The Mute Wife Who Brings Prosperity-Chapter 695 - 657: Downfall (2nd Update)

Gu Yu cried, "The year the Empress entered the palace, I was serving by your side."

The Empress Qi said "Oh", "That’s been more than ten years. During these ten years, have you ever betrayed me?"

"Never, never." Gu Yu shook her head as if it were about to fall off, "I swear to the heavens and earth that I have been loyal to the Empress and never dared to have a second thought."

The Empress Qi then asked her, "What do you mean by loyalty?"

Gu Yu was stunned and only when she received the increasingly cold gaze from the Empress Qi did she hurriedly say, "The Empress is the master, and I am the servant. Whatever the Empress says is what it is. I just follow orders and never ask or meddle, and certainly never go against the Empress’s wishes."

Xiu Dong sarcastically remarked, "Auntie says this without fear of retribution. Who was it yesterday that cursed Wan Qiu, calling her a seductive fox who serves with her looks? Wan Qiu was arranged by the Empress to attend to the Crown Prince. You said she was seducing the master, isn’t that going against the Empress’s wishes?"

Gu Yu angrily said, "Shut up! How dare a wench like you speak here!"

Xiu Dong was even angrier, "The one who died was my good sister, and the Crown Prince allowed me to attend, yet you dare say I have no right to speak. The one who truly has no right should be you."

Gu Yu dared not cause a scene with Xiu Dong in front of so many people and could only turn to the Empress Qi, "Empress, I was merely in a moment of anger at the time and babbled some nonsense, but there was absolutely no such meaning."

Song Yuanbao said, "The Crown Prince and I heard it clearly at the time. How do you plan to argue your way out of it?"

The Empress Qi closed her eyes briefly, "Aside from this matter, have you betrayed me in any other way?"

"Empress." Gu Yu cried like rain, "Why don’t you believe me? I am innocent. Besides, I have only been in the Eastern Palace for a few days, managing so many affairs up and down, being busy daily with no time to spar with Wan Qiu and the others. I merely stumbled upon an unbecoming situation and scolded them to avoid losing face for the Crown Prince and Empress, how did it lead to murder? What benefit would killing Wan Qiu bring me?"

"I don’t know what benefit it would bring you," Song Yuanbao interjected, "but I heard you promised Eunuch Hai that once it was done, you would transfer him from the Cleansing Room to the Eastern Palace. Didn’t you make that promise?"

"Pah!" Gu Yu spat at him, "Everyone knows you have ambiguous relations with those four little wenches and can’t stand me scolding them. Now you’re falsely accusing me of murder because you lack the ability to find the real killer and want to vent your resentment on me."

Nian Chun and Xiu Dong turned pale at these words.

"Auntie, how can you lie with your eyes open?" Nian Chun couldn’t bear it and started crying on the spot, "Back in Yutang Palace, we were close with Young Master Song, even the Crown Prince saw it. How can it be unclear? Show us the evidence, otherwise, you’re forcing us to our death."

Gu Yu spat again, "Do you think I don’t know? Seeing Wan Qiu climb high, the Crown Prince abandoned you, you all want to cozy up to Young Master Song. Even if you can’t become golden phoenixes in the Imperial Palace, you can at least become Earth Phoenixes outside. Bah! Have the guts to do it but not admit it, little wenches. If you’re brave enough, swear before the Empress that if there’s any deceit, you’ll be struck by lightning and die a horrible death!"

Nian Chun immediately cried harder, her body trembling nonstop. Despite doing nothing, Gu Yu’s words made it seem as if there was some truth.

Xiu Dong, however, appeared a bit cold, "Alright then, Auntie should swear too. If you’re brave enough to swear that you had nothing to do with Wan Qiu’s death, otherwise be struck by lightning and die horribly with no reincarnation, then we sisters have nothing to fear either."

Upon hearing this, Gu Yu tearfully looked again at the Empress Qi, "Wah wah wah... Empress, you heard everything, these wenches have rebelled!"

The Empress Qi did not look at her but turned to Song Yuanbao, "Don’t you have a witness, why haven’t you brought them up?"

Song Yuanbao called out, "Bring the witness."

After a short while, two little eunuchs escorted the bound Eunuch Hai to the outside of the hall.

None of them were qualified to enter the hall, so they knelt outside.

Gu Yu turned while kneeling, and upon seeing the outside person was Eunuch Hai, her heart sank.

Song Yuanbao gestured to him, "Eunuch Hai, if you have something to say, tell it to the Crown Prince and Empress."

Eunuch Hai raised his head and upon seeing the Empress Qi and Crown Prince on the throne, started to cry loudly, "Crown Prince, Empress, it was my greed that made me agree to help Gu Yu, that venomous woman hide the treasures of those eunuchs. But I truly didn’t know her aim was murder. If I had known earlier, even with a hundred guts, I would not have dared to assist her!"

His tearful and shameful expression truly appeared full of remorse.

Gu Yu glared angrily, "Eunuch Hai, I have no grudge against you, why do you harm me?"

Eunuch Hai peered back at her with venomous eyes, "I thought you merely wanted to mess with those old fellows, never imagined it was for murder. You’ve harmed me to this extent and claim innocence. You’re a venomous woman, daring to harm the person arranged by the Empress for the Crown Prince. You deserve a thousand cuts and deep frying!"

His words flattered both the Empress and Crown Prince, showing him to be a slick and worldly survivor in the palace.

Gu Yu never imagined that the person she trusted the most would betray her. Her mind was in chaos, leaving only one thought: she couldn’t admit it. Once she admitted, it would all be over; everything would be over. At that time, not to mention serving the Crown Prince in bed, she wouldn’t even be able to serve as a maid beside the Empress.

Thinking of this, Gu Yu kneeled in front of Empress Qi, crying with grievance, "Your Majesty, I didn’t kill anyone. I’ve always been straightforward since I was little, saying what I think. If I really couldn’t stand Wan Qiu, I’d criticize her a few times at most, then punish her with some hard labor. How could I possibly kill her? There must be some mistake, someone set me up. Yes, this is definitely a setup. Your Majesty, I’m innocent!"

"At this point, you still deny it? You ungrateful thing!" Empress Qi didn’t let her finish, kicking her over with a cold face.

Gu Yu was kicked in the nose, immediately bleeding from both nostrils. Her hands were tied, and she lay unable to get up, her face covered with tears and blood, utterly miserable.

Jingzhe saw this and could only shake her head in distress. Ever since Gu Yu proposed going to the Eastern Palace, she had a sense that trouble was brewing. With Gu Yu’s temperament, it was impossible for her not to cause trouble. It was only because they were under the Empress’s watch that she dared not act. However, once she reached the Eastern Palace, she acted as if it were her own territory, and now, consequences came swiftly.

At this moment, Zhao Xi, who had been silent, looked down, "Now there’s both witness and evidence. You used Zhi Xia to lure Wan Qiu to Qingfang Palace. After Wan Qiu’s death, you pushed Zhi Xia into Taiye Pool to silence her. What else do you have to say?"

Gu Yu looked up, meeting Zhao Xi’s emotionless eyes. Though he showed no anger, the deep, unfathomable chill under extreme restraint made one feel a bone-chilling cold. Under such a gaze, who would dare to play tricks with him?

Gu Yu trembled uncontrollably.

Empress Qi was extremely angry at having raised something with such treacherous intentions. She looked at Zhao Xi with an apologetic face, "Xixi, it’s all because I was careless for a moment and put such a thing by your side. Since she’s one of mine, I’ll personally deal with her to give you and your female official an explanation."

Zhao Xi did not speak, which was regarded as acquiescence. Upon closer inspection, there were faint bloodstains in his eyes, apparently from lack of sleep.

Empress Qi, having been in the palace for many years, did not grow much in scheming or shrewdness, but she had learned the punishment methods of the Ministry well. She immediately said, "Take her away, break her arms and legs every morning. Let the Imperial Physician set them every night, then continue the next morning and set them again at night. Let the prison guards be careful not to kill her. Do this for ten days, then poison her mute with a bowl of medicine, and give her to the three old eunuchs in the secret dungeon of the Eastern Palace."

"Your Majesty..." Gu Yu howled and passed out in despair.

Such a fate worse than death shocked both Nian Chun and Xiu Dong, while also making them feel a sense of satisfaction.

At last, Wan Qiu has been avenged!

...

After Gu Yu was taken away, Eunuch Hai was also untied, but because he was an accomplice, he was stripped of his position as the Chief Steward of the Cleansing Room. Empress Qi looked at Nian Chun and Xiu Dong, "Since you are all leaving the Eastern Palace, why not come to Kunning Palace? My place just lacks two girls."

Both immediately knelt, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your great kindness."

Going to the Inner Court Department to serve is different from being beside a master. At the Inner Court Department, one must rely on skills, while being beside a master may lead to opportunities for a marriage arrangement if favored by the master. Moreover, being beside the Empress would not lead to a poor match.

Zhao Xi said, "Consider it as looking out for your son’s sake, and please be kind to them, Mother."

Empress Qi glared at him, "Look at how you talk. Would I treat harshly the palace maids coming from your place?"

Zhao Xi said no more.

Empress Qi had been here for a while and was feeling a bit tired, "Since everything has been settled, you two hurry back and pack up, then follow me back."

Nian Chun and Xiu Dong rose and hurried to the East Courtyard to gather their belongings.

After the two girls left, Song Yuanbao was about to say something when Zhao Xi interrupted, "You should leave too."

Song Yuanbao had long noticed that something was wrong with Zhao Xi’s expression, "Is Your Highness truly alright?"

Zhao Xi did not respond, walking towards the inner hall.

Song Yuanbao watched Zhao Xi’s lonely back and sighed quietly.

After leaving Chengming Hall, Mr. Mu immediately arranged for a sedan chair to carry him out of the palace.

After Song Yuanbao left, someone from Empress Qi’s side sent over a soup. Eunuch Sanbao took it, intending to have it taken to the inner hall for His Highness to taste. Inside, he found Zhao Xi had fainted in front of the couch, completely unaware, his handsome face weak, lips pale. The vigor and energy that he usually exuded as unyielding seemed to have been dismantled by an invisible hand.

Such a sight of Zhao Xi tugged at one’s heartstrings.

Eunuch Sanbao’s tears streamed down, "Your Highness!"