12dz Chapter 284: Slanderous Words
Chapter 284: Slanderous Words
Cen Jiexiao raised her head, suppressed the nausea in her heart, and forced a bitter smile. Her eyes were slightly red, and she said with a sob: "Your Majesty the Queen Mother, please understand. Your servant... Your servant has indeed suffered great injustice in the palace." She paused, tears welling up in her eyes, and she seemed unable to speak.
Seeing this, Empress Dowager Li became even more certain of her suspicions and quickly asked, "Oh? What did His Majesty do to you? Please tell me in detail."
Cen Jiexiao took a deep breath and pretended to hesitate, wanting to speak but stopping herself. After a long while, she stammered, "Hey, I don't know why, but it seems like His Majesty has become moody since returning from the sacrificial ceremony!"
"What do you mean? Why has it changed?" Empress Dowager Li raised her eyebrows.
Cen Jiexiao bit her lip, as if she found it difficult to speak.
"Your Majesty has been neglecting state affairs recently. I heard from the palace servants that Your Majesty has become infatuated with a dancer..."
"Dancer?" Empress Dowager Li was shocked, but then she was secretly delighted. This was a great opportunity!
Cen Jiexiao continued, "Your Majesty is obsessed with wine and women all day long, and ignores state affairs. I have repeatedly advised him, but he always rebukes me..."
"He also scolded you?" Empress Dowager Li pretended to be surprised, but she was actually very happy in her heart.
Cen Jiexiao nodded, tears finally welling up in her eyes. "I have tried my best to persuade His Majesty, but he has refused to listen and has only become more aggressive..."
She paused again, as if unable to speak, and finally said, "He even ordered me to be beaten with sticks!"
As she spoke, she lifted her sleeves, revealing several bruises on her arms. These were caused by pinching herself, and to make the play more realistic, she also used a lot of her own mixed pigments to make them look real.
Seeing this "evidence," Empress Dowager Li felt even more pleased. She believed that Cen Jiexiao had truly "betrayed" Chai Zhen. She held Cen Jiexiao's hand with concern and said, "I knew that Your Majesty would eventually..."
She didn't continue speaking, but sighed meaningfully.
Cen Jiexiao then fell into Empress Dowager Li's arms and cried, her tears streaming down her face, which was heartbreaking.
Empress Dowager Li patted her back gently and comforted her, "It's okay, it's okay, don't cry, I'm here."
Cen Jiexiao raised her head, looked at Empress Dowager Li with tears in her eyes, and asked with a choked voice, "Empress Dowager, your servant...what should I do now?"
A sharp glint flashed in Empress Dowager Li's eyes, and she quickly said, "President Cen, if you have nowhere else to go, why not stay with me? I will definitely treat you well."
Cen Jiexiao nodded gratefully and said, "Thank you, Empress Dowager, for taking me in."
Cen Jiexiao's eyes were red, tears rolled down like pearls from a broken string, she choked and said intermittently: "Empress Dowager...you don't know...His Majesty he...he..." She wanted to say something but stopped, tears flowing even more violently, as if she had a huge grievance hidden in her heart.
Seeing this, Empress Dowager Li asked with concern, "Child, what else happened? Don't cry, tell me slowly." She gently patted the back of Cen Jiexiao's hand, trying to comfort her.
Cen Jiexiao sniffed, trying to control her emotions, and continued, "Your Majesty... he now favors villains and distances himself from wise ministers. He spends all day hanging out with the King of Yan..."
"Prince of Yan?" Empress Dowager Li was startled. This was the person she had always been wary of.
Cen Jiexiao nodded, and tears blurred her vision again.
"Your Majesty not only condoned the Prince of Yan's oppression of the people, but also..." She paused, as if she found it difficult to speak.
"Anything else? Just tell me." Empress Dowager Li urged, with a hint of anxiety in her tone.
Cen Jiexiao bit her lip, as if she had made up her mind.
"He also...he also allowed the King of Yan to train his troops privately..."
"Training troops?" Empress Dowager Li raised her voice a few degrees, and an ominous premonition arose in her heart.
Sister Cen Xiao lowered her head, her voice as thin as a mosquito.
"intention……"
"What's your intention? Tell me quickly!" Empress Dowager Li grabbed Cen Jiexiao's hand, and her well-maintained face was covered with wrinkles due to excitement.
Sister Cen shrank back, glanced timidly at Empress Dowager Li, and then whispered, "I intend...I intend to challenge you, the Empress Dowager."
"What!" Empress Dowager Li stood up suddenly, her face ashen.
"Chai Zhen is so bold! I worked so hard to support him to the throne, and he dared to..."
Cen Jiexiao quickly said, "Empress Dowager, please calm down. His Majesty was also confused for a moment and was blinded by the treacherous people..."
"Being deceived?" Empress Dowager Li snorted coldly.
Cen Jiexiao glanced cautiously at Empress Dowager Li and whispered, "I think... I think she was bewitched by Prince Yan..."
"Prince Yan! This traitor! Thinking back to the beginning, I didn't get rid of him, so I really left him as a disaster!" Empress Dowager Li was furious. She slammed her palm on the table, shaking it so much that the teacup jumped up.
Cen Jiexiao took the opportunity to exaggerate and said, "Empress Dowager, the Prince of Yan is extremely ambitious and has long been eyeing the throne. Now Your Majesty is blindly following his every word. If this continues, the consequences will be disastrous!"
Empress Dowager Li had a gloomy face and paced back and forth in the room, feeling extremely anxious.
Upon seeing this, Cen Jiexiao immediately exaggerated the "crimes" of Chai Zhen and Prince Yan's party, listing them one by one, portraying Chai Zhen as a foolish, alcoholic, and cruel monarch, while Prince Yan was portrayed as a sinister, ambitious, and treacherous traitor.
Empress Dowager Li's face turned pale upon hearing this, her temples throbbing as if they were about to explode. Rage swelled in her chest like a volcano about to erupt.
Although she had been ruling the country from behind the scenes for many years and lived deep in the harem, she was not indifferent to worldly affairs. She was not completely ignorant of the major state affairs, and even understood them more thoroughly than some court officials.
She had long been wary of Shai Zhen's growing power, a seed of unease had already taken root within her. Now, after hearing Cen Jiexiao's "testimony," which only added fuel to the fire, that seed quickly grew into a towering tree, further solidifying her resolve to eliminate Shai Zhen. She gripped the armrest tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force, practically shattering it.
"Okay!" Empress Dowager Li slammed the table, causing the teacup to vibrate and the tea to splash out, leaving a dark stain on the table.
"What a Chai Zhen!" She spoke each word clearly, each word seemed to be squeezed out from between her teeth, full of deep hatred.
"What a great King Yan!" She slammed the table again, her voice sharp and piercing, as if she wanted to vent all her anger.
"I worked so hard to support him to the throne, yet he is so ungrateful, colluding with treacherous officials and plotting rebellion! I will never tolerate their outrageous behavior!"
Seeing that Empress Dowager Li had completely believed her words, Cen Jiexiao was secretly delighted, as if a black flower was quietly blooming in her heart.