Chapter 64
Half an hour ago, Wang Dalang rushed to the palace to meet with Madam Wang.
Inside the Magnolia Pavilion.
Mrs. Wang's face turned pale. "You mean the plan has failed, Wang Wanyi is still alive, and may have noticed our actions?"
"yes."
Mrs. Wang glared at him, feeling quite down. She was just Wang Wanyi, not a powerful figure, so how could she have done something like this?
Wang Dalang hurriedly explained, "Sister, I really can't blame you for this. I thought it was a simple matter. But she's smarter now and more cautious. She stays at home every day and doesn't go out. I don't even have a chance."
"You also said we shouldn't cause any trouble, so naturally I can't do anything in her house. It would alarm Zhao Guo, not to mention that his house was given to him by the Gongshu family. Baishan is nearby, and the Gongshu family isn't far away either. While the neighbors aren't all wealthy and powerful, they're certainly not ordinary people either."
"Taking action here would cause too much noise and involve too many people, so it's obviously not possible. If we want to take action, we can only wait until she leaves. But ever since that trip to Liuli Street, she's been like a tortoise, hiding at home every day and not going out.
"Today is the only time she's appeared in all these days. If I miss this opportunity, I don't know how long I'll have to wait for the next one, or when.
"You also said we need to hurry and not give her a chance to speak to the Crown Prince. If we wait any longer, I'm afraid she'll tell us everything. So, I have no choice but to seize this day."
"I arranged everything to make it look like an accident, and it was almost successful, but by coincidence, she just went out and didn't go far. Even so, Zhao Guo was worried and rushed over to save her in time. It's really..."
Wang Dalang was so angry that he slammed his fist on the table.
Mrs. Wang closed her eyes and said no more. She knew that at this point, complaining or making excuses was pointless. The most important thing now was how to resolve the current predicament.
"Sister. Wang Wanyi hurriedly took Zhao Guo away, and the prince arrived not long after. Our people saw the prince enter the Zhao family with their own eyes. Do you think she has already told the prince? Does he know everything now? Sister, we...what should we do!"
Mrs. Wang was thinking about it, and his noise gave her a headache. She scolded him sharply: "Shut up and let me think quietly."
"Okay, I'll be quiet. You think about it. Think carefully."
Wang Dalang immediately stopped moving and stared at Madam Wang. However, after a long time, Madam Wang did not move. Wang Dalang was extremely anxious and wanted to urge her to come, but he did not dare.
After an unknown amount of time, Madam Wang looked up at Wang Dalang and asked, "Brother, do you believe me?"
Wang Dalang looked puzzled: "What?"
"For now, the only way to resolve this dilemma is for us to personally apologize."
Please...apologize?
Wang Dalang was stunned. How...how could he apologize? If he did, wouldn't he be admitting his guilt?
Madam Wang beckoned Wang Dalang closer and whispered something. The more Wang Dalang listened, the more frightened he became. "You...you want me to take all the blame?"
"Brother, I'm not sending you to die to clear myself. It's because I can't let anything happen to me. If anything happens to me, Hong'er will be implicated, and my family will be implicated, and you won't be able to escape.
"In that case, we must at least protect what we can. Only if I am safe can I have a chance to save you. If I am also convicted and disdained by His Majesty, we, and indeed the entire Wang family, will be finished."
This was indeed true, but Wang Dalang still felt uncomfortable with this decision. He took a deep breath and said, "How can you be sure that if I take the blame, you can get away safely?
"You and I are brother and sister. You were the one who entered the palace, and you were the one who suggested that she leave. How can you be sure that His Majesty will believe your innocence and think that this matter has nothing to do with you?"
Madam Wang's fingers trembled. "Your Majesty might be suspicious, but I have Hong'er. Without solid evidence, he'll at most...at most ignore me for a while. Don't forget, we still have Li Xiaomei."
"I've heard that when someone is ill, their face changes slightly. My brother also said that Wanyi is not the same as before. If she used to be about 40% similar to Li Yannian, now she only has 30%."
"And Li Xiaomei also has two points. Therefore, this similarity is insignificant. Wanyi doesn't know her own life experience, and she wouldn't even think about it. So this matter is between us. It has nothing to do with Li Xiaomei for the time being.
"I'm too deeply involved to stay out of it. But she can. She can completely step outside of it and mediate and speak for me."
Wang Dalang frowned: "If she doesn't help..."
"No. She must help, and she can only help. Wanyi doesn't know her, and she doesn't know Wanyi, but we know. If she doesn't help me, I will betray her immediately! She is just a chess piece, a knife I chose. If I can't get better, how can she be safe?"
At the last sentence, Madam Wang's lips curled up, a cold look flashed in her eyes, then she restrained her expression and said to Wang Dalang again: "Brother, you should understand that what I said is the best solution at the moment."
The best solution...
It seemed to be true. But Wang Dalang also knew that if this was the case, the chances of saving Madam Wang were indeed high, but it was not certain that she would be able to save him again.
He gritted his teeth and said, "Does it have to be like this? Even if Wang Wanyi told the Crown Prince, what would it matter if the Crown Prince knew? There is no evidence, and it is not certain that we can find any evidence."
Madam Wang scoffed, "Brother, this matter involves the imperial concubine, and the Crown Prince is personally overseeing it. Who do you think His Majesty will order to investigate and adjudicate?"
Wang Dalang's face turned pale.
Zhang Tang.
"Do you look down on Zhang Tang, the Crown Prince, or His Majesty? Do you think you can be cleared of all charges under their thorough investigation?"
"Then... then we can wait until then..."
Mrs. Wang gritted her teeth and said, "It will be too late to apologize then."
She sighed: "Brother, even if you don't miss me, at least think about my sister-in-law, my nephew, and my parents."
This sentence successfully broke down Wang Dalang's wavering heart.
If he admits everything, at most he will die; if he doesn't, everyone will die together. It seems like there is a choice, but in fact there is no choice.
Wang Dalang's lips trembled as he uttered a word with difficulty: "Okay."
********
Xuanzheng Hall.
Liu Ju came in halfway through and sat next to Liu Che. He did not rush to speak to interrupt Mrs. Wang, but quietly enjoyed the "performance" in front of him.
Wang Dalang was almost kneeling on the ground, and Mrs. Wang was kneeling on one side, crying like a pear blossom in the rain, which made me feel pity for them.
"Your Majesty, I was upset for several days when I wasn't chosen. But I'm happy for my younger sister. I... I really thought it was an accident, and I prayed to the gods day and night, hoping that my younger sister would return safely. But who knew... who knew...
"I only realized today that there was no accident. Everything was done by my brother to make me what I wanted. I deserve to die. If it weren't for me, my sister wouldn't have to suffer like this.
"Upon learning the truth, I... my heart aches. My brother has violated the law, a grave crime. Publicly, I shouldn't have concealed it for him, nor could I. That's why I brought him here to plead guilty.
"But personally, he is my elder brother. Although what he did was not what I wanted, it was all for me. If he is guilty, then I am guilty too. I cannot ask for your forgiveness, Your Majesty, but I ask that you allow me to share this sin with him."
Mrs. Wang bowed solemnly, tears streaming down her face.
Liu Ju's eyes twitched slightly. He thought she was trying to be the first to complain, but it turned out she was sacrificing her rook to save her king.
Before the case was investigated and the facts were clarified, he revealed himself in advance to clarify his position and attitude, rather than relying on luck and holding on until the last moment. This kind of calmness and decisiveness is rare among ordinary people.
Especially when it comes to decisiveness, directly pushing his own brother out to take the blame is quite cruel. When speaking, he did not just try to clear himself, but instead mentioned the brotherly love, their own karma, and asked for shared responsibility, which is really smart.
Liu Ju suddenly realized that he had never met Madam Wang in all these years. The person before him was completely different from the image he remembered.
He turned to look at Liu Che, but saw that Liu Che's face was as gloomy as water and he said nothing. He didn't know whether he believed what Lady Wang said or not.
Liu Ju thought for a moment, then stood up and walked forward, handing over the broken wood Yan Sui had given him: "Father, this is the pole that supported the tavern today, the one that nearly killed Wang Wanyi.
"When your father looks at the crack, he might think it's the result of long-term exposure to the sun and rain, but Yan Sui said that if you look closely, you'll see it was caused by human intervention.
"Yan Sui also questioned the butcher today. She said she heard someone talking about her husband going to the market to buy a silver hairpin for a widow, and so she got angry and chased after him with a knife. But she didn't pay attention to who was talking about it and can't remember."
Wang Dalang kowtowed repeatedly: "It is my fault. I did all this. I deliberately asked Tu Niang to attract Wan Yi's attention, and when she was not paying attention, I broke the pole.
"I was possessed by a ghost. I discovered a while ago that she was not dead, and I was afraid that she would expose me if she were alive, so I... I did something foolish again."
Liu Ju looked puzzled: "Is that all?"
Wang Dalang was stunned, not knowing what he meant.
Liu Ju asked again, "I've listened to you for half a day. You admit to the banditry back then and the murder today. What about the deaths of your uncle and aunt?"
Wang Dalang froze, his face trembling. "Your Highness... Your Highness, my uncle and aunt were deeply traumatized by Wanyi's incident and fell ill. They have since passed away. If it weren't for my actions, they wouldn't have died. This is also my fault. I... I deserve death."
"It's more than that. I heard that your uncle and aunt were usually in good health. It seems a bit unreasonable that they both died from such a shock. I heard that after their death, the family property was taken over by you?"
These words were spoken plainly, but the profound meaning they contained was shocking.
Wang Dalang was horrified. "Your Highness, I didn't. My uncle was young, and my father was the elder. When the family was divided, my father received a large share, while my uncle received little. Furthermore, my family wasn't in financial trouble at the time, and we lived comfortably. Why would we do such a cruel thing for money?"
"It's certainly not necessary just for the money, but what if the money is just a byproduct?" Liu Ju's expression flickered. "Could it be that the main reason is that your uncle and aunt have learned of your conspiracy and their plans for Wang Wanyi, and are unwilling to cover up for you, so they want to expose you for the sake of justice?"
Wang Dalang's whole body trembled, and his face turned pale.
Seeing this, there was no need to answer. Liu Ju already knew that he was 80% sure that he was right.
"Your Highness, minister..."
This was different from what they had agreed on. Wang Dalang wanted to refute, but a slap in the face blocked all his subsequent words.
Mrs. Wang stretched out her hand and punched him again and again: "Brother, those are my uncle and aunt, how could you do this! You didn't even tell me the whole story now, and you still hid this from me.
"Brother, how could you do this? How could you do this? If you do this... How can I, how can I face paying respects to my uncle and aunt in the future, and how can I face Wanyi?"
Mrs. Wang cursed, fought, blamed herself, and was a little bit incredulous, feeling very disappointed with her husband.
Wang Dalang looked at her, opened his mouth, and finally closed it without saying anything, letting her fists fall on him again and again.
“That’s enough!”
Liu Che shouted at her, and Mrs. Wang paused slightly, withdrew her hand, turned her head, collapsed on the ground dejectedly, and cried silently.
The farce ended. Liu Che looked at Liu Ju and asked, "Anything else you want to ask?"
"have."
Liu Ju looked at the Wang siblings. "I just accepted Wang Wanyi's complaint, and now you're here to plead guilty. What a coincidence! I'm curious. If I hadn't had the sudden impulse to find Zhao Guo and meet with Wang Wanyi today, would you still be here to plead guilty? Or would you try again if your attempt on my life failed?"
Wang Dalang and Mrs. Wang froze at the same time.
Without waiting for their reply, Liu Ju sighed again, "Master Wang is truly a tight-lipped person. Wang Wanyi is still alive, and there are hidden dangers. You've been in the palace many times recently, and to the Magnolia Pavilion quite frequently, yet you've managed to keep a secret, waiting until today when the truth was revealed and you could no longer conceal it before reporting it to Madam Wang. You truly live up to the saying, 'You won't cry until you see the coffin.'"
Mrs. Wang's face turned pale and she opened her mouth to say something, but she didn't know how to start.
If Liu Ju had directly suspected that she had known about it for a long time, she could have made a few excuses. But he only expressed his feelings, not even mentioning a single word of suspicion, but suspicion was everywhere, making it difficult for her to refute or not refute.
Some words got stuck in my throat, unable to be spit out or swallowed.
Liu Ju didn't care what her mood was. He turned to Liu Che, shrugged, and spread his hands: "I've finished asking questions. There are no more questions. Your Majesty, please do as you wish."
Liu Che: ...
He didn't know whether to be angry or amused by this look. He could only glare at him and ordered with a stern face to take Wang Dalang to Dalang and confine Madam Wang to the Magnolia Pavilion to make the final decision.
After the two men left and the palace was clear of outsiders, Liu Che asked, "Do you think Madam Wang knew about this for a long time and was very likely involved?"
Not only that, he also suspected that Mrs. Wang was the mastermind and Wang Dalang was just an accomplice.
Liu Ju thought so in his heart, but did not answer directly. Instead, he asked cleverly: "What do you think, father?"
Liu Che was silent. He did have this suspicion.
Liu Ju rolled his eyes and moved closer: "Father, I think these are secondary. I'm here for something more important."
Liu Che was suspicious: "Is there something more important?"
"Yes. Father, the Imperial Court has almost completely understood Wang Wanyi's case. Even if there are still areas that require a thorough investigation, there's no need for you to personally meet the victim. But I still want you to see her. I've had her brought into the palace and she's waiting for your permission. Are you willing to see her?"
Just as Liu Ju said, Wang Wanyi was not worthy of the emperor's personal appearance. Liu Ju's proposal must have other reasons. Liu Che looked at him and nodded.
Liu Ju waved his hand and told Feng He to leave. Not long after, Wang Wanyi was brought in. She was not wearing a cloak, and her face was exposed. Liu Che was slightly stunned.
After the formalities, Liu Ju waved his hand and had him taken away. The so-called meeting was really just a meeting.
Liu Ju asked Liu Che, "Father, do you think she bears some resemblance to Li Yannian, the Music Supervisor?"
Liu Che nodded: "Indeed, there are some. But not many."
"It's not much. If that's all, it wouldn't mean much. But what if there's more?"
Liu Che raised his eyebrows.
"Wang Wanyi is not a biological child of the Wang family; she was adopted."
Liu Che was suspicious. What exactly did this child want to say?
Liu Ju asked again, "Does Your Majesty think that Madam Li looks similar to Li Yannian?"
"That's two points too."
"Besides Li Yannian, what about her? Does Father think she is similar to others?"
Liu Che's expression changed slightly: "Who are the others you are referring to?"
Liu Ju pointed out: "Does the emperor still remember Caiqin?"
Liu Che was stunned when these words came out, his eyes instantly sharpening. Lady Li and Caiqin had completely different personalities and temperaments, and their appearances were not very similar, so neither Liu Che nor Wei Zifu nor anyone else had ever connected them together before.
After all, who would make such a connection between two people who seem to have nothing in common?
Now that his secret was exposed by Liu Jue, Liu Che carefully recalled Caiqin's appearance and compared it with Lady Li in his mind. He found that although they were not very similar, there seemed to be some similarities in their eyebrows and features.
Liu Ju then pointed out: "Father, Caiqin is not allowed to consume cow's milk."
Liu Che's expression darkened.
Liu Ju's lips moved, as if he wanted to speak but stopped. He opened his mouth several times, but nothing came out. Liu Che frowned: "What's wrong?"
"Father, I didn't mean to frame anyone. I also know that these alone can't prove anything. I just had this association in my mind, and I couldn't suppress it. Just like when I suspected Caiqin, it was all just small details."
Liu Ju lowered his head with a worried look, and from time to time he would steal a glance at Liu Che in the afterglow.
Liu Che sighed and patted his head, "Father knows. You don't have to be like this. I am the emperor, and there are many beauties in my harem. I may occasionally like someone. But no matter how favored they are, they are only concubines, and cannot be compared with you.
"Ju'er, remember, you are my eldest son, the crown prince I personally appointed. You don't need to worry about others at any time, especially in front of me. No one can surpass you."
Liu Ju smiled and took his arm: "I know that my father loves me the most."
After a few compliments, Liu Ju rolled his eyes and got back to the point: "Actually, I have another reason for this suspicion. Caiqin said she had a younger sister who was also taken in and secretly raised by Liu Ling. When they were clearing out the remaining criminals, we didn't know who her younger sister was and whether she was caught."
Liu Che's eyes flashed and his expression instantly turned cold.
Liu Ju continued, "Father, we don't know Wang Wanyi. We have never seen her before, but Madam Wang is her cousin. We know what she looks like and that she was separated from her family in a flood when she was two years old and was adopted by her uncle and aunt.
"She was also close to Madam Li and had met Li Yannian more than once. But she never seemed to doubt it. Even when she had spoken a lot with Wang Yezhe just now, she never mentioned that Wang Wanyi was adopted.
"Do you think this is unimportant and there's no need to bring it up, or..."
Or something else, it goes without saying.
Liu Che's expression became even uglier.
Liu Ju continued, "So, I think that compared to Wang Wanyi's case, we should first find out whether there is any problem with Madam Li's identity and whether Madam Wang is aware of it."
"I will order Zhang Tang and the Embroidered Uniform Envoy to investigate."
Liu Ju pursed his lips and rolled his eyes: "Can I join?"
Liu Che glanced sideways.
Liu Ju lowered his head again and said, "Father, this question has been nagging at my heart, making me feel torn and uncomfortable. I want to figure it out myself."
Liu Che sneered.
Liu Ju licked his cheek and moved closer: "You just said that no one can surpass me? Now you don't allow me to touch them."
The corners of Liu Che's mouth twitched. Is this what he meant?
Glaring at him, Liu Che asked, "What do you want to do?"
"I want to set a trap to test them."
Liu Ju's black eyes rolled around, and it was obvious that he was up to something.
Liu Che looked him up and down, judged him in his heart, and finally agreed.
********
The case of Wang Wanyi caused a great uproar. Everyone knew that Wang Dalang was imprisoned and Lady Wang was under house arrest. However, this was not enough. Emperor Wu of Han ordered Liu Hong to be moved out and temporarily placed in the care of other concubines.
Madam Li walked along the palace road with a heavy heart.
She had just come out of the Greenhouse Palace and tried to speak for Lady Wang, but was scolded by Emperor Liu Che as soon as she opened her mouth. She also wanted to suggest that she take care of Liu Hong for the time being, but His Majesty acquiesced in silence and did not agree.
The maid beside her was very puzzled: "I know that Madam and Madam Wang are good friends. Now that Madam Wang is in trouble, it is natural for you to be anxious and worried.
"But this case is the Crown Prince's, and His Majesty is personally investigating it. Judging from the current situation, His Majesty has already disliked Madam Wang. If it was just a normal confinement pending the investigation of the case, why would he rush to remove the Second Prince and even detain the entire Wang family?"
How could Madam Li not understand this? This was clearly a sign of severe punishment.
The maid continued, "Your Majesty is so wise that he wouldn't easily believe that this was done by Wang Youzhe alone and had nothing to do with anyone else. I'm afraid that Madam Wang is... Madam, I'm going to go beyond the rules and advise you. Even if we're friends, you must take care of yourself first and not get yourself involved."
"Besides, I see that my master treats Madam Wang well, but Madam Wang may not treat my master well. Master, is it worth it?"
Is it worth it?
Even the maid could see that although Lady Wang treated her like a sister on the surface, she was actually not that kind. How could she not know that?
As for getting yourself involved?
Madam Li sneered inwardly. If she could, she would have wanted Madam Wang to die immediately. Why would she sacrifice herself for her? Did she want to intervene in this matter? She had to.
Mrs. Li twisted the handkerchief in her hand and said nothing.
She stole Li Xiaomei's identity, thinking she could say goodbye to the past and start a new life. However, Madam Wang exposed her, and she became a caged bird once again. The only difference was that the cage was changed from Liu Ling to Madam Wang.
She still doesn't know how Mrs. Wang discovered that her background was different. After all, no one in the Li family suspected her.
What made her even more fearful was that she didn't even know how much Mrs. Wang knew. She only knew that she was not Li Xiaomei, and that she was Xie Fang, a spy trained by Liu Ling.
But no matter which one, she didn't dare to gamble. Because even if it was the first one, once she shed the skin of "Li Xiaomei", her past would not be able to withstand scrutiny and would be exposed sooner or later. She had to keep this skin.
So she could only obey Lady Wang.
But this is not what she wants, how can she be willing!
As they were walking, they heard voices coming from the front. Madam Li paused, looked up, and saw the Crown Prince and Princess Shiyi talking in the pavilion.
Madam Li hesitated for a moment. Just as she was about to step forward to greet him, Shi Yi nudged Liu Ju's arm. "What do you think our father will do to Madam Wang this time?"
"How should I know? Anyway, I won't let you off easily."
Shi Yi frowned: "But father doted on her so much in the past."
"Father never knew she was this kind. Her gentleness, kindness, and sweetness were all superficial. In secret, she is so cruel and ruthless. If you were me, would you tolerate a snake disguised as a little white rabbit deceiving you?"
Shi Yi tilted his head. "That's definitely not possible. But isn't it said that only Wang Yezhe confessed his guilt, and that Madam Wang had nothing to do with it?"
Liu Ju rolled his eyes: "Do you really believe that it has nothing to do with her? You are stupid, but the emperor is not stupid."
Shi Yi rolled his eyes, "Have you found out what she did?"
Liu Ju didn't answer directly, but said, "Wild geese leave their voices behind, and people leave their traces behind. As long as you do something, there will always be clues. You can't hide it."
Mrs. Li's heart sank, and she quietly stepped out and turned back.
The maid quickly followed: "Madam, it seems that Zhang Tang has found evidence."
Mrs. Li hummed softly, her heart sinking a little.
It was probably true. Judging from the Crown Prince's tone, His Majesty's anger about this matter was even more serious than she thought.
I'm afraid Mrs. Wang's ship is about to sink.
How could she save her from this situation? If she couldn't, Mrs. Wang would definitely not let her go. Was she going to let her perish with her?
No, she doesn't want it!
perhaps……
A thought flashed through her mind, and a cold light flashed in Mrs. Li's eyes.
The maid was right. She couldn't get herself into this. She had to find a way out. When Liu Ling failed, she was able to turn danger into safety and turn disadvantage into advantage. This time, she would definitely be able to do it too.
Pavilion.
Shi Yi watched Madam Li's retreating figure and quietly asked Liu Ju, "Are these few words really useful?"
"It's not just these few words. I've used every possible means to make her think that Madam Wang is doomed. These few words are just the last straw that broke the camel's back."
Shi Yi was still a little confused.
Liu Ju explained, "I know the mission Lady Wang has given me is impossible to complete, and given Lady Wang's personality, she'll definitely expose me and drag me down with her. If you were her, would you just sit there and wait for death?"
Shi Yi shook his head: "No."
"That's all. I'm not sure what she'll do, but I'm sure she'll make a move. Besides, this game isn't just for her; Madam Wang is also involved. If she can't sit still, Madam Wang won't be able to sit still either. It just depends on who makes the first move. We just have to keep an eye on them."
Liu Ju curled his lips, feeling confident.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
