Everyone's faces instantly turned grim as they witnessed this scene, filled with shock and astonishment. The virtuous prince was the first to regain consciousness, shouting, "Quickly escort the crown prince and the monk general back to the palace! Hurry! Find the imperial physician!" As the virtuous prince's cry rang out, the entire pleasure boat descended into chaos.
The guards hurriedly carried the severely injured Shang Wei off the pleasure boat, their movements swift and tense. Meanwhile, Crown Prince Chu Chengli seemed to have suffered a devastating blow, appearing dazed and disoriented. He stood there blankly, his eyes empty, as if he had lost his soul.
However, amidst this chaos, no one noticed a servant quietly sneaking into the cabin. Quickly and carefully, he cleaned up the remaining incense ash, leaving no trace. Satisfied, the servant left the cabin and rejoined the busy crowd.
The Crown Prince and Shang Wei were rushed to the Imperial Medical Bureau for treatment. Upon learning of this, Emperor Wen flew into a rage. He sat grimly on the dragon throne in a side hall of the Palace of Heavenly Purity, his eyes as cold as a knife as he stared intently at the ministers kneeling on the ground below.
These ministers all came from pleasure boats and held the fifth rank. While their positions weren't particularly prestigious, each wielded some degree of real power. Facing Emperor Wen's commanding and oppressive gaze, the ministers couldn't help but feel a wave of fear, their bodies trembling slightly.
At this moment, everyone was filled with unease. After all, with such a grave event unfolding, would Emperor Wen suspect them of collusion with the Crown Prince, forming a clique for personal gain? This possibility filled them with trepidation, fearing they would become the target of the Emperor's wrath. In this tense atmosphere, time seemed to freeze. The entire side hall was utterly silent, with only the sound of heavy breathing echoing through the room.
Emperor Wen finally set his gaze on the virtuous prince Chu Shiyou. "Everyone, please stand up! Virtuous prince! Can you please explain what is going on?"
The virtuous king quickly glanced at the ministers standing with him, then replied with a serious face, "Your Majesty! The situation is this: Yesterday, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince invited us to go to the lake together. Since Prince Xiao was playing chess with me in my residence at the time, the Crown Prince also invited Prince Xiao to come along."
The virtuous prince noticed that Emperor Wen was staring at him expressionlessly, so he nervously wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Your Majesty, please understand! We originally came here just to watch the graceful dances of the dancers on the pleasure boat... uh... Besides, the Eighth Princess also gave His Royal Highness the Crown Prince a unique magical weapon..."
Emperor Wen frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure on his face, and said impatiently: "Get to the point! Don't drag it out!"
The virtuous prince was startled by Emperor Wen's sudden rebuke. He trembled and stammered, "It's like this... General Shang Wei was originally sitting with the Eighth Princess, but for some reason, he seemed to have developed feelings for her... However, something unexpected happened. He left his seat and switched seats with the Crown Princess."
At this point, the virtuous prince paused for a moment, secretly observing Emperor Wen's reaction, and then continued, "And... uh... he seemed to have drunk too much and was unconscious, and then... um... he started teasing the prince!"
After hearing the words of the virtuous prince, Emperor Wen's eyes froze for a moment, his face filled with confusion. He slowly turned his head and glanced at the ministers present, as if hoping to get some explanation or response from them.
The ministers nodded in agreement. One of them stepped forward to testify, "Your Majesty! I saw with my own eyes that General Shang Wei seemed intoxicated. He even reached out and kneaded the Crown Prince's thigh! Although the Crown Prince suppressed his anger, he still ordered his men to help him down to rest!"
Emperor Wen turned to gaze at Xiao Jinghan, who stood beside him with a calm expression, and asked, "Prince Xiao, did you witness this incident? Did General Shang really tease the Crown Prince?"
Xiao Jing's stern face remained calm as he replied in a steady voice, "Your Majesty, at the time, my seat was blocked by the dancers. I only know that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince angrily pushed General Shang away. Later, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince left the table without any guards. As for what exactly happened in between that led to this situation, I have no idea."
Emperor Wen then asked the others present, "So, did the prince really leave alone?"
Everyone responded in unison, "After His Royal Highness the Crown Prince left, we remained at the banquet to enjoy the singing and dancing. It was only when we heard General Shang's screams that we hurried to the cabin to check on the situation!"
At that moment, the prince slowly walked in, supported by his guards. His face was bruised and swollen, with blood gushing from the corners of his mouth. He looked horrible. His remaining undergarments were disheveled, as if he had just been through a brutal fight.
Accompanying the Crown Prince into the hall was Wen Mu, the director of the Imperial Hospital. His expression was unusually solemn, and he quickly stepped forward to report to the Emperor, "Your Majesty, according to your humble diagnosis, the Crown Prince has suffered severe injuries. He received a heavy blow to the head, particularly to the temple, which is likely to have caused a concussion. Furthermore, the Crown Prince's body is covered in scars, and upon comparison, these injuries are likely inflicted by General Shang. Furthermore... the Crown Prince appears to have suffered physical and mental torture at the hands of General Shang... and is now somewhat dazed! However, with a period of rest and recuperation, he will gradually recover!"
Wen Mu secretly groaned inwardly. After all, it was difficult to speak directly about the Crown Prince's near-violation by a man. So he chose his words carefully, trying to describe the incident as tactfully as possible.
Emperor Wen sighed heavily, frowned tightly, and asked with a hint of worry and concern in his voice, "How is Shang Wei now?" His eyes fell on Wen Mu below, expecting to get good news.
However, Wen Mu's face looked very ugly. He lowered his head and replied in a heavy tone: "Your Majesty, I'm afraid General Shang will never be able to have sex again in the future..." Before he finished speaking, the whole court fell into silence. All the ministers looked at each other with astonishment on their faces.
Everyone wondered in their hearts, could it be that... Shang Wei had been turned into a eunuch by the prince's sword? This thought flashed through their minds, and they couldn't help but feel a chill.
For a moment, everyone's thoughts were divided. Some stared with wide eyes, disbelief on their faces; others frowned, lost in thought. Emperor Wen, on the other hand, sat quietly on the dragon throne, his eyes as sharp as a sword, as if he wanted to see through the ministers before him to the truth of the matter.
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