Chapter 144 Disdain for Imperial Authority (Following the Plot)
Three days after Lu Zhaoxing's marriage, Princess Jinde received a letter of divorce from Pei Yuanzheng.
This news naturally reached Chu Huaiyu's ears as well. Pei Yuanzheng's daring to write a letter of divorce on his own was tantamount to slapping the face of the royal family, and this matter was no small thing.
Chu Huaiyu was already dissatisfied with Pei Yuanzheng's repeated disregard for imperial authority. If it weren't for Princess Jinde's earnest pleas, he would not have let him off so easily!
This letter of divorce has completely ignited Chu Huaiyu's anger.
Chu Huaiyu immediately ordered Pei Yuanzheng to be thrown into the dungeon and kept under strict guard. No one was allowed to visit him without his order!
This time, Princess Jinde did not plead for Pei Yuan as she had done before.
Pei Yuanzheng's letter of divorce shattered her pride and dignity. As a princess of a nation, how could she have ever suffered such humiliation?
Pei Yuanzheng was so ruthless, slapping her in the face and trampling on her feelings. Even if she liked Pei Yuanzheng very much, she could no longer tolerate it!
At this moment, Princess Jinde was filled with boundless hatred and resentment. She only hoped that Pei Yuanzheng would suffer in prison and reflect on his own actions.
The dungeon was dark and damp, devoid of sunlight, with moss crawling on the corners and the air filled with the smell of decay and a faint stench of blood.
Pei Yuanzheng, however, did not care at all about his disheveled appearance. His coarse prison clothes were covered in filth, and his wrists and ankles were chafed and swollen from the iron chains.
But Pei Yuanzheng's eyes always held a hint of certainty, as if the suffering in prison was merely a necessary step in his plan.
He knew that he had to take this risky step!
Even if he had to endure inhuman torture, even if he had to risk his life, he had no other choice.
Time flies, and half a month has passed in the blink of an eye. The Qixi Festival has arrived as scheduled.
Emperor Chu Huaiyu held a banquet in the palace to invite all the civil and military officials, princes and nobles to celebrate the festival together.
Pei Yuanzheng's father, Lord Pei, was naturally among those invited. Although Pei Yuanzheng had made a grave mistake, the Pei family remained loyal to Chu Huaiyu and had never harbored any disloyalty.
Chu Huaiyu naturally wouldn't hold a grudge against the Pei family because of Pei Yuanzheng's matter, and the Pei family remained firmly in power in the court.
However, ever since Pei Yuanzheng was imprisoned, Lord Pei has been depressed and unhappy, his brows furrowed with sorrow and dissatisfaction.
Even the delicacies at the palace banquet tasted bland to Pei's father, and the fine wine in his cup tasted bitter and hard to swallow.
The Pei family has devoted themselves to Chu Huaiyu for many years, never slacking off in the slightest.
But now, his most cherished son has ended up in a dungeon. How can he be content with that?
When the Lu family fell into trouble, although he was unwilling for Lu Zhaoxing to marry into the Pei family again and ruin Pei Yuanzheng's promising future because of the Lu family's loss of power, he was even more unwilling for Pei Yuanzheng to marry Princess Jinde!
Becoming a princess's consort may seem glamorous, but in reality, he would be constantly hampered by the royal family, which would ruin Pei Yuanzheng's promising future. This was by no means what he expected of his son!
Pei Yuanzheng was exceptionally intelligent from a young age, well-versed in the Four Books and Five Classics, and skilled in both literature and martial arts. At a young age, he began to distinguish himself in the imperial court, and had a bright future ahead of him.
Princess Jinde took a liking to him at first sight, and Chu Huaiyu, for the sake of his younger sister, put even more pressure on the Pei family. In order to protect the family, the Pei family had no choice but to force Pei Yuanzheng to agree.
From the day Pei Yuanzheng was forced to marry Princess Jinde, he never spoke a word to his father again!
There is a deep chasm between the father and son, which is impossible to cross!
Now, things have turned out badly. Pei Yuanzheng has not only completely broken with the royal family, but has also been imprisoned, his fate unknown.
Lord Pei couldn't help but shake his head slightly, his eyes filled with regret and helplessness, and a little water glistened in them.
He sighed inwardly: If only he had insisted a little more, if only he hadn't been forced to marry Princess Jinde, if only…
Alas, there are no "what ifs" in this world.
If only I had known then what I know now! No amount of regret can undo the current situation; I can only watch helplessly as Pei Yuanzheng walks step by step into the abyss.
Halfway through the palace banquet, after several rounds of drinks, everyone was somewhat tipsy.
Chu Huaiyu was in high spirits and suggested that everyone go up to Wangyue Tower to enjoy the night view of the capital city during the Qixi Festival.
The princes and ministers echoed his sentiments, surrounding Chu Huaiyu as they walked together toward Wangyue Tower.
Lu Zhaoxue followed beside Chu Huaiyu, who held her tightly with one hand and protected her waist with the other, as if afraid that something might happen to her.
Lu Zhaoxing and Shen Minghe were also in the crowd.
They had been married for half a month. At this moment, Lu Zhaoxing was wearing a gorgeous brocade dress, with a Lantian jade hairpin in her hair. She was holding hands with Shen Minghe, and they looked very affectionate.
The view from Wangyue Tower is expansive, offering a panoramic view of the capital city at night, where lights twinkle and countless homes create a vibrant and bustling scene.
Just as everyone was captivated by the beautiful scenery before them and was praising it repeatedly, a commotion suddenly broke out downstairs.
Immediately afterwards, a figure suddenly darted out from the crowd and staggered towards the direction of Wangyue Tower.
The man's clothes were tattered and covered in dust and blood, and his hair was disheveled and stuck to his forehead.
This person is actually Pei Yuanzheng!
Behind him followed a group of guards wielding long swords, all shouting as they chased after him, "Catch him! Don't let Pei Yuanzheng escape!"
The guard's loud voice instantly shattered the festive tranquility.
The crowd on Wangyue Tower erupted in an uproar, all looking down at the tower below, their faces filled with astonishment and confusion, and murmurs of discussion rose and fell.
Lu Zhaoxing's heart skipped a beat when he heard the name Pei Yuanzheng!
She hurriedly looked downstairs, and when she saw that the person downstairs was Pei Yuanzheng, her pupils suddenly contracted.
A strange sense of tension and worry surged into her heart like a tide, instantly overwhelming her.
Lu Zhaoxing didn't understand why Pei Yuanzheng, who was clearly locked in the dungeon, would suddenly appear here.
What is he trying to do? Isn't he afraid that Chu Huaiyu will try to kill him?
Chu Huaiyu stood by the railing of Wangyue Tower, looking down at Pei Yuanzheng who was fleeing in a disheveled state below. He narrowed his eyes slightly, a chilling killing intent flashing in them.
He gave a wink to one of the guards beside him, who understood immediately, quietly stepped aside, and made a gesture.
The archers lying in ambush nearby sprang out from the shadows and prepared to fire.
Lord Pei, who was watching from the side, saw it all clearly. His pupils contracted sharply, and his face turned deathly pale. He secretly cried out in alarm!
Chu Huaiyu's gaze just now clearly indicated that he wanted to kill Yuan Zheng!
Before he could think, Lord Pei suddenly knelt down in front of Chu Huaiyu, his knees slamming heavily against the bricks.
His forehead pressed heavily to the ground as he pleaded, "Your Majesty! I beg Your Majesty to spare Yuanzheng's life! He made a grave mistake in a moment of confusion; I beg Your Majesty to give him a chance to repent!"
"The Pei family is willing to serve Your Majesty with utmost loyalty, even unto death. We beg Your Majesty to spare Yuanzheng's life out of consideration for the Pei family!"
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