Concubine De knew that she could not hide it anymore. Even if she wanted to defend herself, she could not find a reason to do so.
She could only plead guilty and tell them everything.
She was the one who had put a medicine that countered Xian Empress' hair oil and honey locust. That medicine did not matter if it was used on normal people, but if it was used on pregnant women, they would miscarry. At the time, she just wanted the former empress to miscarry. Who knew that the former empress would bleed so much from the miscarriage that she couldn't even keep her life.
Without Cheng Ying, Concubine De thought that she could get more attention from the Emperor. However, she found that Zhao Yong seemed to have forgotten about her and kept doting on other women. Concubine De thought that Zhao Yong would notice her if there was no other woman. Who knew … She was disappointed again and again. When she came to her senses, she had already done too many wrong things.
Concubine De told Zhao Yong everything she had done. She did not dare to look up at Zhao Yong. She did not dare to imagine what would happen to her next.
She thought that she could hide these things for a lifetime!
As long as her son became the new Emperor, all her worries and fears would disappear. However, before she could wait for the Second Prince to ascend the throne, Zhao Yong found out the truth.
"… Your Majesty, all of this was done by me alone. The Second Prince was young at that time, so they didn't know anything. I beg Your Majesty to punish me alone. Don't implicate the Second Prince and the Third Princess," Concubine De said to Zhao Yong.
Although Zhao Yong already knew the truth, he was still infuriated when he heard it from Concubine De. "You deserve to die!"
He was worse than a child. Even Shang'er had sensed that there was something wrong with Cheng Ying's death. He had thought that the harem was under his control and that no one would dare to harm the Empress under his watch. He had even sent Shang'er to the Cheng family without caring about how lonely and afraid she was after losing her mother …
There was a reason why Shang'er hated him all these years.
"Imperial Father, although Imperial Mother was in the wrong, everything she did was for us. I beg Imperial Father to spare Imperial Mother's life for the sake of her son." Zhao Lan knelt down and cried as she pleaded with Zhao Yong.
The Second Prince knelt down as well. "Imperial Father, please have mercy and forgive Imperial Mother this once."
Zhao Lan and the Second Prince knew that it was impossible to argue that Concubine De was innocent. They could only beg Zhao Yong to spare Concubine De's life so that they could have a chance to save her in the future.
Zhao Yong sighed in his heart as he watched his two children kowtow. If he killed Concubine De, these two children would hate him. He did not expect his children to hate him for his many military exploits. He was considered a wise ruler in the Kingdom of Qi, but his children would hate him in the end.
"I won't kill you …" Zhao Yong looked down at Concubine De. Sometimes, death was a relief.
Zhao Rao suddenly looked towards Zhao Yong. She stared at him in disbelief, her voice choked with emotion as she asked, "You gave her a chance to admit her wrongs, but who gave my Imperial Mother a chance to come back to life? What did my mother do wrong to be killed? "
"Zhao Rao, in the end, what do you want?" Zhao Lan's heart was still filled with joy, but when she heard Zhao Rao's words, she was shocked and shouted out loud.
"I don't want anything." Zhao Rao looked down at Concubine De. For so many years, she had hoped to know the truth thousands of times. Now that she knew, she also knew that keeping Concubine De alive was a torture to her, but she would never forget that this woman had a son. "Go see my Imperial Mother. If she forgives you, you can come back."
"Rao 'er …" Zhao Yong frowned, "I will punish her and give your Imperial Mother an explanation."
"My Imperial Mother does not need you to do anything for her." Zhao Rao did not even look at Zhao Yong, "As for my Imperial Mother, the last thing she wants is for you to do anything for her."
Concubine De did not want to die. She still wanted to be the Empress Dowager. Seeing Zhao Rao's murderous eyes, her expression changed, "Eldest Princess, what do you want to do?"
"I've said before, the person you should let down is my Imperial Mother. It's meaningless for others to let you go. You can only live if my Imperial Mother forgives you." Zhao Rao squatted in front of Concubine De, a smile appeared on her bright face, but it looked very chilling, "So, you should go and beg my Imperial Mother. If she forgives you, I will let you go."
"You …" Concubine De's eyes widened in horror, and she stopped talking before she could finish her words.
Zhao Rao was holding a golden hairpin in her hand, and she stabbed it straight into Concubine De's neck. Blood spurted out, and her dress and hands were instantly dyed red.
"Imperial Mother …" Zhao Lan let out a shrill scream.
The Second Prince's eyes were red with anger, and he reached out to hit Zhao Rao.
Cheng Zheng kicked him away, and hugged Zhao Rao tightly in his arms, pressing her head against his chest, and comforting her in a low voice, "Don't be afraid, Rao 'er."
Zhao Lan threw herself on Concubine De, and tried to press her wound with both hands, but blood kept gushing out. Concubine De opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.
She did not want to die so soon …
"Imperial Physician, quickly call the Imperial Physician!" The Second Prince shouted like a madman.
Zhao Yong was still sitting in his original position, and his gaze fell on Zhao Rao. She was quietly curled up in Cheng Zheng's arms, and her shoulders were trembling slightly, but because of Cheng Zheng, she seemed to have support.
He had killed countless people in his life, and had seen all kinds of bloody scenes, but it was not as shocking as seeing his daughter kill someone with his own eyes today.
How much hatred was hidden in Rao 'er's heart …
Could it be that she could not endure it anymore after all these years?
"Your Majesty, this official will take the Eldest Princess away first." Cheng Zheng said to Zhao Yong in a low voice.
Zhao Yong looked at his daughter, and after she killed Concubine De, she did not speak again, "Take her away."
Zhao Rao leaned her head on Cheng Zheng's shoulder, and she finally got her revenge for all these years. Her heart suddenly relaxed, and she did not want to say anything. She was just glad that Cheng Zheng was by her side, and he would not make her feel more helpless.
"Zhao Rao!" The Second Prince looked at their backs with hatred, and swore in his heart that he would not let them go in the future.
"Imperial Mother, Imperial Mother …" Zhao Lan did not care about anything else, she only wanted to save Concubine De.
The Imperial Physician quickly arrived, and saw a golden hairpin in Concubine De's neck, and her whole body was soaked in blood. He was shocked, and hurriedly went to take her pulse, and shook his head with a heavy expression, "Your Majesty, Concubine De is no longer breathing."
"No … No … Imperial Physician, my Imperial Mother will not die, save her, quickly save her." Zhao Lan screamed.
The golden hairpin had directly cut the artery in Concubine De's neck, and there was no way that Concubine De could be saved. Zhao Yong looked at her indifferently, "Your Imperial Mother deserved it. For your sake, I will not expose her crime."
Zhao Lan hugged Concubine De and cried out loud.
The Second Prince knelt down, "Thank you, Imperial Father."
...
(Nine-Headed Bird Academy)
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