Volume 1, Chapter 38: Pinellia

Banxia shuddered slightly. Although there was a flicker of panic on her face, she remained remarkably composed overall.

Shen Ran said indifferently, "So, you are the one who discovered the Empress engaging in witchcraft within the palace?"

Banxia pursed her lips.

A moment later, she bowed and knocked her head against the floor again. "Yes. I am a maid in Her Majesty’s palace responsible for cleaning. I often saw the Empress acting in ways that did not seem upright, which always felt wrong to me. However, she is my mistress, so I didn't think much of it. But two days ago, while cleaning her bed, I accidentally uncovered this lethal object. I..."

She bit her lip hard and continued, "I had heard the older servants in the palace speak of the dangers of witchcraft. The more I thought about it, the more terrified I became. That is why I reported it to the Empress Dowager and the Imperial Noble Consort, asking them to decide what should be done."

Although Xue Wu had always been lenient with her servants, hearing such accusations made her both furious and anxious. Her naturally pale cheeks flushed a deep red. "Banxia, how have I ever treated you poorly? How could you slander me like this!"

Banxia refused to meet Xue Wu’s eyes. "Your Majesty has never treated me poorly, and I know that this act is an betrayal of you. But right is right, and wrong is wrong. No matter how well you treated me, I cannot allow black and white to be confused. I cannot stand by and watch the Emperor be deceived by you! Today, I am willing to die to atone for my transgression against you and to prove that every word I have spoken is the truth!"

With that, she suddenly sprang up and, before anyone could react, threw herself headlong toward the wall.

The turn of events was so sudden, and Banxia was so determined to die, that her movements were swift and desperate, catching everyone off guard. If she died, the truth would remain forever obscured.

Xue Wu was equally horrified. "You must not—!" Her first instinct was to rise from her chair to pull Banxia back, but the incident occurred in the blink of an eye. Banxia was incredibly agile, and it was already too late.

Just as her forehead was about to strike the wall, and it seemed the delicate beauty was destined for a tragic end, Banxia suddenly felt a powerful force grip her wrist—a strength so great it threatened to shatter her bones.

The next moment, she was jerked backward and thrown to the floor. Simultaneously, the Emperor’s cold, merciless voice echoed in her ears:

"Hold her down."

Two guards, fierce as tigers, immediately stepped forward and forced Banxia to her knees. One of them grabbed her hair, forcing her to tilt her head back. Her forehead was gushing blood, which streamed down and masked her face, creating a gruesome sight even in the daylight. It was a testament to her resolve. Had it not been for Shen Ran’s swift intervention, she would already be in the underworld.

The Empress Dowager clutched her chest and gasped. A moment later, she sighed, "Emperor, how many people in this world would throw away their own lives for no reason just to slander another? This maid is so loyal to you that she would sacrifice her life. Are you still unwilling to wake up and continue to be deceived? You are the Emperor; what kind of woman could you not have in the future? But I have only one son. You must not be so foolish as to ruin your own future!"

Overcome with emotion, the Empress Dowager began to weep. She was well-preserved and typically lived in luxury; at forty, she looked only twenty-eight or twenty-nine. Her weeping was truly pitiable, causing the guards in the room to lower their heads in shame.

Xue Wu sat back in her chair, drained of all strength.

Liu Ruyi crawled forward to the Empress Dowager’s feet. Grasping the hem of her robes, she whispered, "Please, Empress Dowager, calm your anger! Our Great Zhou has always been governed by benevolence and filial piety. The Emperor is a man of pure filial devotion; how could he bear to see you suffer? But the Emperor and the Empress share a deep bond as husband and wife. Would your actions not place the Emperor in an impossible position?"

Shen Ran wiped his fingers nonchalantly with his sleeve, observing the farce with cold eyes.

Liu Ruyi’s attempt at persuasion only served to embolden the Empress Dowager. She slammed her hand against the table. "Even if it displeases the Emperor, I will punish this wicked woman today! Guards—!"

The command fell, but no one moved. The guards glanced at one another, looking back and forth in silence. Not a needle could be heard falling. As the Emperor’s biological mother, no one dared to defy the Empress Dowager in Shen Ran's absence, but with him present, the Emperor’s word was absolute.

The Empress Dowager was so furious she nearly fainted. She stared at Shen Ran, trembling, "Emperor, you... have your wings grown so stiff that you would truly disregard our years of mother-son affection for the sake of this harlot? Must you force me to die here as well, so the entire world can gossip about your unfilial conduct?"

Shen Ran tilted his head slightly, looking at the Empress Dowager with a gentle gaze. "Mother, you worry too much. I naturally respect you. If the Empress were truly so foolish, not to mention you, even I could not tolerate her. However, everyone here knows that witchcraft is a grave matter, and we cannot draw conclusions based on one person and one doll. We must investigate thoroughly until the evidence is as solid as a mountain. Otherwise, as the Imperial Noble Consort said, since General Xue has served the country with merit, we risk chilling the hearts of our loyal subjects."

The sudden turn of events stunned the Empress Dowager. "Then how does the Emperor suggest we investigate?"

"That is simple," Shen Ran laughed. "This maid is indeed loyal, but I have my doubts as to whom she is loyal to. Yuanbao!"

Yuanbao gestured with a delicate hand. "This servant is here!"

Shen Ran ordered, "Send men to investigate this maid’s family background and history. Take everyone in her family—man, woman, old, or young—and throw them into the Ministry of Justice. Let her watch as they are interrogated one by one. If, when only she remains, she still does not change her story, then it will be proven that she is truly loyal to me, even at the cost of her own life and family. Then, I shall follow your words, Mother, and punish the Empress without mercy!"