"Your Majesty, do you know what you are doing?" Zhong Li could not comprehend Shen Nong's actions.
In her eyes, the mother of a nation should not stoop to such petty measures.
"Hmph!" Shen Nong snorted coldly. "Zhong Li, do you know what a court official is?"
Zhong Li shook her head. "I only know of officials of the people."
"Hahaha!" Shen Nong let out a chuckle upon hearing this, looking at Zhong Li with eyes as if at a fool. "Officials of the people? You speak of the common folk? As expected of a farmer's daughter, this is how your life will be."
"A farmer's daughter?" Zhong Li raised an eyebrow. "I heard that before Your Majesty married the Emperor, you were of concubine birth and raised on a estate. What's the difference between you and a farmer's daughter?
Furthermore, whether it is the current Southern Yue Kingdom, or the previous Lin Kingdom, or even the earlier Yan Kingdom, all nobles originated from farming households. Can Your Majesty guarantee that your ancestors were not farmers?"
"Zhong Li, I truly did not realize you were so sharp-tongued. However, no matter how much you say, it is merely to protect that evidence. I tell you, do not even think about it!" Shen Nong said, her gaze falling upon the group of palace maids she had brought, and she roared:
"Why are you still standing there? Act!"
"Let me see who dares!" Zhong Li, seeing that the evidence could not be protected, and in utter helplessness, drew the scalpel from her waist and aimed it at her own neck.
"What are you doing?" Shen Nong narrowed her eyes.
Zhong Li stared at her coldly. "Your Majesty, you hold high rank and power, and I, a subject, cannot offend you. However, my life is mine to decide.
Your Majesty, if my blood splatters in the Dali Temple today, and it is spread that the Dali Temple's Junior Minister of the Southern Yue Kingdom died in the Dali Temple, in the presence of Your Majesty, do you think you can still be the future Empress Dowager?"
"You are threatening me?" Shen Nong was so furious she almost gritted her teeth to powder.
"I dare not. I merely believe that if all truth in this world is to be hidden in darkness, if those in power can unjustly take lives, and use their authority to destroy evidence and deceive the populace, then what is the meaning of the Dali Temple's existence?
Who else should the people trust? The nation, or those in power?" Zhong Li's eyes reddened as she spoke.
"I do not care who they trust, Zhong Li! I simply want to tell you that since you are part of the court, you should prioritize maintaining imperial authority.
Shen Ying! I intend to take her. If you truly intend to die here, then I truly admire you. However, since I am here, your so-called rumors and whispers from the common folk, I will only ensure they remain as such." Shen Nong tilted her head back, staring at Zhong Li intently.
Zhong Li swallowed a few times, watching as a palace maid picked up a magnolia hairpin and threw it into the brazier.
She slowly closed her eyes, her heart filled with despair.
Just then, a voice from outside shouting at the top of its lungs announced: "Empress Nangong has arrived."
All actions from the subordinates ceased, and all heads turned towards the entrance.
"Oh, the Dali Temple is quite lively today."
Nangong Xiao Die slowly appeared in the Disciplinary Chamber, followed by Lu Yuan Feng.
Lu Yuan Feng first bowed to Shen Nong. Upon seeing Zhong Li's stance, his eyebrows raised slightly.
Nangong Xiao Die curtsied to Shen Nong. Without waiting for Shen Nong's nod of assent, she impatiently stood up.
Seeing her like this, Shen Nong's delicate eyebrows also furrowed. The current Nangong Xiao Die was increasingly disrespectful of her, and sometimes even openly challenged her in front of other concubines.
It seemed that killing Lu Yuan Chen was not enough; she wanted to taste some hardship.
Nangong Xiao Die glanced at Shen Nong, her intentions already transparent to her.
She did not intend to engage, and walked to Zhong Li's side, looking at the scalpel she was still holding. She clicked her tongue twice. "Official Zhong, women should cherish themselves. This is never good. You told me this yourself, remember?"
Zhong Li retracted the scalpel from her hand and cupped her hands in a salute to Nangong Xiao Die. "Empress Nangong."
Nangong Xiao Die smiled, glanced at the female corpse on the ground that had been halfway carried away and then abandoned, and then at the brazier being extinguished by Lu Yuan Feng not far away. She had a general idea of what had happened.
She turned to look at the Empress standing behind her, and Shen Ying hiding behind the Empress, saying, "Miss Shen, actually, if I hadn't come, the Empress would have handled this matter for you perfectly.
Unfortunately... I was passing by the Dali Temple, saw the Empress's carriage, and out of curiosity, I disrupted your good deed. Tell me... what should be done about this?"
Nangong Xiao Die's voice was soft and carried a hint of coquettishness, but to Shen Ying, it sounded different.
Shen Ying remained silent, her body trembling. She knew her hope was completely lost.
Nangong Xiao Die did not mind Shen Nong and Shen Ying ignoring her. She walked to the tray, picked up the memorial paper on it, and pretended to read it seriously. She clicked her tongue twice and said to Lu Yuan Feng, "Oh dear, Feng'er, come quickly and see. The killer is truly vicious. They disfigured the deceased and placed her body with smelly salted fish. What kind of heart do they have?"
Lu Yuan Feng walked to Nangong Xiao Die's side, took the memorial paper from her hand, and scanned it. "Mother Consort, it is indeed vicious."
"Feng'er, how would such a person be dealt with according to the law?" Nangong Xiao Die asked.
"Replying to Mother Consort, the punishment is at least imprisonment in the water dungeon, and at worst, execution after three days." As soon as Lu Yuan Feng finished speaking, Shen Ying's body went limp, and she began to fall backward.
"Ying'er!" Shen Nong exclaimed in alarm.
Zi Pei, with quick reflexes, held Shen Ying and checked her breathing. "Your Majesty, she is fine. Miss Shen has likely been startled and fainted."
Shen Nong glared at Nangong Xiao Die in anger, wanting to say something but not knowing what.
Nangong Xiao Die showed no fear, meeting Shen Nong's gaze directly.
The already oppressive Disciplinary Chamber became even quieter.
After a while, Nangong Xiao Die walked to Shen Nong's side, looked at the still-fainted Shen Ying, and said in a voice only they could hear, "Your Majesty, you used others to kill my Chen'er. Did you really think I would be so willing to let it go?
Shen Ying's life, I am determined to have."
"You!" Shen Nong had not expected Nangong Xiao Die to say such a thing. She felt a surge of blood rush to her head, almost causing her to stumble.
"Your Majesty." The palace maids standing around Shen Nong saw her unsteady body and quickly dropped what they were doing to support her.
Nangong Xiao Die looked at Shen Nong with disdain and lightly raised her hand.
Lu Yuan Feng lowered his gaze and smiled. He walked to her side and raised his arm.
Nangong Xiao Die placed her hand on his arm and quickly left the Disciplinary Chamber.
Shen Nong listened to the receding footsteps and slowly closed her eyes.
Zhong Li stood in place without a word, but she knew that with things escalating to this point, Shen Ying's situation was hopeless, even if the memorial paper was destroyed.
After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Shen Nong slowly regained her composure. She glared fiercely at Zhong Li, then, with Zi Pei, quickly followed and left.
Shen Ying was left on the chair where she had been sitting, her eyes tightly closed. She did not yet know that she had become a discarded pawn.