It's all ruined, who cares about the chastity arch

Madam Zheng was trembling all over, her teeth clenched, beads of sweat had already seeped out of her forehead. She leaned forward and kowtowed again, with desperate persistence in her voice: "Your Majesty, I never meant that. Someone must have deliberately replaced my paintings!"

Emperor Xuan's gaze shifted away from the scroll, his eyes slightly reddened. The person in the painting was his mother whom he missed day and night, and standing next to his mother was Concubine Pei, whose expression was complex and unpredictable.

His eyes moved carefully over the clothes of the characters in the painting, trying to capture every detail. There seemed to be unknown secrets hidden between the brushstrokes. His eyes quietly slid over Su Wanyu in the painting.

The last time they met, he had seen Su Wanyu's brushwork, and that unique style was quite similar to what was presented in the painting.

An idea gradually became clear in his mind - all this must have been done by his extremely clever sister.

Thinking back to the conversation with my sister in the carriage and the cryptic hints when talking about Concubine Pei, everything seemed to become clear in an instant.

His elder sister was testing Concubine Pei silently, and he was also keenly aware of the Concubine's previous irrational behavior, and decided to follow the path laid by his elder sister and continue to perform this drama.

He waved his hand and gave an order to the chief eunuch beside him in a cold tone: "Zheng family Ding Shi, you have violated etiquette in the palace and have committed the crime of deceiving the emperor. According to the law, you should be exiled and executed."

"However, I consider that Lord Zheng has been loyal throughout his life, and I will pardon her."

"Even though she has been spared the death penalty, she cannot escape the punishment of life. Come, revoke Zheng Ding's title as a first-rank lady and confiscate all her imperial robes! From now on, she is not allowed to set foot in the palace again!"

Old Madam Zheng raised her head suddenly, her triangular eyes staring blankly at the emperor who was high above her, her eyes full of disbelief and despair.

That was the glory she had earned with all her life's wisdom and hard work, but now it was going to vanish in front of the witness of all the civil and military officials.

The reputation of the Zheng family and the Ding family was completely lost because of her momentary thought.

"His Majesty……"

The wrinkles on her face were twisted into a knot of pain and pleading, and she was still trying to make a final struggle.

But before she finished her words, she was interrupted by Concubine Pei's cold words: "Madam Zheng, His Majesty is magnanimous and spared your life. Why don't you thank him and leave quickly?"

Madam Zheng was suddenly speechless. Her former pride and dignity disappeared at this moment. Her back was no longer straight, and she seemed to have aged ten years in an instant. Her hunched figure looked like an old woman begging on the street.

Before she could struggle to stand up, two sturdy eunuchs strode forward and ruthlessly took off the gorgeous crown on her head. The decoration that once symbolized honor became the most serious irony at this moment.

With her white hair disheveled, she sat on the ground like a fallen leaf, looking extremely miserable.

Zheng Chengyan rushed over and wanted to plead for his mother, but before he could say anything, Madam Zheng and Zheng Luoxi were picked up by the guards and staggered out of the hall.

He once entered the palace with great glory, but now he was expelled in such a miserable state, like a stray dog, being ruthlessly driven away by the iron hoof of imperial power.

She turned around, staring with empty eyes at the slowly closing palace gate, her heart still unable to fully accept this sudden change.

"Old lady, are you okay?"

Mother Zhou stepped forward cautiously and tried to help her up, her concern evident in her words.

Madam Zheng's hair was disheveled and she looked at the trembling Zheng Luoxi with a dazed look in her eyes. Suddenly, she pounced on him like an enraged beast and fiercely grabbed his hair. Her voice was filled with hysterical anger: "Is this your fault? You have been keeping this painting since we left the mansion!"

Zheng Luoxi felt confused, tears kept falling from her eyes. She wiped them away carelessly and said to the old lady in a trembling voice, "Old lady, I really don't understand. Since I got your painting, I have never dared to open it. How could it suddenly change?"

Madam Zheng clutched her chest tightly, her body shaking as if she was struck down by a sudden blow. She could barely stand and staggered.

"I have lived a glorious life, but at this age, I have encountered such a terrible thing. How can I maintain my reputation in the capital from now on?"

As he spoke, tears rolled down one by one like pearls from a broken string.

During this period, first the beloved daughter passed away, then the granddaughter left without saying goodbye, and now even the imperial edict and title that represented the family's glory has been stripped away. Does all this indicate that the Zheng family's fortunes are really going to plummet and end?

Madam Zheng was very emotional. She waved her hand, grabbed Zheng Luoxi's hair, and pushed her to the ground, angrily scolding: "If I had known that you were a troublemaker, I would never have let you step into the palace!"

"Return home immediately!"

Before she finished her words, Old Madam Zheng forcibly dragged Zheng Luoxi, who was crying, and hurriedly got on the carriage waiting outside.

Mother Zhou tried her best to comfort her and ease the tense atmosphere: "Old Madam, please don't worry yourself. This time the Emperor has shown some special mercy by only revoking the imperial edict. If it were someone else, I'm afraid they would have lost their lives long ago."

Madam Zheng slumped in the carriage, her eyes dull and her breathing heavy, as if a huge rock was pressing on her heart: "The emperor said that for the sake of my late old duke, he would spare my life. Madam, did you understand what he meant?"

Mother Zhou shook her head slightly, looking confused.

Madam Zheng covered her chest again and sighed deeply, with a hint of weakness in her voice: "In the past, our Zheng family could still rely on the remaining prestige left by the old Duke to ask for some forgiveness from the emperor. But now that the emperor has given us face this time, if the Zheng family makes any more mistakes, I'm afraid the emperor will not let us off easily."

"Mother Zhou, you think this is a good thing, but I think it's more like a sharp knife hanging over your head."

Mother Zhou frowned and tried to comfort her: "Old Madam, don't worry too much. The master is far away in Huzhou, and the second young master Zheng is about to take the imperial examination. There shouldn't be any more troubles at home."

Madam Zheng gently closed her eyes, her voice revealing an undisguised exhaustion, as if this trip to the palace alone had aged her a little: "I hope so... If anything goes wrong, it will be our own fault."

She was still concerned about Concubine Rong and her resentment towards her son and grandson had not yet dissipated.

"Old lady."

Mother Zhou persuaded softly.

Madam Zheng waved her hand, as if she had made up her mind: "Forget it, I know what I'm doing."

"As for the fifth girl, you don't have to come to my room anymore."

"Madam, didn't you raise that child yourself?"

Mother Zhou asked in surprise.