Dantai Ji’s face was as dark as ink, the veins bulging on his forehead.
A smile imperceptible to others tugged at the corners of Shengping’s lips. She clutched Dantai Ji’s arm and blinked her innocent eyes.
“If Father does not believe Shengping, you may summon Eunuch Little Niu and confront him directly! He would never lie. Shengping even saw Eunuch Little Niu pin Consort Cui beneath him…”
“Silence!” Dantai Ji shouted, making Princess Shengping’s eyes redden.
Consort Chen hurriedly pulled Shengping into her arms and spoke with heartache. “Even if Your Majesty is biased, you should not have shouted at Shengping. Shengping has always been obedient and has never told a lie! She is still only a child. She merely wanted to tell Your Majesty—her father—what she saw. Is that wrong too?”
Dantai Ji cast a sharp glance at the mother and daughter before striding out of Xiaguang Palace.
Eunuch Wang Zhong was utterly alarmed and hurried after him.
His Majesty was walking so quickly that even running, Wang Zhong could barely keep up.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please watch your step!”
Unfortunately, the Emperor did not slow down. He continued forward in great strides. It was rare for him to be so unable to control his anger.
More unfortunately, Lady Cui had not yet left. She was still waiting outside Xiaguang Palace, apparently for the Emperor. The moment she saw him, she came forward, as though she had something urgent to tell him.
Before Lady Cui could say a word, the Emperor demanded, “Did you know Niu Sheng?”
“Who is Niu Sheng?” Lady Cui asked.
The Emperor’s expression darkened. After scrutinizing her for a moment, he withdrew his gaze and said, “I will have the matter investigated thoroughly.”
With that, he turned and left. Unexpectedly, Consort Cui boldly and anxiously chased after him and grabbed his sleeve.
“Your Majesty, I have only just entered the imperial palace and do not know who Niu Sheng is. However, I have something even more important to tell Your Majesty…”
Perhaps because the Emperor had been walking too quickly, the sleeve she had just seized was pulled free. Consort Cui lost her balance and fell to the ground.
The Emperor stopped and turned back to help her, but it was already too late. Consort Cui had already hit the ground.
Pain furrowed Consort Cui’s brows, and she let out a muffled groan.
The Emperor’s entire body stiffened, his face filled with regret. He bent down, intending to help her up.
Who would have thought that the maids beside Consort Cui would be so lacking in discernment? The moment they saw her fall, they all rushed over, each one faster than the last, and helped Lady Cui to her feet before the Emperor could.
Eunuch Wang Zhong was so anxious that he stamped his feet and beat his chest.
Dantai Ji’s hand, suspended in midair, clenched into a fist before he withdrew it. He ordered, “Summon an imperial physician to examine Lady Cui.”
Then he looked at Cui Huaiyin and said, “If you have been wronged, I will investigate the matter and clear your name. For the next few days, do not wander around the palace.”
With that, Dantai Ji left hurriedly, his steps uneven.
Cui Huaiyin bit her lip. Supporting her arm, she stared at Dantai Ji’s retreating figure with reddened eyes, her lips pressed tightly together.
Wang Zhong glanced at the departing Emperor, then at Lady Cui, who had suffered quite a fall. After instructing someone to summon an imperial physician, he hurried after His Majesty.
By the time Wang Zhong caught up with the Emperor, he was already panting heavily.
“Where is Your Majesty going? Shall this servant have someone carry you there?”
Dantai Ji stopped and asked coldly, “Is Niu Sheng truly dead?”
Wang Zhong’s heart lurched. “Without a doubt, Your Majesty. This servant saw him breathe his last with my own eyes.”
Dantai Ji clenched his fists and said in a low voice, “Take me to see his corpse.”
Wang Zhong was so frightened that his heart pounded, but he did not dare stop him. He could only lead the clearly agitated Emperor to inspect Niu Sheng’s body.
When they arrived at the place where Niu Sheng had been interrogated, Wang Zhong saw that the corpse had not yet been disposed of and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Pointing at the lifeless body, which had long since lost all color, Wang Zhong said cautiously, “Your Majesty, this is Niu Sheng’s corpse.”
Yet what he never expected was that the Emperor’s first words would be, “Strip him.”
That was right. His Majesty wanted him to remove the undergarments from the dead Niu Sheng! Wang Zhong immediately understood what the Emperor intended. His Majesty wanted to confirm whether Niu Sheng truly was a eunuch.
He did not dare hesitate. Gritting his teeth, he stripped away the last of Niu Sheng’s clothing.
The indecent sight beneath was exposed, still carrying the stench of urine.
There was indeed nothing left of the vital organ—not even a trace. It looked as though he had been cut more cleanly than Wang Zhong himself. Whoever had castrated Niu Sheng was clearly highly practiced.
Wang Zhong secretly relaxed, then worried that the sight might offend His Majesty’s eyes.
He cautiously raised his head to look at the Emperor, only to see the frown between His Majesty’s brows ease slightly. The Emperor turned away in disgust and questioned the men who had interrogated Niu Sheng the previous night.
Fortunately, their accounts matched everything Wang Zhong had reported to the Emperor.
Before his death, Niu Sheng truly had said nothing. He had been determined only to die in order to protect the master behind him.
After examining Niu Sheng’s corpse and verifying the condition of his body, the Emperor’s expression eased somewhat. Nevertheless, he ordered Wang Zhong to continue investigating Niu Sheng.
On the way back, Wang Zhong still had to jog to keep up with the Emperor’s pace.
“Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Perhaps the Princess is young and did not see clearly. You cannot take the Princess’s word alone and condemn Lady Cui.”
Dantai Ji stopped and asked Wang Zhong, “Yesterday, when I was intimate with Lady Cui, Niu Sheng happened to appear. What do you think? Could it be that Niu Sheng disregarded his own life and intervened because he did not want me to be intimate with Lady Cui?”
Eunuch Wang Zhong replied, “It was probably a coincidence! Your Majesty, you are letting your anxiety cloud your judgment. Please do not wrong Consort Cui!”
Dantai Ji looked ahead and asked, “Wrong her? Tell me, would a six-year-old child lie?”
How could Eunuch Wang Zhong dare give a definite answer? If he said yes, he would be accusing the Eldest Princess of lying. How could he afford to offend her?
He also found the matter strange. Lady Cui had only just entered the palace, so how could she have had an illicit relationship with Niu Sheng? Yet Princess Shengping had always been clever and kind, and she had no reason to deliberately slander Lady Cui. He truly could not make sense of it.
“This servant does not know,” Wang Zhong answered with his head lowered.
Dantai Ji frowned and said coldly, “Investigate!”
“Yes!”
The following day, rumors filled the imperial palace. Some said that Lady Cui, who had only just won the Emperor’s favor, had been abandoned and slapped by His Majesty in full view of everyone. Others claimed that she was shameless and had carried on an illicit affair with a eunuch.
The matter even reached the ears of the Empress Dowager.
Upon hearing the news, the Empress Dowager flew into a rage. She ordered her people to seize Lady Cui and bring her to Shoukang Palace.
Many palace servants speculated whether Consort Cui would be given a white silk sash by the Empress Dowager or forced to drink poisoned wine.
It was only when the maids from Lanyue Residence sought help at Liangyi Palace that Wang Zhong learned of the matter.
He paced back and forth outside Liangyi Palace. The Emperor was currently reviewing memorials and did not allow anyone to disturb him. Yet if His Majesty did not go, something might truly happen to Lady Cui…
Wang Zhong gritted his teeth and pushed open the palace doors.
“Your Majesty! This servant has an urgent matter to report!”
Dantai Ji frowned and looked up at Wang Zhong, who had burst in. “What is it?”
Wang Zhong knelt on the floor and reported loudly, “The Empress Dowager has ordered her people to bind Lady Cui and execute her!”
