Dethroned the Crown Princess? Then she became your mother

Stepping into the dark dungeon, a chilling atmosphere washed over me. The simple, cold stone walls seemed to still linger with the chill of the past. Here, several guards and secret guards stood like ghosts, guarding this deadly place.

Under the dim light, a figure was pinned to the rack, various instruments of torture scattered around, as if telling of the cruelty and brutality of the past. The instruments were stained with blood, and the air was filled with a thick stench of blood, mixed with other indescribable smells, making it almost impossible to breathe.

He looked towards His Majesty, who was staring coldly at the pinned prisoner. The prisoner was covered in blood, his skin tortured beyond recognition, a blood-soaked husk. His screams had long since faded, leaving only the low moans of the dead.

He turned to look at the guard who had come in with him. The guard walked up to the bloody man and asked coldly, "Tell me, who ordered you to do this?"

Before he finished speaking, everyone's eyes were focused on the bloody man. He also held his breath, nervously waiting for the answer. The emperor sat quietly to the side, his eyes as sharp as torches, staring at the bloody man intently.

The bloody man spoke in a trembling voice, "It's...it's Princess Kangping...and the Imperial Concubine..."

He was stunned. The Imperial Concubine was fine, but Princess Kangping was also involved? He looked at the Emperor in disbelief, only to see that the Emperor's face was extremely gloomy.

Murong Shuo's voice was low and cold: "Noble Concubine? Kang Ping? How dare you be so bold!"

He questioned the bloody man again, slapping him hard in the face, then punching and kicking him. Others also picked up torture instruments, ready to torture him again. The bloody man shouted in fear: "I am telling the truth. I really did follow their orders!"

An inexplicable fear surged in his heart. How could the Imperial Concubine and Princess Kangping, two women of high status in the palace, join forces to do such a thing?

Eunuch An stood aside, feeling a mixture of emotions. He couldn't believe it was real, but the scene before him made it impossible for him to disbelieve it. The Emperor was furious, his face livid, as if he wanted to tear the bloody man into pieces.

Murong Shuo took a step forward, suddenly increasing the force of his footsteps, and stomped hard on the bloody man's head: "How dare you! If you dare to tell lies, I will make you wish you were dead!"

The bloody man's voice grew weaker and weaker, until he could no longer speak. Eunuch An was terrified; he had never seen the emperor so angry.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He knew he had a more important mission to accomplish. He had to tell Concubine Liang the news, send someone to Concubine Gui and Princess Kangping, and of course, release Concubine Xian.

He glanced at the emperor, who was staring coldly at the bloody man. He did not dare to stay any longer and turned to leave the dungeon.

The moment he walked out of the dungeon, he took a deep breath, as if to expel all the fear and depression from his body.

He walked quickly down the palace path, his heart beating like a drum. He patted his chest, trying to calm himself. He knew a huge uproar was about to break out in the palace.

This matter concerns the Imperial Concubine and Princess Kangping, both of whom hold significant positions within the palace. Princess Kangping, in particular, is the Empress Dowager's beloved. If this matter were to be exposed, the consequences would be disastrous.

He quickened his pace, silently praying that everything would go smoothly. He trotted back to the outside of the Yangxin Palace, only to find that the person sent by the Empress Dowager had disappeared.

He was startled and hurried to ask someone. He breathed a sigh of relief when he learned that the people sent by the Queen Mother had left. He knew that the Queen Mother must also be paying close attention to the development of this matter.

He did not dare to delay for even a moment and immediately passed on the emperor's order. He told himself that he must get this done well and not let the emperor down.

He once again set out on the road to Hibiscus Palace. Along the way, he walked very fast, and when he met palace servants he would greet them politely, trying not to let others notice his unusual behavior.

Finally, he arrived at Hibiscus Palace. He stood at the door, took a deep breath, and tried to calm his breathing. Then, he stepped inside.

Zhang Tianai was drinking tea in the palace. When she heard the news of Eunuch An's arrival, she almost dropped the teacup in her hand. She didn't expect Eunuch An to come so soon. Could it be that the interrogation had already concluded?

She looked up at the door. Eunuch An walked in, looking exhausted, his clothes soaked with sweat. Something in her heart moved her, and she immediately ordered Madam Li and the others to get some water.

As soon as Eunuch An entered, he bowed deeply to her. She smiled and gestured for him to stand up, then said, "Eunuch An, you've had a hard journey. Have a drink of water first and rest for a while."

Eunuch An was stunned. He had not expected Zhang Tianai to be so considerate. He looked at her gratefully, then took the water handed to him by Nanny Li and took a sip.

He was indeed tired and thirsty. The sun was too strong today, and he had been running all the way, with almost no time to drink water. He glanced at Zhang Tianai and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your consideration. I have brought back the results of the interrogation as ordered by Your Majesty."

Concubine Liang gently waved her hand and said with a smile, "No need to be so polite. Seeing you sweating profusely, how could I bear to ask you questions right away? Drink some water first to moisten your throat, and we can talk later."

Zhang Tianai, also known as Consort Liang, gestured with her graceful hand. Eunuch An wanted to say a few more words, but in the end he swallowed them silently, only calling out "Consort Liang" softly in his heart.

Nanny Li and Chunmei stood aside, quietly observing the changes in Eunuch An's expression, and secretly looking at their master.

"Okay, let's talk after you've had enough to drink." Zhang Tianai did not delay any longer, and there was an unquestionable determination in her tone.

Eunuch An finished his glass of water, gently wiped the sweat from his forehead, and forced a smile, trying not to let his thoughts get too heavy. "Empress Liang, I just visited His Majesty, and we've gotten some clues. Someone who comes in later will explain it to you in detail."

Zhang Tianai nodded slightly, her eyes gleaming with anticipation: "What's the result?"

Nanny Li and Chunmei also stared at Eunuch An, waiting for his answer.

Eunuch An took a deep breath and poured out all his secrets. "The results of the interrogation are out. It's not that the virtuous concubine wanted to harm you. In fact, the virtuous concubine was framed. Someone wanted to sow discord between you and the virtuous concubine and have her banished to the cold palace. And the mastermind behind all this is actually the imperial concubine and Princess Kangping."

When he said this, he deliberately glanced at Concubine Liang, trying to catch a hint of reaction from her expression.

A hint of coldness flashed across Concubine Liang's eyes, but was immediately covered by a smile. That smile seemed to hold an endless depth of meaning.

"That's it." Eunuch An added.

"Noble Concubine, Princess Kangping..." Zhang Tianai repeated these two names in a low voice, as if she wanted to engrave them deeply in her heart. Li Ma and Chunmei also looked at each other in surprise, obviously surprised by this result.

"When I first heard it, I also found it hard to believe. But the result of the interrogation was indeed so. They both wanted to harm you, so they worked together." Eunuch An continued.

Zhang Tianai's smile grew wider, but a chill shone in her eyes. "Hmph, I knew the Imperial Concubine would harm me. I hadn't imagined Princess Kangping would be involved. But that doesn't matter. They both want me to have a hard time. I've noticed that, but I didn't expect them to be so bold."

At this point, she suddenly changed the subject: "So, what are you going to do next? What does the Emperor mean? Why didn't he come in person? Is he going to make a decision to deal with this matter? And what about Concubine Xian? How is she doing? Can I see the person who was arrested? I want to ask him in person."

Upon hearing this, Eunuch An quickly replied, "Don't worry, Concubine Liang. I've already sent someone to notify Concubine Gui, Princess Kangping, and Concubine Xian. I'm sure you'll be able to see Concubine Xian soon."

This was perhaps the news Concubine Liang had been waiting for the most. But when she mentioned wanting to see the man who had been captured, Eunuch An hesitated, saying, "That man has now become a bloody mess. I'm afraid you won't be able to get anything out of him even if you see him."

Zhang Tianai's eyes flashed with disappointment when she heard this. But she quickly regained her composure. "Oh, if that's the case, then that's all right. As long as Sister Xianfei is safe and sound, I'll be satisfied. As for the Emperor... I'll visit him later."