TRBDM -Chapter 227 Acting on the Noble Consort’s Orders

Zhao Lingchen didn’t give anyone a glance. Her voice was flat and emotionless: “Go and summon the Eldest Prince and the Empress.”

Zhao Jingyan was the first to object: “Summon them for what? Do you mean the deposed Crown Prince still wants to be the new emperor?”

Zhao Lingchen’s gaze swept over him coldly. “I have my reasons. Third Prince, do not be impatient.”

“Hmph!” Zhao Jingyan snorted coldly.

Fine, let them all come.

Let them all witness him ascend the throne, and then kneel at his feet, bowing in submission.

Zhao Jingyan was brimming with confidence; today, this throne was his.

After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, the Empress and Eldest Prince Zhao Jingxuan arrived.

They looked entirely different from before. In just three days, they had grown noticeably thinner.

Especially Zhao Jingxuan—his eyes were lifeless, his lips pale, his whole appearance that of someone gravely ill, teetering on the edge of death.

His gaze was scattered; he looked at no one, passively supported by the eunuchs attending him as he walked.

The Empress wasn’t wearing her ceremonial headdress today. Her face was ashen, long gone was the dignity and bearing of the Empress of the Dachong Dynasty.

The Noble Consort, who had already taken her seat, had arrived at the Council Hall before them.

She was radiant, her hair adorned with pearls and ornaments. As she moved her head, the decorations clinked softly, drawing attention.

She held her head high, looking down on everyone.

From today onward, she was the Empress Dowager. Even Zhao Lingchen would have to kneel before her in deference.

Mother and son both looked triumphant, ignoring everyone around them.

To the already fallen Empress and her son, she didn’t even bother casting a glance.

Defeated opponents weren’t worth mentioning.

“Grant seats to the Eldest Prince and Her Majesty the Empress.”

Zhao Lingchen lifted her eyes. Soon, attendants brought over chairs, guiding the Empress and Zhao Jingxuan to sit.

Gao Yong, who had been waiting with the other ministers for a long time, was at the limit of his patience.

“Your Highness, the selection of a new emperor is an urgent matter. Since everyone is present, I will announce the choice of the new emperor publicly. Of course, if Your Highness has any objections, you may voice them here.”

Gao Yong and his group had long planned that if Zhao Lingchen insisted on placing the Ninth Prince on the throne, they would naturally let her summon Zhao Jingtian.

Zhao Jingtian was currently locked in a secret ice cellar outside the Gao family’s city, by now frozen into an ice sculpture.

He was curious to see how Zhao Lingchen would still try to make Zhao Jingtian emperor with him dead.

“The matter of selecting the new emperor can wait. For now, there is a matter of utmost importance that must be addressed first.”

“……”

“What could possibly be more important than selecting a new emperor?” Gao Yong grew anxious.

He had meticulously planned for today, anticipating Zhao Lingchen’s moves. He never expected her to act outside the script.

“What? Do you have objections?” Zhao Lingchen’s icy gaze swept over him. Behind her, her personal guards gripped the hilts of their swords, ready to draw at any moment.

Gao Yong was silenced by her presence.

He struggled to control himself, barely managing not to take a step back in embarrassment.

“I… dare not!”

Zhao Lingchen no longer looked at him. “Bring the person in.”

Everyone in the Council Hall immediately turned toward the door.

Jiang Yuelin entered, leading a local woman with him.

The woman knelt as she entered: “A humble citizen pays respects to Your Highness, the Princess.”

Everyone was puzzled. The woman wore coarse linen clothes, her face dark and covered with fine, dense wrinkles—clearly a commoner from the countryside.

Yet her bowing was precise and proper, as if she had been trained.

“Rise, and tell everyone who you are.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.” The woman stood, head lowered. Her voice was soft but her words were clear: “My name is Chun Gui. I used to serve the young prince in the Eastern Palace.”

At these words, everyone in the Council Hall froze.

Only the Empress reacted fastest. She took a few quick steps forward, grabbed Chun Gui, and stared at her fiercely: “You served the Young Prince?”

At that time, there were four palace maids who attended the Young Prince closely. Chun Gui was not among them—she was only a third-rank maid in the Eastern Palace and normally had no access to the Young Prince.

So when the Young Prince was poisoned, the four close palace maids were repeatedly interrogated using every possible method, yet the real culprit was never found.

Chun Gui looked at the Empress, whose eyes seemed about to bleed, and fell to her knees with a thud, banging her head on the ground three times: “Your Majesty, Crown Prince, this sinful maid begs forgiveness! It was I who caused the death of the Young Prince.”

“It was you! It was you! It was you!”

The Empress nearly went mad, clutching Chun Gui by the neck: “Return my Lin’er to me! Return my Lin’er!”

In the hall below, Zhao Lingchen didn’t spare even a glance at the commotion. Her eyes were fixed on the Consort.

At this moment, the Consort’s face went pale as death, her eyes wide with disbelief.

That palace maid was clearly dead—how could she be here?

She nervously twisted her handkerchief, staring unblinkingly at Chun Gui. She could only hope the Empress would squeeze a little harder and strangle this Chun Gui to death.

“Ugh…ugh…”

Chun Gui’s eyes rolled back, and her face turned dark reddish-purple.

Jiang Yuelin stepped forward and held the Empress’s hand: “Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Chun Gui has something to say.”

The Empress was still in the heat of rage, almost ready to strangle Chun Gui. Jiang Yuelin’s reminder suddenly made her realize: a mere low-ranking palace maid would never dare to harm the Young Prince on her own—she must have been ordered by someone.

Suppressing her fury, the Empress released her grip and demanded sternly, “Who ordered you to poison him?”

Chun Gui lay on the ground, coughing for a long while. When she finally caught her breath, she pointed toward the grandest figure in the crowd—the Consort.

“This sinful maid was acting under the orders of Consort, to poison the Young Prince.”

“Outrageous!”

Before anyone could react, Zhao Jingyan suddenly kicked Chun Gui in the chest: “How dare you slander Mother!”

A gush of blood spurted from Chun Gui’s mouth, and Zhao Jingyan’s second kick was already coming down.

“Third Prince!”

Jiang Yuelin blocked him: “Chun Gui is an important witness. She must be interrogated by the Court of Justice. Please wait until I have finished questioning her before taking action.”

“Get lost! Who do you think you are?”

Zhao Jingyan was just one step away from ascending the throne—how could he care about the Court of Justice? Once he became emperor, the court would be the first to be purged.

Zhao Lingchen intervened: “Zhao Jingyan, do you intend to kill a witness in front of all these people?”

“What kind of witness is she, Eldest Sister? Did you deliberately bring a fake to pretend?”

Zhao Jingyan pointed his accusation straight at Zhao Lingchen.

Zhao Lingchen sneered: “Send for the Internal Affairs Bureau’s records officer. Bring the palace register from the year Chun Gui entered the palace.”

The palace register recorded not only the family background, birth date, and physical characteristics of each maid but also their appearance, voice, and figure.

The records officer hurriedly arrived with the register. Upon finding Chun Gui’s name, he respectfully handed it to Zhao Lingchen.

Zhao Lingchen scanned it: Chun Gui had a long face with high cheekbones, three moles on her face, thick fingers, but a graceful figure and a sweet voice.

“Read it aloud for everyone.”

The officer immediately read: “Chun Gui has a long face with high cheekbones, three moles on her face, thick fingers but not slender, a graceful figure, and a sweet voice.”

Over the years, Chun Gui had changed a lot, but her basic features remained: high cheekbones, three facial moles, a graceful figure.

Having run a tea stall outside the palace for years, her voice had become hoarse from shouting at customers; now it was far from sweet.

But this did not affect her identity.

“Your Highness, the records confirm that this woman is indeed Chun Gui.”

“Third Prince, do you have anything to say?”