Chapter 643: 307 The Truth Revealed (second update) _5 Chapter 643: 307 The Truth Revealed (second update) _5 The old sacrificial priest wants to explain, but hesitates to speak.
He was not in a position to say that Zhuang Jinse had lost her memory and mistook him for her deceased husband, though this would not necessarily seem unconvincing to the Emperor.
But he just didn’t want to say it, he didn’t know why.
The Emperor: “Do you know the gravity of the crime of disrespecting a nation’s dowager queen?”
The old sacrificial priest: “According to the law, I should be executed.”
The Emperor: “Punished? I’ll execute your nine generations!”
The sacrificial priest suddenly calmed down. Perhaps he smelt death, and no longer felt fear.
He knelt and said humbly, “I am an orphan, with no parents, siblings, or wife or children since my youth… The only person in my ‘nine generations’… is me.”
“You…” The Emperor was so angry, he picked up a bowl from the bedside table and throw it.
The old sacrificial priest didn’t dodge.
However, due to the Emperor’s serious injuries, he lacked strength, and the bowl just crashed to the floor in front of the sacrificial priest.
This made the Emperor even angrier.
Gu Jiao came to the door. She did not wish to stand by, and started to push the door open.
Suddenly, a hand – its skin weathered by age – gently grasped her white wrist.
She turned her head, surprised, “Granny?”
If this person was not the Dowager Queen Zhuang, disguised as an old woman, who could it be?
“Granny, why are you here?” Gu Jiao asked.
Dowager Queen Zhuang answered authoritatively, “With such a big event happening, how can I not be here?”
One can’t say she had come out to play cards!
The Dowager Queen Zhuang said calmly, “You go wait outside, I’ll handle it.”
“Oh.” Gu Jiao obediently went to the stone bench in the Courtyard to wait.
Dowager Queen Zhuang stepped in through the door.
The Emperor’s angry voice abruptly ceased.
The sacrificial priest, who had been kneeling on the ground, suddenly straightened up!
He kneeled with such dignity!
Dowager Queen Zhuang, her face expressionless, glanced at the old sacrificial priest: “You can leave. There are issues that need to be discussed between His Majesty and me.”
“Yes, your servant… retires.” The old sacrificial priest did not dare to look at Dowager Queen Zhuang’s face directly. He kept his eyes lowered, performed a bow and then stood up to leave.
The Emperor watched, shocked, as ‘an old lady dressed like a commoner’ entered. He was momentarily speechless.
He had never seen Dowager Queen Zhuang before.
Even if you needed to go incognito, there was no need to dress so poorly, was there?
He almost failed to recognize her.
Dowager Queen Zhuang’s fierce gaze swept over him.
The Emperor: It’s there.
Your Mother… is still your Mother!
If Dowager Queen Zhuang wanted an aura, even if she dressed in a sack she would still shine like the sun. Wherever she stood, her powerful aura would fill the room.
“I escaped from Mafeng Mountain and fainted on the roadside. I lost my memory when I was found and revived. I confused some people. You need not hold a grudge against those who didn’t dare to disobey me,” the Dowager Queen stated.
This was the first time Dowager Queen Zhuang openly admitted to the Emperor that she had contracted leprosy and had been living among the common folk.
Of course, they both knew all this. But they had been competing in acting skills within the palace walls.
The Emperor had considered mentioning it, but it turned out that Dowager Queen Zhuang was the one to break the silence.
The Emperor laughed at himself sarcastically.
In terms of courage and boldness, he really couldn’t match her!
Dowager Queen Zhuang continued, “If you want to blame someone, blame yourself. Were it not for you giving me leprosy, all the subsequent problems wouldn’t have arisen!”
Another unspoken truth had been exposed.
The Emperor clenched his fists in shame and anger.
“What about you Mother?” He sneered, “Hadn’t you intended to end my life?”
Within the palace walls, he referred to himself as the ‘son’ in front Dowager Queen Zhuang, never as ‘Emperor’.
But did she think only she could break the silence?
The Emperor laughed coldly, “Mother left the palace early in the morning, wasn’t it to see whether I was dead or not? Wasn’t you disappointed that yesterday evening’s assassination failed?”
Dowager Queen Zhuang did not directly answer his question, instead, she retorted, “Your mother is cured of leprosy, aren’t you disappointed?”
The Emperor smirked, “Of course. Extremely disappointed!”
Dowager Queen Zhuang replied, “I felt the same.”
After she said this, she left without showing any emotions.
“Indeed, this poisonous woman!” The Emperor skinny fist slammed onto the bed post in fury.
Eunuch Qin also came today, accompanied Gu Jiao as she waited in the Courtyard.
“Sir Qin, take a seat.” Gu Jiao patted the stone bench beside her.
Eunuch Qin smiled, “Thank you Miss Gu, this old servant shall remain standing.”
Gu Jiao didn’t insist, paused for a moment, and asked him, “Sir Qin, was the assassination last night… really ordered by Granny?”