126Your Majesty, spare my life!
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Chapter 126 Your Majesty, Spare My Life
"Consort Qing, what do you mean by that? I'm just offering advice to His Majesty, why are you so nervous?"
As the saying goes, two women equal a hundred ducks.
Even with so many people confronting each other just now, it wasn't as intense as these two arguing.
The Empress Dowager frowned, looking impatient.
"You two stop arguing, it's driving me crazy!"
After the Empress Dowager spoke, the hall instantly fell silent.
The Empress Dowager stood up, stomping her foot in annoyance.
Everyone looked at the Empress Dowager, feeling a little nervous.
Just as the Empress Dowager saw Dezhong, she suddenly became ecstatic.
She immediately knelt down before Dezhong with a thud.
"True Lord protect me!"
Dezhong was almost scared to death and quickly knelt on the ground.
"Empress Dowager, you're disgracing this old servant! Empress Dowager, please get up!"
Everyone else was also startled. Several concubines went to help the Empress Dowager up, but she refused to get up, continuously kowtowing to Dezhong.
Dezhong was practically in tears. What was this? What had gotten into the Empress Dowager?
Emperor Ren and the Empress forcibly helped the Empress Dowager up, but she was still shouting at Dezhong.
"True Lord, save me!"
After the Empress Dowager's emotions calmed down a bit, the Empress said,
"Your Majesty, if this matter gets out, it might be detrimental to the royal family's reputation. Why not execute this eunuch?"
Dezhong's face instantly turned as ugly as if he had eaten excrement.
Shen Yulou, on the other hand, secretly slapped his thigh. As expected of my good darling, she knows to speak up for me at this moment.
Shen Yulou had trained the Empress Dowager for several days to achieve this effect.
The last time they met, the Empress Dowager said that Shen Yulou was the emperor. As a result, Dezhong and Consort Shu both wanted to put Shen Yulou to death.
Last time, it was the Empress who interceded for him, and this time it was Dezhong's turn. The words he had said to Consort Shu back then, the Empress was now returning to him verbatim.
Dezhong knelt on the ground, sweating profusely in fear. "Your Majesty, spare my life! Your Majesty, spare my life! The Empress Dowager's words are those of illness, and words of illness cannot be trusted!"
The Empress said, "Your Majesty, even if they are words of illness, Dezhong serves by your side and will inevitably see the Empress Dowager.
If the Empress Dowager kneels to him every time they meet, what kind of decorum is that?"
"Even if he's not killed, he absolutely cannot remain by your side."
Emperor Ren nodded.
Dezhong had originally come to serve because He Shun had taken leave. Now, the Empress Dowager would prostrate herself before him every time she saw him. Although it was known that the Empress Dowager was ill, it was still inappropriate for this to continue.
"It shall be as the Empress says."
The Empress smiled slightly, "Dezhong, from today onwards, you will be in charge of the Net Army in the Imperial Household Department."
Dezhong's face was ashen. He had thought that this time, serving by the Emperor's side was a step up to heaven, but he never expected to be sent back to his original state like this.
Not only that, but he was also demoted to supervisor of the Net Army, which was the dirtiest and worst job in the Imperial Household Department.
He looked up at the Empress, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
He hadn't offended the Empress, so why was she targeting him so much?
After Dezhong left, Consort Su also helped the Empress Dowager down.
After a long wait, Li Hui entered the hall with a woman holding a child.
The woman wore a veil, and her figure was somewhat similar to Princess Naxing. The child in the swaddling clothes was also quite similar.
Emperor Ren frowned, "Li Hui, who is this person?"
Li Hui said, "Your Majesty, this person claims to be Princess Naxing and was intercepted by me at the city gate."
Emperor Ren walked up to her and ripped off her veil.
What met his eyes was an ordinary woman, whose appearance differed greatly from Princess Naxing.
Emperor Ren was furious, "Who are you! Why are you impersonating Princess Naxing!"
The woman lowered her head and said timidly, "Lord Shen told me to impersonate Princess Naxing to help him divert attention so he could send the real Princess Naxing away!"
At these words, everyone present's faces changed!
Was it really Shen Yulou who did it?
This kid was too bold, wasn't he?
Emperor Ren glared, his face full of anger!
Just as Emperor Ren was about to erupt in anger and question Shen Yulou, the Princess suddenly stood up and said,
"Look up and see, among these people, who is Lord Shen?"
The Fake Princess looked up, her face blank. She had never met Shen Yulou. Among everyone present, she only recognized Li Huai and Consort Shu.
When questioned by the Princess, she immediately felt a little guilty.
She subconsciously looked up at Consort Shu, who gave her a look that scared her into silence.
The Fake Princess pointed randomly, "He is Lord Shen..."
Minister Feng's face was extremely grim. "What nonsense are you talking about? Are you too excited and mistaken? This Official is nearly forty, how can I compare to Lord Shen's youth?"
As he spoke, Minister Feng also gave her a wink.
In an instant, the Fake Princess understood what was going on. There was only one young man present, Shen Yulou, so she immediately pointed at Shen Yulou and said,
"It's him!"
The Princess snorted, "Minister Feng, your hint was too obvious, wasn't it? If she was truly instigated by Shen Yulou, would she make a mistake?"
Minister Feng quickly explained, "Princess, she is just a commoner. Of course she would be nervous seeing the Emperor, so a mistake is inevitable. Why must the Princess cling to this?"
Just then, Shen Yulou suddenly saw the child in the Fake Princess's arms.
"Is your child having a fever?"
The Fake Princess's face showed worry, and her eyes instantly reddened.
She nodded heavily.
Shen Yulou opened the child's swaddling clothes, pulled back his eyelids, looked at his tongue, and then said with a solemn expression,
"The Imperial Medical Academy cannot cure your child's illness. In this world, no one can cure him except me.
If you tell the truth, I will save your child.
If you don't speak, he will definitely not live past tonight."
The Fake Princess's face changed drastically. She gritted her teeth and said with feigned courage,
"I have a prescription!"
"You have a prescription? I don't believe anyone can cure this illness. Bring out the prescription for me to see."
The Fake Princess reached into her bosom and fumbled around, then pulled out the piece of paper Li Huai had given her.
She opened it, just about to show it to Shen Yulou, when she realized it was a blank piece of paper, with no words at all!
Li Huai, kneeling nearby, instantly showed a guilty expression.
The Fake Princess's child's illness, in modern medicine, was acute pneumonia. The good-for-nothings in the Imperial Medical Academy certainly couldn't cure it.
Shen Yulou now had antibiotics, so he had a chance to cure it.
That's why he asserted that no one in this world could cure the child's illness except him.
Seeing this blank piece of paper, the Fake Princess completely broke down.
She pointed at Li Huai and shouted hysterically,
"Liar! You lied to me!!!"
Emperor Ren angrily said, "Impudent! Confess now! Otherwise, This Official will take your head!"
The woman hugged the child in her arms and burst into tears.
"Your Majesty, spare my life! Your Majesty, spare my life!"
Shen Yulou said, "If you want His Majesty to spare your life, then confess now! If you tell the truth, you and your child might still be saved. If you don't speak, you will surely die!"
The Fake Princess's face was incredibly pale. She looked up at Li Huai and Consort Shu.