Empress Dowager then said to the Emperor, "Moning, perhaps we should let the matter of Zongrenfu pass. It doesn’t matter much if this old woman gets talked back to a few times; I won’t live many more days anyway. But locking her up in Zongrenfu, how unsightly would that be for the Imperial Family’s reputation? How about this—send her back to Jinxiu City with a few palace maidens, and order her to study at home. Whenever she learns her lesson, then she can come out."
"Father Emperor!" Jin Fengzhao now looked terrified and hopeful as she gazed at the Emperor.
Zongrenfu—if she were locked up in Zongrenfu, not to mention whether she would suffer there, just this confinement alone would disgrace her completely inside and out.
The Emperor still wore an expressionless face, his voice low but exceptionally clear.
"What are you waiting for? Take her away."
Great Eunuch Wan Decheng, who was very familiar with the Emperor, seeing the situation, knew the Emperor was truly angry and not just playing around.
He was indeed planning to lock up the Princess in Zongrenfu.
He sighed, stepped forward to support Jin Fengzhao, and said, "Princess, the Emperor is truly angry this time. Let’s go."
"No, I won’t go. Father Emperor, what’s wrong with you? You would never treat me this way, would you?" She pointed at the Empress and shouted loudly, "It’s you, you vile woman, what have you done to my father?"
"Insolence, this is outright rebellion, take her away immediately, Wan Decheng."
The Empress stamped her foot in anger.
"I won’t go, let me go, how dare you lay hands on me, do you want to die?"
"Silence her mouth," the furious Empress commanded.
"Jin Yushu, you will not die a good death... Ah, mmm..."
At last, the world was quiet.
"Consort Sheng has arrived!"
Somehow Consort Sheng heard about this and rushed over. As she entered Zhaoyang Hall, she saw the chaotic scene.
Princess Jin Fengzhao, being held by two eunuchs with a piece of white cloth stuffed in her mouth, kept moaning at her.
Consort Sheng glanced at her, intending to remove the white cloth from her mouth, then retracted her hand.
She hurriedly walked up to the Emperor, lifted her skirt, and knelt down, "Your Majesty, what has happened to Feng Zhao? What has she done to make Your Majesty so angry?"
The Emperor looked down at her indifferently and said, "The time has come."
Hearing this, Consort Sheng immediately fell silent.
Great Eunuch Wan then signaled the two eunuchs, who immediately took Jin Fengzhao away to Zongrenfu.
What kind of riddle were the Emperor and Consort Sheng playing? It made the Empress feel uneasy.
Jin Fengzhao’s misdemeanor wasn’t caused solely by the Emperor; that vile woman Sheng Qiaoyue had regarded that little vile girl as a deity, raising the stakes. The Emperor punishing Jin Fengzhao today, Sheng Qiaoyue should not be this calm; she should be drowning in tears, pleading.
That had always been the custom.
Jin Fengzhao was taken to Zongrenfu, and the palace maidens and eunuchs serving her couldn’t escape punishment either. They were all sent to Yeting Palace to perform labor.
Now it seemed the incident with Jin Fengzhao was resolved, and everyone then turned their attention to Gu Youyou standing awkwardly in the corner.
If truth be told, it was she who had triggered today’s events.
Empress Dowager sighed and said, "Youyou, you have indeed been wronged today. Feng Zhao is domineering, and the dress is from Manxiu Building, which is quite valuable. Later I will have someone compensate you with Silver."
Gu Youyou was startled and hurriedly said, "Empress Dowager, there’s no need. I am also one of the silent partners at Manxiu Building. The dress is not expensive if only the cost is considered; I can simply make another one."