Chapter 41 – Conspiracy (2)
Translator: Kitty G.
Editor: Loreli
After listening to her son’s advice, the Empress’ expression gradually calmed down.
“You’re right. Yes, you’re right…”
Seeing that Gong Che still continued to kneel on the ground, the Empress stepped forward and personally lifted him up. She said in an embarrassed voice, “This was your mother’s mistake. I simply did not want you to participate in these trivial matters, so this mother did not inform you. It was this mother who was wrong…” Her voice was filled with regret as tears gathered in her eyes.
Gong Che felt his conscience being poked; after all, she had simply done everything for his sake. He comforted her once again, “Don’t be afraid, Mother. Nothing bad will happen.”
However, for some reason, he felt uneasiness weigh down in his heart.
Sure enough, when the Empress told her confidant to inquire about the situation, a guard rushed into the room. After hearing his news, the empress felt as if her heart had been burned to ashes!
How can this be?!
They were done for! She began to panic!
She could only blame her cousin who she had thought was clever. He had noticed the abnormality in the carriages yet did not promptly withdraw. It turned out that aside from the group of carriages exiting from the Southern Gate, the East and West Gate’s carriages were escorted by imperial guards under the emperor’s command.
It could easily be imagined that if the group of men dressed in black arrived to disrupt the procession and were met with an army of imperial guards emerging from the carriages, they would definitely be scared to death!
Obviously, these men were sent by the emperor himself. Anyone leading the group was captured, while everyone else was killed without exception.
As a result, none of them had the chance to report to the Empress because they had all been sent to the netherworld.
The Empress helplessly fell to the ground.
All this…this is all a conspiracy!
Someone must have incited the Liu Family into meddling with the disaster relief supplies then informed the emperor. Otherwise, how was His Majesty able to prepare in advance?
Who was it? Who had plotted in the dark and forced her into a dead end?
Gong Yi Mo? Impossible, that little b*tch was not the kind to scheme such a thing… The Empress suddenly remembered Gong Che’s earlier words about how the Ministry of Revenue had supplied Gong Yi Mo with an extra three hundred carriages.
The Ministry of Revenue… Long Gui Fei!
The Empress’ forehead was covered in cold sweat…
She was filled with anxiety and dread. Never did she imagine that something as simple as disaster relief was used as an opportunity to plot her death! To think that Long Gui Fei had already made such a vicious move.
It was all over!
Gong Che was also astounded by the news. When he helped Gong Jue safely move the materials, he had been wondering which greedy official was trying to impede their way and whether such a person would be caught by the emperor. Never did he imagine that it was his own mother. This was obviously not a common case of corruption but rather, a conspiracy that had been planned long before.
Now, the Crown Prince closed his eyes and walked towards the palace’s entrance.
“Where are you going!” The Empress’ hair was a quite a mess as she staggered forward to grasp Gong Che’s sleeve. Her confidant hurried forward to support her.
Without turning to look back, Gong Che replied, “I’m going to confess to father before he makes his move on our family…”
“No!”
The Empress’ voice was hoarse and urgent! “If you do so this will truly be the end!” She came closer to Gong Che and clutched his robes tightly. “You are the only hope of our Liu family. You can’t do this! You mustn’t do this!”
Gong Che held her trembling hand.
“Mother, this son is already sixteen years old and should not be protected by you anymore. This time, let me shoulder this burden alone.”
“No!” The Empress watched helplessly as she watched the prince walk away. She fell down and sat on the cold ground.
Watched his back retreat further into the distance, the Empress broke down in an instant and began to scream loudly.
“What are you staring for… what are you staring for? Quickly go stop him!”
*
At that moment, another storm brewed in the Imperial Court’s Main Hall.
The Empress’ father, the Right Minister, was currently kneeling in the hall while all kinds of eyes scrutinized him. The atmosphere was heavy with evil intentions and schemes, instilling fear in the fifty-year-old official. The Emperor continued to look at him silently, and every second that passed made it more difficult for him to breath.
Ruined. Everything was ruined. Who would have known the relief supplies that were misappropriated every year would cause the emperor to suddenly explode in anger? The emperor had never been this vigilant. If someone told him that Long Gui Fei and Liu Xian Fei were not involved in the matter, he would not believe it. This was clearly a conspiracy!