Chapter 217 Everyone likes to go back to the scene to see.

The Empress Dowager shook her head, rejecting the idea. Her son would never treat her like that. The two of them had come from hardship together, and he was able to become emperor entirely thanks to her advice and support. It couldn't have been her son.

But if it really was Bai Zilin, why would he kill her? Was it just because she wanted him to be the Zheng family's son-in-law and he refused, so he decided to kill her? That makes no sense.

She was willing to marry the Zheng family's daughter to him, which was a huge honor for him. Others might want to do it, but she wouldn't even look at them. Oh, right, there's another reason. That is, she broke up his marriage with Princess Wushuang. Hmph, that must be it. What a scoundrel, an ungrateful wretch. It seems he has forgotten who gave him his current illustrious status and wealth!

"Hmph! You're the kind of person who won't listen to reason but will drink the penalty cup. Don't blame me for being ruthless. Even if you have rendered meritorious service to the emperor, you must die if you offend me! Guards!"

A man in black emerged from the shadows, and the Empress Dowager whispered some instructions in his ear before he hurriedly left.

Before long, the Emperor heard the news of the Empress Dowager's assassination attempt and rushed over: "Mother, are you alright? Did the assassin hurt you?"

The Emperor sat down beside the Empress Dowager's bed, looking at her with concern. The Empress Dowager said with a stern face, "Your Majesty is lucky to be unharmed. Has the assassin been caught?"

The Emperor said angrily, "These assassins are very skilled. The Imperial Guards did not capture a single one. However, Mother, rest assured, I will never let you be in danger again. I have sent 100 Imperial Guards to protect Yongshou Palace. I will also visit you often. Mother, the imperial physician will be here soon. You should lie down and rest for a while."

The Empress Dowager was helped to bed by the Emperor, and then the imperial physician arrived. After taking the Empress Dowager's pulse, the physician said, "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is fine. She was just a little frightened. She will be fine after drinking some calming soup. I will go and prepare the medicine now."

On the other side, Bai Zilin led his men out of the palace and quietly returned to the General's Mansion. The next day arrived in the blink of an eye. Old Zhang, who was usually responsible for delivering vegetables to the Zheng family, arrived early in his oxcart. As soon as Old Zhang knocked on the back door of the Zheng family twice, the back door slowly opened by itself, and a bloody smell rushed out.

Old Zhang sniffed and muttered under his breath, "How come the pork delivery guy arrived earlier than him today?"

But when he pushed open the gate and entered the backyard, he saw the corpses of maids, servants, and boys lying haphazardly all over the yard. Terrified, he turned and ran, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Ah! Murder! Murder!"

Old Zhang ran to the government office shouting that someone had been murdered. Soon after, a large number of officials arrived at the Zheng family's house. The officials carried out more than 100 corpses from various rooms. The entire Zheng family was wiped out.

The news of the Zheng family's massacre quickly reached the palace. When the Empress Dowager heard the news, she was so shocked that she rolled her eyes and fainted. When the imperial physician revived her, her mouth was crooked, her eyes were slanted, and she drooled when she spoke.

The imperial physician turned pale with fright upon seeing her: "Oh dear, this is terrible! Quickly, report to the Emperor! The Empress Dowager has suffered a stroke!"

At the Princess's residence, Liu Ye also heard the news of the Zheng family's massacre and was very puzzled. She looked at Fu Rong with suspicion. Fu Rong was too bold. Why didn't she tell her before taking it upon herself to wipe out the entire Zheng family? This was no small matter; it was a matter of life and death. If the Emperor found out or the Empress Dowager found out, the blame would be placed on her, and she would become the scapegoat.

Furong quickly explained, "Princess, please don't look at me like that. It wasn't me. This servant wouldn't dare to wipe out the entire Zheng family. After all, they are the Empress Dowager's maternal clan and the Emperor's maternal grandfather's family. It really has nothing to do with me. I can swear on my life..." ⊙﹏⊙

Willow Leaf -_-||, Oh my god, what a strong oath! Since Furong said so, she believes it wasn't her. After all, this is no small matter. Given her affair with the Emperor, she really wouldn't dare to do such a thing. Okay, if it wasn't her, it won't implicate her, so she doesn't need to worry.

Actually, she had another guess in her heart, that is, it was Bai Zilin who wiped out the entire Zheng family, and it was highly likely that it was him. She looked at Furong and said, "You know where the Zheng family is, right? Let's go and see what's going on."

Rumors are unreliable; she still needs to see for herself whether the Zheng family has been wiped out. If they really have, then her marriage to the Zheng family is off.

And so, the master and servant arrived at the Zheng family's gate in a carriage. By then, the gate was already packed with people, with layers upon layers of people. There were also government officials guarding the gate, and corpses were laid out in the courtyard, attracting many flies that buzzed around the bodies.

Liu Ye and Fu Rong craned their necks to look ahead, but they couldn't see anything in the courtyard. There were just too many people. Fu Rong rubbed her neck and said, "It seems the princess is really there. The people in front said they saw a corpse."

Liu Ye nodded: "I heard it too."

Standing next to Liu Ye, Zhao Xinbao stared at her in shock. What had she just heard? Princess? When did she become a princess?

"Liu Ye, why did she call you Princess?" Liu Ye suddenly turned around and looked at Zhao Xinbao. What was this idiot doing here? -_-||

Furong pulled Liuye's arm out of the crowd, and Zhao Xinbao quickly followed: "Liuye, stop right there! Why are you running away when you see an old friend? Are you pretending to be a princess to deceive people? You're really bold!"

Furong pulled Liuye to a less crowded place and stopped. She looked at Zhao Xinbao with a mocking gaze and said, "My princess is a real princess. Does she need to dress up? On the contrary, why don't you kneel down when you see the princess? You don't know any manners. Princess, should I teach her a lesson?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xinbao exclaimed in disbelief, "You really are a princess? Aren't you just a country bumpkin? Humph, who are you trying to fool? I'm not easily scared!"

Liu Ye was too lazy to explain to someone who couldn't understand human language. What did it matter to her whether she was a princess or not? At this moment, the crowd of onlookers at the Zheng family's gate parted from both sides, and three adults walked out of the courtyard. They were the three departments of the Six Doors, the three highest leaders: the Private Punishment Department, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Censorate.

The three officials spotted the willow leaves in the distance at a glance. They quickly knelt down and paid their respects: "Your subject greets Princess Wushuang. May Your Highness be blessed with peace and happiness."

Liu Ye casually raised her hand, her demeanor naturally exuding the air of a superior: "Rise. I heard that the Zheng family was wiped out, so I came to see if you've found any clues."

Zhao Xinbao retreated to the side in horror, staring at Liu Ye in disbelief. It seemed real, and she began to feel insanely jealous. My God! She really was a princess! This was too unbelievable. How did she do it? What made her worthy of being a princess? She was just a lowly village girl, a peasant, and used to be a beggar. How could she be worthy of her?

What surprised her even more was that Bai Zilin arrived shortly afterward.