Steal my marriage? Turn around and marry the tyrant to take the throne

Chapter 1275: Your Majesty, Please Punish Me (150 Million Rewards Plus)

Concubine Chun stretched out her trembling hands, weeping so hard that she could hardly breathe, her voice broken: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty! I am guilty!"

"It's my fault... I failed to protect our prince..."

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty... Please... Please punish me..."

She cried with all her heart, portraying the image of a heartbroken mother who suddenly lost her child to perfection.

The intense and unpretentious grief hit the softest and most vulnerable part of Nangong Xuanyu's heart.

He looked at Concubine Chun like this, and then thought of the prince who had passed away without him ever meeting her, his expression was extremely complicated...

Nangong Xuanyu took a step forward and spoke more slowly: "You are weak, rest well, there is no need to do this."

However, the emperor's warmth was short-lived.

He turned around, his gaze returning to its cold, stern form as he swept outside the hall. With undeniable pressure, he asked, "Where's Su Quanye? How's the investigation going?!"

"I want an explanation for this matter!"

The bloody smell in the hall had not yet dissipated when Su Quanye bowed and walked in quickly.

He knelt directly before the emperor and spoke clearly, "Your Majesty, I have already led people to carefully examine the place where Concubine Chun fell."

"The eunuchs carrying the sedan chair were slipping because the bluestone slabs of the palace path were covered with a very thin layer of ice, and underneath the ice grew slippery moss. The combination of these two factors made it very easy to slip when walking on it."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the hall gasped!

It is freezing cold in the capital during the first month of the year, so it is not uncommon for water to freeze.

But where is this? This is the imperial palace, where the rules are the strictest and the cleaning is the most diligent!

Every palace path was swept and maintained by a dedicated person before dawn each day. Not only was there no ice or moss left, not even a pebble or a dead leaf was allowed to remain there for a moment.

Such mistakes are unheard of!

Nangong Xuanyu's face instantly darkened to the point where water could drip out of it, and his voice was icy cold: "The palace roads are swept every day, how could there be thin ice and moss?!"

Su Quanye lowered his head even more. "I have detained and interrogated the eunuch Xiao Liuzi, who was in charge of sweeping that section of the palace road."

"He confessed that due to the recent cold weather, he had been lazy and had not carefully cleaned up the accumulated water in the corners as required, causing ice to form at night. Furthermore, due to his neglect of cleaning, moss had grown in the cracks between the stones..."

"All of this is due to Xiao Liuzi's neglect of duty."

Regardless of her frail body, Concubine Chun suddenly struggled to her feet from the couch, crying heartbreakingly, her voice too shrill to be human: "Your Majesty! Your Majesty, did you hear that?!"

"I originally thought it was my bad luck that I couldn't keep the prince... I never expected, I never expected it was those damned servants who were sneaky and cunning, harming my child! Harming your Majesty's prince!"

"Your Majesty! You must make a decision for me and our poor prince!"

Yingxiang also fell to her knees with a plop, kowtowed profusely, and cried out, "Your Majesty, please understand!"

"Ever since my lady became pregnant, she has been extremely cautious, not even daring to drink more than a sip of cold water, hoping for the safe birth of the prince..."

"She often touches her belly and tells me she doesn't know whether the child will look more like Your Majesty or her..."

"Who would have thought... who would have thought that I would end up falling into the hands of these lazy servants! Please, Your Majesty, help me!"

The master and servant cried bitterly, every word they said was laced with tears.

The concubines in the hall listened with sorrowful expressions and sighs on their faces, but each had their own thoughts in their hearts.

Many people even felt a sense of sympathy for their own kind.

Today, Concubine Chun is unlucky to have run into such a careless servant. If it happens to her in the future...

How can we let such a derelict of duty be forgiven so easily?!

They all echoed, "Your Majesty, this slave has been so negligent and derelict in his duty that he almost caused a disaster. He must be severely punished!"

"Your Majesty, this trend must not continue!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

"..."

When Concubine Zhuang heard Su Quanye's report, her face turned as pale as paper.

She suddenly raised her head, her sharp eyes sweeping over Concubine Chun, who was crying bitterly on the couch, and Su Quanye, who was kneeling on the ground to answer. A terrible thought surfaced in Concubine Zhuang's mind...

What if this wasn't an accident, but someone bribed the cleaning eunuch Xiao Liuzi and deliberately created this "accident"...

Not only could they get rid of Concubine Chun's child, but they could also pin the blame for the mismanagement that led to the loss of the imperial heir on the head of the newly appointed Concubine in charge of the six palaces...

The only one who can do all this and has the motivation to do so is...

Concubine Zhuang's gaze involuntarily turned to Shen Zhinian, who was standing aside with a solemn expression and silent.

At this moment, Nangong Xuanyu's cold gaze swept over, and his voice was not loud, but it was filled with great pressure: "Noble Concubine Zhuang, I remember that the cleaning duties of the West Six Palaces are now in charge of your people?!"

Concubine Zhuang was shocked, knowing that the most critical moment had arrived.

She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing all fear and suspicion, and slowly knelt before the emperor, her voice trying to remain calm: "Your Majesty, it is indeed your responsibility."

"I have failed to live up to your Majesty's grace and failed to supervise properly, causing the palace servants to slack off and thus leading to this catastrophe. Your Majesty, please punish me!"

Imperial Concubine Zhuang readily admitted her dereliction of duty, then changed the subject, looking up at the emperor with a clear gaze and a firm tone, "Of course... ever since I took over the palace duties, I have personally attended to every detail, ordering people to check the cleaning records daily, and I would never dare to slack off in the slightest!"

"The appearance of thin ice and moss on the palace path is definitely not due to ordinary negligence!"

"I beg Your Majesty to investigate this matter. Someone must have deliberately framed me and is trying to destabilize the palace. Their intentions are worthy of death!"

Concubine Zhuang emphasized the words "deliberate frame-up" and faced the emperor's scrutiny without any hesitation.

Although she did not mention anyone by name, every word she said was like a needle hidden in cotton, and the target was obvious.

The concubines in the palace who had a little bit of brains all understood what was going on at this moment.

Who else in the harem could have the ability and motivation to set up this scheme and easily extend their hands into the sphere of authority and responsibility that Concubine Zhuang had just taken over, except for the Imperial Concubine who had been in charge for a long time?

The Imperial Noble Consort previously held all the power in the harem and had deep roots.

The little bit of assistant power held by the Imperial Concubine was only delegated to her by the Imperial Concubine at the beginning of the month. If the Imperial Concubine wanted to tamper with it, it would be as easy as pie.

As for the motive, it is even more obvious.

Although Concubine Chun's prince with foreign blood could not threaten the Fourth Prince, Concubine Zhuang was different.

She comes from the prestigious Zhuang family, is the daughter of the Grand Tutor, and has now reached the rank of Imperial Consort. If she is allowed to continue to build her reputation through her role as Assistant Minister, coupled with the growing influence of Grand Tutor Zhuang within the previous dynasty...

Given time, she might be able to compete with the Imperial Noble Consort and even shake the position of the Vice Queen!

After all, no matter how noble the imperial concubine is, she is not the queen.

In history books, aren’t there enough deposed princes and favored concubines who have lost their power?

Until the last moment, who can say for sure who the Phoenix Throne will belong to?