Chapter 281 Cruel and Heartless

Just as Xie Zhenrong's thoughts were churning and he was almost swallowed up by a bold idea, a burst of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside.

The palace maid reported: "Your Majesty, the Duke's wife is here!"

Xie Zhenrong was stunned for several breaths before she came to her senses. She almost rushed to the door and walked quickly outside.

The dim palace lanterns in the hall made the light flicker, illuminating the figure of Rongguo Duke's wife Chen Peilan who was rushing over.

She had obviously entered the palace in a hurry. Her hair was loose, with a few strands of hair sticking messily to her sweaty forehead. Her outer robe was just draped casually, and the belt was a little loose.

The normally well-maintained face now showed only complete panic and impatience.

"Mother!"

Xie Zhenrong walked quickly into the bedroom, and with a loud bang, she slammed the door shut.

The heavy crashing sound set off a long and heart-pounding echo in the empty and silent temple, shaking the candlelight.

As soon as Chen Peilan saw her daughter, a terrifying light burst out from her cloudy eyes.

She was like a dying person clinging to the only piece of driftwood, and her hands were like iron pliers, tightly gripping Xie Zhenrong's slender arms!

The force was so great that Xie Zhenrong, caught off guard, groaned in pain and felt as if his bones were being crushed.

"Rong'er! My Rong'er!"

Chen Peilan's face was distorted by extreme fear and despair.

She leaned in very close, her voice hoarse like sandpaper rubbing against rough stone surface.

"Rong'er! Hurry and save your brother! He's been captured by the people from Jingzhao Prefecture!"

Xie Zhenrong suddenly looked up and asked in a lost voice, "Why? What did Zhenbao do wrong?!"

"Last night... a fireworks shop in the capital exploded, causing a huge fire and over twenty casualties."

Chen Peilan's voice was shaking and she sounded like she was crying.

"You know, your brother...he usually loves to go to that brothel for fun. When the shop caught fire, he happened to be coming out of the nearby 'Drunken Spring House' and passed by the shop... Two damned witnesses came forward and testified, saying they saw Bao'er...he set the fire!"

Chen Peilan gritted her teeth and said, "But I went to the prison to see Bao'er. He swore and said he was just passing by! He definitely didn't set the fire! Rong'er, you have to believe him. He wouldn't dare lie to me at a time like this!"

Xie Zhenrong felt a chill running from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, and his heart was instantly tightly gripped by an invisible hand, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

It’s that fireworks shop again!

How could it be Zhen Bao? Wasn't it Luo Zhao who set the fire?!

Xie Zhenrong's head was buzzing and in a mess.

Luo Zhao is dead, and none of the people he brought with him to silence him have come back!

No one had ever reported to her in detail the specific circumstances of the fire in the fireworks shop, and she had already concluded that it was Luo Zhao's doing.

That idiot not only failed to do his job, but also got himself into trouble.

Now...even Zhen Bao has been arrested as a result?!

Zhen Bao is her biological brother, her only brother in this world! What would his mother do if anything happened to him? What about Xing Zhi... What about Xing Zhi?!

"Rong'er! This is clearly a frame-up! Someone is deliberately trying to kill him! Save him quickly!"

Chen Peilan was still screaming incoherently, her nails almost digging into Xie Zhenrong's flesh.

Xie Zhenrong felt dizzy after hearing this.

Who is it?! Who is so audacious as to frame her own brother?!

An extremely terrifying and extremely cold thought suddenly flashed through my mind.

Xie Zhenrong was struck by lightning. She suddenly broke free from her mother's hand and staggered back several steps.

The already pale face instantly lost all its color, becoming like gold paper.

"Rong'er?" Chen Peilan was frightened by her violent reaction and subconsciously wanted to step forward and grab her, her voice filled with surprise and suspicion.

Xie Zhenrong's chest rose and fell violently, and he gasped for breath several times before he asked in a low, almost whispering, tentative voice:

"Mother... do you think... could it be... the Emperor?"

"What did you say?!"

Chen Peilan's voice suddenly rose, so sharp that it almost pierced the roof.

Xie Zhenrong quickly covered her mouth and reminded her to speak more quietly.

"Luo Zhao led 300 assassins to assassinate Wen Li'er, but not only did he fail, he also had an arm severed by the Emperor, and over ten people were captured alive! I strictly ordered Luo Zhao to kill those who spoke out, no matter what. But after he left the palace, there was no news of him, and his body was only carried back by the Imperial Guards half an hour ago... Before or after the incident, no one reported the details of the plan to me. This is so abnormal! Luo Zhao has always been cautious and meticulous in his actions, and this has never happened before! Unless..."

Chen Peilan's legs went weak and she could hardly stand.

"Unless... unless the person he sent to tell you the news... was captured by the guards along the way? Or was he killed?!"

"That's right!" Xie Zhenrong nodded.

Chen Peilan's panic reached its peak in an instant, and her voice trembled like a leaf in the wind.

"Rong'er! Could it be that the Emperor...could it be that he already knows about Xing Zhi?! We...we..."

It's over, all over.

"Mother! It's not over yet!"

Xie Zhenrong's expression suddenly became colder and more resolute than ever before.

She whispered something quickly into Chen Peilan's ear.

After hearing this, Chen Peilan collapsed to the ground completely.

She collapsed on the cold floor tiles, looking up at her daughter with eyes full of fear.

Xie Zhenrong slowly squatted down and reached out to support her.

"Mother, my daughter's heart... was crushed by him long ago. Since he was so cruel and heartless to me, why can't I... give it back?"

On top of the temple.

A secret guard clung to the cold glazed tiles like a gecko, his entire body almost blending into the roof.

He was holding his breath, concentrating his ear against the tiny, barely noticeable hole.

Luo Zhao was dead, and the two women in the hall were completely unaware of the surveillance above their heads.

However, the Queen's voice was too low and too vague!

Especially the two most crucial paragraphs, which were almost completely turned into breath sounds!

She still lowered her head while speaking, so her lip movements could not be seen.

Second Prince...what secret is this? Speak louder!

The secret guard wanted to fly down immediately and put his ear close to the queen's lips to hear clearly.

Unfortunately, before he could figure out what was going on, Chen Peilan had already left in a hurry as if she was being chased by a ghost.

The secret guard quietly stood up and quickly gestured to another secret guard lurking in the shadows not far away.

Signal the other party to take over your position and continue monitoring immediately.

Then, his figure flashed, like a wisp of smoke blending into the night, and he disappeared silently.

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