The Great Moon Palace was brightly lit. Wang De looked outside from time to time, and sweat appeared on his forehead.
Why hadn't the Empress come back yet?
He was worried in his heart. Hearing the sound of hurried footsteps outside, he hurriedly turned his head to greet them.
"Wang De," Ban Han strode into the hall, "How is His Majesty?"
Because she was in such a hurry, her hair was a bit messy, and she was panting when she spoke. Wang De trotted behind her, "The Imperial Doctors are still treating His Majesty in the hall. The two wounds inflicted by the assassin weren't fatal, so he's not in danger for now."
Passing through the outer hall, Ban Han saw Rong Xia lying on the bed in the inner hall. Anxious, she lifted her skirt and ran to the side of the bed, reaching out to touch Rong Xia's cheeks. After making sure that his breathing was smooth and his temperature was normal, she looked at the Imperial Doctors with a serious face, "Is the wound serious?"
"Please rest assured, Empress. The assassin's ice blade wasn't poisoned, so after His Majesty wakes up, he only needs to recuperate." The Imperial Doctors answered honestly, not daring to hide anything.
"Wang De, tell me what happened." Ban Han looked at Rong Xia's pale face, and her face became more and more ugly, "Has the assassin been caught?"
"Empress, the assassin has committed suicide. She's your maid, Yuzhu."
"Yuzhu …" Ban Han's voice was a bit hoarse, "Continue."
Wang De told her everything in detail. Ban Han laughed mockingly, "She said I was the mastermind?"
The inner hall was silent.
"Yes."
"As long as His Majesty is alive, I'm the Empress. If His Majesty is gone, what am I?" Ban Han's smile became colder, "Why would I kill His Majesty?"
Based on the way she got along with Rong Xia, if she wanted to kill Rong Xia, there would be plenty of opportunities. Why would she let a maid do it, and not even put poison on the weapon? She didn't like to use her brain, but that didn't mean she was stupid.
"Empress," Du Jiu hurriedly walked in, his expression serious, "Outside the palace, more than 20 officials are crying out for justice, saying that Empress tried to assassinate His Majesty and take control of the palace....... ...............................
"Twenty or so court officials are nothing. Why don't we invite all the civil and military officials here?" Ban Ti sneered. "If we want to have a good show, then let's have a good show."
.........................................
"Ben gong sees that these men of the previous dynasty have endless schemes and schemes." Ban Zhu's words were full of ridicule. "Since they say that I control the harem, then I will let them see what it means to control the harem."
..........
"Your subordinate is here."
"Pass on ben gong's order. Summon the cavalry department, the infantry department, and the divine arrow camp to wait outside the palace." Ban Ti turned to look at the man lying on the bed. "Since His Majesty has not cleaned up the disobedient court officials, then let me do it."
"Empress, you can't!" Du Jiu saw Ban Han's expression and stopped her, "If you really do this, what will the world say about you?"
"It doesn't matter what they say, as long as your master doesn't really think that I'm a chicken," Ban Han's expression darkened, "Ruyi, help ben gong change."
The imperial physician on the side was so scared his hands were shaking. The Empress could command all the armies in Jing. No wonder the officials in the court were afraid of the Empress.
In Qinzheng Hall, more than 20 officials stood together, their expressions serious and angry. They came aggressively, their straight backs proclaiming their justice and hard work.
"For the people of the world, this old official is willing to die. I only ask that the guilty be executed."
"The Demon Empress is ambitious. She sent people to assassinate His Majesty and take control of the hougong. What should we do now?" A young official who looked to be in his twenties stood out and said, "Should we allow the Demon Empress to bring disaster to the country and the people?!"
"Daren, what's wrong?" A daren wearing a purple robe walked in. His gaze swept across the seemingly indignant officials, "It's late. Daren, what are you doing in Qinzheng Hall?"
"Liu Banshan!" The young official pointed at him and said, "You conspired with the Demon Empress to plot against His Majesty, and you still have the face to come here?"
"This official's loyalty to His Majesty can be seen by the heavens. This one does not dare to accept daren's careless accusations." Liu Banshan laughed coldly. Among these people, how many idiots had been instigated by the true mastermind? They thought they were righteous, but in reality, it was just some people who wanted to reach into the hougong and couldn't bear to see the love between the Emperor and Empress.
If the Empress was a slightly ordinary woman, or if His Majesty had the slightest suspicion of the Empress, their move would have worked.
Therefore, these people understood the Emperor's heart very well.
Unfortunately, the Ban Empress was not an ordinary woman. His Majesty's trust in the Ban Empress was not something these people could guess. When the Ban Empress was just a village ruler, she dared to whip the Tanhua Scholar on the street. Now that she was the Empress, how could she not dare to touch these officials with impure thoughts?
These idiots, the Ban Empress had just stayed in the hougong for less than a year, and they had forgotten the Ban Empress's temperament. They were really looking for death.
Liu Banshan was too lazy to talk about righteousness with them. He just said, "His Majesty has ordered that the Empress is in charge of the court and the hougong. If you daren continue to make trouble, this official can only punish you for the crime of rebellion."
"Lord Liu has a sharp mouth. Now that the Demon Empress controls the hougong, His Majesty's edict is just a mouth of yours," a daren retorted sarcastically, "Unless we see His Majesty give the order, we will not compromise."
Liu Banshan laughed coldly, flicked his sleeves and walked to the side, "As you wish."
The officials who were about to be impassioned didn't expect Liu Banshan to have such a reaction. What did he mean by standing here?
A short while later, many officials came to Qinzheng Hall. There were civil officials and military officials. The officials who wanted to suppress the Demon Empress were overjoyed and started to spread the Ban Empress's conspiracy. Many people were persuaded.
But what was strange was that the people who were persuaded did not follow the Rong Xia to conquer the world. The officials who had fought with the Rong Xia did not make a sound. Some of the bad-tempered military officials even wanted to clench their fists and beat the officials who kept calling her the Demon Empress.
Fortunately, they were stopped by the people around them. Otherwise, the hall would be even more rowdy.
"The Empress has arrived!"
"The Demon Empress dares to appear." An official looked angrily at the door of the hall, "Demon Empress, quickly hand over His Majesty."
The officials looked back and saw the Empress walk in wearing a phoenix robe and a nine-phoenix crown. What was even scarier was that there was a dense crowd of soldiers behind her. These soldiers surrounded Qinzheng Hall so tightly that even a cat or dog would not be able to escape.
"His Majesty is recuperating. Which rebellious officials are causing trouble here?" Ban Bi walked up the jade steps to the dragon throne and stood still. She lowered her head slightly and looked at the people standing at her feet. "Less than an hour after His Majesty was assassinated, there are already people with ulterior motives who are clamoring that I am the one who murdered His Majesty. It seems that all of you are very familiar with the imperial harem. Why don't these daren with good ears and eyes come out for ben gong to see, so ben gong can see the true faces of you divine detectives. "
The hall was silent. No one dared to speak.
"What, not making a fuss now?" Ban Han smiled coldly and pointed at one of the daren, "You, ben gong remembers that you are an official of the Censorate, right?"
This Censorate saw Ban Han point at him and steeled himself. He stood out and said, "This official is an official of the Censorate. If the Empress has any advice, this official will take it."
"Who are you to be worthy of ben gong's advice?" Ban Han smiled coldly and turned to point at another official, "You, Minister of the Ancestral Temple, a distant branch of the Rong Clan. You only obtained this glorious position because of His Majesty's face. Now, you are jumping up and down with others. Your intentions are damning."
"Empress!" The Minister of the Ancestral Temple was old and was a relative of the Rong Clan. He raised his hands and said, "Empress, there is no need to be so angry. This official is just worried that His Majesty cannot enter the palace and had to do this. Empress did not do anything rebellious, there is no need to be so angry. As long as you stay in the inner palace and wait for His Majesty to wake up, the truth will naturally be revealed. "
"Bullshit!" Ban Huai rushed out from the ranks and punched the Minister of the Ancestral Temple. "You are just an old man from a distant branch. You really think you are a relative of the Imperial Family. You dare to point fingers at the Empress."
The Minister of the Ancestral Temple's words were not pleasant to hear, but he did not dare to hit. Or rather, he did not expect that someone would hit him. He was an old man. In terms of seniority, he was Rong Xia's granduncle. Who dared to be disrespectful to him?
However, there were always accidents. He met the unscrupulous Ban Huai.
When Ban Huai heard these people mention the Demon Empress, he could no longer hold back. Now, this damned old man dared to put on the airs of an Imperial Family elder in front of his daughter. How could he hold back?
So what if you are old and powerful?!
The Emperor was injured and could not manage the court. The Empress was imprisoned in the inner palace with the crime of murdering the Emperor? These people were dreaming. Don't think that he did not know what they were planning.
"Duke Of Jingting, what do you want to do? I am His Majesty's elder."
"I am also His Majesty's father-in-law!" Ban Huai sneered and threw this talkative old man to the side. He pointed at the officials who had called his daughter the Demon Empress. "His Majesty was just attacked by an assassin, and you want to force my daughter to death. I think the real culprit behind this is you!"
"Father!" The Minister of the Ancestral Temple's son cried and made a fuss. "Your Majesty, come and see. The Demon Empress is forcing our clansmen to death."
Ban Ti looked at his perfect performance and walked down the jade steps. He aimed at the crying man's face and kicked him. Ban Han was someone who had been on the battlefield. His leg strength was not weak. In the blink of an eye, the man rolled out like a gourd.
The civil officials were dumbfounded. The Empress was … …
"This emperor is disgusted by the sight of an ugly man crying." Ban Han's expression became completely cold. "Come, lock up all these troublemaking officials in the prison. When His Majesty wakes up, we will interrogate them."
Ban Han suspected that these officials were not so innocent.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, open your eyes and see. The Demon Empress is vicious. She will die a horrible death!" An old official suddenly stood up and slammed into the dragon pillar.
Bang!
Instantly, blood splattered everywhere. The official who had slammed into the dragon pillar swayed and then fell down.
A soldier came up and checked his breathing. "Niang niang, he is still alive."
"Take him away. Let the Imperial Doctor take a look." Ban Han sneered. This was not a novel. Slamming into a pillar would kill him.
"Who else wants to slam into it?" Ban Han sneered. "I won't stop you. Slam into it as you wish." If these people were not Rong Xia's clansmen, with Ban Han's temper, he would have dragged them out and beaten them dozens of times.
"Slam, quickly slam into it." A certain dandy Marquis lifted his robe and sat down cross-legged. "If you don't slam into it, you are not a loyal official. We are still watching."
"Yes, yes, yes. The more you slam into it, the angrier you will be," a general shouted. "Don't worry. So many people are watching. When you are dead or crippled, we will report to His Majesty how loyal you are."
After being interrupted like this, the officials who had been causing a ruckus suddenly did not know what to do.
Scold? They would be beaten.
Slam into the pillar? They said to slam into it as they wished. But there were so many officials in the palace, and most of them were just watching. No one stopped them. The Demon Empress had bewitched so many people?
"Hey, why did you stop?" The dandy Marquis who was sitting cross-legged on the ground was dissatisfied. "I think you are not loyal officials at all. You clearly want to take advantage of His Majesty's injury to bully a weak woman like the Empress."
"Are you even men?"
Was there a weak woman in the world who could send someone flying with a kick?
Encountering a rude and unreasonable dandy, the officials who caused a ruckus felt like a scholar encountering a soldier. They had no choice but to shout Rong Xia's name. Every sentence was to complain about their own injustice.
"His Majesty has arrived!"
This sentence was like a curse, suppressing all the noise in the court. Even the dandy who was sitting on the ground and watching the ruckus obediently got up from the ground.
Ban Han looked out of the palace in surprise. Rong Xia had two wounds on his body. When she came out, he was still unconscious. Why was he here? She unconsciously walked out a few steps and saw Rong Xia sitting on the carriage. His face was as white as paper, and even his lips were pinkish white.
She quickly ran to Rong Xia's side and said with a sullen face: "Do you want to die? Why did you come out with such serious injuries?"
"Good girl, I'm fine." Rong Xia asked the eunuch to put down the carriage. He gently held Ban Han's hand, "I've wronged you."
"How can these idiots make me feel wronged?" Ban Han was very close to him, so she could smell the blood on his body. It was reasonable to say that the wounds were treated and the smell of blood could not be smelled. However, Rong Xia had rushed over from the Great Moon Palace, so his wounds would definitely be affected and blood would seep out.
Thinking of this, Ban Han's face darkened. Did he also think that she would take this opportunity to seize power in the palace? Was that why he rushed over with such serious injuries?
Rong Xia did not let go of Ban Han's hand. However, he was sitting and Ban Han was standing, so he did not see Ban Han's face.
"Du Jiu." Rong Xia's voice was weak. He had just woken up when he heard that there were officials causing trouble. Huahua was a straightforward person. He was worried that Huahua would suffer in the hands of these old foxes, so he rushed over.
"This subject is here." Du Jiu looked sympathetically at the officials causing trouble. Among these people, several were distant branches of the Rong clan. Originally, His Majesty had given them some idle positions because of the old master. Now, they dared to call the Empress a demon empress in court, and even cursed her to die a horrible death. How could His Majesty tolerate them?
"Throw all these people who are disrespectful to the Empress into prison," Rong Xia's voice became even smaller. He squeezed Ban Han's hand tightly and forced himself to sober up, "Those who curse the Empress will be treated as disrespectful to the Imperial Family. First, they will be flogged 50 times, then thrown into prison."
50 flogs, how could she still be alive?
The officials were shocked. Seeing His Majesty like this, they all understood. These people had eaten bear's heart and leopard's guts. That was why they took advantage of His Majesty's injury to smear the Empress' reputation.
How could a tainted Empress deserve His Majesty's wholehearted treatment? When the time came, some ambitious officials would have a reason to ask His Majesty to take a consort, and drag the court and the inner palace together.
The smart courtiers understood this point and sucked in a breath of cold air in their hearts. They were afraid that many people were implicated in this assassination.
"Zhen's injury is not serious, but I still need to rest for a few days. If you can't make decisions on important matters of court, you can ask the Empress," Rong Xia looked at Zhou Bingan and the others, "The Empress' orders are the same as zhen's."
"This subject accepts the order."
"Huahua," Rong Xia crooked Ban Han's finger, "Accompany zhen back to the palace."
Ban Han dazedly returned Rong Xia's hand. Even when they walked out of the gates of Qinzheng Hall, he still didn't recover.
He was seriously injured, and hurried over just to support her?
He knew that she couldn't deal with the distant branches of the Rong clan, so he personally spoke? After today, who would doubt his feelings for her in court? Because of what happened today, she would even have the right to speak in court.
Rong Xia, you schemed to seize the world, so why were you so unguarded against her?
When they arrived at the boundary of the Great Moon Palace, Rong Xia smiled at Ban Han with a pale face, "Huahua, zhen is a bit sleepy, and wants to sleep for a while."
"Rong Xia?!"
Ban Han watched as Rong Xia slowly closed her eyes. She suddenly remembered the day her grandmother passed away. She also smiled and spoke to her like this, but her closed eyes never opened again.
"Rong Xia?!" Her face was pale, and she held her chest and gasped for breath, "Imperial physician, imperial physician, quickly summon an imperial physician!"
Rong Xia was carried to the dragon bed. The imperial physicians said his life wasn't in danger, but the movement just now had opened his wound and caused him to bleed a lot.
Ban Han bent down to pick up the robe on the ground. Her hands were covered in cold blood. She dazedly looked at the man who had fainted on the bed. Her chest suddenly hurt, and it took a while for her to recover.
"Niangniang … …" Du Jiu turned and saw Ban Han's appearance. He paused before saying, "His Majesty will be fine, please take care of his phoenix body."
"I know," Ban Han lowered her eyelids, "ben gong is very well."
She didn't know that at this time, her face was full of tears, and her face was pale. How could she be fine?
Du Jiu didn't dare to persuade her again. He was afraid that if he did, the Empress would cry. As his master's personal attendant, he rarely saw the Empress cry, much less like this.
He didn't know what words to use to describe Ban Han's appearance, but he could feel that the Empress' feelings for His Majesty were not shallow.
"Have you found out who Yuzhu has interacted with?" Ban Han walked to the bedside and sat down. She gently held Rong Xia's hand.
Seeing Du Jiu not speak, she turned to look at him: "What, is there something you can't say?"
"Niangniang, it's … … Princess An Le," Du Jiu said, "Yuzhu guniang has an affair with one of Princess An Le's male companions. This subordinate guesses that Princess An Le probably used this male companion to threaten her before she agreed."
"An Le is a princess who has lost power, how could she send a message to the palace?" Ban Han's tone was so calm that it surprised Du Jiu. "Was it an official from the Rong family? They didn't like His Majesty only favoring me, the Empress, so they chose to cooperate with An Le. But An Le wanted Rong Xia's life, and they wanted to put the assassination on me. So the message An Le sent to Yuzhu was changed by them. "
"For example … … injuring His Majesty, but not fatally, and then putting the assassination on me." Ban Han smiled coldly: "What a good show."
"Niangniang, everything is just a guess, maybe … …" Du Jiu couldn't speak, "maybe the truth is not like this."
"It was I who implicated him." Ban Han gently stroked Rong Xia's pale lips. If she had touched him like this in the past, he would have taken the opportunity to hug her and ask for benefits. But today, he could only lie there, motionless.
"Niangniang, what does this have to do with you?" Du Jiu knelt on one knee, "This has nothing to do with you."
"If His Majesty wants to be known as a virtuous person, he only needs to keep the deposed Crown Prince and the former Empress Dowager alive, give them a false reputation, and then imprison them." Ban Han smiled bitterly. "As for the lives of the concubine-born children of the princesses, it doesn't matter if he keeps them alive or not. If it wasn't for me, His Majesty wouldn't have been so kind to the Jiang Family. "
"Niang niang, this is not your fault. His Majesty is only lenient to the children of the previous dynasty's Empress Dowager because her paternal family took care of him." Du Jiu was right. Princess An Le and Empress Dowager Fu Ping were able to live well in another palace and not be sent to a Daoist temple because the previous dynasty's Empress Dowager's paternal family took care of His Majesty.
"No matter what kind of relationship His Majesty had with them, let me be the bad guy today." Ban Han touched his face and found that it was full of cold tears, "Send Empress Dowager Fu Ping to Prince Heqing. Let her and Prince Heqing guard the Imperial Mausoleum for the Jiang Family."
"Then … … Princess Anle?"
"Because she colluded with the imperial harem to murder the current Emperor, but because of her relationship with Prince Heqing, she will be spared from death. She will only be stripped of her princess title and sent to the Ascetic Temple as a nun. Without my order, she will not be allowed to leave the temple until she dies." Ban Han's tone was cold, "Send someone to issue the edict now, do not delay."
"Yes." Du Jiu accepted the order and retreated.
After Du Jiu left, Ban Han turned to look at Rong Xia on the bed. After a long time, she sighed: "Between the two of us, who is more foolish?"
The man on the bed didn't respond. The only answer she got was his rising and falling chest.
"Niangniang," Wang De came in with a tray, "the medicine is ready."
Ban Han took the bowl of medicine. When she was about to feed Rong Xia, she suddenly remembered that in the past, whenever she used medicine, Rong Xia would taste it and then tell her that it wasn't bitter at all. After she drank it, Rong Xia would coax her with snacks as if she were a child.
She lowered her head and drank the medicine. It was bitter, astringent, and even worse than the medicine she had taken in the past.
Raising the pillow higher, Ban Han drank a mouthful of medicine and then passed it into Rong Xia's mouth. After the medicine was fed, Ban Han's tongue was so bitter that it was numb. She took the tea and rinsed her mouth. She wiped the corners of her mouth and said, "Wang De, clean up the people in the imperial harem again, including the people around me."
Wang De responded in a small voice: "Yes."
"You can leave."
Wang De bowed and retreated. When he reached the door of the hall, he accidentally raised his head and saw the Empress gently cover His Majesty with a blanket.
He walked out of the hall and looked at the crescent moon in the sky. Tomorrow might be a sunny day.
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