This was a declaration to the world, illustrating how humble the Emperor had been before her in the past!
This was raking up Zhan Tianhong’s old wounds!
Elder Master Geng felt a surge of blood rise in his chest again.
Zhan Tianhong’s eyes were now filled with an icy chill. The feigned grief he had displayed moments ago vanished like smoke, leaving nothing behind.
“Emperor, oh Emperor, you truly are ungrateful! Were all your past words eaten by dogs? Do you still remember kneeling before this Empress Dowager, vowing to be filial to her forever? And what of now! Filial? In what way have you been filial? Let the world see how ungrateful you are!” The Empress Dowager spread her hands wide, gazing out towards the Imperial Study.
She wanted the officials and palace servants gathered there to know just how ignoble the Emperor standing in the Imperial Study had once been!
And how hypocritical he was now!
Did he want her to accept her fate and punishment?
Wishful thinking!
She would never submit!
Were these words enough to make those outside the Imperial Study despise the Emperor?!
Hahahaha! The one who grew up under her watchful eye now wanted to climb over her head?
Truly wishful thinking!
At this moment, the Empress Dowager’s eyes seemed to be blinded, and her heart seemed to be clouded. She did not see the expressions on the faces of those outside the door.
They simply watched the Empress Dowager with furrowed brows.
Many people were aware of these matters and understood them clearly, but hearing them spoken by the Empress Dowager made her seem utterly arrogant! She clearly did not hold the current Emperor in any regard.
Yun Shu sighed inwardly, lamenting that when one sought their own demise, no one else could stop them.
Zhan Tianhong’s lips were pressed tightly together, his gaze cold as he fixed on the Empress Dowager. Her words brought back every humiliation he had endured in the past, the sheer degradation of it all!
In the dead of night, it would still haunt him like a nightmare, making him want to grip the Empress Dowager’s throat and strangle her!
Only then could the hatred in his heart be sated.
Otherwise, how could his heart’s resentment be quelled? And now, she dared to bring this up in front of everyone! And to boast about it, thinking that mentioning the past would make him afraid? Did she think he was still that child who had to tread carefully to survive in the palace?
Bitch!
Zhan Tianhong cursed her inwardly twice.
“Even now, Mother, you refuse to admit your mistakes. This truly disappoints me,” Zhan Tianhong’s tone sounded calm.
In reality, his hands beneath his sleeves had clenched into fists. If not for his powerful self-control, he would have already rushed forward to end her life with his own hands!
Elder Master Geng, seeing the Empress Dowager about to unleash a torrent of abuse, roared, “Silence! Be silent!”
No more could be said!
Absolutely no more could be said!
Otherwise, everything would be ruined!
How could she be so foolish? Elder Master Geng could no longer hold back, and a mouthful of blood surged out!
Immediately after his angry roar, the blood sprayed directly onto the Empress Dowager.
The blood splattered across the Empress Dowager’s face.
The Empress Dowager stared at Elder Master Geng in utter shock.
Perhaps the mouthful of blood had shocked her into clarity. Looking at Elder Master Geng’s frighteningly pale face, and then at herself, a wave of disorientation washed over her.
Immediately afterward, cold sweat broke out all over her.
Her eyes widened.
She looked at the Emperor in abject terror.
She saw that in his eyes, as he looked at her, there was no longer any attempt to conceal his murderous intent.
Then she looked at Yun Shu and Prince Ye. They were all watching with indifferent eyes. Only she… she had lost her composure in a moment of panic and had, like a madwoman, set trap after trap for herself and fallen right into them!
Her body trembled violently.
She gasped.
Fortunately… it wasn’t too late.
She quickly steadied Elder Master Geng, then gritted her teeth, her eyes red, and knelt before Zhan Tianhong. “Emperor, this Empress Dowager is guilty! All of this is my fault. I was misled by the Regent and made such a grave mistake! I beg the Emperor to punish me!”
Never in her life had she imagined she would kneel before Zhan Tianhong and beg him!
At this moment, she lowered her head.
Suddenly awakened, she understood that she could not err any further.
Otherwise, the Geng family would be ruined! If the green hills remained, there would be no worry about firewood. She finally understood now. Although Jiang Luoxi’s words just now had filled her with resentment, they were undeniably correct! But she had seen and understood it too late!
She had actually enraged him!
She had been so impulsive just now, failing to grasp her father’s earnest intentions!
Elder Master Geng wiped his mouth. He had already resigned himself to despair, but seeing the Empress Dowager seem to have come to her senses and kneel in supplication!
He immediately felt a sliver of hope.
Ignoring the churning blood in his throat, he also knelt down.
“Emperor! Her Majesty the Empress Dowager must have been deceived by the Regent, leading her to commit such a grave error. I implore the Emperor to see this clearly! However, now that Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has committed such a great wrong, she must be severely punished! Let Her Majesty the Empress Dowager know that mistakes must be punished, and that the law applies equally to all, whether Emperor or commoner! As the Empress Dowager, she should set an example.”
With this statement, the Empress Dowager’s crime was again subtly shifted towards the Regent.
Then, it was implied that Zhan Tianhong should uphold justice, even against his own kin.
He was indeed the patriarch of the Geng family.
At such a critical juncture, he could still devise countermeasures.
Even now, spitting blood and on the verge of fainting, he could endure and face the situation head-on.
The fact that the Empress Dowager could quickly calm down after being splashed with blood and face the situation directly was truly surprising to Yun Shu.
However.
Yun Shu looked at Zhan Tianhong. She knew that Zhan Tianhong would never miss an opportunity to severely punish the Empress Dowager. If the Empress Dowager had admitted her mistakes from the beginning, or even shown sufficient respect to Zhan Tianhong, perhaps it might have made a difference.
But just now, the Empress Dowager’s words had been like a stab to the heart, tearing open old scars and exposing the wounds within.
How could Zhan Tianhong, with his growing power, swallow such an insult?
Zhan Tianye, thinking Yun Shu was worried, quietly uttered two words, “Don’t worry.” He understood his brother better than anyone.
Today, the Empress Dowager could not escape.
The Empress Dowager’s face was completely drained of color. She tightly closed her eyes, her heart filled with deep pain and regret.
She lowered her head profoundly.
Just as Zhan Tianhong had done before her in the past.
At this moment, the Empress Dowager felt as if her throat was filled with blood.
Zhan Tianhong looked towards the door. Everyone was watching him.
He then looked at Yun Shu and Yun Changfeng in the room, and finally at Zhan Tianye, his fifth brother.
His long lashes obscured the light in his eyes.
Time seemed to rewind to years ago. When others couldn’t be trusted, he could only rely on his fifth brother, and the question he asked most often was, “Fifth Brother, what do you think should be done?”
As he spoke the question.
Zhan Tianhong felt as if lifetimes had passed.
In truth, he no longer needed to ask.