The Crown Prince, seeing Emperor Changde berate the Empress in front of the court officials, could not accept it. He immediately stepped forward to defend the Empress. "Father, you and Mother have been married since youth. After so many years together, how can you not understand what kind of person Mother is? She would never do anything to betray Your Majesty. I beg Your Majesty not to wrongfully accuse Mother based on a fabricated marketplace tale and damage your relationship."
Emperor Changde’s gaze fell on the Crown Prince. He had never noticed it before, but now the Crown Prince seemed somewhat irritating to him.
If Wei Su had been uninterested and the Empress had indeed attempted to seduce him, it was even possible that the Crown Prince might not be his own son. Even if nothing had happened, the mere thought that the Empress had considered cuckolding him made Emperor Changde lose all affection for the Crown Prince.
Unaware that he had been implicated, the Crown Prince continued to plead with Emperor Changde not to blame the Empress.
"Silence! I did not ask you to speak. Whether it is true or false, I will judge for myself. I ask you once more, Empress, do you admit to these crimes or not?"
When she arrived, the Empress had already prepared herself mentally. She thought Emperor Changde would confront her about her near-engagement to Wei Su and that, due to her ruined reputation, he would follow the will of the people and depose her.
But when she heard Emperor Changde pinning the deaths of Wei Su and Su Yuan on her, she realized she had underestimated the situation. Emperor Changde not only had no affection for her—he wanted her dead.
The Empress laughed at herself. What "deep marital affection"? It was all just lies people told to deceive others. Over twenty years of marriage could not withstand the impact of a mere playbook or a few rumors. The Empress asked, "Your Majesty, what crime do you want me to admit to? An affair with Wei Su? Your Majesty, I refuse to admit it. I had no affair with Wei Su. This playbook is the evidence."
It only mentioned her interest in Wei Su, but it never materialized. Since it never happened, there was no crime.
"Impudence! How dare you still quibble at this point? Empress, Wei Su was a great hero of Dayue, who rendered outstanding service to the empire. How dare you, out of personal feelings, ruthlessly plot his murder? What punishment do you deserve?"
The Empress laughed again, this time outright. "So that’s the crime you want me to admit to? Then I refuse even more. Because even if I could bribe anyone around Wei Su to kill him, I could never have bribed Su Yuan. Who Su Yuan truly served—isn’t Your Majesty more aware of that than anyone?"
She had indeed intended to kill Wei Su. Before Su Qiao, the daughter of the Su family, appeared, even she herself had believed that Wei Su had died at the hands of someone she had arranged.
But now, she knew better.
The Empress felt regretful. Why hadn’t Wei Su been killed by someone she had arranged?
Emperor Changde’s face darkened, and his eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a murderous intent. The Empress met his gaze without fear, knowing she had guessed correctly.
Su Yuan had been the Emperor’s man, and her so-called loving husband had indeed intended to pin Wei Su’s murder on her.
"Empress, the evidence is irrefutable. Do not attempt to quibble further. Today, I have summoned you here to deliver justice for the loyal subjects and soldiers who died innocently. Not only did you harm loyal subjects, but you also recklessly mobilized the imperial guards to assault innocent civilians, showing no regard for human life. Such cruelty makes you unworthy of being Empress, let alone ruling the inner palace and serving as a model for the world. Ministers, hear me! Today, I will depose the Empress!"
Those present were all high-ranking court officials and Emperor Changde’s confidants. Since they were standing here, they had already guessed what Emperor Changde intended to do today and would not oppose him.
Only the Crown Prince hurriedly knelt and begged Emperor Changde to reconsider. But how could Emperor Changde listen? He even asked the Crown Prince if he no longer wanted his position as heir and wished to accompany the Empress. The Crown Prince immediately fell silent.
Only the Empress laughed. "Your Majesty is in such a hurry to deal with me because you want to silence me, afraid I might say something I shouldn’t."
Emperor Changde coldly stared at the Empress. "Then why don’t you tell me, Empress, what do you know? I’m listening."
Emperor Changde’s eyes gleamed with a sinister light, like a venomous snake waiting to strike. If the Empress dared to speak, he would bite her to death on the spot.
Emperor Changde also hinted, "Empress, your improper conduct has already implicated the Crown Prince. Will you persist in your stubbornness and continue to make mistakes?"
The Crown Prince instinctively glanced at the Empress. The Empress was momentarily stunned. Yes, she still had her son. As long as the Crown Prince remained the heir, she would be safe.
What did it matter if she was deposed? Once the Crown Prince ascended the throne, she would still be the Empress Dowager.
As for Emperor Changde, the Empress glanced at him with a hint of disdain. He was already a dead man, reduced to a pile of bones.
The Empress closed her eyes and remained silent for a long moment. When she opened them again, she admitted her guilt. "I am guilty. I harbored hatred for Wei Su out of unrequited love and thus bribed Su Yuan to kill him. To protect the secret, I also ordered the deaths of Su Yuan’s entire family. I am fully aware of the gravity of my sins. I willingly request to be deposed and sent to the cold palace!"
The Crown Prince hurriedly called out, "Mother!" but said nothing more.
Emperor Changde’s expression showed a hint of satisfaction. He hypocritically asked the attending ministers for their opinions, and they naturally followed his lead. Thus, Emperor Changde immediately ordered Gan Yongfu to draft an edict: the Empress was to be deposed and confined to the cold palace for life.
The ministers left after serving as witnesses, and the Crown Prince was also dismissed by the Empress—no, the deposed Empress, now referred to by her maiden name, Cao Lan’er. Cao Lan’er sent the Crown Prince away, wanting to speak with Emperor Changde alone.
Cao Lan’er: "Your Majesty, you truly have a ruthless heart."
"You have committed heinous crimes. Deposing you is already an act of mercy…"
Emperor Changde’s words were cut off by Cao Lan’er. "Your Majesty, now it’s just the two of us. We both know the truth all too well. There’s no need to pretend anymore."
"I truly wish those ignorant common people outside could see what kind of person their revered and admired Emperor really is. Fearing the Wei family’s growing influence, you simply killed the father and tried to poison the son, aiming to wipe out the entire Wei family. Now that the truth is about to come to light, you push it all onto a woman. Your Majesty truly lives up to your title."
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