Chapter 004: Shrew

However, at this moment, she regarded herself as the master of the harem, and even in front of the emperor Taichang, she showed no signs of reverence whatsoever

Hearing these words, Taichang couldn't help but shiver instinctively in his heart

Tai Chang was not in a hurry to summon Cui Wensheng; the reason he was making a big fuss about Cui Wensheng was actually to draw the snake out of its hole

Upon seeing Cui Wensheng in this state, Taichang unexpectedly felt a surge of inexplicable joy within.

He is no longer the ineffectual prince he once was; he has ascended the throne as emperor, and he has undergone a complete transformation, no longer the useless pawn at the mercy of others.

When a woman throws a tantrum, she disregards all principles of justice and law; a shrew is indeed a lawless individual

The act of plotting against the Emperor, if truly pursued, would lead to consequences that are simply unimaginable

Because in the past he never used his brain while working, never thought things through, but now he is very quick-witted. In light of Xi Li's actions, he almost instantly reacted.

Xi Li is not just any tyrant; she is a vicious shrew

You

In summary, he need not rush; he only needs to wait for those individuals to reveal their true colors on their own

In other words, at this moment, Xi Li is actually just a palace maid and not a consort, so no matter how powerful she may be, when the eunuchs call out, they can only address her as "Your Highness," without any titles such as "Primary Consort" or "Noble Consort" preceding it

After all, being killed outright is better than being subjected to a thousand cuts.

Uh

Tai Chang truly wished to take action immediately and eliminate this malicious woman; however, he reconsidered and restrained himself.

With a loud shout, a group of imperial guards entered in response

One of the three major extraordinary cases at the end of the Ming Dynasty, the Court Rod Case, involved Consort Zheng instructing someone to break into the Ciqing Palace with a rod to strike Prince Zhu Changluo, as a means of venting her anger

This is not the time to take action, for the poisonous snakes in the harem are not just one, but a whole nest!

Moreover, the biological mother of his other son, Zhu Youjian, Liu Shuyi, was also harmed by the slanderous words of this person

As soon as she entered, she reproached him slightly, saying: "Your Majesty, Master Cui is the most favored person by the Empress Dowager, how can you treat him this way?"

This is not the most terrifying part; the most terrifying aspect is that she caused the death of someone's biological mother, yet she went to seek favor in front of Wanli and Concubine Zheng, forcefully taking the two grandsons, Zhu Youjiao and Zhu Youjian, into her hands, becoming their adoptive mother.

I will not let you go yet

If we take action against this venomous woman now, wouldn't the other snakes be frightened and retreat completely

He has already understood why this woman wants to harm him, because he is unwilling to make her the queen

If it were not for the many venomous snakes that have yet to be caught, I would have executed you by now

She cannot withstand one hundred large boards

What the hell, a shrew cursing in the street

Upon seeing this situation, Xi Li finally became a bit more alert. A vicious dog fears a sturdy stick, and a shrewish woman is afraid of being physically confronted rather than verbally challenged; regardless of the consequences, they would seize her and beat her mercilessly

Do you still dare to be arrogant

Tai Chang, or Zhu Tai Chang, truly did not expect Xi Li to be so unruly. No wonder he is such a feeble emperor, unable to even manage his own women; this is simply unacceptable

He is well aware that as long as he does not confess, there will definitely be someone to rescue him; if he confesses, not only will no one come to his aid, but it is also highly likely that he will be subjected to a thousand cuts

However, it is absolutely impossible to expect him to recruit.

Now Cui Wensheng is truly suffering, alternating between being sprayed and drenched, feeling a sharp pain when he tries to cough, yet unable to refrain from doing so. In the brief moments between the spraying and drenching, he can only shout his grievances and plead for mercy, hoping that the Emperor will relent

You wicked woman, not only have you caused the death of the mothers of Tianqi and Chongzhen, but you even dare to harm me!

It is naturally impossible to stop.

The term "selected maid" is not an official title for a concubine, but rather a general reference to those palace maids who have received the favor of the emperor or the crown prince without having been granted a title.

After all, regicide is no laughing matter; those involved would face a fate worse than death, and exterminating their entire clan would not be considered excessive

Li Xuan Shi

This woman actually came to rescue Cui Wensheng, she must have been involved in the matter of administering the drug, no wonder Wei Zhongxian favored Cui Wensheng after coming to power, they are indeed in cahoots!

However, that was in the past

Mother

Do you dare to tell me to get lost

Hehe, I will make you suffer today, and I will let you vent to your heart's content!

Xi Li still shouted wildly: "You dare!"

He suppressed his anger and coldly said: "According to the ancestral teachings of the Ming Dynasty, women are not to interfere in politics. I do not need your guidance on what I should do, so get lost!"

Tai Chang was momentarily taken aback, but a glimmer of cold light could not help but reveal itself in his eyes

This Xi Li is not merely malicious; in her quest for favor, she even beat and humiliated the mother of the current Crown Prince Zhu Youjiao, Consort Wang, to death while still in the Ciqing Palace

This person is Li Xuan, one of the two selected attendants with the surname Li in the original Eastern Palace. To distinguish between them, they were referred to as the East and West Li. At this moment, the one who has entered is the most powerful West Li from the original Eastern Palace

Will you not let me go yet?

At this moment, the only one in the palace who can be referred to as "Niangniang" without any accompanying title seems to be Li Xuanshi. What is she here for

He believes that the people behind Cui Wensheng must be afraid that this guy will not be able to withstand the torture and confess. As long as the news of Cui Wensheng being coerced into confession spreads, those people will definitely find a way to rescue him. Of course, it is also possible that they will find a way to silence him permanently

This woman and Consort Zheng colluded with each other, one claiming to be the Empress Dowager and the other claiming to be the Empress. Moreover, they resorted to both soft and hard tactics to force him into conferring titles, yet he refused to do so. Consequently, these two malicious women simply joined forces to eliminate him, and then they manipulated Crown Prince Zhu Youjiao, attempting to exert control behind the curtain.

Therefore, he absolutely cannot be recruited, not even if it means death.

Her arrogance is not ordinary, even compared to that of Consort Zheng.

She could only glare fiercely at everyone present, then snorted coldly and strode away

At this moment, he not only felt as if his stomach was about to burst, but also experienced a burning pain in his throat, nose, and mouth. Being choked by water and coughing it out was not just an ordinary discomfort, especially considering the incessant coughing.

The plight of Zhu Youjian and Zhu Youxiao is truly lamentable; their birth mother was killed by others, and they themselves were held in the hands of their mother's murderer. The anguish in their hearts is unimaginable

Tai Chang coldly snorted: "Do you not know that I am the ruler of a nation? You dare to roar like this in front of me? It is already quite generous of me not to have you dragged out and executed. What is wrong with giving you a hundred lashes? Come here!"

Tai Chang had not yet reacted when a strikingly beautiful woman had already entered the hall with large strides

Your Highness

Xi Li, furious, exclaimed: "You heartless one, how dare you tell me to roll away? If it weren't for me speaking on your behalf in front of the Emperor and Empress, you would have been deposed long ago! Now that you have ascended the throne, you think you are so impressive, don't you? How dare you tell me to roll away?"

He was secretly feeling pleased when a loud voice suddenly came from outside the hall: "Her Highness has arrived"

What a "mother," what a queen, how beautifully you all imagine it

Oh, you dare to retort!

Wang An, Wei Chao, as well as Luo Sigong and several captains of the Jinyiwei, were all rendered pale by her glare, which demonstrates the formidable reputation this shrew holds in the imperial harem

One of the three major bizarre cases at the end of the Ming Dynasty, the Palace Transfer Case, involved the Western Li family occupying the Qianqing Palace after the death of Emperor Taichang, holding Prince Zhu Youjiao captive with the intention of exercising power behind the curtain

It has been a long time since you all turned the world upside down

If it were in the past, Taichang would never have imagined that his most trusted confidant, Xi Li, would betray him. However, now he has suddenly come to understand it clearly

Xi Li angrily said: "Your Majesty, your reckless actions will surely not be forgiven by the Empress if she finds out!"

What should I do

He is indeed somewhat afraid of Xi Li, because when he was the crown prince, he was not favored by Wanli. The master of the harem, Consort Zheng, harbored extreme disdain for him, while Xi Li was quite favored by both Wanli and Consort Zheng, holding a much higher position in the harem than he did

You are doomed, you shrew!

He pointed at the shrewish Xi Li and coldly said: "Are you going to leave or not? If you don't leave, I will have someone drag you out and give you a hundred lashes!"

Concubine Zheng is not qualified to be the Empress Dowager, nor is she qualified to be my mother, and you are also not qualified to be the Empress

Cui Wensheng is truly feeling unwell; although cold water is not poison, one cannot fit too much into the stomach!

Tai Chang squinted his eyes and said coldly, "What, do you want to save him?"

Scenes from the past surfaced one after another in Tai Chang's mind, and a cold light involuntarily flashed in his eyes