Chapter 374: Fame after Death

The person who got the news the fastest was the current emperor.

The flame on the gilded coiled dragon candlestick flickered slightly, illuminating the emperor's face in a half-bright and half-dark way.

He tapped the dragon table with his knuckles, making a dull sound in the silent hall.

"Dead?"

There was no emotion in the emperor's voice.

"Reporting to your majesty, Liang Yusong committed suicide by hitting his head against a pillar in the dilapidated temple."

The man in black knelt on the ground, his forehead pressed against the gold brick, "Yuan Shi has ordered someone to go to the government office to report the case."

The emperor sneered.

The red ink writing of the word "Liang" on the memorial on the desk had not yet dried, and was as red as blood.

"Back off and continue to keep an eye on the East Palace."

Lu Jiangnian guessed correctly that the emperor deliberately sent him away.

Tang Bo confessed many things that happened in the past to the emperor. The emperor did not believe them all, but he had to know if someone had been fooling him.

The emperor once intended to tell the prince that what Tang Bo said might not be entirely false.

These days, the prince has been secretly investigating, and his every move has fallen into the eyes of the emperor.

After the secret guards left, the emperor's eyes fell on the palace lanterns outside the hall.

Concubine Liang, the Second Prince, the Liang family, the Gao family...these names lingered in his mind like poisonous snakes.

The emperor stroked the jade ring on his thumb. The grief of losing his wife had long since turned into tremendous anger. How dare these people play with the emperor in the palm of their hands.

But now, he wanted to know more about the prince's choice.

As expected, the Crown Prince was secretly investigating, and every step was under the surveillance of the secret guards. The second prince's foolish act of kidnapping Sun Haining turned out to be a perfect opportunity to test the forces of all parties.

During the day and night that Sun Haining was held captive, secret reports from the secret guards flew into the palace like snowflakes. To his surprise, the forces in the hands of the prince and the Sun family actually abided by the regulations, and Lu Jiangnian did not have many people.

Even more unexpected is that

"Yuan Wanru."

When the emperor pronounced the name, a hint of interest flashed in his eyes.

A weak woman went into the dragon's den alone, and not only escaped unscathed, but also forced Murong Xiao to abandon his armor and soldiers. Thinking of the second prince's embarrassed escape without even caring about his cousin, the emperor could not help but sneer.

How did she do it?

No matter what, Yuan Wanru's courage made him look at her with new eyes.

In comparison, Murong Xiao is a waste.

He crushed a piece of ink on the table as if he were crushing a good-for-nothing son.

How dare such a mediocrity covet the throne?

Soon, he will let them know what true wrath of thunder is.

-

As soon as the sky was getting light, the officials from the Jingzhao government office knocked on the door of the Liang Mansion in a hurry.

Liang Shangjiong had not slept the whole night, and his eyes were dark blue. When he heard the news, the teacup in his hand slammed to the ground, and he was not aware that the scalding tea splashed onto his clothes.

"What did you say? Identify the body?" His voice seemed to be forced out of his throat, and every word trembled.

Ever since Liang Zhong was abducted by Yuan Wanru, he has been feeling uneasy.

Later, an urgent letter came from the Second Prince, saying that Yusong had fallen into Yuan Wanru's hands, and he felt even more uneasy.

Last night, the Liang Mansion sent out all their people and almost turned the capital upside down - how ironic, the day before they were still watching coldly as the Sun family searched everywhere for someone, and today it was their turn to experience this heart-wrenching pain.

The cold room was filled with a foul smell. Liang Shangjiong's boots made a hollow sound as they stepped on the bluestone slabs. When the officer lifted the yellowed straw mat, he took two steps back and almost knocked over the lamp stand behind him.

The corpse lay quietly, its face covered with festering sores, its once exquisite dress torn to pieces, and even its embroidered shoes missing.

"Yu...Yusong?" Liang Shangjiong's voice suddenly didn't sound like his own.

He stretched out his hand tremblingly, but just before he touched his daughter's cheek, he suddenly pulled it back and grabbed his own collar fiercely. It hurt so much there, as if someone had ripped his heart out alive.

Murong Xiao stood aside, his face livid.

He never imagined that Yuan Wanru would actually dare to do such a cruel thing.

The cousin who always smiled gently in front of him has now turned into a cold corpse, and in such a miserable state!

He was the one who killed my cousin!

Murong Xiao staggered back a few steps, not daring to look at Liang Yusong's face again. Would his cousin hate him when she died?

He didn't dare look at her face.

No, it wasn’t him, it was Yuan Wanru who killed her, it was Yuan Wanru!

"Someone come!" The second prince suddenly shouted, startling the sparrows on the eaves and making them fly up. "Where is Jingzhao Yin? Who is the murderer? Is this how you handle cases?"

"Your Highness." Jingzhao Yin interrupted, "The coroner has confirmed that Miss Liang committed suicide by hitting her head against a pillar. A dozen beggars in the dilapidated temple saw it clearly..."

"Bullshit!" Liang Shangjiong suddenly jumped up and grabbed Jingzhao Yin by the collar, "Why would my daughter commit suicide? It must have been that vicious woman who did it!"

The corners of his eyes burst, bloodshot and hideous, "Where are those beggars? Catch them all! I'm going to kill them!"

The bailiffs looked at each other in bewilderment.

When we collected the bodies last night, the beggars really did speak with details.

"That girl rushed in and bumped into the pillar!"

"We couldn't stop it even if we wanted to..."

"After we saw she was dead, we took out the valuables from her body and realized we didn't kill her."

The second prince clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging into the flesh of his palms.

Why did my cousin commit suicide?

What did Yuan Wanru do to her?

Murong Xiao wished he could cut Yuan Wanru into pieces, but at the moment he couldn't produce any evidence that Yuan Wanru had killed anyone.

When Liang Yusong's body was carried back to the Liang Mansion, the gate of the mansion was already surrounded by people who came to watch the fun. They stood on tiptoe, stretched their necks, and their whispers were mixed with shrill laughter.

"Have you heard? When the eldest daughter of the Liang family died, her face was completely rotten, like a demon!"

"Oh, it's more than that! His clothes were disheveled. Who knows what kind of suffering he had before he died?"

"Aren't you usually very proud? Wearing all kinds of gold and silver, but now you've been stripped naked?"

Those words, entering Liang Shangjiong's ears, made him tremble all over.

He clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into the flesh of his palms, but he felt no pain. The dirty words in his ears cut into his heart like a knife.

"Get out! Get out!" He turned around suddenly, his eyes were red, and his voice was hoarse like a beast, "If anyone dares to say another word, I, Liang Shangjiong, will bury his entire family with him!"

The crowd fell silent instantly, but those sarcastic looks and meaningful snickers lingered in Liang Shangjiong's heart like poisonous snakes.

The people from the Lu family slowly disappeared in the crowd.

-

The Mansion of the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery.

Yuan Wanru sat on the chair with a calm face. As she listened to Xuan Ying's report, a cold smile finally appeared at the corner of her lips.

"How did the Liang family react?" "Liang Shangjiong lost control on the spot, Murong Xiao was furious, but Jingzhao Prefecture...had already confirmed the claim of suicide."

Murong Xiao, what right does he have to be angry? When he left Liang Yusong behind, couldn't he guess what would happen to her?

Yuan Wanru's eyes were stern, "The Liang family will never let this go."

Concubine Liang was released from house arrest, the Liang family lost their beloved daughter, and the Second Prince lost all face... These people wanted to tear her into pieces.

"Pass the order down," Yuan Wanru turned around, her voice as cold as a knife, "All entrances and exits of the mansion must be strictly guarded, and patrols must be carried out continuously for twelve hours."

Xuanying: "Madam, rest assured, I have already dispatched people to lurk in the key places in the mansion. If the Liang family dares to attack, they will never return!"

"Also," she suddenly raised her eyes, a glimmer flashing in her eyes, "send someone to keep an eye on the movements in the palace. The emperor... should make a move soon."

Xuanying's expression froze and he agreed solemnly.