When the Empress heard the Emperor's question, her heart trembled, and her mind was already in chaos.
After being husband and wife for so many years, she knew that the Emperor had more or less guessed the truth behind this matter and started to doubt her.
But she could not admit it. She definitely could not admit it!
The Empress was furious. She violently slapped the table and stood up with a bang.
Very quickly…
She stared at imperial maid Zhi Chun, who had accompanied her for many years, with the eyes of a venomous snake and said, "Hmph, I never thought that I would have such a cruel and ruthless slave girl beside me! Speak, who exactly gave you the order? If you honestly reveal the offender behind this, perhaps I can give you a satisfying death on account of your long service to me! If not, I will definitely not allow you to live nor die. You will regret your journey in this world!"
When Zhi Chun heard the Empress's words, her heart was filled with complete despair.
She knew that the Empress was planning to abandon her and make her take the blame.
Furthermore, her words were a threat to Zhi Chun.
If she took the blame alone, she might be able to die a satisfying death. However, if she said the truth, not only would she die a painful death, her family would also be involved.
The Empress had such a ruthless heart…
Zhi Chun was completely disheartened and gave a sad smile. "There was no offender behind this matter, and no one gave me instructions. I had a grudge against Senior Concubine Li back then, so I framed her."
After she finished speaking, and before Chun Fei could react, Zhi Chun suddenly activated her internal strength. Then, she raised her right hand and used all her power to suddenly slap her own forehead.
Thump!
This slap could be said to be the most brutal slap that Zhi Chun could deliver. She did not hold back at all.
After this slap, Zhi Chun weakly collapsed on the floor and stopped breathing.
Chun Fei panicked, but it was too late to save Zhi Chun. She hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, this matter is definitely not as simple as she mentioned. There must definitely be someone instructing her to do so from behind the scenes!"
However, the Emperor shook his head. Then, he waved his hand with a fatigued expression on his face. "Since the true offender has taken her own life, then this matter will end here. Chun Fei, you should go back."
How could Chun Fei be willing to do so? She was very clear that Zhi Chun was simply a puppet who received orders and acted on them. She continued speaking, "She is an imperial maid who does not have such great abilities and methods! Your Majesty, you have to check this matter thoroughly!"
However, the Emperor did not want to say any more nonsense. He repeated himself, "Chun Fei, you should go back."
Chun Fei gritted her teeth and was furious.
Since she had reached this stage today, she did not care about anything else and simply pointed at the Empress. "Your Majesty, I suspect that Her Majesty the Empress instructed her servant to poison the crown prince back then! If not, how would Zhi Chun, a mere imperial maid, have the courage to poison the crown prince and frame the Senior Concubine?"
The Empress's expression was icy-cold, and she was so angry that her entire body trembled. She pointed at Chun Fei and shouted, "You're speaking nonsense! You've made malicious attacks on me!"
"I didn't!" Chun Fei widened her eyes and put aside all considerations of face. "I heard Directorate for Credentials Manager Zhang Yong mention that back then, Her Majesty the Empress framed both the crown prince and my sister, killing two birds with one stone! Even though the crown prince was saved, his body is no longer like it was before. Meanwhile, my sister was wronged and died… The greatest benefactor of this matter would be Consort Xian, who is the current Empress! After my sister died, Consort Xian became the concubine who was most doted on and successfully became the Empress. Her son, the third prince, also became the crown prince!"
"You… You…"
The Empress's trembling was even more intense, but no one knew whether it was because of her rage or some other reason. She could not speak for a while.
"That's enough!"
The Emperor's expression was dark. He stood up and looked at the Empress for a while with eyes full of rage.
But in the end, he did not say anything to the Empress. Instead, he turned and looked at Chun Fei and said word by word, "Chun Fei, this is the end of this matter. You should go back!"
Chun Fei was not willing to. She was so annoyed that she was about to cry.
How could the Emperor still not believe her after talking this far?
Were these people all fools?
Or had the Empress deceived him?
Just as Chun Fei was not willing to give up and wanted to say something, the Emperor suddenly shouted, "Guards! Bring Chun Fei back to Changmen Palace. From now on, guard Changmen Palace stringently, and don't allow her to take a step outside it!"
Very quickly, a group of guards, eunuchs, and imperial maids entered in a single file and surrounded Chun Fei.
A smart-looking eunuch with nimble eyes gestured. "Your Majesty Chun Fei, please."
If Lin Ping was here, he would definitely recognize that this eunuch was none other than…
His good friend from before, Little Guizi!
Eight years ago, Little Guizi was a eunuch in the Imperial Study Room who was addicted to gambling.
One would never have imagined that he would become a favorite of the Emperor.
There were tears in Chun Fei's eyes and complete despair in her heart.
She stared at the Emperor and said in a tone full of hate, "Xia Jianshen, you fatuous and self-indulgent ruler! You heartless and ungrateful man, my sister loved the wrong person!"
After she finished speaking, she was forcibly taken away by Little Guizi and the others.
…
After everyone had left, Changchun Palace regained its silence.
Even though Empress Xie Feiyan's body was no longer shaking, her expression was still filled with anxiety and fear.
She could not determine what exactly the Emperor was thinking.
"Your Majesty…"
She tried to call out to him.
The Emperor's expression was icy-cold, and he did not reply to her. Instead, he repeated the issue he had originally come to Changchun Palace for. "The barbarian envoys will enter the capital in half a month's time. Shi Chengtian, General Who Stabilizes the North's master, must appear!"
With that, the Emperor simply turned and left.
He did not say anything else.
The Empress's body turned weak, and she sat on her chair.
She knew that the Emperor had believed Chun Fei and guessed that she was the instigator behind the scenes who had framed Senior Concubine Li back then.
However, out of the consideration that her brother was the General Who Stabilizes the North, he did not look into this matter nor take interest in it today.
But accordingly, her brother had to ask his master, grade-9 Master Shi Chengtian, to appear in half a month.
It was now different from the past.
In the past, her brother still had the leeway to reject, but now, he had to do it!
If not, her position as Empress would no longer be stable.
Empress Xie Feiyan was dazed as she sat on her chair. She only recovered from her shock after the burning of an incense stick's time.
After that, her face, which was still considered beautiful for a middle-aged lady, turned completely ferocious and terrifying. She shouted in a low voice, "Messenger, bring Directorate of Palace Seals Manager Luo Feng here! Tonight, no matter what, he will go to Changmen Palace and kill that lowly Chun Fei! If not, he will die!"
…
…
Crack!
The door of Changmen Palace was opened. Chun Fei had been sent back under the custody of several eunuch guards.
Upon seeing this, Yun Su, who had been anxiously waiting in the courtyard, immediately greeted her and asked in a worried tone, "Her Majesty, are you alright?"
Little Guizi said in a sorry tone, "Your Majesty Chun Fei, in the future, stay obediently in Changmen Palace. You heard His Majesty's orders today. From today, you can no longer step out of Changmen Palace without authorization. If not, do not blame His Majesty for having no consideration."
At this moment, Lin Ping also walked out from his room.
When Little Guizi saw Lin Ping, he was dumbfounded and seemed rather surprised.
To be honest, apart from the first one or two years after Lin Ping had just arrived in Changmen Palace, they had occasionally only met a few times. Later on, after so many years, they seemed to have completely severed relations.
It had been a very long time since they had last seen each other.
If it was not for today, Little Guizi would have almost forgotten about Lin Ping.
Back when they were both unknown eunuchs, they were once best friends.
But now, Lin Ping was a eunuch who swept the floor at the cold palace. Meanwhile, Little Guizi was a favorite of the Emperor, and his status was no lower than that of the managers in the 24 government offices!
When Little Guizi thought about their past relationship, he hesitated for a moment. Then, he silently sighed and walked up to Lin Ping. He pulled Lin Ping aside and said in a low and fast tone, "Little Lin, I never thought that you would still be alive! Since you were able to live in the cold palace for such a long time, I believe that you must be a smart person. And since you are a smart person, listen to me. Later on, hurry up and find an opportunity to secretly sneak out of Changmen Palace and randomly find a place to stay the night. Don't return for tonight!"
After Little Guizi finished speaking, he did not wait for Little Guizi to ask why. Instead, he brought his people and hurriedly left.
Lin Ping furrowed his eyebrows as he watched the backs of the people leaving. Then, he looked at Chun Fei, who looked different from usual and seemed lost in thought.
Typically, even though Chun Fei was in the cold palace, she had remained rather firm and unyielding, as if there was something supporting her. Thus, she bravely faced any difficulties she encountered.
However, when she returned today, she seemed to have instantly lost all vigor and had become dispirited.
It looked like…
Tonight, not only did the two demons, the Black and White Impermanence, slip into the imperial compound, another major incident must have also occurred.
"Senior Sister, what exactly happened? Didn't you say that you would definitely succeed tonight? Could it be that the Emperor didn't believe you…?" Yun Su asked anxiously.
Chun Fei shook her head and did not want to say much.
However, she seemed to have thought of something very quickly, and some vigor returned to her dispirited eyes. Then, she looked at Yun Su, before looking at Lin Ping beside her, and impatiently said, "Yun Su, Lin Ping, hurry up and leave! If you don't leave, you won't make it in time! Tonight, a grade-8 master will very likely come to Changmen Palace to kill me!
"I was the one who provoked this matter, so I will face this alone. Once I die, this matter will be brought to an end.
"Yun Su. From now on, leave the imperial court and live your own life."
"As for Lin Ping, with your grade-7 cultivation, regardless of whether you want to live outside the imperial compound or continue staying here, it will definitely be very easy…"