Chapter 289 Someone is manipulating the whole thing from behind.

"Perhaps this servant dared to help His Highness the Crown Prince once," Lu Xuefei said.

So she recounted what happened at the Crown Prince's birthday banquet that day, and then she told her what happened after the Crown Princess went to give birth that day.

Jiang Fenghua later learned from Ao Xue that Xie Shang had asked her to give Su Dehai a drug that would make him lose his mind. Su Dehai had also been drinking, which is why he acted immorally while drunk.

She didn't ask any further questions, and Xie Shang didn't bring it up either, so she didn't know that Lu Xuefei would disregard her reputation and point out Su Dehai to the Emperor.

Lu Xuefei continued, "This servant really did not seduce His Highness the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince probably thought that this servant would be retaliated against by the Su family for identifying General Su, so he let me hide in the palace. He will let me leave the palace when it is safe. I am just a palace maid, not a mistress. It will be easy for me to leave the palace with the master's permission, that's all."

After hearing this, Jiang Fenghua still felt somewhat guilty towards her for the twenty strokes of the cane. "So that's why you also went to the Crown Prince's residence that day to attend the Crown Prince's birthday banquet, and you were even wearing a red dress." She seemed to remember who she was.

"Yes, I also saw the Crown Princess. She is so dazzling. How could I presume to hope that the Crown Prince would like me? I know that the Crown Prince would not like a woman like me."

"I'm not particularly beautiful, just average-looking. I only gained entry to the palace because my father is Lu Tingwei."

After hearing this, Jiang Fenghua understood. She said, "Since you are the daughter of the Minister of Justice, do you know that you hit a concubine in the palace today? This is insubordination and will be punished."

“This servant knows, so this servant thanked the Crown Princess for only giving this servant twenty strokes of the cane, which is already considered leniency. But this servant is still indignant. Tang Qianran and my brother have known each other since childhood, and can be considered childhood sweethearts. How can she just throw her away like that? Does power mean that the person with power has feelings? Does the person without power not deserve feelings?”

Lu Xuefei even cried, "Ever since she decided to enter the palace and marry His Highness the Crown Prince, my brother has stopped eating and drinking for her. She's a liar, a liar in matters of the heart. I think hitting her is too lenient."

Jiang Fenghua couldn't describe the feeling in her heart. That's just how the world is. Tang Qianran had a chance to climb up the social ladder, so she seized it. What was wrong with that? Love is the most luxurious yet most insignificant thing in the world.

"I'm not afraid of being laughed at by the Crown Princess, but Xuefei's wish is not to marry the Crown Prince or a powerful man. I only want to find a man who is devoted to me and whom I truly love, to marry. I don't seek wealth or fame, but only a peaceful life together, to grow old hand in hand, and never be apart." Lu Xuefei was sincere. She believed that she would definitely find a husband who loved only her and whom she loved only.

Jiang Fenghua fell silent. What a silly girl, adorably silly.

"Take good care of your injuries. I will have someone send you medicine." Jiang Fenghua left with only these words.

"Your Highness," Lu Xuefei said, enduring the pain as she stood up. She walked to the table and handed her a stack of manuscripts and books. "These are what I organized and copied during my time in Chengguang Palace. I showed them to His Highness the Crown Prince, but he was too busy to review them. He said that if he had time, I could show them to Your Highness, saying that Your Highness is well-read and knowledgeable, perhaps..."

Jiang Fenghua casually flipped through the pages, then glanced at Lu Xuefei twice. "It's about criminal law, laws, prison laws. You're a young girl, yet you're interested in this. It's a pity I haven't studied these kinds of books, so I don't quite understand them."

"Perhaps influenced by my father, his study was full of books on this kind of thing. I found some cases very interesting. Even though it was the same kind of case, there were many ways to solve it and how to judge it. And the trial of those difficult cases... In the end, they all came down to the word 'law'."

As the saying goes, "Without rules, there can be no order." These rules and regulations are all based on reason and evidence, and people seem to be going around in circles around the word "law," unable to escape it.

Throughout history, laws have always been imperfect. If His Highness the Crown Prince could make the people of our Great Zhou Kingdom, and even the entire world, understand the importance of the law and regulate their behavior, wouldn't that instill fear and prevent them from breaking the law?

Upon hearing this, Jiang Fenghua felt a deep shock in her heart. She had always wanted women all over the world to have their own place to live, so that they could survive on their own without relying on men, just like Lingyun Manor in the past and Jishantang in the present.

She could provide them with a place to go, but she never thought about changing the legal system or the mindset of people all over the world. Whether men or women, everyone should learn the law, understand the law, and even fear the law.

Why did Xie Yu repeatedly beat Luo Ziqiong, yet it all seemed like nothing had happened? Everyone thought Xie Yu was a prince, and he was beating his woman, so women deserved to be beaten. Why didn't anyone arrest Xie Yu and punish him according to the law, to make him fear the law, and to make him know that he couldn't hit people, otherwise he would be breaking the law?

Because everyone's minds are bound by prejudice, they believe that because he is a prince, even if he hits his woman, everyone will think that the woman deserves to be hit.

Why is it that women are forbidden from mentioning divorce, while men can easily find any reason to divorce their wives?

Jiang Fenghua asked Lu Xuefei gently, "May I take these books back to read?"

Lu Xuefei nodded, "Your Highness may take a look. I was originally planning to show it to His Highness, but unfortunately he is too busy. It would be wonderful if Your Highness would be willing to take a look."

Jiang Fenghua smiled and said, "If I don't understand something, could Miss Xuefei come to Chenxi Palace and teach me?"

“Of course!” Lu Xuefei said happily. “I have long known that the Crown Princess is a special woman and a kind-hearted woman. The Jishantang that you and the Crown Prince founded is very interesting. It can be said that it has made us women stand up straighter.”

Jiang Fenghua wanted to criticize herself. She was no saint. If Lu Xuefei and Xie Shang really had something going on or even threatened her chance to win that position, she would never let Lu Xuefei, or even the Lu family, off the hook.

Back then, Lu Xuefei was also very smart and did not refuse the Empress in front of everyone, otherwise the Lu family would also be implicated, so not many people knew that she entered Chengguang Palace.

Judging from today's situation, Tang Qianran only just realized that Lu Xuefei was in Chengguang Hall.

There are rumors circulating that the Crown Prince is hiding a woman in Chengguang Palace, possibly deliberately letting her hear about it, as someone wants to use this matter to annoy her, the Crown Princess.

It's also possible that someone wants to target Consort Tang. They know that the person in Chengguang Hall is Lu Xuefei, and they also know about the Lu and Tang families. Since the two families did not form a marriage alliance, they have clearly broken ties. Naturally, Lu Xuefei dislikes Tang Qianran. If the two fight, they will both suffer heavy losses. If they don't fight, given Tang Qianran's personality, knowing that the person the Crown Prince is hiding is Lu Xuefei, she will probably still cause trouble.

Sure enough, they started arguing, which led to the Crown Princess intervening to uphold justice.

The person hiding in the shadows is trying to kill three birds with one stone!

No matter how much the other party planned, they never expected that Lu Xuefei and the Crown Prince were innocent. There was no affair between them. It was just that Lu Xuefei helped Xie Shang, and Xie Shang took her in for a while.

No wonder even Granny Wang was anxious; those hiding behind must have thought Xie Shang was keeping a mistress.

"I have a favor to ask of you. Can you help me?" Jiang Fenghua hadn't forgotten who was behind this whole affair.

Lu Xuefei was stunned. "Please speak, Your Highness. It would be my honor if I could help you."

"You know Tang Liangdi, but who else knows about this?"