty had just ascended the throne in his youth, his position still unstable.

Back then, the ministers could still offer some resistance, but now...

Alas, everyone knew that in the current situation, deposing the Empress was probably already inevitable!

Hearing the familiar footsteps behind her, the Empress for the first time didn't turn around, merely raising her hand to absently stroke the familiar yet strangely unfamiliar face in the mirror.

Despite years of meticulous maintenance and daily consumption of various skin-nourishing supplements, the deep exhaustion and wrinkles between her brows remained strikingly evident.

Not yet forty, but frost already tinged her hair.

"His Majesty has arrived!"

Only when the footsteps drew nearer did the woman's somewhat dazed voice finally come from before the dressing table.

Unlike her usual splendid attire and every movement etched with imperial dignity and protocol, today the Empress was dressed with exceptional simplicity—a plain blue-green robe, her hair tied back simply with just a jade hairpin.

As if washed clean of worldly glamour, even her expression and demeanor no longer carried the previous pedantic rigidity.

Yet the Mingde Emperor before her didn't spare her more than a glance, immediately asking the question he'd suppressed for so long:

"It was you who struck against Yue'er back then!"

This wasn't a question but a statement.

Even though from beginning to end, there had never been any evidence.

Staring fixedly at the pale face in the mirror, the Empress's lips couldn't help but form a bitter smile.

Yes, among the imperial family, what did evidence matter anyway?

Suspicion itself was the original sin.

Having the capability to act was an even greater sin.

No matter how flawless the methods and planning, they couldn't compare to the pressure of a monarch's power.

Just like her—clearly superior in reputation, ability, and methods to that woman, yet whether in the women's quarters or elsewhere, she could never measure up to even a fraction of that person.

Even when that woman's family collapsed overnight, reducing her to the daughter of a criminal official, she could still easily shatter her pride into complete defeat...

Xu Qingyue. Speaking this name that had once made her both nostalgic and hateful, even after so long, it could still stir up dense, aching pain in her heart.

After a long while, the Empress finally found her voice:

"Since Your Majesty has already decided, what meaning is there in asking now, at this point?"

"Yue'er knew you since childhood, always treated you like a true elder sister. Even after you entered the palace, she never overstepped in the slightest. When you remained childless for years, fearing you might feel insecure, she specifically begged Us to let you raise Our second son whose birth mother had passed young..."

In the small inner chamber, the Mingde Emperor's voice unconsciously carried heavy anger, finally nearly gritting his teeth as he said:

"After all this, Empress, did she ever wrong you in any way?"

What answered him was the sudden low laughter of the person before him: "Heh!"

"Yes, Your Majesty, you're not wrong—she never wronged me! But!" The woman's voice suddenly rose sharply:

"Her very existence was a mistake! A colossal mistake!"

Staring at the crimson eyes before her, the Empress suddenly laughed softly:

"Yes, she was innocent and kind—that's true. She never treated me with anything but respect—that's also true. But so what?"

"The position of Empress—stepping back even once means plunging into an abyss. I ask Your Majesty, should your subject have entrusted her position, her entire future, even her family's fate, to someone else's kindness?"

"From the moment it was known she was pregnant, Your Majesty, you probably didn't even realize how ecstatic your expression was... Freshly ascended to the throne, your imperial position still unstable, yet you couldn't wait to elevate the daughter of a criminal official whose entire family had been convicted to the position of Imperial Consort!"

"Your Majesty, oh Your Majesty, with all this, how could your subject possibly feel secure?"

The Empress laughed softly again:

"A foster son, ha~ For you men, once you have children born from your beloved, what do other people's children amount to? Probably not even worth as much as wild grass by the roadside!"

Not to mention other examples—isn't the current Empress Dowager the most vivid illustration? The daughter of a lowly commoner, forcefully elevated by the Late Emperor to become Empress and eventually Empress Dowager.

With such clear precedent, who could possibly feel secure?

"Why did this childhood friend not hesitate to personally wield the blade? Why did virtually the entire rear palace, regardless of kindness or malice, unite as one? Why did nearly every weapon from both front court and rear palace aim at her? Why did A Yue, despite her innocent kindness and never treating anyone improperly, have almost everyone wishing her dead?"

"In the final analysis, all of this is because of you, Your Majesty! You are the root cause of this crime!"

"The resources available to the entire rear palace are limited—she alone claimed nearly ninety percent of them, yet she was the vulnerable daughter of a criminal official. I ask you, if she didn't die, who should have?"

Were these women competing for imperial favor? No, they were competing for status, for future prospects, for their families and children...

"Those who touch everyone's interests will inevitably incur everyone's wrath. Could it be Your Majesty doesn't understand such a basic principle?"

Staring fixedly at the bright yellow bead curtain before her, the Empress nearly whispered:

"Who can we blame for this? Blame her Xu family for acting imprudently, losing the position of Crown Princess—even future Empress—that Your Majesty desperately begged from the Late Emperor? Blame Your Majesty for stubbornly insisting on bringing her into the Eastern Palace despite everything, then succumbing to pressure to marry me?"

"So ultimately, all of this is still because of you, Your Majesty!"

Lock two beasts in a cage with only one bottle of water, then ask them why they fight—isn't that ridiculous?

Without the power to shake the very foundations, why play the hero saving beauty from distress?