Five years after her death, she awoke on the dragon bed.

Chapter 327 Pleading for Mercy...

With Lou Suyi backing her up, Caixia wasn't intimidated by Wang Shunu at all, and she was quite certain that Wang Shunu was the one who had disguised herself as a palace maid last night.

She recognized Wang Shunu's unique ear shape at a glance; it couldn't be that she was seeing things.

She knelt down and solemnly repeated, "This servant is certain that it was Lady Wang who sent me to convey a message to Her Majesty the Empress last night. Lady Wang is trying to frame Her Majesty!"

Lou Suyi looked at Wang Shunu, whose face had turned pale, and said in a low voice, "Wang Shunu, why did you try to harm me?!"

Wang Shunu made a desperate last stand, determined to deny everything. As long as she didn't confess, Lou Suyi couldn't convict her.

"It wasn't me! I have no grudge against Her Majesty the Empress. Why would Her Majesty frame me?!" Wang Shunu gritted her teeth and denied it outright.

At this moment, Murong spoke up: "Empress, there's no need to waste words with her."

He then gave the order: "Seize Wang and all her close attendants, and torture them severely until they confess! Remember, don't kill them. I want Wang to suffer a fate worse than death!"

Everyone fell silent, but Ji Qing could tell that his master was truly angry.

His Majesty just declared in public last time that if it is found out who framed the Empress, their entire family will be executed.

These words were still ringing in our ears, yet Wang Shunu has already run right into His Majesty's crosshairs. Does she really think His Majesty's words were just casual remarks?

It is foreseeable that not only will Wang Shunu suffer, but the entire Wang family will be implicated by her.

Wang Shunu, her face deathly pale, was tortured in public. The palace maids and eunuchs serving her were also tortured at the same time, and screams filled the hall.

Soon, a palace maid could not withstand the torture and confessed that Wang Shunu had replaced her maidservants and impersonated a palace maid, allowing Caixia to falsely convey the imperial edict to Lou Suyi.

Wang Shunu knew that the situation was hopeless. She belatedly realized that she was doomed, and that the entire Wang family would be implicated because of her.

"What else do you have to say?!" Murong looked coldly at Wang Shunu, just to see how this vile woman would continue to be so stubborn.

Who gave Wang the audacity to force him to be cuckolded?!

Wang Shunu wept bitterly, "I...I was bewitched! I beg Your Majesty to have mercy and spare the Wang family this once. I will take full responsibility for my actions; my family is innocent..."

"I have said before that anyone who dares to frame the Empress is guilty of a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of their family. Do you think I was just saying that offhand?" Murong said sarcastically.

Upon hearing this, Wang Shunu climbed to the foot of the woman in plain clothes on the stairs: "I beg Your Majesty the Empress to have mercy. I know I was wrong. Your Majesty is kind and obedient. Please help me plead for mercy..."

Lou Suyi kicked Wang Shunu away: "Do you think I'm a saint? When you tried to frame me last night, did you ever think that if I were convicted of having an affair with another man, my life would be ruined? You tried to frame me, and you still expect me to plead for you?! From the moment you framed me, you should have known that after the truth came out, all nine members of the Wang family would be implicated."

If Wang cared about her family at all, she should have thought twice before acting. Since this woman chose to harm her, she should bear the consequences.

Despite the excruciating pain, Wang Shunu crawled back to Lou Suyi's side: "The one who deserves the blame is me, not my family. Your Majesty, you may tear me to pieces, but please, please don't kill them. I will take full responsibility for my actions, Your Majesty, I beg you..."

Lou Suyi impatiently kicked Wang Shuyi away again, but Wang Shuyi quickly climbed back up.

Seeing this, Murong ordered his men to drag Wang Shunu away, but Wang Shunu seemed to have gone mad, crying out loudly, "Your Majesty, please save my family! Your Majesty only needs to say a word to save my whole family's lives! His Majesty only listens to Your Majesty's advice, His Majesty only has Your Majesty in his heart. If Your Majesty would just say the word, His Majesty would listen to my advice..."

Lou Suying frowned upon hearing this and said in a deep voice, "Shut her up!" Murong then said, "Let her continue!"

Lou Suyi looked at Murong upon hearing this: "Wang Shunu has gone mad. Your Majesty, do not listen to her nonsense."

If this got out, people might think she was a wicked empress who could influence Murong's decisions. Only she knew the truth: Murong rarely said a kind word to her, so how could she possibly have the power to sway his decisions?

Wang Shunu was overjoyed upon hearing this, and her injuries seemed to have stopped hurting. She exclaimed, "His Majesty likes the Empress. As long as the Empress pleads for me, His Majesty will listen to the Empress's advice."

While others might not notice, she had long ago realized that His Majesty favored the Empress.

Even though His Majesty wasn't by the Empress's side last night, he would still search for her figure from time to time.

She happened to overhear the conversation between Consort De and Consort Ning. At that moment, she had only one thought: to find a way to make His Majesty believe that Lou Suyi was not content with her life and had an affair with Xie Zhijie. Otherwise, with Lou Suyi around, she would never have the chance to serve the Emperor in his lifetime.

The moment the idea popped into her head, she was completely bewitched and quickly came up with what she thought was a perfect plan.

Lou Suyi frowned upon hearing this, fearing that Murong would be displeased.

Murong's heart was filled only with thoughts of his country and the world; there was no room for women.

She sensed that letting Wang Shunu continue would be dangerous, so she quickly asked, "Why are you framing me? Is someone behind this?"

This time, Wang Shunu dared not lie again, but she also knew that she could not anger His Majesty at this time. If she said that she had heard Consort De tell Consort Ning that Xie Zhijie had been spying on the Empress, His Majesty would definitely be even angrier.

At this critical juncture, she couldn't afford to add fuel to the fire.

She immediately replied truthfully, "It was my own doing, I was bewitched, and suddenly seemed to be possessed. Your Majesty, could you please persuade His Majesty not to kill my family? My sister-in-law gave birth to a child last year, only a month younger than the young prince. The child is innocent. I beg Your Majesty for mercy..."

As she spoke, tears streamed down her face.

Lou Suyi's heart stirred when she heard Wang Shunu mention the child.

To be honest, after she became empress, her heart grew colder and colder.

The longer you stay in the harem, the harder your heart will become, because it's either you eliminate the other person, or the other person eliminates you.

Her soft heart will not earn her the enemy's soft heart.

Wang Shunu's answer was consistent with the palace maid's testimony, suggesting that it was merely a spur-of-the-moment decision rather than a premeditated one.

That is precisely why Wang Shunu revealed a major flaw.

Of course, it was also thanks to Caixia's keen observation that she remembered the characteristics of Wang Shunu's left ear; otherwise, Wang Shunu would have truly escaped justice.

After Wang Shunu was dragged out of Xianfu Palace, Lou Suyi was somewhat uneasy.

Murong noticed her hesitation: "Has the Empress softened her heart?"

“A little. The child has just been born, how could she know that she would be implicated by her own aunt? The child is not even aware of anything yet, and her life is about to be taken away. It's so pitiful.” Lou Suyi did not deny that Wang Shunu's words touched her.