Chapter 126: Still Thinking It’s Like the Old Days

Chapter 126: Still Thinking It's Like the Old Days

Bai Liwei was unaware that sparing Su Youyue had inadvertently saved her own life. After leaving the Su Mansion, she hurriedly questioned the palace servants about what had happened.

"Princess, this servant doesn't know the specifics, but I do know that His Majesty was taking a stroll in the Imperial Garden when he unexpectedly came across Her Highness and the two gentlemen, Li Langjun and Zhang Langjun, from your side... in the artificial mountains... His Majesty was enraged, immediately drew his sword, and beheaded the two gentlemen on the spot. He almost struck down Her Highness as well!"

Although the palace servant didn't explicitly state what the three were doing in the artificial mountains, Bai Liwei could easily guess what her mother, the Consort, would have been up to with those two male favorites of hers.

But how could this be possible? The Consort knew full well that the Emperor frequently visited the Imperial Garden. No matter how bold she was, she wouldn't dare bring others there!

Despite sensing something amiss, Bai Liwei couldn't fathom how things had escalated to this point, so she hastily returned to the palace.

Upon arriving at Chao Lu Palace, she saw that Third Prince was kneeling outside, his face darkened by a gloomy expression. The palace servants in this palace dared not even breathe loudly, the atmosphere stiflingly oppressive.

"Imperial Brother, what is going on?" Bai Liwei asked anxiously.

Seeing her, Bai Liming instinctively wanted to rise, but then remembered something and continued kneeling without getting up. "I don't know either, but Mother must have been framed by some villain!"

"I'm going to find Father!" Bai Liwei started to stride toward the inner chambers.

Unexpectedly, Bai Liming suddenly grabbed her. "Wei'er, don't go. Father is in a rage right now. If you enter, you'll only receive the same punishment as me!"

"Father knows that Mother has been framed. He will surely take action for Mother's sake!" Bai Liwei knew that the Emperor was furious, but years of being favored made her certain that the Emperor wouldn't truly harm them, her mother and siblings.

Ignoring Bai Liming's warnings, she directly entered the hall.

Several eunuchs saw her, hesitated for a moment before attempting to rush over to stop her, but it was too late. Bai Liwei saw that Consort Qiu was being strangled by two eunuchs with a white silk ribbon and immediately widened her eyes. "Mother!"

Hearing her voice, the Emperor, who had been standing aside with his hands behind his back, suddenly turned around. On the ground, Consort Qiu opened her mouth, trying to call for help, but was choked into silence.

Bai Liwei abruptly pushed away several eunuchs and rushed over, forcefully shoving aside the two eunuchs strangling Consort Qiu. "You bunch of dog lackeys, what are you trying to do!"

The two eunuchs exchanged glances, quickly looking to the Emperor standing nearby.

Only then did Bai Liwei realize that without an order from the Emperor, these lackeys wouldn't dare kill her mother!

She looked at the Emperor with shock and disappointment. "Father, Mother has definitely been wronged. How can you take her life without investigating the truth!"

Accused by her, the Emperor's face couldn't maintain its composure, his expression filled with anger. "Wronged? How have I wronged this wretched woman! She has long been involved with those disgusting creatures by your side! It's because I've been too lenient with all of you that you've grown so bold as to disregard even me!"

Bai Liwei was startled, not expecting that the Emperor already knew everything. Before she could think of a defense, the Emperor pointed at Consort Qiu. "Continue! Quickly kill this wretched woman for me!"

The two eunuchs, of course, listened to the Emperor. A hint of mockery flashed in their eyes as they glanced at Third Princess.

Third Princess still thought it was like the old days. In the past, no matter what mistakes they made, the Emperor would be lenient, because they hadn't harmed him.

Now that the Empress Consort had given the Emperor a green hat, how could the Emperor possibly let her off? If this news spread, where would the Emperor's face be?

Even if Consort Qiu was truly wronged today, the Emperor wouldn't allow her to live!

Seeing the Emperor issue the order for the second time, a glimmer of despair flashed in Consort Qiu's eyes before she resigned herself to her fate. She knew this man too well—cold-hearted and unfeeling. These years of continuous favor weren't because he genuinely cared for her, but because she could always make him happy.

She cursed her misfortune for falling into the trap of a villain, unknowingly drinking tea laced with aphrodisiacs. Halfway through her walk in the Imperial Garden, the effects of the drug took hold, and since the dose seemed particularly high, she soon lost her senses. Encountering Li Langjun and Zhang Langjun, she followed them into the artificial mountains in a daze.

Then, just as fate would have it, the Emperor happened upon them...

After returning to Chao Lu Palace, her trusted confidante, Wanqiu, under the Emperor's interrogation, honestly confessed that she had previously been involved with those two men.

If she still didn't understand that she had been ensnared in a plot, Consort Qiu had spent her years in the palace for nothing.

But she couldn't figure out who else, besides Wanqiu, was involved in this plan.

Each link in this chain was tightly connected. Had any one of them failed, she wouldn't have ended up in this situation. Who, capable of mobilizing so many people within the palace and planting insiders by her side, could have orchestrated this?

She couldn't think of anyone with such capability!

As the two eunuchs moved forward again to tighten the white ribbon, her expression once more became pained. Just as Bai Liwei was about to step forward, she heard the Emperor say, "Go, arrange it. I want to conduct a blood test with Second Prince, Third Prince, and Third Princess."

Bai Liwei stared in disbelief, frozen in place.

Father doubted that she and her two Imperial Brothers weren't his biological children?

No, how could this be possible? Those two men were merely playthings she had given to Mother. When she gave them to her, she was already quite old, so they were undoubtedly the Emperor's biological children!

She was royal blood, born noble, and superior to others from birth. She was absolutely not some illegitimate child!

Bai Liwei repeatedly told herself this, yet she couldn't help but shudder.

Living seventeen years, she experienced fear for the first time. Even the slightest possibility that she wasn't of royal blood was unacceptable to her, making her feel as if she had fallen into an icy abyss.

At this moment, she couldn't even protect herself, let alone worry about Consort Qiu. Rushing to the Emperor, she exclaimed, "Father! I am your biological daughter! I am a princess!"

Unlike in the past, the Emperor wasn't affectionate. Looking at her, a trace of disgust flashed in his eyes, and he ruthlessly pushed her away. "Whether or not you are, all of you disgust me!"

He didn't use much force, but Third Princess's legs weakened, causing her to fall to the ground. She looked at the Emperor, who used to dote on her, as if he were a stranger she had never known.

How could Father treat her like this?

What did he mean? Was he saying that even if she was his biological daughter, he would still find her repulsive in the future?

Still stunned, Eunuch Fu suddenly entered. Glancing at the situation inside the hall, he bypassed Consort Qiu and Third Princess, approaching the Emperor.

"Your Majesty, the Left Censor of the Censorate and the Chief Justice of the Ministry of Justice have come to the palace to report that the mastermind behind the human trafficking case has been identified. It is the Grand Tutor. They have come to request Your Majesty's permission to arrest the Grand Tutor..."