vrcanaries Chapter 395 The Emperor and Empress Duel 3
Chapter 395 The Emperor and Empress Duel 3
Yongzheng was stunned by her series of questions, and the anger on his face gradually gave way to a complex emotion. He opened his mouth, but found himself speechless.
After a moment of dead silence, Yongzheng finally found his voice. His brows furrowed even more, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and his voice suddenly rose, tinged with suppressed anger: "Don't use your own narrow mind to judge others! Everything I do is for the country and the people of the world. They will understand me! And you—" He pointed his finger at the empress, "You don't love me. You love the power and status I bring you! You scheme so hard, only to satisfy your own selfish desires!"
Upon hearing this, the Queen straightened her back, her eyes devoid of fear. "What have I done wrong? I was born a concubine, bullied and looked down upon, but I never believed in fate! I have come this far step by step, enduring countless hardships and sufferings, but I am happy with all of it! All those experiences and tribulations have contributed to my current status!"
"I know you were jealous of the concubines and wanted to kill the heir to the throne, but I never thought you would even kill your own sister. Even now, you have no intention of repenting. You are a vicious and cruel woman. You are truly terrifying to me."
The Empress stepped forward and looked Yongzheng in the eye. "Everyone can blame me, but you can't! You took Concubine Duan, Concubine Hua, and Concubine Hui, wasn't it for the power of their families, to secure your throne? You keep saying I'm cruel and ruthless, but we're both the same person, willing to do anything for power and status. Who is nobler than the other?"
Upon hearing this, Yongzheng's blood rushed to his head, veins popped on his forehead, his fists clenched, and his knuckles made a crackling sound.
"you you……"
The Queen sneered, a hint of sarcasm flashing in her eyes. "Your Majesty, why are you so angry? I only told the truth. You hate me for exposing your hypocrisy. But don't forget, you and I are the same kind of people. You can sacrifice anyone for the throne; I can do anything to survive. Neither of us has the right to blame the other."
Yongzheng looked at the woman in front of him. She used to be so gentle and dignified, but now she had become so eerie and terrifying.
"I remember when I first entered the palace, you were so gentle and virtuous, dignified and steady, and you were also very caring towards me. Now, how did you become like this? Or have you always been like this, and have you been pretending for so many years?"
The Queen's voice gradually deepened, carrying a hint of sadness. "Your Majesty, have you ever had any affection for me? Over the years, you have favored Concubine Xi and elevated Concubine Hua and Concubine Hui to rival me, without the slightest regard for the dignity and respect I deserve as Queen. They are all of noble birth, with powerful families behind them, and your favoritism, which has suffocated me. But what about me? I have nothing and can only rely on myself to climb up. Every step I take is on the edge of a knife!"
You ask me why I've become what I am today? I'll tell you, as the sages say, "If you don't practice the Way yourself, you can't practice it with your wife; if you don't teach others the Way, you can't practice it with your wife." All of this is because you haven't been upright yourself! You wanted me to be sincere, and I did, but all I got in return was your constant indifference. Only after countless disappointments did I realize that the human heart can't be warmed. It's a pity it took me thirty years to figure this out.
The hall was filled with a deathly silence, the air seemed frozen. Yongzheng took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and said coldly, "Queen, do you know that what you said today is enough to bring you eternal damnation?"
The Queen raised her head, her voice as cold as frost and snow, each word resonant and resounding: "I have long since shed all fear. If Your Majesty wishes to punish me, I will willingly accept it. This situation is only because I am inferior in skill. Success is the enemy, and failure is the enemy. I accept defeat and will bear all consequences single-handedly."
From the moment she was born, her fate was sealed. She was a chess piece in her family's game of power. Yet, she was driven to achieve her dreams, unwilling to be at the mercy of fate. With her wisdom and perseverance, she rose from seclusion to the imperial court, rising from obscurity to the highest position a woman could achieve: the throne of Empress.
Her journey was arduous, yet resolute. Her hands were stained with the blood of enemies, allies, and even innocents. But she never regretted it, knowing that within the deep palace, mercy would only become a fatal weakness. She chose ruthlessness, calculation, and the use of all means to protect her position and dignity.
Now that the plan had failed, she stood here, facing the emperor's censure, her heart remarkably calm. She had long anticipated this day, but she hadn't expected it to arrive so soon. Her gaze remained cold, her expression indifferent, as if all this were just a joke of fate.
She slowly raised her head and looked at Yongzheng, her voice calm: "Your Majesty, I have never regretted anything I have done. I am willing to bear the consequences today. But Your Majesty, you can take away my status, even my life, but you can never take away my dignity!"
Her figure appeared particularly lonely and proud in the candlelight in the hall, like a plum blossom standing in the wind and snow, standing proudly despite the wind and rain.
The hall was completely silent, with only her voice echoing in the air for a long time.
Her dignity, her pride, and her indomitable spirit were fully displayed at this moment. Even in the face of Yongzheng's anger, she never bowed her head or surrendered.
Yongzheng's gaze was as cold as a knife, piercing her with anger and a subtle complexity. Yet, the empress remained erect, her gaze blazing, unyielding. There was no fear in her expression, only composure and resolve, as if she had already seen through life and death, through all the strife within the palace.
At this moment, time seemed to stand still. The air in the hall was so heavy that it was almost suffocating. Only the candlelight continued to flicker, illuminating her resolute face.
Yongzheng asked no more questions, stood up and walked to the imperial desk, picked up the imperial brush, dipped the tip of the brush into thick ink, and spoke as he wrote.
At the moment he put pen to paper, the Queen's voice also sounded, interweaving with his words, like a silent contest, but also like an ending that had already been written by fate.
Empress Ulanara (I advise your wife Ulanara), is not blessed by Heaven (she is of noble descent, born into a distinguished family), she is flashy but not substantial (she is gentle and intelligent in heart, gentle and kind in character), she is cruel to the imperial heir (she possesses all six virtues), she is corrupt and has corrupted the court (she has long been virtuous), how can she respectfully uphold the ancestral temple (she spreads the four teachings in the palace) and be a model mother to the world (she is a model mother to the world), she is hereby demoted to a commoner (by the benevolent order of the Empress Dowager) and placed in the cold palace (I hereby enthronize you as Empress with the imperial seal).
But Yongzheng acted as if he hadn't heard her words. He put down his red brush heavily, and before the ink was dry, he ordered, "Su Peisheng, bring me my red seal!"
"Yes!" Su Peisheng bowed and responded. Just as he was about to turn around, he suddenly saw a nanny outside the hall walking hurriedly towards him with a carved brocade box in her hand.