Chapter 47 Clear Rewards and Punishments in the Cining Palace, Second Only to the Emperor

Changle Palace.

"What? Emperor Liu Sheng... he is still alive?"

Learning that Emperor Liu Sheng came out alive, Eldest Princess Zhao Linger was incredulous.

"Yes, Princess. I heard that Superintendent Cao Zheng was killed by the Emperor. Noble Consort Su is also confined. Even the Prime Minister has been punished!"

"Good, very good. I knew that Emperor Liu Sheng... he would be blessed with good fortune!"

"But Princess, he is just a eunuch! Why do you care so much about him? Just because he saved you?"

"No, it's because he has talent!"

"Talent?" The maid fell into deep thought.

So a talented eunuch can also win the Princess's heart!

...

Emperor Liu Sheng was helped back to Cining Palace by Qin Shuang.

He did not return to his remote little courtyard but was helped directly into a side chamber next to the Empress Dowager's bedchamber, which was second only to the Empress Dowager's own.

It was bright and clean, with exquisite furnishings, far better than the place he lived before.

As soon as he entered the room, four or five young eunuchs and maids swarmed up, some serving tea, some handing towels, and one quick-handed one had already prepared high-quality medicine for his wounds.

Their faces, without exception, were filled with awe and flattery.

Emperor Liu Sheng scanned the room and found that among these faces, there were familiar ones and unfamiliar ones.

But it didn't matter.

From today on, they should know who Cining Palace belongs to.

The Empress Dowager did not rest immediately; she changed into casual clothes, sat in the main seat, and called all the leading eunuchs and maids of Cining Palace over.

Head Eunuch Wang Defu was carried in by two young eunuchs.

His face was pale as paper, his legs were shaking, and as soon as he entered the hall and saw Emperor Liu Sheng sitting safely beside the Empress Dowager, he was so scared that he lost his soul and knelt down with a "thump".

"Empress Dowager... this servant... this servant greets you..."

The Empress Dowager didn't even look at him, her gaze falling on Emperor Liu Sheng, her tone gentle.

"Emperor Liu Sheng, you have been wronged."

"From today on, you are the only Chief Steward of Cining Palace, and all affairs in the palace will be managed by you. All servants in the palace will treat you as if they are seeing me."

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole hall was shocked.

Chief Steward!

This is not the previous Chief Steward who had a name but no power; this is truly one person below, ten thousand above!

Even Head Eunuch Wang Defu nominally became his subordinate.

Head Eunuch Wang Defu, kneeling on the ground, shook even more violently.

Emperor Liu Sheng stood up. His wounds were still aching, but he stood straight.

He did not decline, just bowed and saluted.

"This servant thanks the Empress Dowager for her great kindness."

The Empress Dowager nodded with satisfaction, then her face turned cold, and her gaze swept over the people kneeling below.

"In my place, I cannot tolerate dogs who eat inside and out."

"For this matter, who made small moves behind the scenes, who kicked others when they were down, I have a ledger in my heart."

Her gaze finally fell on Head Eunuch Wang Defu.

"Head Eunuch Wang Defu, as the Chief Steward of Cining Palace, you failed to recognize talent and failed to manage effectively, causing a traitor like Eunuch Xiao Lizi to appear in the palace."

"Do you know your crime?"

Head Eunuch Wang Defu shuddered, knowing this was the Empress Dowager giving him a chance.

He immediately kowtowed desperately, tears streaming down his face.

"This servant is guilty! This servant is guilty! It was this servant who was blind and betrayed the Empress Dowager's trust! Please punish me, Empress Dowager!"

The Empress Dowager snorted coldly.

"Punishment, of course, is necessary."

She paused and said slowly.

"Considering you have served for many years, you have worked hard even if you have no merit. The death penalty can be avoided, but living crimes are hard to escape."

"From today on, you will be Little Sheng's follower."

Follower?

This was more painful than killing him.

But Head Eunuch Wang Defu dared not have half a word of complaint; this was already the best result.

He knew that if he were not still a little useful, today he would not be Little Sheng's follower, but would be meeting the King of Hell.

"This servant... thanks the Empress Dowager for not killing me..."

Head Eunuch Wang Defu collapsed on the ground.

After dealing with Head Eunuch Wang Defu, the Empress Dowager's gaze turned to the others.

Those who had once been hypocritical to Emperor Liu Sheng, and even secretly tripped him up, were all pale with fright, kneeling on the ground shaking like chaff.

Emperor Liu Sheng watched this scene without speaking.

He knew that the Empress Dowager was establishing his authority.

Killing the chicken to warn the monkey, and this "monkey" was Head Eunuch Wang Defu.

Sure enough, the Empress Dowager did not deal with others, just said coldly.

"In the future, keep your eyes open. Who is the master and who is the servant, you must be clear in your hearts. If there is another time, it will not be as simple as guarding the Imperial Mausoleum."

"All of you, withdraw."

The crowd felt as if they had been pardoned, and after kowtowing to thank her, they scrambled out.

The whole side chamber was left with only the Empress Dowager, Emperor Liu Sheng, and Qin Shuang who had been standing by.

Qin Shuang walked over, holding a tray with medicine and bandages.

Her expression was complex, with unwillingness, curiosity, and a trace of... admiration that she had to admit.

"Chief Steward Liu, it's time to apply the medicine."

She deliberately emphasized the pronunciation of "Chief Steward".

Emperor Liu Sheng looked back at her and smiled.

"Thank you, Sister Qin Shuang."

He lay openly on the couch, revealing his scarred back.

Qin Shuang silently cleaned his wounds, applied medicine, and bandaged them.

Her movements were very light and professional.

Emperor Liu Sheng could feel that although this woman was not convinced on the surface, she had begun to accept this fact in her heart.

"Sister Qin Shuang," Emperor Liu Sheng suddenly spoke, "Do you think that Eunuch Zhang of Changchun Palace is very scared now?"

Qin Shuang's hand paused.

She certainly knew that the person Eunuch Xiao Lizi bit before he died was Eunuch Zhang, the Chief Steward of the Imperial Noble Consort.

"The Empress Dowager has her own judgment." She replied coldly.

"The Empress Dowager certainly has judgment," Emperor Liu Sheng chuckled, "However, some things are not good for the Empress Dowager to do personally. Tell me, as servants, shouldn't we share the worries for our master?"

Qin Shuang was silent.

She understood the implication of Emperor Liu Sheng's words.

The Empress Dowager could not openly move Imperial Noble Consort Su Waner's people, but they, as servants, could solve the problem in a servant's way.

This Emperor Liu Sheng was not only ruthless to himself but even more ruthless to his enemies.

Moreover, he had just taken office and wanted to use Eunuch Zhang to sacrifice the flag. This courage and means made her feel a chill.

After bandaging, Qin Shuang retreated to the side.

The Empress Dowager waved her hand, letting her go too.

In the side chamber, only two people were left again.

The Empress Dowager walked to Emperor Liu Sheng's side, sat down, and personally poured him a cup of tea.

"What do you plan to do next?"

Her tone was like discussing important matters with an equal ally.

Emperor Liu Sheng took the cup, took a sip, and moistened his throat.

"What we need to do now is not to counterattack immediately, but to stabilize."

He looked at the Empress Dowager, his eyes clear.

"You need to re-establish absolute prestige in the court, and I need to make Cining Palace an iron bucket."

"As for the Su Family and the Emperor..."

Emperor Liu Sheng's mouth curled into a cold smile.

"They have lost so much face this time, they will definitely not give up. We just wait for them to make a move."

"Being impatient will lead to mistakes."

The Empress Dowager listened quietly, her eyes shining with different colors.

She found that she had really picked up a treasure.

This man could not only bring her physical pleasure but also become her most powerful arm in politics.

She looked at Emperor Liu Sheng's young and firm profile, her heart filled with unprecedented stability and expectation.

Outside the window, night fell.

A bright moon rose quietly, illuminating the layers of palaces in the Forbidden City.

Emperor Liu Sheng stood in front of the window, looking in the direction of Yangxin Hall and Changchun Palace, his eyes deep.

The game has just begun.