Xue Yuanchu cried out in pain, staggered and fell to the ground, his face full of disbelief and pain.
He originally thought his mother was just bluffing, but he didn't expect that she would actually use the dragon-patterned staff to attack him.
Hong Yingrong's blow not only broke his leg bones, but also seemed to break the indomitable pride in his heart.
The scene before him caught Jingzhao Prefecture Governor Li Zhengxuan off guard. As soon as he arrived at the government office this morning, he received an imperial edict from His Majesty Li Longze in the palace.
The approval document mentioned the case of "embezzlement of military rations", in which the loyal and brave General Duan An, his son-in-law, Lieutenant General Feng Shaoying, and the prince of Xingyuan Marquisate, Xue Yuanchu, were all implicated.
As the prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture, Li Zhengxuan's most troublesome thing during his many years in office was handling cases involving royal relatives, powerful officials and nobles. This required him not only to guess the emperor's intentions and weigh the pros and cons, but also to mediate and protect himself.
Several people involved in this case were either important officials of the court or prominent nobles. The moment Li Zhengxuan received the approval document, he felt the veins on his forehead twitching slightly. None of them were easy to deal with!
However, Your Majesty's decree is as heavy as a mountain and cannot be delayed.
Li Zhengxuan immediately ordered the closure of the Dacheng Rice Shop and the arrest of all the people in the shop.
Another thing is to split the troops into two groups.
Along the way, the Imperial Guards sent by His Majesty to deliver the approval documents were sent to the General Zhongyong's Mansion to arrest people. Li Zhengxuan also had a cunning idea in this.
Everyone in the capital knows that the loyal and brave General Duan An has a hot temper and is very protective of his people. If he obstructs him from taking Feng Shaoying away, the guards in the mansion are all skilled fighters and are not easy to deal with. It is better to let His Majesty's Royal Guards deal with this tough challenge.
He personally led officers and soldiers to the Xingyuan Marquis Mansion.
After all, the old marquis has passed away, and the several young masters in the mansion are also civil servants, so I think there shouldn't be too much obstruction.
Moreover, the old lady of the Marquis' Mansion is kind-hearted and is a vegetarian who chants Buddhist scriptures. When the time comes, we can persuade her with reason and emotion, and she shouldn't encounter too many problems.
At the beginning, things developed as smoothly as Li Zhengxuan expected.
When the officers entered the Xingyuan Marquis Mansion, there were very few guards in the mansion. Occasionally, a few people stepped forward to stop them, but they were quickly subdued by the officers.
Just when Li Zhengxuan thought that this trip would end easily, as soon as he entered the Prajna Hall where everyone was, he saw the old lady of the Marquis' Mansion holding a dragon-patterned royal staff and breaking the leg of the prince Xue Yuanchu.
The dragon-patterned royal staff was a sacred object bestowed by the Queen Mother herself, symbolizing supreme glory and power.
This scene made Li Zhengxuan's heart tighten. He swallowed his saliva, groaned inwardly, and was in a dilemma.
If this old lady could use the dragon-patterned staff to beat her own son, wouldn't it be even easier for her to beat herself?
He brought the officials straight into the Marquis's mansion. Did he not anger the old lady?
In a split second, Li Zhengxuan's thoughts raced through his mind. He hurried forward, bowed, and said respectfully, "Madam, I'm Li Zhengxuan, the prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture. I'm ordered to investigate the case of suspected embezzlement of military rations at the Marquis' Mansion. I've come to summon the Crown Prince Xue Yuanchu to the prefectural hall for questioning. I beg your pardon if I've disturbed you."
After saying this, he secretly raised his eyes to observe the reaction of old lady Hong Yingrong.
Hong Yingrong's face was calm, with a sharp light flashing in her eyes, but she did not attack.
She slowly put down the dragon-patterned staff in her hand and said in a cold tone, "Prefect Li, since we are handling this case by imperial decree, everyone in the Marquisate should obey His Majesty's orders. However, I, an unfilial son, have done something illegal, and I am sorry to have caused you to laugh."
Upon hearing this, Li Zhengxuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the old lady had no intention of making things difficult for him.
Xue Yuanchu had fainted from the pain at this time, his face as pale as paper, and he lay there powerlessly.
Jiang Shuxiu and Xue Shanqiu stood by anxiously, holding soft silk handkerchiefs in their hands, carefully wiping the cold sweat that kept coming out of his forehead, fearing that their actions would cause him additional pain.
Nanny Zhao squatted down and gently lifted up Xue Yuanchu's trouser leg. What came into view was a shocking bright red. The broken bone had pierced the flesh, and the wound was hideous.
Although Xue Zhongfu was quite dissatisfied with his elder brother's actions and felt that he had damaged the reputation of the Marquis' Mansion, blood is thicker than water after all. Seeing his elder brother suffer such serious injuries, he was also filled with anxiety.
"Mother," he said anxiously, "How can my elder brother go to the Jingzhao government office in his current condition? I'm afraid his life will be in danger before he even arrives."
After saying this, he turned to Li Zhengxuan and said sincerely and firmly, "Master Li, my elder brother cannot leave now. If you want to question him, I can imprison him in the prefectural prison."
Li Zhengxuan examined the situation in front of him. If he really took the seriously injured Xue Yuanchu away, and if something unexpected happened in prison, it would be solid evidence of his incompetence.
Your Majesty only wants Xue Yuanchu to be brought to court for questioning, not to let him die in prison from his serious injuries.
He caught a glimpse of the earnest look on Xue Zhongfu's face, and saw the grief in the eyes of old lady Hong Yingrong, and he came up with a plan in his mind.
"Madam, Second Young Master, this incident happened suddenly, and I must prioritize the Crown Prince's life," Li Zhengxuan said calmly. "I will go to the palace and ask His Majesty for instructions. Should the Crown Prince remain in the palace for treatment and await summons, or should Your Majesty make another decision?"
He paused slightly and continued, "In the meantime, please ask the old lady to ask a doctor to treat the prince as soon as possible. This is the top priority."
Xue Zhongfu couldn't help but feel grateful after hearing this. Regardless of the fact that they were both officials in the same court and there was no distinction between the highest and the lowest, he bowed deeply and said, "Thank you, Lord Li, for your leniency!"
Li Zhengxuan didn't want to stay here for long, so he took his officers and soldiers out of the mansion and rode his sedan quickly towards the imperial city.
Inside the mansion, Xue Zhongfu was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. He kept urging the servants, "Quick, go find the best orthopedic doctor! Go!"
The Prajna Hall was in chaos at this moment, and everyone was in a mess.
Because Xue Yuanchu was seriously injured and could not be moved at will, the servants carefully carried him to the soft couch in the Prajna Hall.
Aunt Zhao and Aunt Zhou hurried to get some hot water. Jiang Shuxiu cut open his pants with scissors. Although tears were welling up in her eyes, she still forced herself to carefully wipe the blood off for her husband.
Hong Yingrong stood aside, her eyes fixed on her son's pale face. Although her heart was in pain, her face did not show any weakness.
From going to the farm last night to experiencing this storm after returning home, Hong Yingrong has never felt so tired.
But instead, a surge of courage rose within her to turn the tide. She took a deep breath, turned to Madam Zhao, and said firmly, "Ah Zhao, go get my imperial robe and write a letter for an audience with His Majesty. I will come to the palace to see His Majesty immediately."
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