Chapter 461: Chapter 256 The Real Cause of Death of the Former Empress_2
After hearing what Liang Zhaoyi said, it seemed impossible that the former Empress had been killed by the Empress, but Zhao Yao still felt that the Empress had caused the former Empress’s death.
"Mother, considering the Empress’s personality, how could she allow a concubine-born woman to become the Empress, especially since this Empress position originally belonged to her? It was only because she was too young at the time to marry Father that the Xie family let the former Empress marry Father in her place."
"If Father had not finally ascended the throne as Emperor, the Empress might not have minded the former Empress replacing her to marry Father. But since Father became Emperor and the former Empress became the model of the nation, do you think the Empress would have been content?"
Zhao Yao’s question left Liang Zhaoyi stunned. Over the years, although Empress Xie always maintained an elegant and composed demeanor, she disliked being compared to the former Empress. Initially, Empress Xie would pretend not to mind, but in recent years she seemed less inclined to hide it.
"To the Empress, everything noble and glorified that the former Empress possessed should have been hers. If the former Empress did not die, she would have to marry another, how could she permit her status to be lower than the former Empress, especially when the Empress title was originally hers?"
He continued, "Only with the former Empress’s death could she marry Father and reclaim what was originally hers, the position of Empress, so she would have ensured the former Empress died after she came of age."
Zhao Yao’s analysis was very accurate, and after listening, Liang Zhaoyi once again showed a shocked expression.
"After the former Empress died of illness, the Empress got her wish and became the Empress." Zhao Yao said, frowning, "However, the exact method the Empress used to kill the former Empress remains unknown."
Liang Zhaoyi’s heart sank suddenly, and with a heavy expression, she asked Zhao Yao, "Do you really think the Empress killed the former Empress?"
Zhao Yao nodded vigorously and said, "Hmm, I think there’s an eighty to ninety percent chance of it."
Liang Zhaoyi gasped in disbelief and said, "How old was the Empress at that time, and yet she could..."
"If I’m not mistaken, it’s very likely that the Empress made her move against the former Empress when Father was still the Crown Prince."
"Why do you think so?"
"Grandfather established the Great Zhou, and Father was named Crown Prince. At that time, the former Empress was also titled as the Crown Princess Consort." Zhao Yao said, "At that time, Grandfather only had Father as a son. Father was destined to become Emperor, and the Crown Princess Consort would surely become the Empress. How could the Empress allow the former Empress to remain in the Empress position?"
"It’s highly likely that from that point on, the Empress was determined to remove the former Empress, but she was still very young then, with several years left before she came of age. If the former Empress died before she came of age, she wouldn’t have been able to become Empress. So she did not remove the former Empress immediately but allowed her to live until she came of age. After she came of age, she couldn’t wait any longer to take the former Empress’s life."
"The Emperor was still the Crown Prince back then, and the Empress was just a child. How could she have been so vicious?"
"Mother, do you think the Duchess at that time would allow a concubine-born woman to be in a position of higher standing? Would she allow a concubine-born to trample over the heads of their mother and daughter?" Zhao Yao thought, isn’t this how stories usually go; the legitimate wife is very cruel to the concubine’s daughter, unable to stand the concubine’s daughter living better than her legitimate daughter? "I think the one who killed the former Empress back then might have been the Duchess, and it’s very likely the Duchess got poison from somewhere, secretly administering it to the former Empress without anyone knowing."
Liang Zhaoyi thought her son was right and sighed lightly, "If it were the Old Duchess, that’s not impossible."
The current Duke Zhen is the brother of Empress Xie. The Duchess is Empress Xie’s sister-in-law.
The Old Duchess died of illness in the third year after the Emperor ascended the throne. The old Duke passed away two years before Empress Xie came of age.
"So, it’s eight or nine-tenths likely that the former Empress was killed by the Empress," Zhao Yao said, "just like how Princess Consort Dai may have been killed by her own concubine-born younger sister."
"Alas..." Liang Zhaoyi let out a heavy sigh.
"However, regarding the murder of the former Empress, the Duchess and the Empress must have carried it out extremely secretly, leaving no trace for anyone to find." Zhao Yao scratched his head and said, "Anyone who knew about this matter back then was probably eliminated by the Old Duchess. By now, there’s probably no evidence left at all."
Liang Zhaoyi recalled how, when she first entered the palace, the former Empress took care of her. Remembering the former Empress’s kindness to all concubines in the harem made her feel both sad and angry.