Chapter 447: Unless The Empress Is Willing To Die
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
At this moment, Jia Kun looked at Qin Xiaoyao and Song Que.
“Marquis Xiaoyao, Song Que! The Empress was the main culprit for the incident back then!” Jia Kun pointed straight at Empress Jia.
“That year, your grandfather Song Hong tried to stop the Emperor from making her the Empress.
“In order to become the Empress, she told me and Shen Hongyu to fake evidence and frame Song Hong.
“I was the one who arranged for the planting of the evidence while Shen Hongyu was in charge of exposing it.”
“And the Liu family! She was the one who ordered us to destroy them!” As Jia Kun spoke, he looked at Liu Ling who was not far away. His eyes were tinged with somewhat conflicting emotions.
However, a trace of hatred and disgust flashed across Liu Ling’s eyes and he quickly averted his eyes.
When Jia Kun saw this, his expression turned sorrowful.
Nonetheless, he very quickly reverted to his furious, resentful look.
“Don’t you guys want revenge? Then how can you let the culprit go?” As he spoke, Jia Kun pointed at the Empress on the dais again.
Song Que frowned, and his gaze finally turned to Empress Jia, who was seated on the dais.
A hint of panic flashed across the Emperor’s face and he was about to speak.
Suddenly, a figure appeared beside Song Que and Qin Xiaoyao.
“Master! Lord Song!
“Don’t believe him! Empress Mother is definitely innocent!
“He saw that Empress Mother was unwilling to save him, so he deliberately took revenge!” The one who spoke was Princess Xiangyang.
Earlier, when she found out that Young Master Liu was Assistant Minister Liu’s son born of his legal wife, she was secretly delighted.
However, after her uncle got into trouble, Princess Xiangyang’s joy vanished quickly.
Now, she was downright anxious.
How could her Empress Mother be the culprit who harmed the Song and Liu families?
Right! Empress Mother must have been framed by her Uncle!
Qin Xiaoyao frowned.
“We have our own judgment on the truth of this matter. Go wait by the side,” she said.
Earlier, she had discussed with her husband that the matter of revenge would end with Empress Jia.
As long as Empress Jia was deposed, the matter would end. Xiangyang would not be implicated.
After all, this young girl was not scheming and did not get involved in the disputes of the Imperial Court.
“No!
“Master…” Xiangyang was anxious and spoke again.
However, Qin Xiaoyao stretched out her hand and interrupted her.
When she saw that Qin Xiaoyao didn’t even look at her, Princess Xiangyang knew it was impossible for her to plead with her master.
She then looked at Song Que.
Song Que also turned his head away and didn’t look at her.
She then looked at Liu Ling who was not far away.
Princess Xiangyang’s eyes widened when they met Liu Ling’s gaze.
Then, she hurried toward Liu Ling.
“Young Master Liu!
“Please help me persuade my master and Lord Song to speak up for my Empress Mother!” She was so anxious that tears were about to fall.
Liu Ling looked troubled.
When Princess Xiangyang saw this, she became anxious.
Ignoring everyone’s gazes, she stepped forward and brazenly grabbed Liu Ling’s hand.
“I’m begging you, Young Master Liu!
“Worse comes to worst… worse comes to worst, 1’11… sob, sob… I won’t pester you anymore in the future!” Princess Xiangyang’s tears were already flowing out of her eyes by the time she finished her sentence.
It was only now that she realized this was the reason her master did not agree to help her pursue Young Master Liu and even thought of a way to make her not see Young Master Liu for a while.
Young Master Liu actually had a grudge against her Empress Mother, and it was such a deep-seated grudge.
That was right. She was the daughter of Empress Mother. What right did she have to like Young Master Liu?
It turned out that there was more than just a difference in status between them. There was even a deep-seated blood feud between them.
The moment Princess Xiangyang uttered these words, she attracted a lot of attention.
When the officials saw this scene, they started discussing heatedly.
She was a princess, yet she was actually pestering a male prostitute. Moreover, it seemed like she was really in love with him.
Now, Princess Xiangyang didn’t even care about her dignity and blurted this matter out in public.
When Liu Ling got stared at by people from all directions, he looked at Princess Xiangyang worriedly.
Before he could speak, Empress Jia spoke up.
“Xiangyang, step aside!” Empress Jia said sternly.
“Empress Mother…” Princess Xiangyang turned around and cried out in a tearful voice. Her eyes were filled with anxiety.
“Step aside!” Empress Jia’s tone became sterner.
When Empress Jia saw Princess Xiangyang shaking her head at her, Empress Jia’s tone finally softened a little.
“This is a grudge between me, the Song family, and the Liu family. It has nothing to do with you. Go wait on one side,” she said.
After saying that, Empress Jia looked at Song Que and Qin Xiaoyao.
“Xiangyang is ignorant. When the incident happened, she was not even born yet.
“Can I request that Xiangyang not be implicated in the grudge between me and all of you?”
Song Que’s eyes flickered slightly as he looked at Qin Xiaoyao.
“Sure,” Qin Xiaoyao quickly replied to Empress Jia.
Empress Jia appeared visibly relieved.
After pausing for a moment, she looked at Song Que and Qin Xiaoyao again.
“I was indeed wrong in the past. However, things were not as Jia Kun said.”
As Empress Jia spoke, she looked at Jia Kun.
“Back then, Minister Song did oppose the Emperor’s decision to make me Empress. In order to stop the Emperor’s decision, he even ganged up with the officials to boycott the court session.
“Back then, Jia Kun came to me and presented his proposal to deal with this crisis. I didn’t stop him.
“As for the Liu family, it was the same.”
Qin Xiaoyao frowned and was about to speak when she was interrupted by Empress Jia.
“But even so, Jia Kun relied on my status and influence. It was indeed my mistake for not stopping Jia Kun.” As Empress Jia spoke, she looked at Qin Xiaoyao.
“Taking into consideration that I wasn’t really the one who gave the order, can Marquis Xiaoyao and Lord Song be lenient?
“I shall offer to be deposed as Empress. Other than Jia Kun, the rest of the Jia family will be demoted to commoners. For the next three generations, no one will be allowed to take up positions as officials.”
As soon as she said this, everyone looked at Empress Jia.
Even the Emperor was no exception.
Though the Emperor felt a lot of heartache, he still heaved a sigh of relief.
It was rare for the Empress to make such concessions.
Qin Xiaoyao’s eyes flickered as she looked at Song Que.
Song Que gave Qin Xiaoyao a glance, and then he cupped his hands at the Emperor and Empress.
“Everyone knows that His Majesty dotes on Your Royal Highness. For Your Royal Highness’s sake, he only maintained an Imperial harem in name for many years.
“Today, even if Your Royal Highness requests to depose yourself as Empress, as long as Your Royal Highness is alive, you still have the final say in the Emperor’s Imperial harem.
“Though Your Royal Highness may be deposed now, in the future, with the Emperor’s decree, Your Royal Highness can be reinstated as the Empress in a matter of seconds.
“At that point, those who made things difficult for the Jia family and Your Royal Highness today will probably not be able to escape revenge.”
Both the Emperor and Empress Jia’s hearts shuddered.
Empress Jia suppressed her emotions and looked at Song Que.
“Then what do you want, Lord Song?” she asked.
If she couldn’t escape death today, she could only stick her neck out and accept execution.
However, she couldn’t bear to leave behind the Emperor and Xiangyang.
When she thought of this, Empress Jia looked at Princess Xiangyang, who had been watching her mother tearfully.
It was her fault as a mother for not realizing that her daughter already had someone she liked.
It was a pity that because of her, her daughter ended up being implicated.
Not only would she not be able to get together with the person she liked, but it would also affect her future marriage.
Even if she was a princess of an Imperial family that was in power, it was still difficult for her to marry a suitable husband. Moreover, she had a mother who was such a sinner.
Song Que’s eyes became stern as he spoke while the Emperor looked on worriedly.
“Unless Your Royal Highness is willing to die..”
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