Chapter 066

Chapter 066

"Niohuru, you are no longer the Imperial Noble Consort, so you can no longer wear the attire of the Imperial Noble Consort. Someone, remove Niohuru's luxurious garments and relocate her immediately."

As Liang Jiugong spoke, the maids stepped forward to remove the outer qipao dress and the eight-tailed phoenix hairpin along with other precious ornaments from Niohuru.

Niohuru had never anticipated such a sudden turn of events. Seeing the maids approaching to strip her of her luxurious attire, Niohuru could no longer maintain her usual composure. Overwhelmed, she shouted,

"How dare you! Stop! You lowly servants, how dare you lay hands on me, the Imperial Noble Consort?!" Her tone had lost its usual gentleness and calmness, becoming somewhat hysterical.

However, with the imperial decree already issued and the charges set, the demotion of the Imperial Noble Consort was a done deal. Now, as a convicted person, the palace maids no longer feared her and forcefully removed all items that no longer befitted her status.

Niohuru had never been so humiliated since entering the palace. She had always believed that she would eventually become the Empress. Where had things gone wrong?

While some of the charges were true, others were not!

The incident with the Crown Prince had nothing to do with her! It was clearly the doing of the Hesheri family! Yet, it was pinned on her.

The deaths of the young princes in the harem were also unrelated to her! Those sickly princes were doomed from birth; why should she care about those destined to die young!

"I demand to see the Emperor; I have been wronged! I did not do these things, I am innocent! Let go! I must see the Emperor!" Disheveled, Niohuru tried to rush out but was stopped by the eunuchs.

Niohuru attempted to push the eunuchs away but, having lived a life of luxury for too long, she lacked the strength and ended up falling herself. She was pushed to the ground, sitting there pale, her face a mix of anger and helpless confusion, which made some of the younger maids feel pity, as the Imperial Noble Consort had always treated the palace staff well.

Only Yuzhi, kneeling nearby, seemed bewildered by the sudden turn of events, but when she lowered her head, a look of satisfaction appeared.

As she listened to the former Imperial Noble Consort's cries of innocence, her eyes filled with disdain. The Imperial Noble Consort—or rather, Niohuru—was a vicious woman, not wronged at all. She usually pretended to be kind-hearted to others, but to her personal maid, she was cruel and made it impossible for her to speak out.

When Niohuru was in a bad mood, she would prick Yuzhi with needles, the pain was excruciating, but it left only a small, barely noticeable red mark.

Moreover, the Imperial Noble Consort always pricked her in private, hidden spots, where it was not easily seen.

After each incident, Niohuru would give Yuzhi some gifts, making other palace staff think she was favored by Niohuru, often receiving rewards.

This made it impossible for Yuzhi to say anything bad about Niohuru, as no one would believe her, only thinking she was ungrateful despite the rewards, disloyal to Niohuru who treated her so well.

What could Yuzhi do? When Niohuru was the Imperial Noble Consort, she held the highest position in the palace, at the peak of her power. But now, Niohuru had finally fallen from grace.

The days of torment under Niohuru were finally over. She lowered her head, her eyes filled with hatred and satisfaction.

Meanwhile, after a search, the maids dug out from a flowerpot some barely recognizable burnt fabric remnants, along with some strange bottles and jars, and half-burnt talismans.

"Niohuru, these items were found in the Yikun Palace, conclusive evidence of your plot against the royal heirs, even using the guise of the White Lotus Sect to deceive and harm others, and framing others using witchcraft to curse the Crown Prince."

Liang Jiugong watched as the accompanying imperial physician carefully confirmed that the contents of the jars were indeed powder mixed with smallpox scabs.

Liang Jiugong neatly rolled up the imperial decree and said sternly,

"This is evidence of your plot against the Crown Prince. Considering the loyal service of the Niohuru family to the Qing dynasty, the Emperor has spared your life, not executing you but demoting you to a common concubine and confining you to the cold palace. This is already a mercy to the Niohuru family. Niohuru, the Emperor will not see you. Give up this hope."

Niohuru looked at all this, and the so-called evidence found in the Yikun Palace, and suddenly realized there was a traitor in the Yikun Palace. Everything today was premeditated, these things she had never touched herself, let alone left them half-destroyed in the Yikun Palace.

It was clearly a frame-up!

"This is a setup, these things were deliberately placed in the Yikun Palace, this is a frame-up. If I really wanted to harm someone, why would I leave these things behind? Consort Rong! Consort Rong is my own sister! How could I harm her? This is all slander, someone must be framing me."

Niohuru shouted her innocence, the voodoo dolls in the Yonghe Palace were also the work of the Hesheri family. Could it be that the Hesheri family, seeing that framing Consort Rong was hopeless, turned to pin this on her?

Involving the Crown Prince, is that why Kangxi treated her this way?!

Is the Crown Prince truly that significant?!

Crown Prince, Hesheri! Why?! Why is this happening?!

"Niohuru, I’m just following orders. Your shouting here won’t change a thing. Take her away." Liang Jiugong didn’t waste any more time; he had to hurry back to the Qianqing Palace to report.

After leaving the imperial study, Aling'a looked visibly shaken—his face pale, eyes bloodshot, and shoulders slumped. Suo'etu, however, showed no change in expression from when he had entered.

Aling'a looked at Suo'etu and finally couldn’t hold back, "Minister Suo, what a clever scheme you’ve pulled off."

Suo'etu remained composed, calmly responding to Aling'a's anger, "Young man, you should cool that fiery temper of yours. Be cautious with your words." He then took the lead and left, leaving Aling'a behind.

It wasn’t until Suo'etu boarded his sedan chair that his expression turned grim. The Emperor still hadn’t decided to wipe out the Niohuru family.

Though it seemed Suo'etu had the upper hand this time—with the Imperial Noble Consort certain to be deposed and the Niohuru family severely weakened—judging by the Emperor’s attitude, he hadn’t entirely abandoned the Niohuru family and wouldn’t execute them.

Back at the Hesheri residence, Suo'etu soon got word from the palace: the Imperial Noble Consort had been deposed, demoted to a common consort, and confined to the cold palace.

After going over the charges against the Imperial Noble Consort, Suo'etu realized the Emperor had indeed gone easy on the Niohuru family.

The Imperial Noble Consort had indeed been deposed, but the main charge was harming the royal heir. The charge of colluding with the White Lotus Sect was downgraded to her merely using their name, not actually working with them. The testimonies were just desperate deathbed accusations and held no weight.

This effectively cleared the Niohuru family of any ties to the White Lotus Sect.

He had aimed to frame the Imperial Noble Consort’s actions as a reflection on the Niohuru family, suggesting that if she colluded with the White Lotus Sect, the entire family might be disloyal—a crime punishable by wiping out the whole clan.

To strip the Niohuru family of their status among the upper three banners.

But now, the Emperor had spared the Niohuru family, deposing the Imperial Noble Consort without executing her, leaving them some dignity. As long as the Niohuru family disowned the Imperial Noble Consort, the worst they’d face was a charge of failing to properly discipline their daughter.

Even with the Imperial Noble Consort gone, dealing a heavy blow to the Niohuru family, they still had Consort Rong in the palace, offering a glimmer of hope.

Meanwhile, after Aling'a returned, the Niohuru family had already convened to discuss the matter, with even the clan elders too anxious to stay idle.

Though the Niohuru family was still noble, their power had significantly waned. Fewer people now backed the Niohuru family, and it seemed half the court was now under Suo'etu’s influence.

When Suo'etu suddenly struck at the Niohuru family today, they hadn’t gotten any advance notice. It caught them completely by surprise.

"This is clearly Suo'etu’s plot to bring down the Imperial Noble Consort and crush the Niohuru family! It’s outrageous!" Aling'a said furiously, as all the so-called testimonies and confessions fabricated by the Hesheri family were targeting the Niohuru family.

The Niohuru family members all looked grave. More serious than the deposition of the Imperial Noble Consort was the association with the White Lotus Sect. If the Emperor truly believed that the Niohuru family harbored disloyal intentions, then the Niohuru family was in grave danger.

"Consort Rong, if we let Consort Rong plead for mercy, could we salvage something?"

Someone brought this up, as watching the Imperial Noble Consort fall was too great a loss for the Niohuru family. Previously, when the Qianqing Palace was sealed, Consort Rong was forced to stay there and cared for the Crown Prince. Could this favor be used to ask the Emperor for leniency?

As soon as this was mentioned, someone immediately objected, "No!"

Seeing everyone look over, the clan elder spoke, "The deposition of the Imperial Noble Consort is already decided. Even without other charges, the charge of harming the imperial heir alone is enough to depose her.

Especially since this matter involves not just the Fourth Princess, but also the Crown Prince. The weight of this is self-evident. This is Suo'etu's confidence. As long as the Crown Prince remains, the Hesheri family will not fall."

This was the truth. The Crown Prince was favored, and the Emperor would inevitably favor the Crown Prince's maternal family. But everyone's expressions were filled with both anger and helplessness.

"With the Imperial Noble Consort gone, we now only have Consort Rong left in the harem. If Consort Rong pleads for mercy and angers the Emperor, who might then take his anger out on her as well, our Niohuru family will be utterly without hope."

If we send another member of the Niohuru family into the harem, and if the Emperor harbors any resentment towards our family, he might not even grant her the concubine rank. What use would a concubine of low rank be in the harem? What good would that do?

"What about the issue with the White Lotus Sect? The Emperor believes that old traitor Suo'etu's words. Our Niohuru family will still be in trouble!" Aling'a clutched his head in a fit of helpless rage.

With his father gone, the weight of the Niohuru family now rested upon his shoulders. But when he confronted Suo'etu, the other party didn't even regard him with seriousness.

Everyone said that his father had chosen the wrong path, which led the Niohuru family to its current state. His father had been deeply troubled by this, which eventually led to his illness. Before dying, he charged Aling'a with restoring the Niohuru family's former glory.

The Niohuru family was on the brink of producing an Empress, but now...!

It could even implicate the entire Niohuru clan!

Aling'a suddenly clenched his fist and slammed it on the table beside him, "The Imperial Noble Consort was utterly foolish!"

"Aling'a, calm down first. The Emperor summoned you to the imperial study, and you returned safely. Since no imperial decree followed you to the Niohuru family, the Emperor must have his own considerations.

We must not plead for the Imperial Noble Consort and must distance ourselves from her. Only then can we protect the Niohuru family. A charge of treason is a stain the Niohuru family cannot bear." A family suspected of treason—how could the Emperor ever trust them again?

The Niohuru family is not yet finished. If it were, Aling'a would have been arrested in the palace on the spot, and he wouldn't be sitting here safely now.

"Our best move now is to stay still and adapt. If the Niohuru family can survive this crisis, we should lay low for a while and wait for the right opportunity. Aling'a, you must guard your words and deeds carefully. You cannot afford to be easily provoked like you were today."

"Yes, I understand," Aling'a replied, lowering his head in gloom.

Jingren Palace

Consort Tongjia had been seething after her clash with the Imperial Noble Consort in Cining Palace, but she burst into laughter upon hearing of the Imperial Noble Consort's demotion.

Consort Tongjia couldn't hold back her laughter and didn't even acknowledge Uya, who had just come out of her postpartum confinement to pay her respects.

"That Niohuru woman has finally met her deserved fate. I always knew her arrogance would be short-lived."

Consort Tongjia felt a sense of satisfaction. If the situation weren't so precarious, she would have gone to the cold palace to witness the Niohuru woman's downfall and see if she could still put on airs in front of her.

Now, as the sole Noble Consort, she held the palace's authority. Niohuru had once vied with her for the Fourth Prince's favor, but with Niohuru gone, who could possibly rival her now?

Consort Tongjia was now basking in her triumph, but Uya, sitting quietly with her head bowed, was inwardly in a state of turmoil. Niohuru had been demoted?!

How could this be? Niohuru was to be crowned Empress in the eighteenth year, albeit briefly. But now she had been demoted. What was going on? Why were things happening so differently from what she had experienced?

With Niohuru gone, what about Consort Tongjia...

Uya listened to Consort Tongjia's unrestrained laughter, but her heart grew heavier. Without Niohuru to keep Consort Tongjia in check, Consort Tongjia would now be the highest-ranking figure in the harem, able to suppress everyone else, including her.

Now she was just a low-ranking concubine, with no chance of rising. Just thinking about it made Uya feel suffocated.

Yonghe Palace

Su Yi was watering the flowers when Qinxin hurried in with urgent news, "Your Highness! Something has happened."

"What is it?" Su Yi continued to water the flowers. Wasn't it normal for something to happen in the harem? Today it was one thing, tomorrow another.

"Your Highness, it's the Imperial Noble Consort. She has been accused of harming the imperial heir, and the charges have been confirmed. The Emperor has just issued an edict demoting her to a commoner and sending her to the cold palace."

Then Qinxin leaned in and whispered, "During the morning court, someone also accused the Niohuru family of colluding with remnants of the White Lotus Sect. Your Highness, what should we do?"

Qinxin, being a member of the Niohuru family, was naturally anxious about the family's situation. With the Imperial Noble Consort fallen, Your Highness's position is also precarious.

After hearing this, Su Yi thought to herself, "Not so bad."

But outwardly, she still displayed a shocked expression. The watering tool in her hand fell to the ground, her face turned pale, and she clutched her chest, swaying slightly as if she might faint from the shock.

She murmured, "How could this be?!"

"Your Highness!" Qinxin quickly supported Consort Rong.

At that moment, someone arrived at Yonghe Palace.

The leading eunuch said they were there to inspect the storeroom of Yonghe Palace, accompanied by a physician. Qinxin tightened her hold on Su Yi's hand. Were they trying to frame Her Highness?

The leading eunuch, with a concerned smile, said, "Consort Rong is unwell. The physician is here; why not sit down and let him examine you? I am here on orders to inspect Yonghe Palace, but it's just a routine check. Please rest assured, Consort Rong."

Liang Jiugong had been sent to Yikun Palace, while he was assigned to Yonghe Palace. Before leaving, Liang Jiugong had repeatedly reminded him to be polite to Consort Rong. Having been in the palace for a long time, he understood the underlying meaning of Liang Jiugong's words. Although the Imperial Noble Consort had fallen from grace, Consort Rong should be fine.

Otherwise, Liang Jiugong wouldn't have specifically instructed him.

The physician was a familiar face—Imperial Physician Wang.

Imperial Physician Wang, with a stern expression, stepped forward with his medical box. "Your Highness, please sit."

Su Yi, supported by Qinxin, sat down. "What are you here for? Is there something unclean in my palace again?"

She forced a smile, her face pale, and spoke in a weak voice, "Not long ago, a voodoo doll with smallpox scabs was discovered in Yonghe Palace. What are you trying to find this time?"

"Your Highness, please calm down. It's not good for you to be upset right now," Imperial Physician Wang reminded her seriously, noting that Consort Rong's pulse was not good.

He swiftly retrieved a medicine bottle from his box and handed it to a maid, signaling her to mix it with water for Consort Rong to drink. At the same time, he swiftly wrote a prescription.

The leading eunuch, following Liang Jiugong's instructions, spoke kindly, "Consort Rong, you are overthinking this. We are here for your own good. Please cooperate and don't make things hard for us servants."

Qinxin stood by with a rigid expression, though she was drenched in sweat. Despite the polite attitude of the visitors, who knew what mischief might be afoot.

Yun Hua, standing nearby, was already at a loss. Such a sudden turn of events left her at a loss.

"If you wish to search, then search. Qinxin, take them there."

"Your Highness!" Qinxin turned to look at Consort Rong. With the Imperial Noble Consort fallen, if something else happened in Yonghe Palace, what would they do?

"Then I'll trouble Miss Qinxin to show the way," the leading eunuch said smoothly. Seeing that Consort Rong had relented and not stopped them from searching, things became much easier.

Qinxin had no option but to lead them. The eunuchs showed no interest in the main hall, heading straight for the storeroom. The more they focused on one place, the more Qinxin's heart raced.

She was in charge of the storeroom keys, and everything was meticulously recorded. There shouldn't be anything unclean inside, right?

At that moment, Imperial Physician Wang also arrived. Qinxin looked at him, puzzled about why he had come along.

Qinxin didn't understand, but to prevent the eunuchs from planting anything, she had to keep a close watch.

Su Yi sat there, her eyes slightly closed, deep in thought. She seemed to have calmed down a bit, but the servants of Yonghe Palace were all on edge.

"Yun Hua, help me to the Qianqing Palace," Su Yi suddenly said.

Yun Hua was also anxious. "Your Highness, the eunuchs haven't left yet. If we go to see the Emperor now, what if they..."

Find something that could harm Her Highness, like the voodoo doll last time. If it weren't for Her Highness being in Qianqing Palace, nearly contracting smallpox, and patiently caring for the Crown Prince, promptly clearing her name, who knows what might have happened.

Moreover, it's unclear whether the Emperor is already angry with Her Highness. Going to Qianqing Palace at this time might not be a good idea.

"I know what I'm doing, I'm going now. If you don't want to go, stay here with Qinxin and keep an eye on the situation." Su Yi shook her head and stood up, about to walk out. Yun Hua hurriedly followed, "My Lady!"

The servants exchanged uneasy glances, their panic growing as their mistress departed.

Someone had already gone to inform Qinxin about this.

Qinxin was extremely nervous here, and upon hearing that Consort Rong had gone to the Qianqing Palace, her mind was spinning. Seeing the flustered little eunuch who brought the news, she urgently said, "Hurry, send someone to fetch Consort Rong back! What are you standing there for!"

Qinxin was so anxious that she could hardly keep from jumping up. If she weren't tied up here, she would have already rushed out.

"Oh, oh, this humble servant will go right away." The little eunuch responded repeatedly, then hurried off.

At this moment, the eunuchs began to carry out some items from the storeroom one after another.

Qinxin's heart sank as she watched. These items seemed to be some medicinal herbs and jewelry. Why were the eunuchs taking these things out?

Imperial Physician Wang also came out.

"Why are all these things being taken out? Is there something wrong?" Qinxin asked, her mouth dry, her heart pounding, and her palms sweating.

"Miss Qinxin, these items are laced with harmful substances. They are not good things. We need to inform Consort Rong and check the ledger to see where these items came from..."

Upon hearing this, Qinxin felt a sense of relief. "Please wait, I will go and fetch the ledger for verification."

She added, "Consort Rong has already left for the Qianqing Palace."

Imperial Physician Wang was a bit stunned. At this time, Consort Rong had left? He glanced at the chief eunuch who had come with them, and even he seemed a bit stunned.

Even if Consort Rong wanted to see the Emperor, wasn't she afraid that they might find something unfavorable during the search? Consort Rong couldn't control the situation's development, so she just went directly to the Qianqing Palace without waiting?

Qinxin quickly fetched the ledger to verify the items that had been taken out. However, the more she checked, the more her expression darkened. There were many items in the storeroom, and at first glance, it was impossible to remember each one clearly. But as she checked, she began to recall that these items were all...