Unfortunately, Liao Tingyan was too slow, and the two waitresses who had revealed the secret spoke too quickly. Before she had taken two steps outside, they had already finished speaking the main points.
"Who would have thought that your Majesty was not actually born to Queen Duan? The reason why he was recorded under Queen Duan's name was only because your Majesty's birth mother was special."
"Special? How special?"
"In fact, your Majesty's biological mother is not any beauty in the late emperor's harem, but the Princess Ciyu who passed away young."
"Princess Ciyu? Isn't she the biological sister of the late emperor? Then isn't your majesty the child of brother and sister incest?!"
ah-
Liao Tingyan held his forehead and cursed, "Fuck, this is such a big secret! If you hear this kind of secret, something bad will happen. So before anything goes wrong, take everyone away!"
After making up his mind, he looked up and saw Sima Jiao standing not far away with an expressionless face. He had obviously heard what had just been said, because the palace people behind him seemed to be scared to death.
Liao Tingyan: “…”
It appeared that if you talk about someone behind their back, the person will definitely hear it, and if you hear a secret, it will definitely be discovered! So, why is the timing so coincidental? It feels like it was arranged by someone.
The two maids on the other side of the wall were still talking, "When Princess Ciyu became insane, she lived in Shunhua Palace not far from this plum garden. One day, a fire broke out and the entire palace, along with Princess Ciyu and dozens of palace servants, were all burned to death."
"ah?!"
"Not long after that, the Taiji Hall incident occurred."
Seeing Sima Jiao's expression becoming more and more terrifying, Liao Tingyan almost wanted to yell at the two spoilers to shut up. This time, someone was really going to die. Liao Tingyan looked at Sima Jiao's terrifying face, and the hair on his back stood up.
It was the first time she had seen Sima Jiao's attack while awake, and it was more terrifying than any other time she had seen before. Bloodshot eyes were spreading in his eyes, and at first glance, he looked strange and scary. His expression also became fierce and violent, as if he was suppressing some pain and gasping for breath. He was extremely enraged, and there was no trace of the harmlessness he had when facing her in the past in his expression, only complete anger and murderous intent.
"Go." Sima Jiao squeezed out this word from between his teeth, raised his hand and pointed at the stained glass window next to Liao Tingyan, "Drag those two over to me."
As soon as he said this, two eunuchs came out from behind him, lowered their heads, ran quickly through the corridor, turned around and grabbed the two maids who were talking. Liao Tingyan only heard two screams, and the two terrified maids were dragged in front of Sima Jiao.
Sima Jiao stepped on the finger of the waitress who was speaking, and said in a cold voice, "Who told you to say these things here on purpose?"
The maid screamed in pain, "Your Majesty, there is no one... I... I was just talking nonsense, ah—"
Sima Jiao's eyes were red, and he crushed his feet. A teeth-grinding creaking sound and a distorted scream reached the ears of everyone present.
Liao Tingyan closed his eyes and turned his head away, but the screams were even clearer. Sima Jiao's cold voice also rang out. He said, "I have been too lenient during this period, and these bastards have forgotten who they are. Take them away and interrogate them. If they refuse to speak, I will peel off their skins and hang them in front of the Taiji Hall as before."
After a rustling sound, the two men were dragged away with their mouths covered. Liao Tingyan only saw a pool of bright red blood on the snow. Sima Jiao turned away without even looking at her.
The plum blossom forest returned to silence. Liao Tingyan didn't know what to do for a moment, but she heard Gui Ye beside her crying, "My lord, help me, I don't want to die!"
Liao Tingyan noticed that her face was full of fear and her eyes were full of tears. He was shocked and asked, "What's wrong? Didn't His Majesty say he wanted to kill you?"
Although she was also frightened by Sima Jiao just now, she did not experience Gui Ye's extreme fear.
Gui Ye shook her head and cried, "No, after hearing these things, His Majesty will definitely deal with us."
Liao Tingyan looked at the other maids and palace servants who had accompanied her. They all looked desperate. She saw that the two maids who had led her here intentionally or unintentionally were also trembling with fear. She frowned and said, "Go back first."
As soon as she returned to Hibiscus Palace, Liao Tingyan saw a blue-robed eunuch and a group of palace servants standing at the palace gate waiting for her.
"My Lady, I am here to bring you here on the orders of His Majesty," the eunuch in blue stepped forward and said.
Liao Tingyan asked: "Including me?"
The eunuch in blue clothes apologized with a smile, "You are joking, my concubine. Of course, there are only the palace servants behind you. Don't worry, a new group of palace servants have been selected to serve you. These new people will only be more obedient and more to your liking." He bent over, his attitude very respectful.
Liao Tingyan was silent for a moment. She heard the desperate sobbing of the people behind her. She pinched her fingers and pointed at the two flower-bearing waitresses, "Just take them away. I want to keep the others."
The eunuch in green hesitated and said, "But this... has always been like this, there is no such rule..."
Liao Tingyan: "Leave them here, I will talk to His Majesty in person."
No one in the palace had ever disobeyed Sima Jiao's decision. If it was someone else, the blue-robed eunuchs would not have thought too much and would have simply ignored them and taken them away forcibly. But Liao Tingyan was different. She had been spending these days with His Majesty, and all of them, the servants, had seen it all. They were not sure whether His Majesty would forgive the concubine and agree to her request, so they were very hesitant.
Finally, the blue-robed eunuch gritted his teeth and chose to obey Liao Tingyan's instructions, and only let the team of eunuchs behind him who came to arrest people take away the two flower-holding maids.
As soon as they left, Gui Ye and the others felt like they had escaped death. They immediately knelt down and expressed their gratitude, “Thank you, Imperial Concubine! Thank you, Imperial Concubine!”
Liao Tingyan waved her hand and silently walked through the pearl curtain into the hall. The pearl curtain opened and fell, making a light clattering sound.
The eunuch in blue returned to Taiji Hall to report. At this time, the back hall of Taiji Hall was in a mess. Sima Jiao was sitting in the middle with his hair loose and his pale knuckles pressed hard against his forehead with bulging veins.
Hearing the reply from the blue-robed eunuch, Sima Jiao raised his eyes and said, "Oh, so you only brought two people back?"
"Yes." The blue-robed eunuch answered nervously, not daring to look him in the eye.
Sima Jiao curled his lips, "Since the imperial concubine doesn't want to, then forget it..."
The eunuch in blue clothes was relieved after hearing this. However, the next moment, he heard Sima Jiao say, "But I think so many people must die. Since those people escaped, the ones who should die should be chosen from those you brought with you. After all, you guys didn't do a good job, so you have to take the responsibility for it."
After the eunuch in blue left with a pale face, Gao Taibao walked in. Seeing Sima Jiao's appearance, he showed some worry, "Your Majesty, do you need to take some medicine?"
"Take medicine... Take medicine? The kind that will make me dead?" Sima Jiao suddenly exploded, kicking the only table and lamp stand in front of him to the ground. Gao Taibao was used to it, and didn't even move his eyebrows. He waited until he finished venting and sat back down before continuing: "If your majesty doesn't want to take medicine, why don't you go see the imperial concubine?"
Sima Jiao looked gloomy, "No need, she was scared by me, let her calm down for a while."
"Have you found out who sent me such a special 'gift'?"
Gao Taibao: "Although I can't be sure, it is definitely related to the Duan family."
“Haha, the Duan family.” Sima Jiao’s face twisted. “I guessed it was the Duan family. They still remember the late queen of their Duan family who died many years ago, and the prince who never grew up. How could they be willing to see me have an heir… They are deliberately reminding me, and also warning the people around me… Ha, the Duan family.”
"I have really tolerated them for too long." Sima Jiao's face was full of murderous intent and he did not hide it at all.
Even Gao Taibao, who watched him grow up, was frightened and carefully advised: "Your Majesty, Master Duan is devoted to the prosperity of the family. He doesn't seem like someone who would do such an impulsive thing. Moreover, this matter is full of loopholes, which is not like Master Duan's usual style."
Sima Jiao clutched the wooden bead on his wrist and said, "I know it wasn't him, but if we can't find someone responsible for the stupid things his Duan family did, he will have to bear the responsibility."
As he said this, he pulled hard, and the string of wooden beads broke instantly. The beads rolled down and scattered, bouncing on the ground and rolling away.
"Someone from the Duan family must die."
… …
In the Duan family's main residence, Grand Tutor Duan slapped his second son to the ground with a fierce slap, "Asshole."
Duan Songfeng got up from the ground and knelt in front of his father with a helpless look on his face.
Master Duan never showed his emotions, but when he saw his son like this, he couldn't suppress his anger and asked, "Did you do this?"
"Father already knows, so why are you asking me?" Duan Songfeng replied sarcastically, "I don't think I've done anything big. I just want to remind your Majesty how dirty his blood is."
As he spoke, his expression became more and more angry. "We actually have to bow down to such a son of incest! If the late emperor hadn't gone mad and killed the other princes, this thing would have been the only one left. He would never have been able to sit on the throne! The late emperor, this madman! He killed his sister and the princes of our Duan family just for this little bastard. Now that this little bastard is proud, he still wants to continue his bloodline? Pah!"
Master Duan looked at his son's crazy appearance and kicked him again in anger. "You are a jerk who can't do anything good but always makes trouble! The emperors of the Sima family are all crazy, and now this emperor is even crazier than the previous emperor. Since you know this, you still want to provoke him. Do you think our Duan family is living too peacefully now?"
Duan Songfeng sat on the ground with one hand on his chest, not caring about his father's anger. "He is crazy, but not stupid. Would he really attack our Duan family? Ha, would he dare? He only dared to kill a few palace servants to vent his anger, that useless little beast. I just want to see that he has no children or grandchildren. Didn't he favor a woman? I want to see, knowing his secret, which woman dares to give birth to a child for him? He deserves to have no children or grandchildren, hahahaha!"
Shaking his head, Master Duan looked at his son with disappointment, "You have really done too many wrong things over the years."
Duan Songfeng looked at his father with the same disappointed look, "I don't think I did anything wrong. On the contrary, it was my father and my elder brother who did something wrong. I can't understand why you can continue to be loyal to Sima Yu without any grudges after he killed my sister and her child. You even continue to support such a bastard to be the emperor and tolerate him everywhere. Isn't this too ridiculous?!"
Tutor Duan just looked at him and shook his head calmly, "Song'er, you are not suitable to be a member of the Duan family." After that, he turned around and walked out.
A middle-aged man with a long beard was standing outside the door. When he saw Master Duan coming out, he said, "Father, there is no need to be so angry. My second brother has always been so willful and reckless. The most important thing now is how to resolve this matter."
Master Duan looked indifferent. "How else can we solve this problem? Sima Jiao has Gao Taibao, that loyal dog, by his side. It's only a matter of time before they come to investigate."
"So what does father mean?"
"Song'er really disappoints me. I have given him countless chances over the years, but he has always been immersed in his personal hatred and can't see the chaotic situation now. If I let him do whatever he wants, he will cause bigger trouble one day. Our Duan family does not need such a person, and he should be held responsible for his stupidity."
"Son, I understand." It is imperative to sacrifice the rook to save the king.
The father and son stood in the corridor. Master Duan raised his hand to catch a fallen leaf and said quietly, "The wind in Luojing is freezing, but I wonder if the spring breeze in the south can make it through?"
In the south, King Qin Nan was ready to make a move.
…
Liao Tingyan did not go to Sima Jiao's bedroom that night. She slept in her own Furong Palace. No one from Sima Jiao came to call her. The palace was unusually quiet tonight.
In the middle of the night, Liao Tingyan was awakened by the sound of wind and rain. He suddenly opened his eyes and saw a dark figure sitting beside the bed.