Empress Luo Yun'e's face instantly turned pale. She looked up abruptly, "Your Majesty!"
Emperor Ye Yao looked at her coldly, not a trace of warmth in his eyes. "After Xue'er was confined to the cold palace, I summoned you alone, right here."
"I instructed you not to mistreat her. What did you promise me then? You said that as the mistress of the harem, you would naturally take good care of every concubine, whether they were in the cold palace or not, they were all your sisters."
"You also said that Xue'er had merit for bearing a prince, and Yu'er was young and innocent. You were willing to raise the child and treat him as your own flesh and blood."
"I believed you, but what have you done now?!"
He knew that she and Xue'er had quarreled over him back then, but she was a member of the Luo family, and the late emperor had chosen her as his empress.
He thought that her jealousy of Xue'er was only because he had doted on Xue'er too much back then.
Since Xue'er was confined to the cold palace and had no further ties of interest with her, she would not harm Xue'er anymore.
Now it seemed he was wrong. He had underestimated her hypocrisy and overestimated her magnanimity.
Luo Yun'e crawled forward a few steps, stammering, "Your Majesty, I did all this for Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty was in danger for Liu Lanxue and almost drowned in the lake. My actions were merely in accordance with palace rules and without any selfish motives!"
Emperor Ye Yao raised his hand and threw the empty bowl at her. "You don't need to use palace rules to suppress me and disgust me!"
Luo Yun'e was hit on the forehead, and blood flowed down her forehead, dripping onto the ground.
Her vision went black, and she almost fainted on the ground, but the resentment in her heart kept her spirit alive, allowing her to quickly regain consciousness.
She looked up at Emperor Ye Yao and clearly saw the disgust in his eyes.
That gaze of disgust made Luo Yun'e freeze, and then a strong surge of anger and grievance welled up in her heart.
She got up and shouted recklessly, "I disgust Your Majesty? Does Your Majesty know how hurtful those words are?!"
"I admit I hated Liu Lanxue, but can you blame me? You should blame yourself, Your Majesty! Ever since this woman entered the palace, Your Majesty's eyes and heart were only for her. Have you ever truly cared for me?"
"I have followed you for nearly thirty years! I may not have merit, but I have worked hard! When have you ever looked at me properly? The only one you love is Liu Lanxue!"
"Let alone me, pick any woman in this harem, who doesn't envy and hate her?!"
It was not uncommon for emperors to dote on concubines, but no one had ever been so excessive. Back then, it was not just doting, it was almost spoiling.
Not only did he keep Liu Lanxue by his side day and night, but he even intended to make Ye Jingyu the crown prince, defying the ancestral rules. She was the empress, and her son Cheng'er was the eldest prince!
How could she... how could she let Liu Lanxue succeed!
Emperor Ye Yao looked at her with a complex expression. Listening to her heart-wrenching cries and shouts, he felt as if he had eaten a dead fly.
Finally, he withdrew his gaze and said in a cold voice, "Since you still do not know your mistakes, then go back and reflect. Someone."
Eunuch Chang entered from outside.
Emperor Ye Yao said word by word, "The Empress is without virtue. From now on, she will be confined to Fengqi Palace and cannot leave without my decree. You will personally lead people to retrieve the imperial seals and books. I will depose the Empress."
Luo Yun'e's pupils contracted, and she stared at Emperor Ye Yao with wide, disbelieving eyes.
Eunuch Chang also knelt on the ground in panic, "Your Majesty, deposing the Empress is a matter of great importance. Your Majesty, please reconsider."
Emperor Ye Yao withdrew his gaze, "My mind is made up. Go and do it."
"No, Your Majesty, you cannot depose me! I was bestowed upon you by the late emperor as Empress, the mistress of the six palaces, Your Majesty!" Luo Yun'e shrieked, then her eyes rolled back, and she fainted.
The scene immediately became chaotic.
Eunuch Chang quickly ordered someone to call for an imperial physician, and the servants carried Luo Yun'e away in a flurry.
Emperor Ye Yao did not look at her from beginning to end. His gaze remained fixed on Liu Lanxue, his eyes full of worry.
After dealing with Luo Yun'e, Eunuch Chang returned to the sleeping quarters, "Your Majesty, Prince Lian requests an audience. What do you think?"
Emperor Ye Yao did not look up and replaced the towel on Liu Lanxue's forehead with a new one.
"I have no time to see him. He doesn't need to come to plead for his mother. Let him kneel outside and atone for his mother's sins."
Eunuch Chang bowed and said "Yes," then retreated.
Outside the courtyard, Ye Jingcheng had been kneeling in the snow for nearly half an hour.
Eunuch Chang came out, "Your Highness, His Majesty says he does not wish to see you at the moment."
Ye Jingcheng knelt straight, "Please, Eunuch Chang, report to His Majesty again."
Deposing the Empress was no trivial matter. In this situation, if his mother was deposed, Liu Lanxue would eventually ascend.
Now that Ye Jingyu had equal standing with him in court, if his mother's consort gained power in the harem, it would be even more difficult to handle in the future.
A single move could affect the entire situation!
Eunuch Chang sighed helplessly, "His Majesty is currently angry. In my humble opinion, Your Highness should not provoke him at this time. Otherwise, if His Majesty becomes enraged again, I fear it will not look good for you."
Ye Jingcheng's expression gradually turned grim, and his upright posture gradually bent, causing him to sit down on the ground.
He closed his eyes, clenched his fists tightly, and almost gritted his teeth.
Su Yunmo stood under the tree, watching, the cold light in her eyes growing more intense.
Ye Jingcheng, this pain is not even a thousandth of what I endured. I am waiting to see you fall to the bottom!
She flicked the snow off herself and turned to leave.
Ye Ningyuan leaned against the tree, raising an eyebrow, "Momo, you're leaving now? Not watching a bit longer?"
Su Yunmo strode away without replying.
Ye Ningyuan spread her hands and shrugged, then took a step to follow, but was quickly grabbed by the collar and pulled up.
"Where are you going again?" A man's stern voice came from above.
Ye Ningyuan's mouth twitched, and she swallowed, looking up, "Hehe... Dad, you know, what a coincidence."
Prince Yun Yi gritted his teeth with a dark expression, "The coincidence is yet to come!"
Daring to run away from home, she was rebelling against heaven!
Ye Ningyuan was clamped under his armpit, and immediately screamed, "Ahhh! Momo, help!!!"
The imperial decree deposing the Empress was soon issued. During this time, Ye Ningyuan sent someone into the palace to see the emperor and handed Emperor Ye Yao the note that Luo Yun'e had previously passed to Ye Jingcheng through her.
That note clearly stated how to scheme against Su Yunmo and kill her.
This time, with both witness and evidence, Luo Yun'e had no room for defense.
By the next day, she was imprisoned in Fengqi Palace.
Upon learning of this, the Empress Dowager expressed nothing, only sighed three times and said, "She got what she deserved."
That day, it snowed again, turning the entire capital white. Everything was very quiet.
In Prince Lian's mansion.
Ye Jingcheng looked coldly at Lin Yu Ning, who was kneeling on the ground, and slapped her, "Useless! What else can you do besides causing trouble for me!"