binnovel Chapter 32 The Emperor's Favored Mad Concubine's Ramblings (1)
Chapter 32 The Emperor's Favored Mad Concubine's Ramblings (1)
"By imperial decree, Consort Hua is jealous and shall be punished by kneeling for three hours!"
"I'm innocent! Eunuch Li, the Third Princess really wasn't pushed into the water with our permission..."
Su Dingding opened her eyes and found herself kneeling on the ground, with the palace maid beside her crying her eyes out and her head bleeding from kowtowing.
The aloof and arrogant Eunuch Li didn't even glance at them, his face full of disdain.
That's how women in the palace are: when they're favored, everyone respects them; once they fall out of favor, even dogs would piss on them.
[Host, receive the original owner's memories.]
The original owner's name was Zhao Zihua. She came from a humble background and was just a songstress.
When the emperor traveled incognito to the south of the Yangtze River, he took a liking to her, slept with her for one night, and brought her back to the palace.
She was beautiful, talented in singing and dancing, and understanding, which made her a favorite of the emperor.
It can be said that Zhao Zihua was happy during the days before she entered the inner palace.
Although the emperor was over forty, he was dashing, romantic, wealthy, and a dragon among men; no woman could escape his grasp.
However, after entering the palace, Zhao Zihua was only given the title of a minor concubine.
The emperor was busy with state affairs and had many concubines to win over, so he gradually neglected her.
Knowing her lowly status, Zhao Zihua never vied for favor and only wanted to live a peaceful life.
However, the other concubines, being of high status, naturally looked down on her. As a result, they often deliberately caused her trouble, framed her, and made her look bad in public. It was also common for them to punish her by making her kneel and be beaten.
Zhao Zihua initially thought the Emperor would stand up for her, but after seeing his cold attitude, she gave up.
Once, Consort Rou put the jade bracelet that the Emperor had given her on Zhao Zihua's wrist, and then went to the Empress to complain that Zhao Zihua had stolen her bracelet.
With irrefutable evidence, Zhao Zihua had no way to deny it and knelt in the snow under the moonlight to receive her punishment.
She was lucky; that day, the emperor couldn't sleep and went for a walk, where he happened to see the beauty under the moon.
Remembering their past affection, she felt heartbroken. The Emperor personally carried her back to his palace, showered her with favor for a night, and promoted her to Consort Hua.
Consort Rou was thus confined to her quarters for a month and completely lost favor.
Zhao Zihua was naturally happy to regain the emperor's favor. She was simple-minded and only wanted to stay with her beloved forever.
Not long after, she became pregnant. The emperor was overjoyed and declared that he would make her a concubine as long as she gave birth to a prince.
At that time, the emperor was in his forties and had six princesses, but no princes.
The other concubines were unable to conceive, so even if they were favored, it was useless.
In the end, it was still his Consort Hua; she appeared just like that.
When the Empress received the news, she could no longer sit still. A woman as lowly as Zhao Zihua was not qualified to give birth to a prince!
So she began to plot against Zhao Zihua.
From then on, the Empress frequently visited Zhao Zihua and bestowed upon her many fine gifts.
She calls her "little sister" all day long and keeps her up with endless private conversations.
Everyone in the harem knew that Zhao Zihua and the Empress had a good relationship, and the Emperor was very happy to see their sisterly affection.
Zhao Zihua was completely open and trusting towards the Empress.
Soon after, the Empress fell ill, and the imperial physician discovered that she was already three months pregnant.
This was truly a double blessing, and the Emperor was overjoyed!
Several months later, Zhao Zihua was sleeping at night when she suddenly felt dizzy.
When she was woken up by the cold water, she found herself kneeling on the ground, her clothes disheveled, with her palace eunuch Xiao Leizi beside her.
The Emperor glared at her, while the Empress looked on with pity.
Before Zhao Zihua could figure out what was going on, Xiao Leizi admitted that he hadn't been completely cleansed. He said that Zhao Zihua had agreed because she was lonely and couldn't bear it, which was why she had an affair with him.
Several palace maids knelt on the ground to testify, and even a royal physician ran out to say that Zhao Zihua had bribed him.
She was already eight months pregnant, not seven, which means the emperor had not favored her at that time.
To put it bluntly, she became pregnant first, and in order to hide her affair, she seduced the emperor, deceived him, and committed a heinous crime!
Zhao Zihua was stunned and speechless!
"Consort Hua, what else do you have to say?" the Emperor glared at her.
"If Your Majesty does not trust me, I have nothing to say." Zhao Zihua was somewhat disappointed. All the past affection between her and the Emperor could not earn his trust.
"Consort Hua, you're so foolish!" The Empress feigned a benevolent expression and looked at the Emperor, saying, "Your Majesty should go back and rest. I will handle the affairs of the harem properly."
The emperor turned and left with a dark expression, not even glancing at Zhao Zihua.
“Sister…” Zhao Zihua wanted to appeal to the Empress for justice.
Unexpectedly, the Empress suddenly smiled coldly, "Guards! Throw Consort Hua into the Cold Palace and beat her until she miscarries!"
Zhao Zihua was sent to the Cold Palace, but she did not abort the child, and people still brought her good food and drink every day.
She initially thought this was the Empress taking care of her and was grateful.
Later, after the Emperor has calmed down and the little prince is born, she will find an opportunity to explain to the Emperor.
It wasn't until the day of her delivery, when she saw the old woman hurriedly take the little prince away, that she realized something was wrong.
From then on, no one cared whether she lived or died in the cold palace.
Half a month later.
The Empress personally brought her a foot of white silk, looked at her arrogantly, and then revealed the truth.
She was actually faking her pregnancy. Now, the prince Zhao Zihua gave birth to is her biological son, and he will definitely be made crown prince and become emperor in the future.
"Only when everyone who knows this secret is dead can I be at ease," the Empress said very clearly.
Zhao Zihua then realized that the sisterly affection she had once shared was all a lie, but it was too late. She regretted her actions but was helpless.
For her son's sake, she had no choice but to die!
The Empress made the old nanny watch Zhao Zihua hang herself, and only felt at ease after confirming that she had stopped breathing.
Unfortunately, her death did not bring her son a lifetime of peace.
Six years later, the empress gave birth to her own prince.
Just as the emperor was preparing to make the eldest prince the crown prince, the eldest prince fell seriously ill and died.
The Empress's biological son naturally became the Crown Prince and later the Emperor, while she became the Empress Dowager, enjoying a life of wealth and honor.
[Host, the original owner's request was to make that unfaithful emperor see the empress's true colors, to make her suffer a fate worse than death, and to make those who framed her pay the price.]
After Gangzi finished speaking, he realized that Su Dingding was ignoring him.
Instantly, Gangzi had a bad feeling.
【Host? 】
Su Dingding swayed slightly; she had just fallen asleep.
So Gangzi talked to himself for a long time, but she didn't really listen to him.
Not only that, Su Dingding's eyes were also somewhat dazed, clearly indicating that he was not in a very... clear-headed state.
She suddenly opened her eyes, felt a pain in her knee, rubbed it, and tried to get up.
Upon seeing this, Eunuch Li shouted, "Consort Hua, how dare you defy the imperial decree!"
Su Dingding was taken aback, then frowned.
She stood up angrily and kicked Eunuch Li in the stomach. "You dog of a servant, you have no respect for your elders! Who do you think you are!"