As summer arrives, rain falls incessantly.
The rain continued for several days. Although Shen Zhiyi stayed indoors, she heard that things were not peaceful in the city. The entire Song family had been arrested and imprisoned, and during the interrogation, some other things came to light, including…
There is one thing that involves her.
Officials from the Dali Temple even specifically asked her to assist in the investigation.
Three years ago, she fell off her horse during a spring hunt. It was not an accident, but a premeditated act by the Song family.
Upon hearing this, Shen Muzhi was furious, so angry that he wished he could rush into the prison and skin Song Yuxiu alive.
Treason is punishable by death.
A few days before the execution of Song Yuxiu, Song Yuxiu asked someone to plead for a meeting with Shen Zhiyi.
The prison was unbearably hot and stuffy.
Song Yuxiu, dressed in prison clothes, covered in blood and filth, looked utterly wretched, his face deathly pale, until he saw Shen Zhiyi and his eyes lit up, "Zhi... Zhiyi..."
He crouched down, trying to get closer to her.
Shen Zhiyi had already instructed Hongrui to put down the food box she had brought, and Lühe slipped some silver to the jailer, leaving the two of them alone.
But the jailer refused, saying that Song Yuxiu was in extreme danger, and left one person to keep an eye on him from a distance.
"I didn't expect you to actually come to see me."
"After all, we were husband and wife."
“I…” Song Yuxiu had been thinking a lot lately, and suddenly remembered Shen Zhiyi’s kindness, recalling how she had worked hard for the Marquis’s mansion and stayed up all night to take care of him.
He regretted it.
He ruined those good days.
"If only everything could start over," Song Yuxiu said, his eyes bloodshot. "Zhiyi, if there is an afterlife, I will definitely treat you well."
Shen Zhiyi chuckled softly: "Even if there is an afterlife, there will be no good outcome between us."
"You hate me that much?"
"Because this relationship has been filled with deception and exploitation from beginning to end, you have no love or pity for me. It is only now that the Song family has fallen that you remember my goodness. If it were the Duke's mansion that was unlucky today, you would only be glad that you divorced me and severed the relationship as soon as possible."
These words made Song Yuxiu's face turn deathly pale.
"Zhi, Zhiyi..." Song Yuxiu suddenly crawled to her feet, "Please, save me!"
He knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly, pleading, "Please, for the sake of our two years of marriage, save my life."
Even ants struggle to survive, let alone humans.
Shen Zhiyi glanced at him indifferently and said, "I came to see you today, which is my way of fulfilling the last bit of affection between husband and wife."
"I didn't mean to lie to you, I had no choice, I..."
As Song Yuxiu was about to speak, his gaze fell upon the jailer not far away, and his face turned horrified.
He swallowed the words that were about to come out of his throat.
"Zhiyi, please, save me!"
“I really can’t help you with this matter of colluding with the enemy and betraying the country.” Shen Zhiyi turned and left.
“As long as your father pleads with His Majesty, he can definitely save me. My elder brother saved the Regent, and he was in charge of handling my case. If we beg him as his savior, he will surely show leniency and grant me a reprieve…”
Song Yuxiu's voice was mournful, sending chills down the spines of those who heard it in the empty prison.
But all they could do was watch as Shen Zhiyi walked further and further away.
Only after Shen Zhiyi's figure disappeared from sight did the jailer approach, kick over the food box, and warn him: "Song Yuxiu, watch your mouth, or I'll knock your teeth out one by one!"
Song Yuxiu's eyes widened in shock.
He only picked up the food that had fallen on the ground after the jailer left.
The food box that Shen Zhiyi brought was full of his favorite dishes; she even remembered them…
Ignoring the food that had fallen to the ground, he picked it up and stuffed it into his mouth, swallowing it whole until he choked. He then coughed violently until his face turned red and his eyes were full of tears before kneeling down and laughing loudly.
He was wrong.
All wrong!
Serves you right.
Song Yuxiu, you brought this upon yourself.
——
On her way back home, Shen Zhiyi was caught in a downpour, and the once bustling streets were deserted.
"How long is this rain going to last? It's gloomy all day, making everyone feel uncomfortable," Hongrui complained.
Chen Zhi remained silent.
Two days later, news came that the Song family had been executed.
He should have been beheaded in public, but due to the heavy rain, the execution was carried out in prison. Song Maozhang, because he publicly framed loyal ministers and generals and even spread rumors in front of the emperor, had his body hung on the city tower after his death.
The remains of the rest of the Song family were reportedly thrown into a mass grave.
At this point,
The Song family, the Marquis of Xuanhua, became history after Da Gan.
However, Zhou Xuance handled the Song family matter entirely, as His Majesty was preoccupied with the continuous rain and floods in the Yangtze and Huai River regions and had no time to care about the Song family.
Fortunately, local officials in the Jianghuai region responded promptly, resulting in few casualties. However, the persistent rain damaged crops and caused losses across various industries.
Emperor Xiaoxuan personally prayed for blessings, sought divine intervention, and even granted a general amnesty, asking for divine protection and compassion for all living beings.
The third prince was among those pardoned.
The Song family was executed just before the amnesty, leaving everyone sighing with regret:
"The Song family is really unlucky; they are destined to die."
"Who can argue with that? The Third Prince has been released, and it's said that the Empress's confinement has also been lifted."
"After all, he is His Majesty's own son. How could we possibly imprison him for life?"
...
After the Third Prince was released, he went to the royal temple to pray for blessings. He bit his fingertip and copied the scriptures with his blood. Coincidentally, the rain that had been falling for half a month stopped the day after he prayed for blessings.
News then circulated:
"It must be the Third Prince's sincerity that moved Heaven."
The emperor was pleased and rewarded him handsomely, and also allowed him to return to the court.
At this point,
The days of the princelings' absolute dominance are over.
Although the crown prince had the power to oversee the country, his health was poor, and he was often at a disadvantage in court.
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