coobybook Chapter 214 The Abandoned Queen
Chapter 214 The Abandoned Queen
"Go!" Sun Cheng shouted after hearing Empress Shen's words, and rushed towards the place where Emperor Tianqi was standing at the fastest speed he had ever seen.
He thought that if they could subdue Emperor Tianqi first, their chances of winning would be much greater. The imperial guards who followed him into the Golden Palace rushed towards the ministers. Some military officers, like Tang Zhenhong, also met the imperial guards with their bare hands, including Shen Fengyu.
At the same time, Shen Zhiyuan shouted helplessly to Empress Shen, "Xiyuan, stop! Don't make any more mistakes."
"Sun Cheng! How dare you!" the old Prince Yu roared.
Some civil officials who were not skilled in martial arts were still kneeling there when they saw the imperial guards rushing towards them. They were so frightened that they scrambled to hide in all directions.
Immediately, chaos erupted in the Golden Palace.
Chang Jinnuo and the other two beside Emperor Tianqi were also ready to fight. Unfortunately, when Sun Cheng was some distance away from Chang Jinnuo and the others, a cloud of blood mist spurted from the back of his head, and he froze there.
Seeing this, Empress Shen had a bad feeling. Ignoring her father, she yelled at Sun Cheng, "What are you standing there for..."
Before she could finish speaking, Sun Cheng fell straight forward. Empress Shen's eyes widened in disbelief.
At that moment, someone shouted, "Sun Cheng is dead!"
The imperial guards who had been charging towards the ministers stopped and stood there, stunned, unsure whether they should continue fighting.
Long Shang, who had been standing there motionless, turned around and aimed at Empress Shen after killing Sun Cheng with his gun, shooting her directly in the leg.
"Ah—" Empress Shen clutched her right leg and collapsed to the ground in agony. Her shrill screams echoed throughout the Golden Palace, and bright red blood stained her yellow skirt.
"Empress Dowager!" Long Jun rushed in from outside and saw this scene. He immediately ran to Empress Shen's side, supported her, and shouted in horror at her bleeding leg, "Where is the imperial physician? Quickly, summon the imperial physician!"
He shouted for a long time but no one paid any attention to him. Only then did he notice the Emperor Tianqi standing not far away.
He hadn't expected his father to be unharmed and even appear in the Golden Palace. What was going on? Had Gu Lingyue healed his father? But he couldn't think about that now. He just looked at Emperor Tianqi and pleaded, "Father, please summon the imperial physicians to save my mother!"
His mother forbade him from entering the palace and told him to wait for news at home, but he was always very anxious. He sent Qingshan out to find out what was going on. Qingshan said that Long Shang had entered the palace. He was worried, so he decided to go into the palace to check. Unexpectedly, he saw his mother injured.
Emperor Tianqi coldly stared at Long Jun, "Your mother tried to assassinate me, and you actually asked me to save her? Do you also want me dead? Or were you originally in cahoots with your mother?"
Although Emperor Tianqi knew that Long Jun might also be involved, he still hoped to hear him say a word of denial. He had already lost two sons, and he did not want to execute this son as well.
"I..." Long Jun was speechless, not knowing what to say for a moment.
It's obvious that her mother's plan has failed. If she admits it, will her father punish her as well?
Although Empress Shen was trembling with pain, she still struggled to speak when she heard Emperor Tianqi's questioning voice: "It was all my idea. Jun'er knows nothing. Don't question him. He knows nothing..."
Upon hearing Empress Shen's words, Long Jun called out in a trembling voice, "Mother..."
At this moment, Empress Shen knew that Emperor Tianqi would not show her any mercy. She herself was not worth dying for, and she could not drag Jun'er into it. Now she could only pray that Emperor Tianqi would spare him because Long Jun was his son.
"Father, please spare Mother! She already knows she was wrong. She only did that to save me. Please let her go. Your son kowtows to you." Long Jun knelt on the ground with a thud and kowtowed repeatedly to Emperor Tianqi.
Shen Zhiyuan crawled forward a few steps on his knees, then pleaded guilty to Emperor Tianqi, saying, "Your Majesty! The Empress has committed a grave error. It is all my fault for failing to properly educate my daughter. Please, Your Majesty, forgive the Empress in consideration of my years of loyalty and dedication! I am willing to die to atone for my sins!"
As Shen Zhiyuan spoke, he got up and rammed his head against a pillar of the Golden Palace.
He was determined to die, so he used all his strength in the impact. With a loud bang, he broke his forehead and collapsed to the side, dead.
Shen Fengyu was a military man. If he wanted to stop his father, it would be an easy task. But he knew that if the Shen family wanted to escape unscathed and save his sister, his father would surely die.
He kept his head down the whole time, and even though he closed his eyes, tears still streamed down his face.
Empress Shen was also stunned.
She thought her father had given up on her, but she never expected that he would give up his life for her.
"Father—" Empress Shen cried out in anguish, then fainted in Long Jun's arms.
How could Emperor Tianqi not understand Shen Zhiyuan's intentions?
He cursed inwardly, "Old fox!"
Was he afraid that he would wipe out the Shen family, so he chose to exchange his own life for the lives of the Shen family?
Emperor Tianqi chuckled inwardly.
Even so, Emperor Tianqi's anger did not diminish at all; on the contrary, it intensified.
He looked at Empress Shen and the Shen family with icy eyes, as if they were filled with cold light.
"Empress Shen committed regicide and treason, a crime that cannot be forgiven. Today, I hereby depose her from her position as Empress, demote her to a commoner, and banish her to the Cold Palace."
"I hereby order Prince Xing, Long Jun, to guard the imperial mausoleum. He is not to leave without an imperial edict. As for the Shen family..." Emperor Tianqi paused, glancing at Shen Zhiyuan's corpse beside him, and frowned, "...the Shen family members are demoted to commoners and exiled to the border, never to return to the capital!"
Shen Fengyu looked grief-stricken, but he knew this was the best outcome. At least they weren't executed outright, so there was still hope for them to live.
"Father!" Long Jun cried out in despair.
He didn't want to guard the imperial tombs, and he didn't want his mother to be banished to the cold palace, because if she were, she would surely die.
Emperor Tianqi ignored him and waved for them to be dragged away.
He was a little tired at this point. After dismissing the ministers, he handed over the imperial guards who had followed Sun Cheng in the rebellion to Long Shang for disposal, and then took Gao Ming back to his palace.
Long Shang was afraid that Gu Lingyue would worry about him, so he left the palace after making arrangements.