Chapter 33: The Execution of Li Clan

Chapter 33: The Execution of Li Clan

Xiao Jingheng arrived swiftly.

Upon arrival, he saw Song Zhao lying unconscious on the bed. He quickly strode to her bedside, took her hand, and asked the imperial physician:

"How is her condition?"

The imperial physician replied, "Your Majesty, Song Changzai has been poisoned with arsenic. Fortunately, she ate very little at lunch, so the poisoning is not severe. I have administered an emetic to induce vomiting and a strong medicine to remove the toxins, which is why she might remain unconscious for half a day."

Hearing this, Xiao Jingheng felt a weight lift from his heart.

He had always known that behind the apparent calm of his harem, undercurrents were swirling,

But now, with new faces in the palace, could it be that such treacherous plots were being brazenly executed?

Taking a deep breath to suppress his anger, he asked:

"Who was responsible for delivering Song Changzai’s meals?"

The servant in charge of delivering meals, terrified, quickly knelt and stammered, "It was me, Your Majesty, but I don't know how the young mistress could have been poisoned... After collecting the meal from the Imperial Kitchen, I was meant to deliver it directly to Song Changzai, but I was forcefully called by Li Changzai to her palace to help move a table, which delayed me. The meal might have cooled down, but it couldn’t possibly have been…"

"Take him away for fifty lashes and send him to work in the Xinze Depot."

Xiao Jingheng cut him off coldly. Guards quickly muffled the servant’s mouth and dragged him away.

In the ensuing silence, Xiao Jingheng asked:

"And the master of Yaohua Palace?"

"Your Majesty, Consort Yao went to Consort Ying’s palace after paying respects to the Empress. As for Li Changzai... she might be taking her midday rest at this hour?"

"A midday rest?" Xiao Jingheng sneered softly, gently placing Song Zhao's hand back under the quilt and tucking in the edges before saying:

"Bring that person to me."

At that moment, Li Changzai was indeed taking her midday rest.

She was a heavy sleeper and never heard any noise, and due to her usual temperamental nature, prone to beating and scolding her servants, none dared to wake her even though they knew there was a commotion in the west side hall.

When Xiao Jingheng's men woke her up and she learned that Xiao Jingheng wanted to see her, she joyfully ran all the way there.

Not wanting to disturb Song Zhao’s rest, Xiao Jingheng had Li Changzai meet him in the main hall.

Li Changzai’s voice preceded her arrival, cooing in a whiny tone:

“Your Majesty~ What brings you here at this time?”

But the moment she entered, she sensed something was amiss.

Xiao Jingheng sat at the head, his handsome face covered with a layer of thin ice, looking intimidating.

“What’s wrong, Your Majesty?”

Li Changzai approached Xiao Jingheng, tentatively reaching out to touch him.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Jingheng swung back a heavy slap, knocking her to the ground.

Dazed by the force of the slap, Li Changzai fell and took a moment to regain her senses, looking at Xiao Jingheng with a shocked expression,

“Your Majesty...”

“How many more people do you intend to harm, you wicked woman?”

Li Changzai looked utterly bewildered, shaking her head dumbly, “I don’t understand what Your Majesty is saying.”

Xiao Jingheng narrowed his eyes, “It was you who ordered the servant delivering meals to lift a table for you. The meal for Song Changzai, from the Imperial Kitchen to Yaohua Palace, was only in your palace. If the arsenic in that meal wasn’t your doing, then who else could it be!?”

Li Changzai, with a face of disbelief, widened her eyes and retorted, “Is Your Majesty suspecting me of poisoning Song Changzai? How could I, confined within this deep palace, commit such a deed?”

“You dared to plot against Consort Shu and her child; what could you possibly not be capable of?”

Xiao Jingheng’s voice suddenly rose, startling Li Changzai with a jolt.

She felt a mix of fear and confusion in her heart,

Wondering why Xiao Jingheng would suspect her when everything had clearly been pinned on Song Zhao.

"Consort Shu and the little prince were harmed by Song Changzai, not me! Although I sent the wild ginseng, the contaminant was found in Song Changzai's chamber, wasn't it? Why would Your Majesty still suspect me?"

Li Changzai's tearful plea only served to further infuriate Xiao Jingheng.

He gestured for Jiang Deshun to hand Li Changzai the confession from the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.

After reading it, Li Changzai was so shocked she could barely speak, crying out:

"It’s impossible, Your Majesty! Fuer has always been with me. Why would she go to the capital to buy Huo Zi Cao? I don’t even know what Huo Zi Cao is! There’s something wrong here; someone must be framing me!”

Clutching the confession in her hand, she fell forward, knocking her head on the floor, “Please discern the truth, Your Majesty! Fuer is currently in the eastern side hall. If Your Majesty doubts me, you can arrest her and have the Ministry of Justice interrogate her under torture! I truly haven’t done anything!”

Seeing that Xiao Jingheng wouldn’t even glance at her, she crawled forward a couple of inches, grasping at Jiang Deshun’s trousers, pleading:

“Eunuch Jiang, please speak on my behalf to His Majesty. I didn’t do this! Why not bring Fuer here first to clarify the matter?”

Jiang Deshun looked down at her with cold eyes and disdain in his heart.

Personal servants are usually the closest to their masters, having served them since childhood,

Yet, Li Changzai, in an effort to protect herself, could so easily suggest sending Fuer to be harshly interrogated by the Ministry of Justice.

Being a servant himself, how could Jiang Deshun feel any sympathy for her?

Still, he would ask the necessary question,

“Your Majesty, shall we bring the maid in question to the Ministry of Justice for interrogation?”

“No need!” Xiao Jingheng waved dismissively, speaking indifferently, “The Court of Judicial Review and the Department of Punishments have already thoroughly investigated the matter. What more is there to ask?”

He looked at Li Changzai with disgust, “If you hadn’t committed any wrongdoing, why would you be so eager to poison Song Changzai, to silence her?”

Faced with such a sudden turn of events, Li Changzai, at a loss for words, could only cry and repeatedly insist on her innocence.

But her claims of innocence held no weight against the overwhelming evidence against her.

Xiao Jingheng gazed at her for a moment, then shook his head, “It’s truly unfortunate for the Li family to have produced such a malevolent woman! Guards, drag Fuer out and execute her by beating. As for Li Changzai…”

He rubbed the ring on his thumb, deep in thought:

Merely the charge of plotting against the heir was enough to implicate the entire Li clan.

However, Li’s father was the Grand Canal Governor and held an important position in the previous dynasty.

Given the current need for talented officials, Xiao Jingheng was reluctant to take extreme measures.

Thus, he declared, “Li Changzai, guilty of conspiring against the Empress and murdering the heir, deserves death! Considering your maternal family’s contributions to the state, I will not extend the punishment to your entire clan. As for you, you will be imprisoned in a secret cell and executed by hanging tomorrow at noon.”

Li Changzai’s face turned utterly pale, and she screamed desperately:

“Your Majesty! I am innocent! I have never harmed anyone. Why are you treating me this way, Your Majesty!”

Seeing Xiao Jingheng’s increasingly darkening expression, Jiang Deshun waved his whisk, commanding:

“What are you waiting for? Take her away immediately, don’t sully His Majesty’s eyesight!”