Return of the Pearl

However, at this moment, in Kunning Palace, the queen's heart was filled with fear and despair. When Qianlong left, she truly realized that he was not just talking, he really wanted to depose her.

So, the queen was extremely anxious. She began to run around and contact ministers, trying to do something in the court to turn the tide and change the impending outcome. Her heart was full of unwillingness and resentment. She kept planning in her mind, thinking about how to gain the upper hand in this contest with Qianlong.

There was a cunning glint in her eyes, and she looked like a trapped beast that was forced into a desperate situation, making its last struggle, trying to fight its last.

On this quiet night, Qianlong and Xiao Yun were immersed in peace, but the queen was tortured in her sleep. Qianlong's resolute face and the tragic scene of Hongzhou's execution appeared in her mind again and again. She was completely unaware of her own fate, and the future was like a fog. This unknown and waiting was like a blunt knife, cutting deep into her heart, bit by bit, causing her to suffer mental torture and torment.

The queen was awakened several times in her sleep. Her heart was full of earnest expectations. She longed for a good ending. Finally, the sky gradually turned pale, and it was time for Qianlong to go to court. Qianlong got up gently, his movements were so gentle as if he was afraid of disturbing something. He tucked in the quilt carefully, and every movement seemed so meticulous.

Afterwards, Qianlong changed his clothes slowly, picked up the scroll of imperial edict, and slowly handed it to Xiao Luzi. He lowered his voice and said softly, "When you go to court later, you will read it in front of everyone."

Xiao Luzi knew nothing about the content of the imperial edict, but he knew clearly in his heart that Concubine Xiao was pregnant, so he secretly speculated that this might be an imperial edict to confer a title.

However, he still felt a little surprised. It seemed a little unusual to announce the enthronement of a concubine in the court. Thinking of this, Xiao Luzi frowned slightly and pondered in his heart. After a moment, Xiao Luzi nodded respectfully, with an expression of confusion and a hint of awe on his face.

As expected, at the beginning of the morning court, before Qianlong even opened his mouth, some ministers clamored to make a memorial, and what they reported was about the Queen. These ministers spoke harshly, claiming that the Queen had nothing to do with Shandong anymore, and begged the Emperor to revoke his decision. In their hearts, the Queen was the foundation of the country, and was related to the country's stability and dignity. She could not be easily shaken, let alone deposed and enthroned.

Qianlong sat firmly on the dragon throne, a symbol of supreme power. His posture was upright and majestic, his expression as gloomy as the sky before a storm, and as stagnant as water. He snorted coldly, the sound seeming to come from the depths of ice, with a biting chill, "My imperial decree has not yet been issued."

Seeing this, Censor Li was extremely anxious, his face full of worry and anxiety. He walked quickly and stood up, clasped his hands together, and bowed respectfully to Qianlong.

His voice trembled slightly with anxiety, and he said, "Your Majesty, the Empress is virtuous and kind, and she is a model for the harem! Please think twice!" After that, he raised his head, his eyes full of earnestness and expectation, and looked straight at Qianlong.

Qianlong looked at Li Yushi sharply, a barely perceptible cold light flashing in his eyes. "Lord Li, can you tell me how you knew this?"

Upon hearing this, Censor Li was struck by lightning. He knew his actions had been completely exposed. He immediately knelt down, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. His heart was filled with regret, secretly hating himself for being so reckless and rushing forward without being completely sure. "I acknowledge my guilt."

These four words were originally a perfunctory politeness, but unexpectedly, Qianlong suddenly shouted loudly: "Since you have admitted your guilt, then accept the punishment! As for your affair with the harem, I will show mercy today and only dismiss you from your post for investigation. I will spare your life, considering your advanced age..."

As soon as these words were spoken, the other ministers who were involved with the queen all took a step back. They originally wanted to give advice and remonstrate, but seeing the situation before them, saving their lives was the most important thing. After all, being dismissed from office would be more painful for them than losing their lives. The emperor's move was truly cruel and ruthless, killing people and destroying their hearts!

As a result, Qianlong asked in a calm tone without any disturbance: "Is there anyone else who wants to plead for the Queen? If so, please stand up." However, as time passed, there was a dead silence in the court.

After a long while, Qianlong spoke again: "Since there is no such thing, Xiaoluzi, announce the decree."

Xiao Luzi hurriedly opened the imperial edict and was about to start reading it, but suddenly paused. An expression of disbelief appeared on his face. Looking at the contents of the imperial edict, his heart was filled with shock.

Qianlong noticed Xiao Luzi's strangeness and gave him a cold look. Xiao Luzi then woke up as if from a dream and continued to read: "In compliance with the will of Heaven, the Emperor proclaims:

Since I ascended the throne, I have worked day and night to ensure the peace of the country and the well-being of the people. However, the Queen's actions have really chilled me to the core.

As the mother of the nation, the Empress should have been a model for the nation. However, she colluded with foreign ministers with ulterior motives. She knew the severity of the disaster in Shandong but concealed it, leaving the people in dire straits and disregarding their lives. Her heart is deserving of death! Furthermore, she even attempted to harm the heir to the throne. Such behavior is beyond the reach of Heaven!

I, mindful of our past friendship, originally wanted to give her a chance to repent, but she refused to repent and remained stubbornly stubborn until her death. Now I have decided to depose her from the position of queen, strip her of her title, and banish her to the cold palace, ordering her to reflect on her mistakes. I will deprive her of food and water, strictly prohibit visits, and confine her to the cold palace, not allowing her to take even a single step out. I hope she will learn from her mistakes, repent, and reform.

Admire this! "

As soon as the imperial edict was issued, the whole audience was in an uproar, like a stone that caused a thousand ripples. Everyone was shocked and felt that the emperor was clearly trying to force the queen into a desperate situation and let her suffer from hunger!

Qianlong spared no effort in presenting the evidence of collusion between the empress and Altai to the ministers one by one, and even told the ministers in detail that the empress had known about the drought in Shandong for a long time but concealed it.

Those who originally wanted to plead for mercy all showed embarrassment and shame on their faces. They were confused and had no idea what big mistake the queen had made. It was just because they had close interests with the queen that they got excited and thought of pleading for mercy from the emperor.