mtl008 Chapter 98 I don't like your roundabout ways; decisive action is my style.
Chapter 98 I don't like your roundabout ways; decisive action is my style.
Wu Meiren? Lin Shiming tilted his head; the name sounded somewhat familiar.
Zhao Lei, who was standing nearby, leaned closer and said, "Your Highness, she is the granddaughter of Lady Heyi..."
"Oh!" Lin Shiming nodded.
I was just looking for someone to vent my anger on, and here someone delivered right to my doorstep!
"Consort Wu has committed insubordination and should be executed. However, considering her service to the Empress Dowager, she is hereby demoted to commoner status and banished to the Cold Palace. Take her away."
The nail that sticks out gets hammered down; that's what they're after – someone who lacks self-awareness.
Several eunuchs quickly stepped forward and dragged Wu Shuangwan toward the Cold Palace. Wu Shuangwan was terrified and struggled desperately.
"Release me! Crown Princess! What right do you have to depose His Majesty's concubine!"
No, she had just returned to the palace and hadn't even begun her grand plans yet, how could she be sent to the Cold Palace? Wu Shuangwan struggled and shouted loudly.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, save me!"
It's a miracle that Emperor Longyun would save her.
"Your Majesty, I have served you, please save me!"
Empress Dowager Qin clasped her hands tightly, as if she hadn't heard a thing.
Wu Meiren: "... ..."
With everyone tacitly standing by and watching, this "palace intrigue heroine" who hadn't even had a chance to rise to prominence was banished to the cold palace without ever seeing the Emperor's face once.
With this much, she still dreams of becoming an empress dowager?
Lin Shiming chuckled and straightened his sleeves. "Who else has a problem with this?"
After making an example of someone, all the concubines spoke in unison, "We, your humble servants, submit."
Empress Dowager Qin harbored resentment, thinking, "The Crown Princess is truly cunning."
"Of course," Lin Shiming replied calmly to Empress Dowager Qin, then looked at the concubines on the ground, "Since you have submitted, then all of you may stay here and pray for the Empress Dowager. You may get up whenever the Empress Dowager wakes up."
"Your Majesty, we (the concubines) obey your command."
"Furthermore, Consort Yue has rendered meritorious service to the Empress and is hereby promoted to Lady Yueyang. Lady Yueyang is unwell, so please return to your palace to pray for the Empress Dowager."
Lady Yueyang looked up in astonishment, "Your Highness..."
"Go back. The imperial decree will be issued tomorrow, and the Imperial Household Department will also arrange the investiture ceremony."
A combination of kindness and severity is necessary. Blindly suppressing others will only provoke resistance; people will be more willing to follow you if there is something to gain.
Lady Yueyang kowtowed deeply, "Her Majesty the Empress is unwell, and I do not wish to cause any trouble at this time. I humbly request Your Highness to waive the investiture ceremony."
Lin Shiming sighed, "Okay."
"Thank you, Your Highness." With the help of a palace maid, Lady Yueyang rose and slowly left Fengyi Palace.
Lin Shiming watched as Lady Yueyang boarded the sedan chair and left before turning to Empress Dowager Qin. "Your Majesty, I have heard that it was Princess Ding's insolent words that forced Mother to this point?"
"It's just some sour talk among women, why should the Crown Princess take it to heart?"
Lin Shiming nodded a few times, then looked directly into Empress Dowager Qin's eyes, "You're right, I am indeed the kind of person who is meticulous about every little thing."
Empress Dowager Qin was terrified by those cold eyes and her scalp tingled with fear at Lin Shiming's pointed words.
"what are you up to!"
It was already late afternoon, and the sun was gradually sinking below the horizon. Palace servants lit lanterns in front of the Phoenix Palace one after another. The afterglow of the setting sun and the candlelight mingled, casting shadows on Lin Shiming's face, making his complexion even more obscure.
"Speaking of which, since I took over this palace power, I have only touched the Phoenix Seal and issued imperial edicts."
Lin Shiming's gaze was deep. "Today's opportunity is excellent, and it's time to bring in something new."
Empress Dowager Qin immediately had a bad feeling.
"Zhao Lei, fetch the Empress's letter."
The Phoenix Seal and Imperial Edicts were used to manage the inner palace, while the Empress's Memorials symbolized that she and the Emperor jointly governed the country. They concerned state affairs and were on par with the Emperor's edicts, and even the Emperor could not arbitrarily refute them.
For many years, the patriarchal system has been accepted as male superiority and women inferiority, and the empress was not allowed to interfere in politics, which is why empresses rarely used this "Empress's Letter".
However, Lin Shiming liked to be the exception. He used whatever he had.
"The Empress's memorial is of great significance; how could a mere Crown Princess like you—"
"Once it's in my hands, it's mine. Or perhaps the Empress Dowager could ask the Emperor if he agrees?"
"you--"
"Your Highness, the Empress's memorial has been brought." Zhao Lei and several eunuchs brought out the prepared Empress's memorial along with the table.
"By imperial decree, the Princess Consort of Ding is hereby deposed for her insubordination, has acted viciously, harmed royal children and concubines, and has repeatedly refused to mend her ways. Her crimes are unforgivable. Therefore, the Princess Consort of Ding is hereby deposed and her name is removed from the imperial register. She shall be handed over to the Prince of Ding for his own disposal."
There are many people in the Prince Ding's mansion who have been humiliated by her. Allowing her to remain in the Prince Ding's mansion would be the most painful punishment.
Empress Dowager Qin patted the armrest urgently, signaling the eunuchs to put her down, and strode towards Lin Shiming. "She is a princess consort of the imperial family, the Empress's own cousin. How dare you!"
Princess Ding was the only weapon she could use to control Bai Qiongzhu, and she was a high-ranking princess, her strongest supporter in the imperial clan. How could she let Lin Shiming dismiss her so easily?
What face would she, as the Empress Dowager, have left among the imperial clan?
But Lin Shiming's plan was to humiliate Empress Dowager Qin. He took a step back, dodged her hand, and then stared intently into her eyes.
"There's nothing in this world I wouldn't dare to do. If you're not convinced, find a chance to kill me."
Lin Shiming sneered and continued to proclaim the imperial edict.
"Furthermore, the Crown Prince of Ding is arrogant and cruel, lacking any virtue of an elder brother or the righteousness of blood relatives, and has a mother of despicable character. Therefore, his position as Crown Prince is revoked. The Prince of Ding is incompetent and neglects his duties within the inner palace, and is demoted to a Prince of the Commandery."
Empress Dowager Qin was so angry that her legs went weak and she collapsed to the ground. Lin Shiming looked down at the disheveled old woman, ignoring the palace maids beside him who cried out and tried to help her up.
Lin Shiming remained unmoved and composed. "Affix the Phoenix Seal and send someone to the Prince of Ding's residence tonight to proclaim the imperial edict, ordering the Imperial Clan Court to expedite the process!"
"Slave, you obey!"
"No!"
Not to mention that Princess Ding is her biggest supporter in the royal family, even after today's incident, who in the royal family would risk being demoted and stripped of their title to help her!
Lin Shiming has severed all of her support within the imperial clan.
What kind of empress dowager is she if she can't even control a member of the imperial clan?!
The Empress Dowager Qin's desperate and broken state brought a sliver of solace to Lin Shiming's indignant and resentful heart.
He wanted to tell everyone that this was the consequence of daring to help the Empress Dowager.
"Lin Shiming, you will get your retribution!"
Empress Dowager Qin was heartbroken, while Lin Shiming remained calm. The concubines beside her were so terrified that they wanted to hide under the floor tiles to avoid being punished by Lin Shiming.
Lin Shiming glanced disdainfully at the trembling concubine on the ground, then looked at the two palace maids who were still supporting Empress Dowager Qin.
"Wilderness".
"My subordinate is here."
"Go and find out who the palace maids and eunuchs who went to Baohua Palace with the Empress Dowager today are. Those servants who can neither advise the Empress Dowager nor protect their masters are not worth keeping. Have them all beaten to death."
He had investigated before the Empress Dowager returned to the palace. These people were all her trusted confidants who had served her for ten years, so killing them would not be considered a wrongful execution.
He wanted to see how the Empress Dowager Qin, whose servants were no longer loyal, would maintain her dignity and honor as Empress Dowager!
"I obey my orders."
Yuan Ye accepted the order and went directly to Baohua Palace to check the list of palace servants who served the Empress Dowager that day.
The two palace maids who were supporting Empress Dowager Qin immediately collapsed and knelt down, causing Empress Dowager Qin to fall to the ground again without any support.
"Your Highness, spare me! Your Highness! I'm innocent!"
"Oh, two of them have jumped out on their own." Lin Shiming waved his hand. "Kill them!"
"No! Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, please save me! Please save me!"
The two palace maids were taken away swiftly and decisively in front of Empress Dowager Qin, who felt a great pain in her heart and vomited blood.
Lin Shiming took two steps back in disgust, at least avoiding getting the blood on his feet.
Empress Dowager Qin glared at Lin Shiming with murderous intent, "Aren't you afraid of being impeached and infamous for eternity for such a heinous act?!"
As he spoke, bloody foam flew out, making Lin Shiming frown in disgust.
"Killing? Has the Empress Dowager forgotten that I am a military general? I dislike your convoluted schemes and calculations of self-interest; ruthless decisiveness is my style."
The sky had completely darkened, and Lin Shiming, hidden in the lamplight and candlelight, made it impossible to see his expression, yet he felt inexplicably uneasy.
"Now that you've seen things clearly, think carefully about how many lives you have to give up. Don't wait until you're really in the underworld to regret it."
"Take the Empress Dowager back," Lin Shiming said with a chuckle, glancing sideways at the Empress Dowager who was still slumped on the ground. "Take care, we won't see you off."