Chapter 393: Questioning

Shuyu knelt in front of Zhang Heyao and told him all about Song Mingzhen's arrangements.

Zhang Heyao said with a half-smile, "Are you telling me that it was actually her arrangement that brought you to me?"

"This servant deserves to die, this servant deserves to die." Shuyu kowtowed repeatedly, "The princess has ordered this servant to...seduce you, and not to reveal the princess' identity."

"And then? Didn't you listen to her? Now she asked you to stop taking the contraceptive soup and give me a son. Isn't that great?"

"Slave, slave——"

Shuyu gritted her teeth and said bravely, "I don't want to die yet."

"But I asked you to give birth to a child. Who told you to die?" Zhang Heyao pretended not to understand.

"The princess is very jealous. Once this slave gives birth to a child, she will take him to her side to raise him. In order to make the child follow her wholeheartedly, she will not give this slave a chance to live."

That was tantamount to sentencing her to death.

"That's not the case." Zhang Heyao played with the jade lion paperweight in his hand and said slowly, "You two have been master and servant for so many years, and your relationship is deep. In comparison, I feel more like an outsider. I would rather believe that she poisoned me than that she can't tolerate you."

"The princess won't tolerate a servant." Shuyu said this over and over again.

Zhang Heyao was not satisfied. He lifted her chin with his foot and looked down at her condescendingly: "Since you want to ask me for help, but you are still hiding it, I think you deserve to die."

"My lord, I dare not." Shuyu's eyes were full of tears, and she looked at her pitifully.

Zhang Heyao felt annoyed and said, "I'm very busy. If you have nothing else to do, please leave."

I want to ask him for help, for a way out, but I don't have the attitude. Do you really think you are Guanyin Bodhisattva?

"Sir, please help me."

"If you want me to save your life, tell me something I'm interested in." Zhang Heyao said, "By the way, don't get me wrong. I'm not that interested in your body."

Shuyu almost collapsed.

She is actually very smart.

But what’s the use of being smart?

Under the oppression of this perverted couple, she had almost no ability to resist.

It's so difficult to just live.

Shuyu understood what Zhang Heyao meant.

What Zhang Heyao wanted was something to hold against Song Mingzhen and even the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion.

She has served Song Mingzhen for many years and indeed knows some of her unknown secrets.

But she didn't dare to trust Zhang Heyao completely.

She was afraid that if she told him now, Zhang Heyao would turn around and threaten Song Mingzhen.

As for her life or death, Song Mingzhen didn't care, and Zhang Heyao wouldn't care either.

She could only find a way to survive in the gap between the two people's calculations against each other.

"Get out." Zhang Heyao's patience was exhausted.

Shuyu knew that she had to say something today.

"Sir," Shuyu closed her eyes, "the county horse in front was poisoned to death by the princess."

"Tell me something new." Zhang Heyao remained expressionless.

Shuyu was shocked.

He knows all this?

What a scary man.

His scheming is deeper than I thought.

"Forget it. I don't expect you to guess what's in my mind." Zhang Heyao said, "I ask, you answer. If the answer satisfies me, I will naturally protect you. I'm not so bad as to be unable to protect a woman, even in front of that hag."

Shuyu nodded with a respectful expression and pleading eyes.

"The prince stole my credit," Zhang Heyao said. "Besides Sun Shun, I was with another man named Shen Minglue at the time. He showed no signs of illness afterwards. He died suddenly after returning from dinner at the palace. But that day, we all had the same food and wine."

That is the key witness.

Afterwards, Zhang Heyao thought about it carefully and realized that the only special thing about that day was that Song Mingzhen came out to toast everyone.

At that time, everyone actually knew that Song Mingzhen was out to choose a son-in-law.

Everyone drank the wine she offered.

Shen Minglue died.

Zhang Heyao suspected that the prince's brother and sister deliberately killed him.

Shuyu's eyes flickered.

Zhang Heyao calmly said, "That's all I want to know. If you know, I'll let you live. If you don't, I'll let you die. Your life or death depends solely on your own choice."

Shuyu looked miserable.

She understood what Zhang Heyao meant.

If she reveals the secret, the princess will kill her, but Zhang Heyao will help her, and her life or death is unknown.

But if she disobeyed, after giving birth to the child, the princess wanted to kill her, and Zhang Heyao ignored her, she would be dead.

This choice was not difficult.

But Shuyu cried out silently in her heart, tears and blood mixed together, why was her life as worthless as grass in the eyes of these people?

Why!

"I know." She said dully, "At first, the princess first fell in love with Shen Minglue, and had already had an affair with him privately."

Although Zhang Heyao didn't show it on his face, his heart was in turmoil.

What shocked him was not that Song Ming was really promiscuous, but that they had not been back for long at that time, maybe only five or six days in total?

Did Song Ming really seduce someone?

Shen Minglue is too weak.

"But the princess is dissatisfied with Shen Minglue. She thinks, thinks that he——"

"Just tell me."

"I'm not satisfied with his performance in bed." Shuyu said with a red face.

The princess would never let herself down in this regard.

Zhang Heyao satisfied her, not only because he was indeed smart, decisive and capable, but also because of another very important reason, which was that aspect.

"The Crown Prince was worried that the truth would be exposed, so he had murderous intentions towards you, Shen Minglue, and Sun Shun. However, you should have been more vigilant at the time and protected Sun Shun. Moreover, the Crown Prince was somewhat appreciative of talent, so he did not make a quick decision."

Shen Ming is slightly different.

He was too flamboyant and felt that he had made great contributions. After hooking up with Song Mingzhen, he thought that he would rise rapidly. He acted arrogantly, and his poor performance made Song Mingzhen disgusted.

"When the princess toasted that day, she always held the wine pot herself. It was a mandarin duck pot."

Zhang Heyao's face was cold. "I guess that's the case."

The so-called mandarin duck pot is a wine pot with a hidden world inside. By pressing different small holes on the lid of the pot, you can control the amount of wine that pours out.

On one side is poisonous wine, and on the other side is normal wine.

"That day, the princess fell in love with you, and after returning, she told the prince that she wanted to marry you."

Shen Minglue died and that was it, Song Mingzhen had no regrets.

There was something Shuyu didn't say. In fact, if Song Ming didn't really want to marry Zhang Heyao, given the prince's personality, he would not be able to tolerate Zhang Heyao in the end.

But later on, the prince felt that marrying his sister to Zhang Heyao and having the Zhenbei Palace help Zhang Heyao go to Beijing had already compensated him.

Logically speaking, it is pretty much the same.

But how could Zhang Heyao be the one who suffered a loss?

He wants everything.

Zhang Heyao seemed to be thinking and did not say anything for a long time.

Shuyu knelt on the ground, the cold air rushed up along her knees, making her shiver.

She didn't know whether Zhang Heyao would help her.