Selling wife for fame? Kick out the scumbag and marry the new emperor to enjoy the harem of favors

Chapter 264

"Yang Zhian." Zhao Xingjin didn't want to waste words, so he simply called out.

"Your Majesty, on the night after arriving at the hunting grounds, this person was ordered by Your Majesty to return to the palace to visit Princess Lingyi, but he did not go in person, instead delegating the task to someone else."

As Yang Zhian spoke, the Empress's expression began to slowly crumble.

"Zhang Liquan used the excuse of running an errand to go to Jinming Tower and redeemed a male courtesan there. This man was the assassin who tried to kill Consort Jin yesterday, the former Marquis of Weiyuan, the disgraced official, Wu Que."

As soon as the words were spoken, the Empress was already drenched in cold sweat.

He turned around and slapped Zhang Liquan across the face.

"How dare you be so disobedient and do such a thing behind my back!"

She had barely uttered those words when Yang Zhian chimed in from the side.

"Your Majesty, this person has already confessed."

The Empress paused slightly, but still maintained her composure. "Confess to what? Who instructed him? This scoundrel, daring to betray his own people by my side!"

Upon hearing the Empress's words, Yang Zhian lowered his head and did not answer.

Above, Zhao Xingjin looked at the Empress quietly, his eyes filled with disappointment and anger.

Xie Jiu remained silent, standing quietly to the side with her eyes lowered.

At this point, there's no need for her to say anything more.

Sure enough, the next moment Zhao Xingjin spoke in a deep voice, "Don't you know who's instructing him? Him, the chief eunuch by your side, who could he be instructing?"

"Your Majesty, are you suspicious of me?" The Empress's voice trembled, her eyes suddenly reddened, and tears almost spilled out. "How could I possibly do such a thing? Although Consort Jin relies on the Emperor's favor and never takes me seriously, and is disrespectful to me, I never intended to harm her!"

How many more lies like this will you never be enough?!

Zhao Xingjin finally couldn't hold back and shouted angrily. The slightly bulging veins on his forehead showed his anger at this moment.

"I am not unaware of what you have done—murdering the imperial heir and harming the concubines. But because you are my first wife, I have never truly made things difficult for you. I have only repeatedly reminded and warned you, hoping that you can return to the person you were in the palace before, who understood the big picture, knew when to advance and retreat, and was dignified and composed. But what have you done?"

Upon hearing this question, Zhao Xingjin's voice lowered again, and his eyes looked somewhat haggard due to bloodshot eyes.

"Putting aside other matters, when Lady Sun was pregnant, Consort Jin had not yet offended you, right? In order to prevent her from entering the palace to serve, you used the imperial heir in Lady Sun's household to set a trap. Is this something a legitimate mother would do?"

"And Wenxi, when Consort Xian was alive, she was always respectful and humble in front of you, but she never had any conflict with you. You clearly knew that she couldn't eat yams, but you still did it on purpose. You are also a mother. Wenxi also spent half a year with you. How can you be so heartless?" The more Zhao Xingjin spoke, the deeper his disappointment became, and he was not so angry anymore.

The empress looked into his eyes, as if all her strength had been drained away. Slowly, her body went limp, and she knelt on the ground.

Tears streamed down her face.

"Why have I become like this? Does Your Majesty not know at all? Did I want to become this ruthless, selfish, and heartless person? Your Majesty, I am afraid. There are more and more women around you, and they all come from such good families that they are all worthy of sitting in my position. Yet, you still give them so much favor. How can I allow them to pose a threat to me? I am your first wife, and I should be your only Empress!"

As she shouted these words with all her might, the Queen's face was filled with anger and resentment, and then her eyes slowly turned somewhat crazed.

"As you know, when I gave birth to Lingyi, my body was damaged and I could no longer conceive. How many people would want to take the place of an empress who cannot bear a prince? I have no choice but to find a way to raise a prince so that those noble ladies can no longer have children! Only then can I be safe!"

"I have never thought of deposing the Empress. You and I were young husband and wife, and you have given me two daughters. You have managed the Prince's Palace and the harem for me. Even if you have no son, I will not allow anyone to surpass you. If I want to establish a Crown Prince, I will adopt that child into your name and grant him the title of legitimate son!"

Zhao Xingjin also lost his composure, saying some things he shouldn't have under the Empress's provocation. However, he managed to stop himself in time, taking a deep breath and forcing himself to calm down.

"If you harbor these thoughts, why don't you tell me? Why have you committed so many wrongdoings? Are you the only one with your own grievances? Aren't all those you have harmed innocent?"

"But they dared to steal my things, they deserve to die!"

The empress seemed to have gone mad; her eyes suddenly widened, revealing a fierce look that twisted her originally gentle and beautiful face into a terrifying one.

"My favor, my position, my family's honor—why should they be allowed to surpass me? I will not allow it!"

Looking at her, Zhao Xingjin slowly sat back down, his fist, which had been slightly clenched in anger, now relaxed.

"Guards, the Empress is unwell. She shall be sent back to the palace immediately to recuperate in Weiyang Palace. No one shall disturb her. Princess Lingyi shall move to Ruiyu Palace to live with Zhaoqing."

"Yes!"

Yang Zhian responded and immediately stepped forward to help the Empress up, but the Empress pushed him away.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, you cannot treat me like this! I am your wife, how can you imprison me!"

"The fact that I did not depose you from your position as empress, nor did I investigate your Zhou family for secretly forming cliques and engaging in corrupt practices, is already an act of great leniency!"

Zhao Xingjin rebuked him in a stern voice.

"For the sake of Zhaoqing and Lingyi, your position as Empress will not be in jeopardy, but don't even think that things can go back to the way they were before. Take them away!"

After speaking, he didn't want to look at her again.

Yang Zhian stopped making a move and ordered his men to forcibly take the Empress away.

The carriage was already prepared outside, and nothing was allowed to be taken away, including all the servants who served the Empress. She was sent off all alone.

From now on, everyone in Weiyang Palace will be arranged by Zhao Xingjin.

With things having come to this, the tent finally quieted down, and Xie Jiu got up and slowly walked to Zhao Xingjin's side, gently placing her hands on his shoulders.

"Your Majesty, let me massage you a bit, it might help you relax."

"You still have an injury on your arm, rest." Zhao Xingjin's mood was clearly low. "I never thought she would turn out like this."

Although Zhao Xingjin didn't particularly like his wife since their marriage, she wasn't wrong either. The two treated each other with respect and lived a harmonious life.

But now, this is the situation.

Xie Jiu lowered her eyes. "Your Majesty, people change."

When she and Wu Que first got married, things were going well, weren't they? Although she wasn't entirely satisfied with Wu Que after getting to know him, she still tried her best to get along with him because she wanted to make a living together. Wu Que treated her with great affection.

and after?
He's even capable of selling his wife for personal gain.

At this moment, Xie Jiu understood Zhao Xingjin to some extent.

The two sat together quietly, without saying a word for a long time.

Then Qingdong came from outside to report that Wei Zhang was requesting an audience.