amaotonovel Chapter 932 There is no chance of recovery
Chapter 932 There is no chance of recovery
Shangguan Li handed the silver to the emperor and said, "This silver was found in Nanny Yun's room."
Shangguan Li had checked it out during the day. Concubine Song often asked Dong'er to take charge of the soldiers guarding the palace gate. Anyone who received money from Concubine Song was punished with a military stick and asked to write a self-criticism. Those with serious circumstances were directly dismissed from their posts.
Nanny Yun did have some silver, but she did not keep it in the palace. Instead, she sent it directly to her home. She looked at the purse containing the silver. This was clearly the bag of silver she brought into the palace. How could it be in her room?
At this time, she also understood that Concubine Song Shu had already planned to let her take the blame today.
Concubine Song Shu said, "Madam Yun, you have nothing to say now, right?"
Nanny Yun said coldly, "I have something to say, Your Majesty. I know that Concubine Song has accepted a lot of dirty money. Concubine Song helps manage the harem, and many merchants have given money to Concubine Song, trying to gain connections and using backdoors... I have evidence."
After hearing this series of words, Song Qing quickly denied it, "I didn't do that, Madam Yun, you're talking nonsense."
"Whether it's nonsense or not, we'll know once we investigate." Nanny Yun also gave up and continued, "This servant did help the Concubine Shu resell a lot of things in the palace, and the money went into the pockets of the Song family. Madam Song always took a lot of things from the palace every time she entered the palace, and the Concubine turned a blind eye. The Song family is just ungrateful wolves who can never be satisfied."
Mrs. Song was furious when she heard this. "I took things from Concubine Shu's palace. How can I be called an ungrateful person? Concubine Shu is my daughter. How can it be wrong for her to be filial to her own mother? She also gave money to the Song family as a sign of filial piety. Isn't it natural for a daughter to give money to her mother?"
She then turned to Jiang Fenghua and said, "The Empress should usually give your mother some gold and silver jewelry. Could it be that the Empress's family would become ungrateful after receiving the Empress's things? Filial piety is the most important thing in the world. Don't scholars often say that filial piety is the first of all virtues?"
All of a sudden, Mrs. Song started to talk about a bunch of twisted logic, and she turned black into white. She meant that the only purpose of her daughter's existence was to help the family. Song Qing married the emperor and lived a good life, so she should naturally let the Song family live a good life, otherwise she would be unfilial.
Jiang Fenghua said coldly, "It's true that Concubine Shu was filial to her mother, but she secretly misappropriated items from the palace and colluded with merchants to embezzle money for herself. She has committed the crime of corruption and bribery and deserves death."
When Madam Song heard that her daughter was going to be killed, she was also afraid. "Her Majesty, please spare my life. Concubine Shu has not committed the serious crime of murder or arson. She is still the mother of the Second Prince. Why does Her Majesty want to kill her?"
"Madam Song, do you think that what happened today was committed by Concubine Shu alone? Your Song family is blameless. I will hand over the crimes of the Song family to the government for investigation. You are forming cliques in Shengjing on Concubine Shu's orders. Are you preparing to pave the way for the Song family? If the court really recruits you, the Song family, into the officialdom, I wonder how many corrupt officials will emerge in the court of the Great Zhou." Jiang Fenghua said sternly.
Mrs. Song was dumbfounded when she heard this. What did the Queen mean? She wanted to investigate not only Concubine Shu, but also the entire Song family. What would happen to the future of her three sons and her grandson?
No, I can’t let these things affect my son.
She said to Song Qing, "Qing'er, please say something. Your brother didn't steal anything from the palace. It has nothing to do with them. They don't know that the money you gave to the family was dirty money. Please admit your mistake to the emperor. You were confused for a moment. Please beg the emperor, please have mercy on him!"
Song Qing didn't expect that her mother only wanted to cut off ties with her at this time, and even asked her to admit everything alone. She gave all the silver she got to them. She wanted to help the Song family get rich, but now her mother asked her to admit the crime alone.
Song Qing thought of the day in the enclosure. She was in so much pain that she almost died. Her mother didn't even say a word of concern. She only cared about her two brothers and asked her to save people, but she didn't see that her body was covered in blood. She roared, "Am I your daughter? Why don't you feel sorry for me at all?"
Mrs. Song only had her son in her heart and no daughter at all. She said, "A daughter who is married off is like spilled water. You are a woman of the royal family. Even if you want to exterminate all nine clans, you shouldn't exterminate all nine clans of the Song family. The crime you committed has nothing to do with your brothers!"
Mrs. Song said this without thinking, meaning that Concubine Song's nine clans are now royal family.
When Mrs. Song Peng said this, Xie Shang found it unbelievable. Song Qing was also her daughter, so why did she only have eyes for her son? The Song family was simply scoundrels. How could Peng Fei's own sister be such a selfish and ignorant woman?
"Come here, drag this shrew away and chop her up." Xie Shang gave the order directly.
When Song Peng heard that she was going to be beheaded, she was so frightened that her face turned pale. "Your Majesty, please spare my life. I know I was wrong. I will return the things. They are still in my home. I just thought the palace utensils were so beautiful, so I took them home."
Jiang Fenghua didn't say anything. She had already inquired about it. Song Qing's father also served in the Xixiaoying Camp. He didn't hold a high position, but he was a small battalion commander. He was old and couldn't move up or down. His salary was not high, barely enough to support his family.
As Song Qing is the emperor's woman, it is normal for her to want to seek benefits for her family, but she should not be too greedy.
Song Qing was already heartbroken, and seeing her mother about to be beheaded, she begged for mercy, "Your Majesty, please spare my life, Your Majesty, please have mercy. I know I was wrong, my mother knew nothing, and this is all my fault."
"Just wait. I will slowly settle your sins with you. Even death alone cannot atone for them." Xie Shang's voice was icy. "Pass on my order. All members of the Song family who hold positions in the court will be dismissed and demoted to commoners."
The Song family is not just their branch, there are other clansmen as well. Now the Song family really hates Song Qing to death.
Song Qing knew she was dead. She was so scared that her legs went weak and she didn't know what to do.
At this time, the second prince hid outside the door and burst into tears. She ran to Song Qing and said, "Mother, don't die. Ruirui, don't let mother die. Wuwuwu..."
The Second Prince knelt before Xie Shang, "Father, Ruirui doesn't want Mother to die, wuwuwu..."
Xie Shang frowned, clenched his fists, and said coldly, "Who told you to come? Get out."
The Second Prince was still young, but he was tall and strong. He held Xie Shang's legs tightly and refused to let go. "Father, please don't kill Mother. Please don't kill Ruirui."
Seeing this, Xie Shang ultimately refrained from kicking the Second Prince. Out of consideration for the Second Prince's feelings, he said, "Concubine Song Shu will be demoted to Noble Lady Song and moved to the Eastern Palace. She will not be allowed to leave. The Second Prince will be temporarily handed over to Concubine Gao for care."
When Jiang Fenghua heard the last sentence, her thoughts turned. Concubine Gao was the most suitable concubine in the palace to raise the second prince except for the queen. She had three children of her own and the fourth princess left by Concubine Zhang Jing. It was indeed inappropriate for her to raise them all.
She knew that Song Qing would not die, and as long as Peng Fei did not fall, his niece would never fall. Arranging her to the Eastern Palace was equivalent to banishing her to the cold palace, just like herself back then, locked up there for the rest of her life and not allowed to take a single step out.
They all saved their lives because they gave birth to the royal heir. Even if Peng Fei returned victorious, Song Qing would have no chance of turning things around. She was reaping the fruits of her own actions.