The Command to Pamper the Husband - Chapter 204

The Empress’s face was suddenly filled with terror as she looked at Noble Consort De as if she were a monster. Noble Consort De, however, had a smile on her lips and looked at the Empress provocatively.

“I thought Your Majesty would be pleased.”

“You…”

The Empress’s tone was filled with shock and anger. She raised her hand to point at Noble Consort De but couldn’t say another word.

The Chief Eunuch stood by, watching coldly, a sneer forming in his heart.

“What are you all standing around for? Start!”

Just as the Empress’s short “You” fell, the Chief Eunuch suddenly spoke in a sinister tone.

The eunuchs holding the sticks looked hesitantly at the Chief Eunuch and then at the Empress. Finally, with unease, they raised their sticks.

“I said stop!” the Empress cried out, her voice shrill.

The Chief Eunuch laughed coldly, “Your Majesty, please calm down. This is the Emperor’s decree; this servant dares not disobey.”

“I will speak to the Emperor. Until I return, no one is to make a move.”

The Empress, almost gnashing her teeth, looked at Noble Consort De before turning sharply towards the Imperial Study.

The eunuchs holding the sticks looked at the Chief Eunuch.

The Chief Eunuch watched the Empress’s departing figure with a meaningful expression.

A timid eunuch asked, “Master, do we still proceed?”

The Chief Eunuch waited until the Empress entered the Imperial Study before turning to Noble Consort De with a venomous gaze like a snake’s.

“Your Highness, do not blame this servant. This servant is merely following orders. The Emperor’s decree cannot be defied.”

With that, the Chief Eunuch straightened up, “Proceed!”

The eunuchs immediately began.

The sticks fell on Noble Consort De, and she finally realized that the Chief Eunuch dared to disregard the Empress’s words and punish her.

Enduring the pain, Noble Consort De gritted her teeth and said to the Chief Eunuch, “Are you so sure the Emperor won’t listen to the Empress?”

“If he does, this servant will simply receive another decree. But for now, this servant has no such instructions. Please forgive me, Your Highness.”

“You…”

Noble Consort De wanted to say more but couldn’t bear the pain of the sticks and began to scream in agony.

The Empress had just entered the Imperial Study when she heard Noble Consort De’s screams, which made her even more furious and anxious. She cursed the Chief Eunuch silently but dared not show any anger on her face.

“Why are you here?”

The Emperor, sitting behind his desk, frowned in displeasure at the Empress.

“Why has Your Majesty ordered the punishment of Noble Consort De? What crime has she committed?” The Empress, after paying her respects, asked with concealed fear.

The Emperor looked at the Empress without speaking.

Under the Emperor’s gaze, the Empress felt a chill down her spine. She clutched her handkerchief and forced a smile, “Your Majesty?”

The Emperor finally spoke, “Spreading witchcraft.”

The Empress’s eyebrows shot up in apparent shock. “Witchcraft? Your Majesty, there must be some mistake. How could Noble Consort De be involved in witchcraft?”

“There is no mistake. Are you here to plead for her?”

The Emperor’s eyes were like hooks, and the Empress felt her back grow cold.

“Your Majesty, as far as I know, Noble Consort De has always been well-behaved. How could she suddenly be linked to witchcraft? There must be some hidden reason. Noble Consort De is a primary consort with a Princess under her care. If this misunderstanding spreads, it wouldn’t look good.”

The Empress’s tone was earnest.

“What kind of misunderstanding do you think it is?”

“It’s hard to imagine Noble Consort De being involved in witchcraft. Your Majesty, have you found any evidence?”

“She brought the person who knows witchcraft directly to me.”

The Empress’s mouth opened in surprise. “Could it be that she was deceived? As far as I know, only the people of Miao understand witchcraft, and they were all eliminated when Your Majesty ascended the throne. How could there be someone from Miao Territory now?”

Pausing, the Empress took a deep breath.

“And appearing at this critical moment.”

The Emperor raised an eyebrow, “What critical moment?”

“The Crown Prince entered the palace and reported the case of the missing people, didn’t he?”

The Emperor was equally surprised. He was astonished that the Empress knew so much about the Crown Prince’s actions.

This made his originally clear thoughts become muddled again.

“The Crown Prince only said he found some things in the Marquis of Jingning’s estate,” the Emperor said with a blank expression but a keen eye on the Empress.

The Empress showed no reaction, only looking puzzled. “Could the missing people be related to the Marquis of Jingning? How is that possible? The Marquis is just a wastrel. Why would he capture those children?”

The Empress suddenly fell silent as if realizing something.

After a moment, she shook her head. “I haven’t heard of any unusual habits from the Marquis of Jingning. He’s hardly even interested in the pleasures of men and women. Your Majesty, there must be some mistake.”

The Emperor observed the Empress’s expressions closely.

“We found weapons,” he said.

The Empress’s hand, clutching the handkerchief, tightened, but she quickly lowered her head to hide her expression.

Her head lowered so quickly that the Emperor caught nothing.

Then she raised her head naturally, as if what the Emperor had said had nothing to do with her.

“Weapons? Your Majesty, are you saying the Marquis of Jingning is hiding weapons? That’s impossible!” she said, her face full of disbelief. “The Marquis is just an old wastrel, only knowing how to eat, drink, and play. Why would he hide such things?”

Thinking of what the Crown Prince had said, the gold box found on Noble Consort De, and the betrayal of the heir of the Duke of Ning, the Emperor stared at the Empress.

“Maybe he was hiding them for someone else.”

“Someone else?”

“For example, the Second Prince,” the Emperor slowly uttered these words.

The Empress staggered back, looking at the Emperor in shock, her face pale. “Your Majesty! Your Majesty, please investigate thoroughly. He wouldn’t dare do such a treasonous thing.”

The Emperor gave a half-smile, “He wouldn’t dare, but would you?”

He then turned his head to look out the large window of the Imperial Study, “Noble Consort De probably can’t hold on any longer.”

The Empress, who had been pretending to be horrified, now showed genuine fear.

“I have something to say to the Emperor. I need to see the Emperor!” came Noble Consort De’s desperate voice from outside the window, piercing the Empress’s heart. The Empress nervously clutched her handkerchief.

The Emperor looked at her coldly.

“Sit down. Let’s see what Noble Consort De has to say before she dies.”

The Empress stared blankly at the Emperor for a moment before sitting in a nearby chair.

As soon as she sat down, Noble Consort De was dragged in, her body covered in wounds.

“Speak, what do you have to say to me?” the Emperor commanded.

“The weapons hidden in my brother’s estate were forced there by the Empress,” Noble Consort De said, her eyes full of hatred as she looked at the Empress.

“You’re lying!” the Empress immediately retorted.

Noble Consort De lay on the ground. “Your Majesty, those weapons were prepared by the Empress and Noble Consort Shu for the Second Prince. Also, the case the Crown Prince is investigating was orchestrated by Noble Consort Shu.”