Returning after a three-year escape from death, the tyrant has turned evil.

Chapter 256: Relegated to limbo
Seeing Song Yi approach, Jiang Lanye casually lifted his eyelids and looked at her.

His gaze seemed to be filled with so many emotions that Song Yi couldn't immediately discern what he was thinking.

She had overheard what Consort Shen was saying, and frowned slightly, preparing to explain: "Those three years of mine."

"You don't need to explain."

Jiang Lanye suddenly interrupted her.

Song Yi was taken aback.

Jiang Lanye added, "I trust you, so you don't need to say anything in front of outsiders."

Upon hearing these words, Consort Shen, who was kneeling on the ground, froze.

Believe?

The witnesses have already been brought before him. No one knows what exactly happened during those three years. Why should His Majesty still believe her?!
Consort Shen looked up at him with some panic, and timidly called out, "Your Majesty."

Jiang Lanye summoned Eunuch Cao over.

Eunuch Cao stood respectfully to the side, awaiting Jiang Lanye's decree.

He looked at Song Yi, walked over step by step, and said calmly, "Drag those two palace maids away and beat them to death with sticks."

Everyone was shocked.

The two palace maids were so frightened that they could hardly speak. They never expected Jiang Lanye to be so ruthless. These were two lives at stake!
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, spare my life! This servant didn't mean it. It was all Consort Zhao who forced me to testify. I didn't want to say anything at all!"

"Yes, Your Majesty, please calm your anger! This servant did not mean it!"

The two kowtowed repeatedly behind Jiang Lanye, tears streaming down their faces as they did so, choking back sobs.

They truly regretted it. If they had known they would lose their lives, they shouldn't have agreed to marry Consort Shen in the first place. It wasn't worth it for a few taels of silver!

Consort Shen was completely dumbfounded. Her body went limp, and she begged for mercy in a trembling voice: "Your Majesty, they... they were just saying that."

Jiang Lanye glanced at her. "Just a rumor? Consort Shen, do you think my Imperial Consort is someone you can slander at will?"

Consort Shen was almost in tears: "Your Majesty, please calm your anger, I know I was wrong."

Seeing that begging Jiang Lanye for mercy was useless, the two palace maids crawled over on their knees and knelt at Song Yi's feet, crying loudly, "Your Highness, we know we were wrong, please save us, we don't want to die!"

Song Yi took a step back, somewhat at a loss.

Jiang Lanye immediately reached out and pulled her close, his tone unfriendly: "Drag her away."

"Yes!"

Without hesitation, the guards on both sides stepped forward, grabbed their arms, and dragged them away.

The screams of the palace maids continued to ring out, and Song Yi stood there, stunned, her whole body numb.

Jiang Lanye lowered his eyes to look at Consort Shen, his gaze as cold as ice: "As a concubine, you lack virtue and spread rumors."

His voice was calm and unhurried, yet every word sent chills down one's spine:

"He was extremely jealous and framed the Imperial Concubine."

"Deceiving the emperor is an unforgivable crime."

With each word she spoke, Consort Shen's face grew paler.

Only then did she belatedly realize how stupid she had been.

Upon entering the harem, she could sense that Jiang Lanye was more lenient towards them. As long as they behaved themselves, he didn't care what they did in the harem.

But as soon as they crossed his bottom line—namely, Consort Yun—his previous leniency vanished in an instant.

"Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. I will never investigate anything on my own again. Your Highness, please plead for His Majesty. I truly know I was wrong. I will behave myself and never appear before you again!"

Song Yi frowned and said softly, "Consort Shen, those two palace maids died, perhaps because they gossiped, but the root cause lies with you." Consort Shen was stunned.

"You made those two say these things in front of His Majesty, which led to their deaths. Those were two lives, yet now you want me to plead for them. What about the two who died? This matter is destined not to be let go easily."

Jiang Lanye smiled slightly; his Yiyi seemed to have really grown a lot.

"By imperial decree, effective immediately, Consort Shen is stripped of her title and demoted to commoner status."

Consort Shen looked at him in disbelief: "Your Majesty, my brother has rendered meritorious service, he has rendered meritorious service! Please, please give me a chance, I beg you!"

Jiang Lanye took Song Yi's hand: "It is precisely because your brother has rendered meritorious service that I have repeatedly indulged you and Consort Meng. Otherwise, you would have been banished to the Cold Palace long ago."

Tears streamed down her face, and she choked up, unable to speak.

"Consort Meng is much more obedient than you."

"Your Majesty, I don't understand why you are so cruel to the new concubines. Consort Ning also served you before. Why? Is it because the Imperial Concubine has returned?"

Jiang Lanye paused for a moment: "I have never allowed anyone to serve me in bed, including Consort Ning."

Consort Shen's eyes widened in surprise: "But, but Consort Ning said..."

“From beginning to end, there has only been Consort Yun by my side.”

With things said to this extent, what else could Consort Shen not understand?

Consort Ning is lying to her! She's been lying to her all along!

Looking back on tonight, she said she wouldn't come along to say such things; she was just trying to take advantage of her.

Before Consort Shen could react, he continued to issue the decree:
"Consort Shen, from this moment forward, be banished to the Cold Palace."

As he turned around, leading Song Yi by the hand, he uttered his last words:

"I want you to remember that what you have achieved today is all because of your words."

Song Yi's hand was gripped so tightly by him that it hurt, but she didn't shake it off and just barely kept up with his pace.

"Jiang Lanye, what's wrong with you?"

He didn't speak.

"I can explain everything about those three years. Do you want to hear it?"

He stopped and held Song Yi in his arms.

"I believe you, but I don't want to hear it right now. Let's talk about it after we return to the Golden Palace, okay?"

".good."

The two returned to Huayin Palace hand in hand. Consort Ning had finished playing her zither and was secretly observing the two of them.

The Empress Dowager glanced at it, frowned, and asked, "Where is Consort Shen? Didn't she go out to look for you?"

Jiang Lanye did not directly respond to the Empress Dowager, but merely glanced at everyone and spoke indifferently:
"Just now, I ordered that Consort Shen be stripped of her title and banished to the Cold Palace."

Everyone was astonished, wondering what terrible mistake he had made just by going out, that he would be banished to the cold palace.

Consort Meng raised her hand to cover her mouth, her eyes filled with terror.

Consort Ning secretly curled her lips into a smile.

The Empress Dowager stared at Jiang Lanye in disbelief: "Your Majesty, have you gone mad?! Have you completely forgotten why Consort Shen was able to enter the harem this time?"

"Mother, I was unwilling to let any more new concubines enter the palace from the beginning, but she still came. Is this my fault?"

(End of this chapter)