Emperor Jingming closed his eyes and ordered Pan Hai: “Lock up this beast. Don’t let him speak nonsense.”
Pan Hai immediately complied, arranging for several eunuchs to take the Crown Prince away.
Emperor Jingming looked at Consort Yang.
Consort Yang lowered her head, revealing her long, graceful neck.
This was the consort he had favored, yet she had done something so disgusting to him…
“Why?” Emperor Jingming asked, anger filling his entire being.
Consort Yang remained silent.
“Was Duke An’s death also your doing, instigating that guard to kill him?”
Hearing Emperor Jingming’s question, Consort Yang finally raised her eyes and nodded slightly.
Emperor Jingming grabbed a nearby vase and hurled it at Consort Yang.
“Have you gone mad? Speak! How did you collude with that guard, and how did you seduce the Crown Prince!”
Consort Yang suddenly laughed.
The woman’s silvery laughter echoed in his ears, making Emperor Jingming feel suffocated and nauseous.
“Is Your Majesty asking about Zhang Hu? I knew him before I entered the palace,” Consort Yang said, twirling a lock of her hair. “He has always been fond of me, choosing to remain unmarried after I entered the palace. So I didn’t need to seduce him. He would do anything I asked, like killing someone.”
At this, Consort Yang smiled slightly: “For example, murder.”
“You were so determined to see Duke An dead?”
“Indeed.” The smiling woman’s expression suddenly turned ice-cold. “Your Majesty knew I had no family left except for my elder brother. But when Duke An caused my brother’s death, Your Majesty’s punishment was merely a slap on the wrist. Did you ever consider my feelings?”
With no possibility of having children and her only relative gone, what meaning did the Emperor’s fickle favor hold? Why shouldn’t she choose revenge?
Emperor Jingming closed his eyes, barely able to stand: “You had a reason for avenging your brother, but what about the Crown Prince?”
Consort Yang sneered: “It takes two to tango. Would Your Majesty feel better if I admitted to seducing the Crown Prince first?”
Looking at her exquisitely beautiful face, Emperor Jingming felt as if his heart was being cut by a knife: “You did this on purpose, deliberately ruining the Crown Prince!”
Consort Yang suddenly burst into laughter.
After laughing, she curved her lips: “Your Majesty can believe that I seduced the Crown Prince, and he was momentarily confused if you wish.”
Even so, could a Crown Prince who had an affair with a palace consort still securely hold his position as heir apparent?
What did the death of one Duke An matter? She wanted the Crown Prince of the Great Zhou to accompany her brother in death!
That person was right, this kind of revenge was truly satisfying.