Ming Dynasty: I am truly not the Emperor of Longevity

Kunning Palace was the Empress's residence, and it was nighttime, so there couldn't possibly be any guards there.

Knowing that Consort Wang Ning and sixteen palace maids were involved in the regicide, Empress Fang should have been well aware that the few eunuchs and palace maids on duty at Kunning Palace might not be able to quickly subdue these palace maids and control the situation.

After Zhang Jinlian betrayed her, it was reasonable for Empress Fang to send her trusted confidant to the Imperial Stables to summon someone.

"Is this Chen Furong a trusted palace maid of the Empress Dowager?"

Lu Chen recalled the locations of Kunning Palace and the Imperial Horse Stable in his mind. The straight-line distance between them was nearly 500 meters. With the detour and passing through guarded checkpoints, it would take at least ten minutes.

From the Imperial Horse Stables to the Renshou Palace in the Western Garden, no matter which route you take, it's farther than going through the Kunning Palace.

If Empress Fang had also set off with the people on duty at Kunning Palace at the same time as sending people to the Imperial Horse Stables, they should have arrived at Renshou Palace much faster.

However, the people from the Imperial Horse Administration arrived much earlier than Empress Fang!

When Empress Fang arrived, the palace maids involved in the regicide and Consort Wang Ning had already been captured.

In other words, Empress Fang departed from Kunning Palace at least ten minutes later than the people from the Imperial Horse Stables!

too weird!

This is an assassination attempt on the emperor! After Empress Fang sent people to the Imperial Horse Stables, what was she still lingering for at Kunning Palace?

"Your Highness, Chen Furong is not a member of Kunning Palace."

Huang Jin's answer surprised Lu Chen once again.

"This woman is the head maid of Yikun Palace."

When I heard that she had gone to the Imperial Stables with the Empress's token to summon someone, I was truly astonished.

The sixteen palace maids who murdered the emperor were all her subordinates, so logically she should have been an accomplice.

Gao Gong had also suspected her, but Chen Furong did indeed possess the Empress's token.

Moreover, if she hadn't arrived at the Imperial Stables in time to summon someone, and if the matter had been delayed further, His Majesty would probably have already...

After taking down the palace maid who murdered the emperor and Consort Wang Ning, Gao Gong also instructed his confidants to secretly interrogate the young eunuchs on duty at Renshou Palace.

Before committing her treasonous act, Consort Wang Ning falsely claimed to have issued an imperial edict to send all the other eunuchs and palace maids in Renshou Palace outside the palace, including Chen Furong.

Those who remained in Renshou Palace were all palace maids who participated in the regicide.

After Zhang Jinlian came out of the main hall of Renshou Palace alone, she said that His Majesty had ordered her to go to Kunning Palace to fetch something from the Empress.

Chen Furong offered to accompany her, citing the darkness and slippery roads.

Presumably, the two went to Kunning Palace together. The Empress gave Chen Furong a token and sent her to the Imperial Stables to summon someone to rescue the Emperor.

It seems the inside story of this palace coup is not simple!

Lu Chen frowned.

Chen Furong, along with the other eunuchs and palace maids of Renshou Palace, were sent out of Renshou Palace by Consort Wang in advance, which does not seem like they were accomplices.

But why did she take the initiative to ask to go to Kunning Palace with Zhang Jinlian?

Was she really completely unaware of what had just happened inside Renshou Palace?

Consort Wang Ning has no connection with Yikun Palace, and the palace maids of Yikun Palace would never listen to her.

There are only two people who can command sixteen palace maids of Yikun Palace at the same time.

One was Consort Cao, the head of Yikun Palace, and the other was Chen Furong, the head maid of Yikun Palace.

It seems reasonable for Consort Wang to pin the blame on Consort Cao, but Chen Furong was actually capable of doing the same.

The situation is currently very complicated, and the truth can only be found by interrogating Consort Wang and the sixteen palace maids.

I just don't know if there will be another chance for a trial!

Lu Chen recalled the historical materials he had read before he traveled through time.

In another dimension, Empress Fang took advantage of Emperor Jiajing's coma to quickly interrogate the palace maids and two concubines involved, and the next day she had them all executed by slow slicing!

At this time, the Jiajing Emperor was still lying on his bed, his life hanging in the balance, completely unaware of the situation.

He only learned after he woke up that his favorite concubine had been wrongfully killed.

This time, Empress Fang will likely do the same!

"Full speed ahead, get to Xiyuan as quickly as possible!"

Lu Chen, no longer bothering to feign serious injury, loudly ordered...

"My body can still take it!"

. . .

The rear hall of Renshou Palace.

The medicine decoction is finally ready.

Xu Kun took out silver needles and inserted them into acupoints such as Renzhong, Shixuan, and Yongquan on Emperor Jiajing's head.

The boy then presented a hollow reed tube about seven inches long, with one end smoothly rounded.

Xu Kun inserted the smooth end of the reed tube into the right nasal cavity of Emperor Jiajing with extremely light and steady movements, pushing it in inch by inch.

The pharynx is located deep in the nasal cavity; if the angle is slightly off, it can easily enter the trachea.

Only after confirming that the reed tube had been inserted into the esophagus did Xu Kun carefully pour the medicinal soup little by little through the reed tube into the unconscious Jiajing Emperor.

At that moment, everyone around held their breath.

There was no choking or reflux.

As the last drop of medicine dripped into the reed tube, Xu Kun stood up, his forehead already covered in sweat.

We've done everything we could. Now, we can only leave the rest to fate!

. . .

Outside Renshou Palace.

"What's going on?!"

Lu Chen pointed to the open space outside the palace gate and questioned loudly.

"Reporting to Your Highness, Prince Ying."

The Imperial Horse Administration eunuch Gao Zhong quickly replied,

"His Majesty has been assassinated and is now in a coma, his fate unknown."

In a fit of rage, the Empress issued an imperial edict half an hour ago, ordering the beheading and mutilation of all eighteen palace maids and concubines accused of treason.

I was too late; what I feared had already happened!

Lu Chen's gaze swept across the open space.

Eighteen human heads were piled together, and eighteen headless corpses were also dismembered into eight pieces, making them unrecognizable from their original state.

Clearly, the executioners were not professional executioners; they were simply carrying out orders to decapitate and mutilate the corpse.

Why the rush!

Lu Chen knew that Empress Fang wanted to kill Consort Cao before the emperor woke up.

But regicide is a heinous crime, and according to the law, one should be executed by slow slicing, which is a technical job that requires a professional executioner.

In such a rush, it would be impossible to find so many professional executioners.

In another dimension's history, the execution was also delayed until the next day.

This time, they're not even willing to wait until the next day?!

Even if Xu Kun's medical skills are superb and he can bring the emperor back to life, because the golden period for treatment has been missed, the emperor's recovery time will definitely be later than in another dimension.

Why was Empress Fang in such a hurry?

What exactly is she worried about?

Lu Chen turned his gaze away from the open space littered with dismembered corpses and looked at Gao Zhong.

Lu Chen saw a hint of fear in the other person's eyes.

That's it!

In another dimension of history, when the Renyin Palace Coup occurred, Emperor Jiajing's three sons were all young children, the emperor was unconscious, and Empress Fang was capable of controlling the situation.

She wanted to take the opportunity to falsely accuse Consort Cao, as long as she could do it before the emperor regained his senses.

There was ample time to hire a professional executioner to dismember Consort Cao, along with Consort Wang and the palace maids who murdered the emperor.

But now, the situation is different!

Because of her own existence, Empress Fang could not wield absolute power while the emperor was in a coma.

As the emperor's younger brother and a prince regent, Empress Fang had no reason to stop him from handing over the palace maids and concubines who murdered the emperor to the authorities for trial and to go through the legal process.

How could these palace maids and concubines possibly withstand interrogation? They will surely find out that Consort Cao is innocent!

If they wanted to take the opportunity to falsely accuse Consort Cao, the most favored concubine of Emperor Jiajing, they had to do it before they arrived at the West Garden!