Chapter 134

Xiao Jingheng had no interest in knowing who seduced whom between the two.

He waved his sleeve, his voice solemnly decreed:

"Behead all the men of the Ge family, distribute the women as slaves to the west. Send them to the armored warriors."

"Your Majesty shows mercy! Your Majesty shows mercy!" Ge Zhongqi cried out injustice and pleaded for mercy, but was gagged and dragged away.

Xiao Jingheng strode towards the door, pausing briefly as he passed Song Yue to instruct:

"Jiang Deshun, have her womb child beaten out and thrown into the dungeons for later judgment."

Song Yue panicked, grabbing Xiao Jingheng's pants and crying out:

"Your Majesty spare my life! The young one is innocent, Your Majesty! Ah!!!"

Before she could plead a full sentence, Jiang Deshun pushed away her hands, then kicked viciously at her lower abdomen.

Song Yue writhed in pain on the ground, crying ceaselessly.

After Xiao Jingheng left, Jiang Deshun beckoned over several palace women and said emotionlessly:

"You heard His Majesty’s order? Then get to work."

The palace women swarmed over, stuffing Song Yue’s mouth with sackcloth and trampling her like mud under their feet, wantonly abusing her.

*

After handling this matter, Xiao Jingheng went to Song Zhao's palace.

He wanted to see if, in complete ignorance, she would still speak well of Song Shicheng.

However, when he saw Song Zhao today, she looked grief-stricken, not even daring to meet his eyes after the greeting.

Xiao Jingheng asked, "What's the matter with you?"

At this question, Song Zhao knelt before him, her voice choked with tears:

"This concubine is guilty, please punish me, Your Majesty."

Xiao Jingheng's eyebrows furrowed slightly. He did not personally help her up as usual, but said lightly:

"If there is anything, stand up and speak."

Song Zhao remained kneeling, bowing her head very low, sobbing: "This concubine doesn’t dare to face Your Majesty. Today...after learning from You that the Ge family would be punished, this concubine privately sent a family letter to elder sister."

As she spoke, she kowtowed and reproached herself:

"There is one thing that this concubine has concealed from Your Majesty for a long time. During father's last visit to the hot springs villa, he inadvertently revealed to this concubine that elder sister and Ge family’s eldest son were having an affair and a secret pregnancy. But not only did this concubine not tell Your Majesty, but also, fearing Your Majesty would blame this concubine’s maternal family, deliberately concealed this matter."

By this point in her words, Song Zhao was crying uncontrollably.

"Today this concubine has made an even bigger mistake, prematurely informing elder sister, thinking that as long as she aborted the child, she would not be implicated by the Ge family. But after sending the letter, this concubine's heart was still uneasy. Your Majesty treats this concubine so well, yet this concubine harbored selfishness for her own family..."

Watching the trembling, sobbing Song Zhao knelt before him, Xiao Jingheng was first filled with doubts, then felt distressed.

It was absolutely impossible for Song Zhao to have foreknowledge of today’s events.

Firstly, the slave who delivered the waterwheel had already left the palace, and was followed by Jiang Deshun’s people the entire time, so there was no way for him to relay information back to Song Zhao.

Secondly, Song Yue and Ge Zhongqi were escorted into the palace secretly through the heavily guarded Chongyang Gate, so Song Zhao could not have possibly known.

Thirdly, in court the only ones privy to this were Jiang Deshun and Little Seal - two loyal retainers that even the Empress and Concubine Ning could not buy over - so there was no way the news would have been privately passed to a lowly concubine.

Thus, Xiao Jingheng was certain

that Song Zhao's confession today stemmed purely from a guilty conscience.

At this moment Song Zhao's crying was breaking his heart.

How could he still bear to blame her?

He quickly stepped forward to help Song Zhao up, gently wiping away the brimming tears on her face,

"Don’t cry anymore, I do not blame you. It is only human nature for you to worry about your elder sister. Besides, I have long been aware of what happened between her and Ge Zhongqi. "

There was a flicker of astonishment in Song Zhao's eyes. "Your Majesty already knew beforehand?"

Xiao Jingheng nodded lightly, then said, "Today I also summoned your elder sister and Ge Zhongqi into the palace. Just now, in front of me, they have already admitted those disgraceful affairs between them. I have severely punished the Ge family. As for your elder sister..."

He put his arm around Song Zhao's slender shoulders, drawing her into his embrace, gently saying,

"The state has its laws. Her collusion with Song Shicheng to deceive the ruler is solid evidence. I cannot show favoritism towards you and pardon her just because I dote on you. However, I can promise you that now my concubine, no matter what outrageous things the Song family causes, I will never implicate you."

Xiao Jingheng’s words completely cut off any path for Song Zhao to plead for Song Yue.

Song Zhao could only say, "Elder sister was indeed wrong. Your Majesty should punish her however you see fit. This concubine will not ask another word. As for this matter, this concubine is also at fault.

In a moment of confusion this concubine passed information to elder sister, and felt uneasy and guilty towards Your Majesty’s kindness to this concubine. So this concubine would like to request halving rations for six months, to teach myself a lesson."

Xiao Jingheng was not angry with Song Zhao at all.

She did not pass information to Song Shicheng, which was equivalent to not interfering with politics.

The only flaw was communicating with Song Yue, but she soon realized her mistake and repented in time,

so Xiao Jingheng did not punish Song Zhao, only saying:

"Your elder sister is imprisoned by me now. Everything else can be decided later." Xiao Jingheng would not spare Song Yue,

but directly executing her would inevitably upset Song Zhao.

So as not to alienate her, he told Song Zhao that he only temporarily detained Song Yue.

Because he knew Song Zhao was kindhearted and would definitely plead with the Empress Dowager to save Song Yue,

and as a woman of the imperial household, the Empress Dowager also had the power to decide her life and death.

Yet the Empress Dowager was prejudiced against Jiang to begin with. If Song Zhao went to plead with her now, the Empress Dowager would surely fly into a rage and directly execute Song Yue!

When the time came, Song Yue’s death would be on the Empress Dowager with no relation to Xiao Jingheng whatsoever. Even if Song Zhao felt unhappy, she would not resent Xiao Jingheng.

Just as Xiao Jingheng predicted,

early next morning Song Zhao went to plead with the Empress Dowager.

Upon hearing the full story, the Empress Dowager was indeed furious.

"This whole matter is simply preposterous! You would ask me to spare that whore's life? She and your father have committed treason - it is already the Emperor's favor towards you that he is not pursuing you! I advise you not to meddle with this matter!"

Song Zhao wept bitterly, "This concubine knows, but...in the end she is this concubine’s elder sister."

The Empress Dowager knew Song Zhao was kindhearted,

but she truly could not stand her treating everyone well, seeming to lack common sense.

With this personality, sooner or later she would suffer losses in the harem.

So the Empress Dowager fell silent for a moment, deciding to teach Song Zhao a lesson to discipline her merciful Buddhist heart.

She said, "Since you’ve come to me pleading, and in such distress, I cannot bear to refuse you. But this - your father and elder sister, I can only spare one. Who lives and dies, you decide."

Song Zhao bowed her head in tears, silent for a long while, before stuttering in a trembling voice: "I beg the Empress Dowager...to pardon my father!"

"Alright, I shall grant you this."

The Empress Dowager took out a handkerchief to wipe Song Zhao's tears.

"But your elder sister’s life must be taken by your own hand. This serves to show me and His Majesty your stance, and can quell any negative talk that might emerge in the harem, so no one can say I and His Majesty favor you. Do you understand?"

Song Zhao's face was agonized and conflicted.

After a long while, she bowed heavily and agreed, unable to restrain her tears from falling once more.

Perhaps afraid of the Empress Dowager seeing, she quickly turned her back, forcefully stifling her sobs saying:

"The tea has gone cold, allow this concubine to fetch fresh tea for Empress Dowager."

As the Empress Dowager watched her leave, shoulders trembling uncontrollably from weeping, she still felt pity in her heart.

Yet how could she know, the tremble of Song Zhao's shoulders now had nothing to do with crying at all?

The moment she turned her back, she had nearly burst into laughter instead,

Where were there still any more tears to shed?