Chapter 645 - Chapter 645: Chapter 632: What Should The Punishment Be (1/2)
chapter 645: chapter 632: what should the punishment be
upon opening his eyes again, chu shengrui fixed a piercing gaze, “you dared to use a child from outside to replace the one born by mrs. liang. you are truly audacious!”
“why on earth did you suddenly propose to arrange a marriage between an le and liang xuelin? an le is the legitimate princess, and there are many talented young people in the court, but you chose liang xuelin to be the son-in-law, i suspect it was probably mrs. liang who was aware of your scheme, using it to blackmail and ensure the glory of her family. you, to secure your own position along with chu yunhe’s, you forced an le to accept.”
“empress, empress, don’t forget that in addition to being an empress, you are also a mother! blinded by selfish desires, for personal gain, you are virtually burying an le’s future. aren’t you afraid that an le, unable to bear it, might kill herself in front of you?”
“in your eyes, besides power, besides the desire of getting chu yunhe to the throne, what else do you value?”
the empress grew ashen and crumpled to the floor, unable to utter a word in response to chu shengrui’s interrogation.
chu yunhe was trembling, but still had the decency to kneel and bow continually, “father, please forgive me, the empress definitely didn’t know about this. it must have been that lowly woman, mrs. liang’s idea. i will deal with her.”
“at this point, with mounting evidence against you, you still try to excuse your mother. do you think i would believe your words?” chu shengrui glared at chu yunhe, who still seemed obstinate, fury bubbling in his eyes, “you recklessly win over the court officials in the court, those who are in collusion with you, do you think i am unaware?”
“my son, my son, i just wanted to share your worries…”
“forming cliques for personal gain, padding your own pockets, favoring those who join you and backstabbing those who disobey you, do you call this sharing my worries? it seems to me that you are trying to usurp the throne, aiming to replace me!”
chu shengrui rebuked, “the fourth prince lu was fighting bandits, yet zhu shisan was fully aware of his every move. you must have a part in that too, wanting to get rid of fourth prince, eliminating a threat, to make sure you can secure the position of the crown prince?”
“for such a vicious act against your own brother, how should you be punished!”
the color drained from chu yunhe’s face.
he knew everything…
chu shengrui actually knew everything he had done.
all was lost.
chu yunhe’s mind was buzzing, he didn’t know how to respond, or whether he should still argue.
seeing the empress and chu yunhe in this state, chu shengrui stood up, “empress, as the queen, your moral conduct doesn’t match your position, it’s really hard to continue to be the master of the palace. proclaim my edict, the empress is demoted to a low-ranking concubine, starting from today, she is confined in the cold palace for life.”
“the first prince, chu yunhe, as an elder brother, shows no kindness and hurts his siblings. he, as a son, lacks reverence and attempts to seize the position of crown prince. effective immediately, he is relieved of all duties and confined to his residence, and he is not allowed to go out without a decree.”
“yes!” the command was acknowledged.
after casting one last glance at the astounded empress and chu yunhe, chu shengrui took his leave.
the empress and chu yunhe, mother and son, looked at each other, then began to sob.
news that the empress has been deposed, and chu yunhe was confined, spread throughout the harem and the entire capital city like lightning, becoming the talk of the town.