Deep Palace Pet Peach Blossom Flawless

Emperor Shenwu directly laid out all the witnesses and evidence. The senior palace maid beside Concubine Hu took the initiative to confess and reported that she was instructed by Concubine Hu to do this together with two eunuchs from the Qiongshui Palace. It was said that it was because she loved Emperor Shenwu, but the emperor always favored the empress. Concubine Hu was unwilling to accept this and tried every means to attract the attention of Emperor Shenwu. She danced, played the piano and did everything to win favor, but the emperor remained unmoved. Concubine Hu was even more jealous and committed this crime. She only wanted to throw dirty water on the empress. After the crime of harming innocent palace people was confirmed, she wanted to see whether Emperor Shenwu would still favor and trust the empress blindly.

In the main hall of Fengqi Palace, the emperor and empress sat on high seats, one on the left and one on the right, and both sides of the hall were filled with concubines sitting in order from high to low seats.

In the center of the hall, Concubine Hu knelt straight on the ground. At the beginning, when her own palace maids bit back at her, her face was still angry and unwilling, but as time went on, Concubine Hu restrained her expression more and more, and gradually became numb. In the end, she said nothing more. When Emperor Shenwu asked her, "What else do you have to say?" Concubine Hu said in a daze, "I have nothing to say. This is all my idea. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

After saying this, Concubine Hu fell to the ground, showing no fear at all. She had a feeling of giving up everything.

Concubine Liang said indignantly, "You are too arrogant! Do you think that your foreign princess has someone backing her up? That's why you are so bold!"

Concubine Hu's body trembled slightly. Concubine Jiang, who was watching from the side, realized that Concubine Hu was indeed fearless. She shook her head and frowned slightly, feeling that something was wrong.

Lan Qingwu also felt a sense of incongruity, but Concubine Hu confessed her guilt so decisively that he could no longer consider anything else.

Emperor Shenwu naturally understood: "Since you have confessed your guilt, come, demote Concubine Hu to the lowest rank of concubine. All treatment will be in accordance with the rules for commoners. Banish her to the cold palace. No one is allowed to visit her without my permission! Those close to her—beat her to death! The rest of the eunuchs and maids in Qiongshui Palace will all be sent to the Nun Court!"

Concubine Hu suddenly raised her head. She wanted to speak, but she couldn't. A eunuch came over and dragged her out of the palace, her mouth firmly gagged. Concubine Hu understood that the Emperor Shenwu had reserved for her a lowly position as a concubine of the lowest rank as a gesture of respect to the small kingdoms of the Paracel Islands. How long she would remain in the cold palace after this depended entirely on her luck.

The harsh punishment of Emperor Shenwu made the concubines in the six palaces uneasy again. The emperor's preference and pity for the empress was even greater than before. The emperor's determination was clearly felt by the concubines in the six palaces at this moment.

But when Emperor Shenwu finished dealing with these matters and returned to Qianzheng Hall, his expression grew even darker, with no sign of relief. He summoned Zhao Wubing and spoke carefully, "Imperial Physician Zhao, how is Concubine Shi in the side hall of Chuxiu Palace? I've heard you say that her health is gradually deteriorating. How is she now?"

Doctor Zhao thought for a moment and said, "Logically, she should have passed away long ago, but for some reason, I've seen her pulse recently and it seems she's gradually stabilizing."

Emperor Shenwu said softly, "I don't want to see her jumping around anymore. Use whatever medicine you have!"

Doctor Zhao shuddered, beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead. He asked cautiously, "Your Majesty, I have a herb called 'Chun Man'. It will slowly deteriorate over six months to a year, and eventually weaken to death. The pulse will only indicate weakness and death. What do you think..."

Emperor Shenwu waved his hand: "Don't let anyone find out! Go down!"

Doctor Zhao slowly backed out of the Qianzheng Hall. Only when he reached the gate did he dare to breathe slowly and let out a long sigh.

In the Qianzheng Hall, Li Xiang replaced a cup of tea for Emperor Shenwu and placed it next to him. He then heard Emperor Shenwu say softly, "We still have to be a little considerate of the Shi family!"

Li Xiang was puzzled, and the Emperor Shenwu continued, "It's true that we can't trace it back to the Shi family. The evidence has been completely destroyed, but I don't rely solely on evidence!"

This incident and the last accident involving the eldest prince's eldest son made Emperor Shenwu vaguely aware that there was a hidden, larger hand controlling everything. In that case, there was no need to keep that person.

Emperor Shenwu thought of the Crown Prince, "Where is the Crown Prince? Summon him to Qianzheng Hall."

Li Xiang quickly replied, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince left the palace early this morning. I will send someone to invite His Royal Highness the Crown Prince right away."

As soon as the prince returned to the palace, he was summoned to the Qianzheng Hall. Emperor Shenwu asked the prince to directly review some less important memorials. The father and son divided the work and cooperated with each other. When the prince had questions and asked Emperor Shenwu, the emperor also gave him all he knew. Most of the political views of the father and son were consistent, which made Emperor Shenwu very pleased. After being busy for more than an hour, he finally had some free time.

Emperor Shenwu finally had time to ask, "Leaving the palace so early in the morning?"

The Crown Prince sat below the Emperor Shenwu and replied, "I went to Qingciyuan to take care of some matters."

Speaking of this, the prince couldn't help but think of the time when the crown princess followed him. The crown princess was still wearing complicated palace clothes and headdress. When she arrived at Qingci Courtyard, she didn't want to sit down, and she was uncomfortable standing. Even the dust inadvertently raised in Qingci Courtyard could make the crown princess take a step back in fright. Thinking of the scene at that time, the prince's mood was affected.

The prince was raised by Emperor Shenwu, so he naturally noticed that his son was hesitant to speak.

"Father, you and Mother are deeply in love and share a deep understanding. I have only just read the Imperial Secret Records and learned that it makes a huge difference for the Empress to reside in Fengqi Palace instead of Fengju Palace."

Emperor Shenwu looked at his son, who had been exceptionally intelligent since childhood, and understood that he was now in a state of confusion. As a father and an emperor, he was the only one who could offer his son and the crown prince some peace of mind.

"Regarding the relationship between men and women, the Imperial Strategy states that only those in power who are not trapped by love can conquer the world. My son, your mother is an existence that goes against the will of heaven! She is an existence that goes against my will! You cannot judge your wife by our standards!"

"A wife is equal to her husband. Her body is equal to her husband's. A husband is of low status and not worthy of such a title, so the term 'equal' is used. A wife is equal to her husband. Once, when someone was ill, his wife sent a servant to pay respects to him. Ying got out of bed and was about to return the greeting. Chen Shi was surprised and questioned him. Ying replied, 'A wife is equal to her husband. We perform sacrifices together, and I must return the greeting without fail.' I believe that equality between men and women is an old idea. In ancient times, husband and wife were referred to as 'kangli', and the saying 'a wife is equal to her husband' was used.' This was a hidden meaning, but it was not fully implemented in the law."

"My son, if you meet a woman who only loves you and doesn't care about your status, position, or rights, you're lucky if she's there, but you're doomed if she's gone. As an emperor, the most important thing isn't love; the most important thing you need to remember is how to be an emperor! My son, if you don't have that fate, you have to accept it! Besides, as an emperor, if you can't love your wife, then use her well!"

These words struck Prince Zhou Chengchen's mind like a thunderbolt, leaving him dazed for a moment.

Emperor Shenwu continued, "I have known your mother since childhood. After so many years, she remains pure and flawless. Unlike other women, she has not been corrupted by the deep palace and has not changed beyond recognition. We have long been in harmony with each other and have even made many sacrifices that ordinary people could not endure. But you and the Crown Princess are different from us!"

"Crown Princess Wu is suitable for the position of Empress in the future. As long as she doesn't make any mistakes in the future, she will be your best wife! My son, she has managed your Eastern Palace affairs well, and she will be tolerant and generous in the future. You just need to respect her! As for the other concubines, for an emperor, they are just pleasant entertainment to relieve his tired body and mind! They are tools to continue the glory of our Dasheng Dynasty's bloodline!"

After the Crown Prince returned to his Chengguang Palace, he was still thinking about what the Emperor Shenwu had said. In fact, he should have understood long ago that there was only one woman in the world like his mother! She had never stayed with his father because of his status, position, and power. With such purity and flawlessness, it was no wonder that his father had always held on to her tightly.

My mother has been sitting on the throne for so many years, and she has never asked for anything for the family. She believes that the one with ability should be in the family, and she has never eliminated dissidents for her own position. She believes that everyone's life is important!

My mother is the queen and is favored by the emperor, but some people still offend her from time to time. Isn't it because they rely on her kindness and virtue?

Fortunately, my father always stood behind my mother.

However, she and the Crown Princess do not have the emotional foundation that their father, the Emperor, and their mother had. To put it bluntly, it is a marriage of convenience. If he were not the Crown Prince of the current dynasty, Wu would probably not marry her. She cannot be too demanding.

The prince sighed quietly: "If I get it, I'm lucky. If I lose it, I'm doomed!"

I'm afraid I won't be able to obtain this noble status in this lifetime!