Chapter 288: Rape the Girl
Lord Zheng felt a loud bang in his head, as if struck by lightning.
"You, what did you say?"
The servant raised his frightened face and repeated, "News came back from the mansion, the young lady, the young lady hanged herself."
Lord Zheng closed his eyes and slid off the chair. The servant hurriedly supported him and called out to him.
I thought he had fainted, but he suddenly exerted force, broke free from the servant and crawled forward, "Your Majesty, please spare my life. My daughter has been naughty and reckless. It is my fault for not teaching her well. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
Lord Zheng did not even ask whether his daughter was dead or alive, but was just eager to confess his crime, fearing that the emperor would vent his anger on him.
Li Huaiyan's face turned purple and his knuckles crackled. If Ling Chenyi hadn't held him back, he would have gone up and beaten Lord Zheng.
"Wait a little longer." Ling Chenyi whispered to comfort him, but Li Huaiyan's heart was burning with anger and his face looked extremely ugly.
She committed suicide? How could she commit suicide? How could she be so stupid?
The image of her desperate and helpless smile when he left Zheng's house last time appeared in front of his eyes, and Li Huaiyan closed his eyes tightly.
The emperor's face was filled with rage, and anyone with a discerning eye knew what he was about to say. The fact that the girl from the Zheng family committed suicide for no reason simply showed that she was unwilling to marry Tian'er. How could he allow a minister to pick and choose and mistreat his son?
What's more, Xiao Tian had just returned. If this matter was just left unresolved, how would he gain a foothold in the court in the future? If everyone followed suit, where would his power as an emperor be?
"Oh, what a great Zheng family." The emperor spoke in a cold voice, and Lord Zheng was so frightened that he trembled like a sieve.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. My daughter might have had a quarrel with my wife a few days ago. She has had an extreme temper since she was young." Lord Zheng would never dare to link this matter with the marriage. If he said it was a family matter, perhaps he could quell the emperor's anger.
"She has an extreme temper." The emperor's eyes were grim. "I see. I have spoken highly of her before. She is so desperate after a quarrel with her mother. She is really unfilial."
He took advantage of the situation and saved Xiao Tian's reputation in front of the ministers. As for Lord Zheng, he would deal with him later.
"In that case, you should go home and take a look. Mo Zhen has caused a death."
"Yes, yes, yes." Lord Zheng felt relieved and was already sweating profusely.
It was almost the end of his whole family today. He stretched out his hand tremblingly, and the servant immediately supported him and left the banquet hall.
This episode passed quickly, and no one mentioned it again, but everyone knew that the marriage between the Zheng family and the fifth prince was completely unsuccessful.
Even if the Fifth Prince's biological mother was of low status, he was still a prince, the emperor's son. How could he marry someone who hanged herself to refuse the marriage?
Of course, even if the Zheng girl was alive, she would never be able to get married in the capital. No one would marry her, which would cause trouble for the emperor and the fifth prince.
Li Huaiyan couldn't sit still any longer, so he pulled Ling Chenyi and asked in a low voice, "Did you plan this?"
"Design what?"
"Of course it was Miss Zheng who committed suicide," Li Huaiyan's eyes widened, "Didn't you plan this?"
Ling Chenyi shook his head, "You have uncertain thoughts about the Zheng family girl, how could we possibly do anything to her."
So it wasn't a design, she really committed suicide.
Li Huaiyan let go of Ling Chenyi and left the hall at a very fast speed while no one was paying attention to this side.
Ling Chenyi was too late to catch him and could only turn around and give Xiao Yuan a helpless smile.
Xiao Yuan didn't care. His mind was on Shen Anan who was eating with her head down. She had eaten most of the sweets at the banquet, but she still showed no signs of being full.
"An An, eat less food outside."
Shen Anan nodded, "But you don't let me eat the sweets in the mansion."
"..." As he spoke, the emperor seemed to be in high spirits. He drank a few more glasses of wine and was helped by the chief eunuch to rest.
Shen Anan glanced at it, then slowly put down the sweet fruit.
"My stomach hurts a bit, I want to go out for a while." She raised her eyes and said pitifully to Xiao Yuan.
"Did you have an upset stomach?" Xiao Yuan frowned and rubbed her lower abdomen with his hand.
Shen Anan was ticklish, so she quickly dodged, fearing that she would be exposed. "I'll let Mo Xiang and Mo Ran accompany me, and we'll be back soon."
"Let me accompany you." Xiao Yuan said as he was about to stand up. At the same time, Xiao Tian on the opposite side walked towards him with a wine cup in hand.
Shen Anan pressed down his arm, "People with bad intentions are sitting here, don't worry, it's a place where women go to the toilet, how can you, a prince, go there, it will make people laugh."
After Shen Anan finished speaking, she stood up and left the banquet hall.
Xiao Yuan looked at her back, and Xiao Tian followed his gaze and looked outside, saying gently, "Don't worry, Fourth Brother, nothing will go wrong with my sister-in-law walking around the mansion."
Xiao Yuan withdrew his gaze calmly, without saying a word, just staring at Xiao Tian.
Xiao Tian took the initiative to raise his glass, with a sincere smile on his face, "I have offended my fourth brother in the past, I hope my brother and sister-in-law will not take it to heart. From now on, we should be friendly and respectful to each other, so as to ease the worries of our father. I toast to my brother first."
He held up the wine glass, with the severed finger pointing towards Xiao Yuan, which was particularly obvious, and then he drank the wine in one gulp.
Xiao Yuan, "Fifth brother, let bygones be bygones and be magnanimous."
Many officials were watching. Xiao Tian took the initiative to ask for peace, so Xiao Yuan naturally had to give him this face and not lose his composure.
Compared to Xiao Tian, Xiao Yuan actually prefers the brainless Xiao Ze, who is frank and straightforward, both in action and in words, and does not need mediation.
At this time, Shen Yunbai was also surrounded by a group of people, toasting and complimenting him.
Xiao Tian returned to his seat and pressed down the glass that Shen Yunbai had raised again, "Brother, you can't drink any more. You still have old injuries on your body."
Shen Yunbai nodded slightly and put down the wine cup. There was already some blur in his eyes. He looked up at Xiao Tian with a complicated look, which included relief and melancholy.
They finally entered the court.
He lowered his eyes and glanced towards the door. His face immediately froze, his pupils shrank slightly, and he stood up suddenly.
"Brother, what's wrong?"
"Nothing," Shen Yunbai's eyes were even anxious, "I'm not feeling well, I'm going to the side room to rest for a while."
After finding an excuse, he quickly left the banquet hall.
Xiao Tian frowned and quickly told the maid to follow.
Shen Yunbai left the banquet hall and chased after the light green figure that had just flashed by.
He walked around the corridor and arrived at a remote courtyard, then he suddenly stopped and shook his head vigorously.
It couldn't be her. She was already dead, died in her own hands.
Then the person appeared, maybe he just looked like her.
His eyes sank as the light green figure reappeared, seemingly carrying a tray, and hurriedly turned around the corridor to leave.
In the sunlight, Shen Yunbai saw her profile, which was gentle and beautiful. Both her figure and dignified temperament looked very much like her.
"Hua Sheng." He murmured, and chased after the figure again, with only a glimmer of hope in his heart.
Maybe, maybe she was not dead, but it was Shen Anan's plan, she hid her.
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On the other side, the chief eunuch An was serving the emperor as he lay down in the side room.
The maid knocked on the door and reported nervously, "Eunuch, the fifth prince asked the kitchen to prepare a calming soup for the emperor."
Upon hearing this, Eunuch An walked up and opened the door, saying in a very low voice, "No need, the emperor has already gone to bed."
The maid immediately agreed, but hesitated for a moment while bringing the calming soup and did not leave.
Eunuch An frowned, and fearing that he would disturb the emperor's rest, he quietly closed the door, pulled the maid away and scolded her.
The maid's eyes turned red. "My Lord, please understand. Even if you give me a hundred courages, I dare not disturb the emperor's rest."
Eunuch An said angrily, "We are just giving you a lesson, why are you crying, you unruly thing."
But beating a dog depends on its owner. After all, she is a maid in the Fifth Prince's mansion. He didn't want to make things too difficult for her, so he waved his hand and said, "I still have to serve the emperor. If you have nothing else to do, leave quickly and don't dawdle any longer."
The maid fell to her knees with a plop. "Eunuch, I am helpless. Please save my sister."
Eunuch An frowned, and then heard the maid continue to cry, "My elder sister is not a slave, but a good girl. She accompanied my mother to the street to buy things that day, and was favored by the Fifth Prince, who forcibly took her into his palace. I had nowhere to turn to, so I sneaked into the Fifth Prince's palace. It was God's blessing that I met him."
She kowtowed heavily, "Please have mercy on me, eunuch, and say a few words for me, asking the Fifth Prince to let my sister go."
Eunuch An's eyes widened and his head was buzzing.
"You, what did you say?"
The fifth prince raped a commoner girl? How could that be? He looked back at the compartment, his mind working very fast.
If all the ministers were here, and if this servant girl caused trouble today, how could the Fifth Prince still have a good reputation? That would absolutely not work.
I couldn't help but wonder in my heart, is it true that once you gain power, you can do whatever you want?
"If you don't believe me, you can come with me. My sister is locked up in the front yard."
Eunuch An's eyes flashed. The best way would be to take the opportunity to get rid of the two sisters.
It’s just that the emperor cannot do without someone by his side, and the matter at hand cannot be handled by outsiders.
After considering for a while, he called the Fifth Prince's guards to guard the door of the wing room tightly, "No one is allowed to approach this room before my family comes back, otherwise they will die, understand?"
The guard immediately responded.
Many ministers were present today, and there were guards and secret guards guarding the place, so Eunuch An felt relieved and followed the maid.
The two of them walked back and forth on the path of the Fifth Prince's Mansion for a full quarter of an hour. Eunuch An frowned, "Aren't we there yet?"
The maid turned around and cried, "We are almost there. Please forgive me, sir. I dare not lead you on the main road, for fear of being recognized."
Eunuch An nodded slightly.
If someone saw this, not only would she lose her sister, but she would also lose her own life.
After walking for another quarter of an hour, Eunuch An's brows slowly knitted together, and his gaze turned gloomy as he looked at the maid in front of him.
"Hasn't it arrived yet?"
"It's just in front." said the maid.
Eunuch An stopped walking. The maid turned around in confusion and met Eunuch An's cold face. "You sneaked in here secretly, but you are so familiar with the Fifth Prince's Mansion. How did you remember the terrain so clearly in just one day?"
The maid's expression changed slightly.
Eunuch An had already sensed something was wrong. He reached into his sleeve and pulled out a sharp dagger.
A man who could be the chief eunuch in front of the emperor was certainly not a weak person. His eyes became sharp and he stabbed the maid's abdomen with the knife flashing with a cold light.
The little maidservant was so frightened that her face turned pale. "Princess, please save me."
She held her head and shouted. Eunuch An was subconsciously stunned for a moment. The next moment, an elongated shadow extended from behind him. Before he could turn around, he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head. His eyes went black and he lost consciousness.
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In the wing room, a maid helped the drunk Shen Yunbai to the gate of the courtyard, but they were blocked by the guards.
The guard naturally recognized Shen Yunbai, but he was a little drunk at the moment, with his head bowed, "Sir, the emperor is taking a rest inside, and Eunuch An specifically instructed that no one should be allowed in. If you want to rest, why don't you go to the courtyard to the side?"
Shen Yunbai leaned on the maid, drunken and hazy, "I'm not here to rest, I'm ordered to discuss important matters with the emperor."
The guard frowned upon hearing this.
What important matters could they discuss after being so drunk? But as a guard, he couldn't interfere in matters concerning the higher-ups.
"Why don't you wait for a while until Eunuch An comes back..."
Shen Yunbai pushed him away impatiently, "It was Eunuch An who personally invited me. He has something to take care of. I will take care of the emperor. You just watch the door and don't let anyone in."
Shen Yunbai had a close relationship with the Fifth Prince, so the guards naturally would not stop them by force. They agreed reluctantly and let the two in.
After the people walked away, he muttered, "After drinking like that, I don't know who is taking care of whom."
But since it was Eunuch An who gave the order, he couldn't interrupt.
The maid supported Shen Yunbai and her voice came from the courtyard, "The Fifth Prince just asked the kitchen to make a soothing and hangover-relieving soup. I will go get a bowl later."
After hearing this, the guard no longer had any suspicion.
Shen Yunbai and the maid entered the house smoothly.
Shen Yunbai's legs suddenly went weak and he almost fell to the ground, but fortunately he was caught by a maid in time.
"Be careful."
Shen Yunbai forced out an extremely ugly smile, "Sister, sister, I'm scared." He was about to cry. If he knew that what the princess was talking about was the assassination of the emperor, he would not agree to it even if he was given a mountain of gold and silver.
The maid frowned and pushed him forward without further ado, "Now that things have come to this, you have to finish the job even if you have to wet your pants. I'm not really asking you to kill someone, just treat it as a show."
Qing Yue, dressed as Shen Yunbai, held the dagger tremblingly and closed his eyes tightly.
After walking a few steps forward, he ran back and said, "I really can't do this. That's the emperor."
The maid was impatient and her face turned cold. "You are now the Minister of War, Shen Yunbai. If you do it well, you will never be implicated. If you don't do it well, you will have to die here first."
Qingyue raised his head and looked at the shadowy figure behind the gauze curtain.
"If we delay any longer, we will all die here once someone finds out, and the prince's wife will also be implicated." The maid whispered in Qingyue's ear and urged him with gritted teeth.
Qingyue clenched his fists, gritted his teeth and rushed forward.
As an emperor, he has always been extremely perceptive. Although he was a little drunk, he quickly opened his eyes when someone approached.
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