OBS Chapter 1615 Chu Shuxian "Passes Away"
Chapter 1615 Chu Shuxian "Passes Away"
Caiju was terrified!
She had never seen the Empress look like this before.
Is this still the same gentle, timid empress who wouldn't even dare to step on an ant?
A look of disgust and murderous intent toward the Chu family appeared in the Empress's eyes!
Consort Kang, unaware of how terrifying she looked, said slowly and deliberately, "So... regardless of what connection existed between Madam Chu and Master Xingchen, whether it was wishful thinking on her part or something else..."
"Chu Shuxian... can't be allowed to live any longer!"
Caiju was terrified: "Your Majesty! What...what are you saying?!"
"Your Majesty, please calm down!"
"The Chu family was deposed by His Majesty's decree. Her fate is determined by Heaven. Why do you have to get involved in such matters?"
"Your Majesty, you have never harmed anyone! For the sake of one..."
"Perhaps it's just wishful thinking on the part of the Chu family, and has nothing to do with Master Xingchen. How could you risk going there..."
She dared not utter the word "murder," and felt a chill run through her body.
The woman before her was so unfamiliar that it frightened her...
Consort Kang lowered her head, looking at Caiju kneeling on the ground trembling, her eyes unwavering: "Caiju, what are you afraid of?"
"Chu was just a commoner who had been deposed and sent to the cold palace. She was helpless and her health was severely damaged by a miscarriage. The cold palace was a place where food and clothing were scarce, and it was cold and damp. It was common for one or two people to 'die' from time to time."
"Who would care whether a woman who has lost the Emperor's favor and has no background lives or dies? Who would bother to investigate?"
"Even if some people suspect that I visited Lady Chu today and brought her food and clothing, I was only doing so out of consideration for our past shared residence in the palace. If she is simply unfortunate and cannot make it through, what does that have to do with me?"
At this point, Consort Kang paused, then bent down to help Caiju up: "Caiju, you've served me for so many years, you're the most considerate. This matter... I need your help."
"You don't need to do anything yourself. Just keep an eye on what's going on in the Cold Palace, find out who's delivering food and medicine to Madam Chu every day, and figure out the pattern."
"As for the rest... I will take care of it myself."
Seeing the determination in Consort Kang's eyes, Caiju knew that further persuasion would be useless.
The Empress Dowager was solely focused on protecting Master Xingchen's reputation.
"My lady..."
Caiju said anxiously, "This servant...this servant is just worried about you...this matter is too risky, what if..."
"Nothing unexpected."
Consort Kang interrupted Caiju: "For Master Xingchen... it's worth it!"
"Moreover, the very existence of the Chu family is a hidden danger. Eliminating her is merely clearing away the filth, restoring peace to the Buddhist community, and preventing potential harm to more people."
She spoke in a grand and righteous manner, making it sound like she was doing something very righteous.
……
The Hall of Nourishing Heart.
Nangong Xuanyu simply didn't want to attract attention, so he didn't treat Chu Shuxian any differently; it wasn't that he completely ignored her.
The events that occurred in the Cold Palace were still reported to the Emperor by Li Changde.
He looked up at Li Changde: "...What was Consort Kang doing going to the Cold Palace to see Lady Chu?"
Li Changde had already memorized the relevant details, and upon hearing this, he immediately bowed and said, "Your Majesty, according to the guards at the gate, Consort Kang said that Lady Chu was once a person in her palace, and that she had suffered a miscarriage and injured her body. Consort Kang felt sorry for her and went to deliver some things."
"After entering, she dismissed everyone and spoke privately with Lady Chu for a while. The specific content... was not heard by the guards who were far away. About a quarter of an hour later, Consort Kang came out."
After listening, Nangong Xuanyu neither agreed nor disagreed.
In his memory, Consort Kang had been in the palace for many years and was known for her gentle, timid, and even somewhat cowardly nature. She was always content with her lot and never competed for anything.
Her reason for visiting Lady Chu was plausible, since Lady Chu had indeed been a concubine in her palace.
But... Consort Kang deliberately dismissed everyone else and spoke to Lady Chu alone?
Nangong Xuanyu asked, "Were Consort Kang and Lady Chu very close in the past?"
Li Changde replied in a measured tone: "Your Majesty, to the best of my knowledge, that is not the case."
"After Lady Chu moved into the Xuehua Pavilion, a side hall of Chuxiu Palace, her interactions with Consort Kang were merely those of a high-ranking concubine and a lower-ranking concubine, without any particularly deep relationship. Lady Chu's pregnancy was initially kept from Consort Kang."
This is a bit intriguing...
Despite having no deep friendship, he made a special trip to visit her in the cold palace and even spoke to her alone.
Nangong Xuanyu's eyes darkened slightly, but he ultimately only said, "...I understand."
Li Changde understood immediately; this matter had already attracted His Majesty's attention.
The Xiongnu delegation and Princess Yun'an's marriage procession have officially left the capital, freeing the emperor to deal with other matters.
A hint of murderous intent flashed in Nangong Xuanyu's eyes as he said to Li Changde, "The trivial matters in the palace... should also be sorted out."
Li Changde immediately bowed: "This servant understands!"
He knew exactly what His Majesty meant.
His Majesty is finally able to free up his hands to deal with that unresolved scandal that has been weighing on his mind.
As one of the parties involved, the Chu family naturally became the breakthrough point.
He was to carry out His Majesty's secret order to remove Lady Chu and her personal maid Chunling from the Cold Palace. He would then imprison them in a secluded place under his complete control for detailed interrogation.
As for the Cold Palace, a reasonable explanation is needed.
So, two days later, the news that Chu Shuren had "died of illness" in the Cold Palace naturally spread.
If a convicted woman in the cold palace "dies of illness," the Imperial Household Department can handle the matter according to procedure; there is no need to report it to the Emperor.
When the women in the harem heard this, they either sighed or remained indifferent for a moment, and then no one investigated it further.
Who would bother to go to such lengths for a commoner who has long been abandoned by the emperor and banished to the cold palace?
Some even think that the Chu family is already incredibly lucky to have survived this long.
The fates of women in the imperial harem are volatile. Today they are honored guests, tomorrow they are prisoners. Having witnessed so much life and death, their hearts harden.
The Chu family were nothing more than losers in the end, not even worthy of being the subject of casual conversation.
Yongshou Palace.
Fuqu walked in and reported the matter to Shen Zhinian.
After listening, she didn't say anything.
It seems reasonable that a commoner who was banished to the cold palace and disliked by the emperor would die quietly from illness.
But who is Nangong Xuanyu?
The fact that Consort Feng and Lady Chu were pregnant was highly suspicious, so how could the emperor not investigate it thoroughly?
Although he dismissed Chu Shi from the palace and ignored her, given Nangong Xuanyu's personality, would he really let go of such a scandalous matter that could confuse the royal bloodline and desecrate the imperial dignity, without investigating it thoroughly?
However, there are some things that Shen Zhinian should keep to herself; speaking them aloud would only cause trouble.
Since the emperor allowed Lady Chu to "die of illness," then she did die of illness.
However… Shen Zhinian couldn’t help but wonder whether Chu Shi was dead or alive.