OBS Chapter 1477 Demoted to the rank of Concubine
Chapter 1477 Demoted to the rank of Concubine
"Rectifying palace rules and purifying conduct are of utmost urgency."
As Shen Zhinian spoke, she instructed Granny Xiao, "Granny Xiao, go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation in person and truthfully report the whole story of today's events to His Majesty."
"On behalf of the Empress Dowager, I request Your Majesty's permission to demote Consort Wang to the rank of Consort, as she has failed in her duties and allowed the eunuch in charge to spread rumors. She cannot escape the responsibility for her negligence. In order to uphold the order in the palace and serve as a warning to others, I request Your Majesty's permission to demote her to the rank of Consort."
Demoted from the rank of Imperial Concubine to the rank of Consort?!
This was not just a stripping of her rank; for Consort Dun, who always valued her reputation, it was a punishment even heavier than killing Odako!
Consort Dun suddenly raised her head, her eyes filled with shock, humiliation, and resentment!
Her lips trembled, but when she met Shen Zhinian's unfathomable eyes, all her words of rebuttal stuck in her throat.
She knew that the Imperial Noble Consort was determined to use her to establish her authority and would not give her any room for maneuver...
Granny Xiao bowed and accepted the order: "This old servant obeys!"
As Granny Xiao left, the atmosphere in the hall became increasingly subtle, with everyone displaying different expressions.
Some concubines who had been mistreated by Consort Dun or had no harmony with her couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction, thinking that the Imperial Noble Consort's actions were very gratifying!
Many others felt a chill run down their spines, deeply sensing the majesty of the Imperial Noble Consort in charge of the six palaces, and secretly admonished themselves to be more cautious in their words and deeds in the future.
A few concubines of lower rank and less courageous were so frightened by what happened today that they turned pale and hung their heads, not daring to look any longer.
Consort Dun remained kneeling on the ground, feeling the various gazes cast from all directions, many of which were mocking and gloating.
Her face burned with pain, but a sliver of hope remained in her heart.
She had at least raised the Third Prince; even if she hadn't done anything particularly meritorious, she had still put in considerable effort. Perhaps, out of consideration for the Third Prince, His Majesty wouldn't agree to such a harsh punishment from the Imperial Noble Consort, and would at least spare her some dignity.
This glimmer of hope emboldened Consort Dun, who raised her head and said, "Your Highness, even if I have failed in my duty to manage my subordinates, your punishment is far too harsh."
"I refuse to accept this!"
Shen Zhinian looked down at her, her tone calm: "The severity of the punishment is determined by His Majesty's will; I am merely seeking instructions according to palace regulations."
Seeing that she had invoked the Emperor, Consort Dun grew even more anxious and blurted out, "Your Highness, the Imperial Noble Consort, is clearly taking advantage of His Majesty's favor to deliberately suppress me! Such actions are surely..."
Consort Dun didn't finish her sentence, but her meaning was already clear. She was clearly referring to Shen Zhinian as jealous and domineering, confirming the previous rumors.
"Consort Dun!"
Consort Xuan couldn't help but speak again, displeased, "You were in the wrong first, how dare you say such things?"
"Precisely because the Imperial Noble Consort holds a position equivalent to a deputy empress and oversees the six palaces, it is even more necessary to strictly enforce palace rules and rectify the atmosphere!"
"If everyone were as lax in managing their subordinates as you, wouldn't the harem be in chaos?"
Consort Dun was rendered speechless and could only glare fiercely at Consort Xuan, her eyes filled with resentment.
At this moment, Consort Zhuang, who had been observing coldly, slowly spoke up, saying gently, "Your Highness, Consort Dun's words may have been offensive. Please calm down."
She looked at Shen Zhinian and pleaded for Consort Dun: "We are all sisters in the harem. Consort Dun takes care of the Third Prince every day, which is indeed hard work. It is inevitable that she will neglect him occasionally."
"Today's events were all caused by the audacity of this unruly servant. Consort Dun was also implicated and must be filled with remorse."
"Could Your Highness, for the sake of the Third Prince, grant Consort Dun a chance to repent?"
However... listening to Consort Zhuang's seemingly protective words, Consort Dun felt no emotion whatsoever.
Having all come from the Prince's residence, how could she not know that Consort Zhuang was the most hypocritical of all? On the surface, she appeared to have the heart of a bodhisattva, but in reality, she wouldn't do anything without personal gain.
Speaking up for her now is merely an attempt to curry favor, or more likely, to see her and the Imperial Noble Consort fight even more fiercely.
But this was indeed Consort Dun's only hope at the moment, so she immediately followed up, saying, "Your Highness is right!"
"Your Highness, I know I was wrong, but... but the punishment of demotion is too much. I am not worthy of such punishment!"
Shen Zhinian's gaze fell on Consort Zhuang, her charming fox eyes narrowed slightly, and she said coldly, "Consort Zhuang, I have no idea that matters of the inner palace need to be decided by you?"
Consort Xuan nodded and said, "Since the Imperial Noble Consort holds this position and wields the Phoenix Seal, it is her duty to cleanse the palace."
"Even though the Noble Consort is a Noble Consort, she should not speak ill of the Imperial Noble Consort."
Consort Zhuang was not expected that Shen Zhinian would refute her so directly, and she quickly stood up and curtsied: "Your Majesty, I am terrified!"
"Please forgive me, Your Highness, I had no such intention. I only said it out of consideration for our sisterly bond. I hope Your Highness will forgive me."
In the past, if Consort Zhuang had looked so wronged, many people would have felt indignant on her behalf, and some might even have stood up for her.
However, things are different now...
Consort Zhuang's reputation as a bodhisattva, cultivated over many years in the harem, had long been eroded by the undercurrents of conflict.
The concubines with any sense saw through her scheming under the guise of compassion. Now that she was humiliated, most of them watched coldly from the sidelines.
As for the lower-ranking concubines who hadn't seen through Consort Zhuang's true nature, even if they felt sympathy, they would never dare to get involved in the power struggles among the higher-ranking concubines when the Imperial Noble Consort was in a fit of rage.
Seeing that Consort Zhuang was easily suppressed, Consort Dun's last bit of hope was completely shattered.
Seeing that her demotion was inevitable, she decided to go all out, raising her head and saying in a defiant manner, "Your Highness, you have always presented yourself as kind and gentle, so why are you so harsh and ruthless today?"
"Could it be that those rumors are not unfounded, and that you were so enraged by having your secrets exposed that you hastily had Xiao Tianzi beaten to death and are now severely punishing me in an attempt to silence the gossip?!"
Her words were an extremely bold accusation, directly attributing Shen Zhinian's motives to silencing her and covering her up, intending to muddy the waters.
Shen Zhinian's eyes turned cold, and she was about to speak.
"presumptuous!"
A commanding shout, filled with authority, came from outside the hall.
Everyone was startled and turned to look.
Nangong Xuanyu, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, strode in with a solemn expression.
He had clearly arrived a moment earlier and heard Consort Dun's rebellious words clearly.
The emperor's sudden arrival froze the atmosphere in Yongshou Palace.
Everyone hurriedly rose from their seats and bowed respectfully: "Your Majesty, we pay our respects! Long live Your Majesty!"
Nangong Xuanyu ignored the kneeling concubines, his gaze lingered on Shen Zhinian for a moment, then he strode forward, reached out and firmly supported her arm, lifting her up.
Once Shen Zhinian had come to her feet, the emperor turned around and said, "Rise, all of you."