The Empress Dowager didn’t care about the Emperor’s dignity at all. She was going to cry. She cried stubbornly for half a Shi Chen before leaving with Sister Qing. Before leaving, she glanced back, her gaze full of unfamiliar indifference.
...
「Ministry of Justice」
The Empress Dowager’s carriage slowly came to a halt outside. Several officials in their robes came out to greet her personally.
"Greetings to the Empress Dowager!"
With swollen, red eyes, the Empress Dowager grasped Sister Qing’s hand and shakily stepped down from her carriage. "All rise!"
Her face was haggard, her voice weak. The ministers dared not neglect her presence. After rising, they stood in two rows, making way for the Empress Dowager.
She held onto Sister Qing’s hand, slowly making her way inside, passing through the main hall as they headed to the cells at the back.
The cells were naturally cold and damp, and the Empress Dowager’s steps became increasingly unsteady. The chill, flooding around like the tide, made her shiver in body and soul. She paid no mind to the offensive odor or the dark corners.
Her sole focus was on Junqi. He had grown up in luxury; he must be terrified!
The warden leading the way brought the Empress Dowager to the cell housing the prisoner sentenced to death. Upon opening the cell door and bowing in respect, he left.
Bathed in the faint light, the Empress Dowager trembled as she entered the cell. Not far away, on a straw mat, lay a man in prison attire, disheveled and dirty. Perhaps from the cold, his body was hunched, tightly curled up, even quivering slightly. He faced away, his consciousness unclear, unaware of anyone’s presence.
The Empress Dowager’s heart suddenly ached. She tentatively called out, "Junqi?"
The man remained motionless. The Empress Dowager moved closer and crouched down.
"Junqi, is that you?"
"Child, why won’t you answer?"
Sister Qing hurriedly summoned someone to bring a chair over and helped the Empress Dowager to sit. "Please, sit!"
The Empress Dowager, wiping away tears, ordered the palace maids and eunuchs behind her, "Wake him up!"
"Yes!"
Sister Qing was also distressed. As the palace maids and eunuchs approached, she turned her face away, unable to watch any longer.
Zhao Junqi woke up, but he could not move. As he was helped up and turned around, the front of his robe was entirely soaked in blood. The dark prison clothes were torn into strips, as if he had been whipped.
Upon seeing this, the Empress Dowager’s tears streamed down.
"Junqi, my child!"
"You..."
"How could you be so foolish!"
The Empress Dowager sobbed uncontrollably. Zhao Junqi sat on the ground, head bowed, his disordered hair covering most of his face. His hair also concealed his eyes. He listened to the Empress Dowager’s suppressed cries. Zhao Junyao’s eyes flashed with a sinister sharpness and ruthlessness.
After a while, he raised his head, his complexion withered and gaunt, and called out, "Empress Dowager!"
She looked at him through tear-blurred eyes and asked, "Is what your Imperial Brother said true? Did you really conspire with the Southern Ocean Kingdom?"
Although the Empress Dowager was often unreasonable, the evidence of treason in this matter was irrefutable; she wouldn’t be able to argue against such facts. Still, she wouldn’t believe it; she had to ask him in person!
Zhao Junqi’s gaze suddenly tightened. He stared at her intently, his eyes filled with panic and fear. He crawled forward, grabbing the Empress Dowager’s sleeve, and cried out, "I am innocent, Empress Dowager! I’ve been framed!"
"Empress Dowager, I don’t want to die; please plead for mercy with the Emperor for me! Someone is trying to harm me, Empress Dowager!"
"You must save me; I don’t want to die!"
The Empress Dowager looked down at her hand, tightly clutched by him. She looked at his face, filled with terror and confusion, and at the ground behind him, stained with blood both dark and light. Her heart shattered.
"Junqi, indeed, indeed!"
"This mother knew you were a good child! This mother knew you would never engage in treason and collaboration with the enemy!"
"You were truly framed!"
Zhao Junqi nodded desperately. "Empress Dowager, save me!"
The Empress Dowager cried even harder. "The opposition is too powerful, my poor good child. I’m afraid there’s no way out, no way at all!"
With tears streaming down her face, Sister Qing’s heart also clenched. "Empress Dowager, you must restrain yourself. This is a prison cell! It would be bad if people heard!"
The Empress Dowager abruptly stopped crying and glared over. "Not good? What’s not good? Framing his own full brother—how could he not think that was wrong?"
"This mother insists on saying, he did it on purpose!"
The Empress Dowager grew more agitated as she spoke. Finally, she stood up resolutely, pulling Zhao Junqi with her. "Come, go back with this mother! This place is unbearable; we are going back!"
This child had been raised in luxury, but now he had fallen into such a state. Her heart was filled with sorrow and rage, vexation and fury.
"Empress Dowager! You mustn’t, Empress Dowager!" Sister Qing was terrified and utterly dismayed. Even Zhao Junqi, who sat on the ground, was somewhat stunned.
But the Empress Dowager cared for nothing else and pulled Zhao Junqi to his feet. "This mother insists on taking him back. I dare see who would stop us!"