AWB Chapter 515 Relying on Favor (60)
Chapter 515 Relying on Favor (60)
Yan Zhen looked at him regretfully: "No."
If it were someone unrelated to the mission, seeing his utterly harmless and pathetic appearance, Yan Zhen might have let him go.
After all, she wasn't a serial killer who enjoyed killing.
In his previous life, Tan Xuanmo tacitly approved and condoned the ministers' besieging of Tan Junzhuo at the city gate, forcing the death of his younger sister, who had used her body to bring nine years of peace and stability to the Great Liang, yet whom he regarded as a disgrace.
A large part of the resentment in Dan Gun-tak's last wishes came from his elder brother, the emperor.
Tan Xuanmo must die.
Many officials in the hall looked at their emperor's pathetic state, some disappointed and frustrated, others frowning and unable to bear the sight.
Tan Xuanmo broke free from the soldiers' grasp, knelt before Yan Zhen, and pleaded desperately, clutching her skirt: "For the sake of our past relationship, for the sake of my mother, as long as you don't kill me, I promise I will never appear before you again. Just send me away to live as a commoner..."
Yan Zhen looked at him coldly, and for a moment he felt a little sorry for Xie Ying.
The emperor he painstakingly protected turned out to be such a spineless coward.
She pulled her skirt out of Tan Xuanmo's hands and said coldly, "Send him on his way."
"Yes."
Chen He personally ordered his soldiers to hold down Tan Xuanmo and poured the poisoned wine into his mouth.
In no time, Tan Xuanmo collapsed to the ground, convulsing, blood oozing from the corner of his mouth; he had died from the poison.
With the emperor's death, the old ministers who had held onto hope and thought things might turn around were now in utter despair.
Whether they were willing or not, the remaining subjects had no choice but to kneel down and submit.
Yan Zhen didn't hesitate and immediately drafted a list, handing it over to Chen He to include the names of the ministers who had besieged the original owner in the previous life but were no longer in the palace.
"The homes of all those on the list will be confiscated, and men within three generations of their families who are fifteen years of age or older will be exiled to Lingnan. Men under the age of sixteen and their female relatives will be demoted to commoners and barred from taking the imperial examinations or holding official positions through any means for ten years."
After dealing with the old ministers in Fengtian Hall, Yan Zhen went to the inner palace.
This time, she didn't let Zhao Yuan accompany her, but only brought a troop of soldiers.
Qianning Palace, the residence of the Empress Dowager.
Yan Zhen entered the hall. The Empress Dowager sat on a chair with a numb expression. There were also several of Tan Xuanmo's concubines and the Empress in the hall.
These people clearly knew what had happened in Fengtian Hall before Yan Zhen arrived. When they saw Yan Zhen walk in, the concubines and the empress were filled with panic and confusion. They didn't know whether they should kneel down or not, and could only keep glancing at the empress dowager.
The Empress Dowager glared angrily at Yan Zhen.
Yan Zhen walked up to her, not in the mood for small talk or to hear her accusations and emotional blackmail, so he simply said, "I am not Tan Junzhuo."
The Empress Dowager and the concubines were all taken aback.
“Tan Junzhuo died three years ago. I am a wandering soul that possessed her body,” Yan Zhen said. “You don’t need to look at me like that. I don’t feel guilty.”
Queen Mother: "..."
"Do you want to live?" Yan Zhen asked.
The Empress Dowager was silent for a moment, then asked, "What do you want to say?"
"Considering that you are Tan Junzhuo's birth mother, if you agree to go to the Taoist temple for quiet cultivation, I will not kill you, and I will even let the Prince of Yan accompany you. The condition is that you and your son must never leave the Taoist temple for the rest of your lives."
The Prince of Yan...
When the Empress Dowager spoke of her most beloved second son, a hint of emotion flashed in her eyes.
“If you disagree, there is poisoned wine prepared outside. I will send you on your way now. After you die, I will send the Prince of Yan down to reunite with you,” Yan Zhen said. “Tan Xuanmo has just died. If you hurry, you may still be able to leave with him.”
Queen Mother: "..."
It was obvious to everyone that Yan Zhen's second choice was a gesture of leniency.
The Empress Dowager slowly stood up from her chair: "I will take Prince Yan to the Taoist temple."
The soldiers led the Empress Dowager away, leaving only a few of Tan Xuanmo's concubines and the Empress in Qianning Palace.
Meeting Yan Zhen's thoughtful gaze, they huddled together, their eyes filled with fear of death.
"you……"
As soon as Yan Zhen spoke, one of the young concubines, who was only fifteen or sixteen years old, knelt down with a "plop," wailing in terror, "Don't kill me! Please don't kill me!"
When she cried, the other concubines, who were already on edge, couldn't help but cry as well.
For a moment, the main hall of Qianning Palace was filled with weeping.
Yan Zhen had a bit of a headache from crying.
"do not Cry!"
"Quiet!"
I won't kill you!
After those last words were spoken, the concubines' weeping stopped abruptly.
"You may all leave the palace. Each of you may take some gold, silver, and valuables with you, and bring along any loyal maids you have," Yan Zhen said. "Whether you choose to go home or live in anonymity elsewhere is entirely up to you."
"Really?" the fifteen or sixteen-year-old concubine asked incredulously, "You really want to let us go?"
"Otherwise, what's the point of keeping you in the palace? To kill you and bury you in the Imperial Garden as fertilizer?"
The concubines immediately shut their mouths and dared not speak.
"Go back and pack your things. Leave the palace through the west gate before dark."
After Yan Zhen finished speaking, he turned and left.
As Yan Zhen left Qianning Palace, he greeted Chen He, who had accompanied him to the inner palace, and asked him to send a team of soldiers to escort the concubines out of the palace, so that no one could take advantage of the chaos to hurt or bully them.
After eliminating his enemies in the palace, Yan Zhen rolled up his sleeves; the three wounds on his wrists were half healed.
Seeing that it was still early, Yan Zhen set off for the princess's residence.
Outside the princess's residence, the Tingzhou army had completely surrounded the area.
Yan Zhen led his men inside, but they didn't see any servants or maids along the way. When they entered the flower hall, only Tan Jinyu was sitting there making tea.
Instead of her usual simple attire, she changed into a bright and gorgeous palace dress, styled her hair in an elaborate updo, wore a full set of gold and gemstone-encrusted headdress, and applied glamorous makeup. At first glance, she looked as exquisite and beautiful as a bride about to be married.
Upon seeing Yan Zhen enter, Tan Jinyu remained calm, her movements as she brewed tea becoming increasingly fluid: "You've arrived."
Yan Zhen looked at her feigned composure in the face of death and scoffed inwardly.
She didn't respond to Tan Jinyu's words, but instead said to the soldiers who followed her in, "Bring the white silk and strangle her."
Tan Jinyu's hand trembled, and the tea in the cup spilled out.
Two soldiers stepped forward and roughly dragged her up. When they wrapped a white silk ribbon around her neck, Tan Jinyu could no longer maintain her composure. She struggled violently and cried out in a hoarse voice, "Let me go! Let me go!"
Yan Zhen then raised his hand, signaling the soldiers to release her.
Tan Jinyu collapsed to the ground, and the headdress on her head fell off, scattering the pearls and gems embedded in it.
Her hair was disheveled, her magnificent palace dress was covered in dust, and her expression was no longer as composed as before.
"Still trying to act cool?" Yan Zhen asked.
Tan Jinyu: "..."
She glared fiercely at Yan Zhen, her eyes filled with resentment and malice.