The Command to Pamper the Husband - Chapter 203

The Emperor’s mind was preoccupied with the orphan of the late Empress. Panic gripped his heart, leaving no room for other thoughts. He immediately commanded, “Summon them.”

“Your Majesty, it would be better if I personally go to bring the person. After all, this involves the bloodline of the late Emperor, which is a sensitive matter. If the Empress Dowager finds out, she might get too agitated. She is old and can’t handle such shocks,” said Noble Consort De, her words seeming out of place.

Yet, the Emperor heard her clearly. The Empress Dowager had always favored his elder brother. If she found out that her granddaughter might be with the Fourth Prince, there was no way she would let him eliminate the person. Moreover, over the years, the Empress Dowager had become suspicious of the circumstances surrounding his ascension to the throne. Furthermore, with Zhao Dehai, who was close to the Empress Dowager, missing and the heir of the Duke of An still unaccounted for, these were all unstable factors. Also, the Empress Dowager was aware of the gold box Noble Consort De had but did not inform him.

Clenching his fist, the Emperor said, “Very well, go quickly and return swiftly. Do not let anyone see you.”

Noble Consort De accepted the order, oblivious to the coldness in the Emperor’s eyes, and left.

Once Noble Consort De left, the Emperor restlessly paced around his study, walking back and forth on the shiny floor of the Imperial Hall.

The Chief Eunuch, seeing the Emperor’s unease, hesitated for a moment before speaking softly, “Your Majesty, this servant feels that today’s events are peculiar.”

“Are you referring to the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince?” The Emperor suddenly turned his head, looking at the Chief Eunuch with eyes filled with a venomous gleam.

The Chief Eunuch understood that the Emperor’s piercing gaze was not directed at him.

“This servant finds the timing of Noble Consort De’s arrival strange.”

“What’s strange about it?”

“Not too early, not too late, but right after the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince uncovered the matter regarding the heir of the Duke of Ning.”

The Emperor, already anxious, felt his heart skip a beat. He had been so focused on the late Empress’s daughter that he had forgotten the person he had placed with the Great General had long betrayed him. The Emperor felt as if he was trapped between a wolf and a tiger.

The Chief Eunuch paused briefly before continuing, “Your Majesty, if what the Crown Prince said is true, then Noble Consort De and the heir of the Duke of Ning might have rebellious intentions. If they plan to rebel, every action taken by Noble Consort De would be in preparation for their grand scheme.”

The Emperor nodded, rubbing his fingers together. The Chief Eunuch was right. If Noble Consort De and her accomplices were plotting a rebellion, every move she made would be to further their cause. What did her coming here and telling him those things mean? Was it all fabricated? But involving the late Empress’s daughter, he could not afford to overlook even a slight chance, even if he knew it might be false.

He was terrified, clinging to a glimmer of hope. Noble Consort De must have exploited this fear. But how did she know about that matter? There were only a few who knew about it back then, including the Duke of Ning.

Suddenly, the Emperor’s deep eyes filled with turbulent waves. “Go, secretly arrest everyone from the Duke of Ning, but do not alert anyone.”

The Chief Eunuch received the order and immediately went to arrange it.

No sooner had he given the orders than Noble Consort De returned with the old woman. To disguise the old woman’s identity, Noble Consort De had dressed her in palace attire.

“Your Majesty, this is the woman I mentioned to you,” said Noble Consort De.

The Emperor gave Noble Consort De a deep look before turning his gaze to the old woman. “Do you know how to control the Thousand Mechanism Poison?”

The old woman, surprised by the Emperor’s directness, hesitated and looked at Noble Consort De.

Noble Consort De said, “Answer His Majesty’s question. Speak only of what you know and do not fabricate.”

The old woman replied, “In response to Your Majesty, yes, I do.”

The Emperor looked at the old woman in surprise. “Does controlling the Thousand Mechanism Poison require the person infected to be present?”

The old woman shook her head. “No, as long as the mother and child poison worms are present.”

“What if the child poison worm is gone?”

The old woman frowned, seemingly puzzled by the Emperor’s question. She wasn’t sure if he meant the worm was truly gone or something else. “It can still be controlled, but the effect is not as good as when both are present.”

The Emperor nodded and suddenly shouted, “Guards, seize Noble Consort De!”

As soon as he finished speaking, hidden guards emerged from the Imperial Study.

Noble Consort De looked at the Emperor in panic. “Your Majesty!”

“Spreading witchcraft and causing chaos in the palace, you are to be executed!”

“Your Majesty, how can you blame me? I was trying to help you, and it was you who asked me to bring the person.”

As she spoke, her slender arms were already restrained. Noble Consort De looked at the Emperor in terror and despair, struggling futilely.

The Emperor watched her reaction, unable to discern if her shock was genuine or feigned. But it didn’t matter. The dead tell no tales.

“Take her away and beat her to death!”

The Emperor didn’t spare Noble Consort De another glance. For this woman who had cuckolded him, even beating her to death seemed too lenient.

The old woman, brought by Noble Consort De, hadn’t expected this turn of events. She knelt in terror, pleading, “Spare me, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor looked down at her. “Whether I spare your life depends on your performance.”

Amid Noble Consort De’s desperate screams, the doors of the Imperial Study were closed.

The Chief Eunuch stood in the hallway, personally overseeing the execution. Whether the young eunuchs were too slow or the Empress arrived too quickly, only two blows had landed on Noble Consort De when the Empress hurriedly arrived, looking disheveled as if she had come immediately after receiving the news without even dressing properly.

“Stop!”

As soon as she entered the courtyard of the Imperial Study, the Empress shouted.

The eunuchs administering the punishment stopped immediately and looked towards the Chief Eunuch.

The Chief Eunuch greeted the Empress with a smile, “Your Majesty, please calm down. Noble Consort De has bewitched the palace with witchcraft and has been sentenced to death by the Emperor.”

Noble Consort De, enduring the pain, shouted, “Your Majesty, save me!”

The Empress was sweating with anxiety. If Noble Consort De were beaten to death, it would be fine, but if she couldn’t withstand the pain and started talking…

The Empress clenched her handkerchief and approached Noble Consort De.

“You ignored palace rules and are being punished by the Emperor. You deserve this. But remember, do not implicate your family because of yourself.”

This was a blatant threat. Even the Chief Eunuch didn’t try to hide it.

Noble Consort De sneered immediately. “I’m about to die, why would I care about my family? They never cared about me, so if I die, they die with me.”

“You!” The Empress was furious, her chest aching.

Noble Consort De, lying on the bench, looked coolly at the Empress. “Your Majesty, the old woman is in the Emperor’s study.”

The Empress was stunned, looking at Noble Consort De in shock.

“What are you planning?”

Noble Consort De smiled, “I’m helping Your Majesty fulfill her wish ahead of time.”