"Consort Xian, you have committed heinous crimes and brought disaster upon the nation. The reason I have allowed you to live until now is to cast a long line to catch a big fish, to round up all the traitors surrounding you. It seems they are as brainless as you, and despite all their calculations, they could not escape the fate of being beheaded..."
Emperor Cheng placed the small notebook on the desk and shouted, "Announce the decree!"
Everyone present knelt on the ground, silenced by fear...
"Consort Xian conspired for power, instigated rebellion, and attempted to usurp the throne. From this moment on, her title of Imperial Noble Consort is stripped. Her relatives, friends, family, and servants are to have their assets confiscated and be exiled. Consort Xian herself is guilty of countless crimes, unforgivable by heavenly principles. She shall be executed at noon tomorrow!"
After the oral decree was issued, the ministers collectively breathed a sigh of relief...
As long as this scourge was removed, the foundation of the Great Liang Dynasty would remain unshaken, and the court could continue to prosper and flourish.
Xiao Xi Tian was very satisfied with this outcome.
Emperor Cheng was not a bloodthirsty person, but as the ruler of a nation, he could not be too weak...
He did not implicate the entire clan, only exiled Consort Xian's close relatives and friends, making them labor and experience the lives of the poor.
"Your Majesty, sob sob..." Consort Xian cried, crawling to Emperor Cheng's feet and clasping her hands in supplication, "Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. For the sake of Jin Feng, please spare my life. I am willing to go to the Northern Frontier to reclaim wasteland and farm, or to the Southern Frontier to mine. I would even wash clothes for the soldiers, as long as Your Majesty remembers our past affection and spares my life, please?"
Emperor Cheng: "..."
What past affection do I have with you?
With your disposition, let alone reclaiming wasteland, you wouldn't even know how to steam a bun. You'd be a burden in the Northern Frontier.
Prime Minister Yang stepped forward to advise, "Your Majesty, Consort Xian is playing the emotional card. You must not let the tiger return to the mountain..."
"Yes, please Your Majesty reconsider!" Xue Lu Hai also chimed in.
Consort Xian's teeth itched with anger, her eyes flickered, and her whole body trembled like a sieve...
Just as she was about to retort to the two of them, a sweet, bloody sensation surged in her throat. Consort Xian clutched her neck and coughed violently, "Cough, cough, ugh, cough, cough!"
This cough, however, was too forceful. She directly spat out a mouthful of blood...
"Ugh, pfft!"
Crimson blood stained her white sleeves. The light in Consort Xian's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a dull mist.
Seeing this, Xiao Xi Tian frowned, startled, "Oh no, Consort Xian seems to have gone mad from anger..."
"What?" Xiao Jin Heng was slightly taken aback, "Mad?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Consort Xian suddenly stood up, disheveled her hair, and burst into laughter, "What dynasty's rise and fall, what conspiracy for power, I don't care! I just need to cultivate diligently, and in a few years, I will ascend to immortality. Then, I will come back to settle accounts with you all!"
Emperor Cheng: "..."
Isn't this a bit too sudden?
Why did she suddenly go mad?
If she wasn't killed in front of the common people and ministers, wouldn't that be letting her off too easily?
"Go, summon the imperial physicians!" Emperor Cheng ordered.
If she's sick, she needs treatment. He had to confirm if Consort Xian was faking madness...
"Understood, Your Majesty!" Eunuch Zhao responded and scurried out.
However, not long after Eunuch Zhao left, Consort Xian, taking advantage of everyone's inattention, slammed her head against a pillar.
With a dull thud, Consort Xian collapsed limply on the ground, her face covered in blood...
Xiao Xi Tian quickly walked over and felt for her breath, "She's still alive, but her eyes..."
Indeed, with that impact, Consort Xian had nearly shattered her right eyeball. Looking at it, her eye socket was filled with blood, and even her nose bridge had caved in.
"What happened to her eyes?" Emperor Cheng asked.
Xiao Xi Tian looked up, "Imperial Uncle, she seems to have blinded one eye..."
This person was also mad, her eyes were blind, her nose was caved in, was there still a need to behead her?
The other ministers also fell silent, standing by and watching.
Emperor Cheng hesitated for a moment, then instructed Prime Minister Yang, "The morning court tomorrow will be postponed. I will personally oversee the execution of those traitors at the Meridian Gate..."
"Yes!" Prime Minister Yang nodded slightly and glanced at Consort Xian, "Your Majesty, then, what about her?"
Emperor Cheng sighed, "Let the imperial physicians examine her injuries. If there are no serious issues, proceed with the execution. If she is truly mad, then throw her into the cold palace and never let her out..."
Prime Minister Yang replied with an "Oh," "Understood, understood!"
"Also!" Emperor Cheng gazed out of the hall, suddenly remembering something. "The Second Prince, Xiao Jin Feng, as Consort Xian's only son, although he did not participate in the rebellion, he has committed other unspeakable deeds in the past. While his life may be spared, he cannot escape punishment. From today onwards, his title as Prince Ming is revoked, and he is demoted to commoner. It would be best if he never returns to the palace..."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jin Heng's eyes lit up.
Perhaps this was the outcome his second brother desired most.
To live in seclusion, grow flowers, tease birds, fish, gather herbs, and have a few cute babies with Huai Hua...
Xiao Jin Heng had also saved a considerable amount of money over the years, enough for him and Huai Hua to live out their days in comfort.
"Yes, this humble minister will inform Prince Ming later, no, inform... inform Young Master Xiao!" Prime Minister Yang stammered.
Alas, Prince Ming, to be born into royalty and yet be unsatisfied, to yearn for that unfamiliar homeland. He was born with a golden key in his mouth, and now, he had forcefully spat it out...
Xiao Xi Tian breathed a sigh of relief. The matter was finally settled.
When she returned, she would find her elder brother Jiang Tun, hand over the affairs of the cloth shop, and then she would return to the village with her parents.
A flash of time had passed since she came to the capital. The cold winter had long gone, tender grass had grown by the roadside and on the hillsides. It was time to return to village life...
"Father Emperor!" Xiao Jin Heng approached Emperor Cheng and cupped his hands, "Your son has a request!"
He had noticed long ago that the little village girl wanted to return to Dashui Village. If she left like this, wouldn't he be lonely remaining in the palace?
As the saying goes, a father knows his son best. Emperor Cheng gave Xiao Jin Heng a sharp look and coughed lightly, "What? You don't plan to stay and help me manage state affairs?"
Xiao Jin Heng: "..."
I am still too young, Father Emperor, please wait a few more years for your son.
"Alright, alright, hurry up and go, you're so annoying!" Emperor Cheng turned away impatiently, even feigning to wipe away a tear.
His son had grown up and he couldn't control him anymore.
Xiao Jin Heng was speechless, his lips twitching, "Then, then your son shall take his leave..."