That night.
The moon and stars are sparse.
Shen Wan and Xie Jingyan were in the study.
Xie Jingyan was reading a book, while Shen Wan waited anxiously.
They were waiting for the secret guards, hoping that the guards wouldn't have made a wasted trip and would successfully bring back the pardon.
Shen Wan gets angry just thinking about it. Her "get out of jail free" card was stolen. There are suspects, but no evidence. She can't openly search for it. She can only try to see how it was stolen and how to steal it back.
After waiting and waiting, when Shen Wan's patience was about to run out, there was a knock on the window, and Yin Shuang said, "The guards are back."
The window was pushed open, and the guard jumped into the room. He had injuries on his arms and back, and knelt down, saying, "This subordinate is incompetent. I failed to find the pardon at Princess Huyang's residence, and I was even discovered..."
Shen Wan looked disappointed.
Xie Jingyan said, "Go find Doctor Tao to bandage your wound."
The guard stood up and jumped out of the window.
Not long after the guard left, the guard who went to the Duke of Mao's mansion to find the immunity token returned. Although the guard was not injured, he did not find the immunity token.
Shen Wan looked at Xie Jingyan and guessed, "Could it be with the Empress Dowager?"
"That's possible."
However, sending someone to search the Empress Dowager's palace for the pardon would be too difficult, almost impossible. In addition, they had already alerted the enemy at Princess Huyang's residence tonight. If they sent someone to search and were discovered, the Empress Dowager would likely accuse them of stealing her pardon. In that case, they would not only fail to save Prince Yanping, but also put themselves in danger.
This approach is basically unfeasible; we'll have to find another way.
Fortunately, after Xie Jingyan reprimanded the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Justice did not dare to torture the Prince of Yanping again, and allowed people to visit him.
Over the next two days, all the forces that wanted to save Prince Yanping worked hard.
Shen Wan was worried about the matter of the Prince of Yanping for two days. Yin Shuang and Hai Tang were worried that it would be bad for her pregnancy, so they persuaded Shen Wan to go for a walk in the garden. Just as she stepped out of the courtyard, she saw Xie Jingyan return.
Shen Wan went to greet them, and Tang Ze and Lu Cheng jogged over, calling out, "Brother Jingyan..."
Xie Jingyan turned to look at them.
Tang Ze said excitedly, "I have good news."
Xie Jingyan asked, "What good news?"
Tang Ze then said, "Just now when we went to the Ministry of Justice to visit the prison, we ran into Young Master Cheng from the Right Prime Minister's residence and Miss Cheng, who was also visiting the prison. Young Master Cheng saw that we were in low spirits and asked us what was wrong. When we told him that we hadn't figured out a way to save the Prince of Yanping, Young Master Cheng was surprised that the Yun family wasn't going to use the death-exemption token to save him. I saw that he was genuinely concerned about the Prince of Yanping, so I told him about the Yun family's death-exemption token being stolen. Miss Cheng immediately went to the Minister of Justice to testify for the Prince of Yanping."
Miss Cheng can prove that it was Princess Huyang's son who started the fight, that his falling into the water was an accident, and that Prince Yanping even tried to save him but failed. With Miss Cheng's testimony, Prince Yanping will definitely be able to recant his testimony. Although he will be sentenced to exile, as long as he is alive, he will have a chance to return to the capital one day.
This is indeed good news. Even if they cannot recant their confession, it can at least postpone the execution of the Crown Prince of Yanping. Otherwise, the Crown Prince of Yanping would have been executed tomorrow.
Unfortunately, Shen Wan had a good plan. Miss Cheng told the Minister of Justice the whole story and signed the document, but this case was not something that the Minister of Justice could make a decision on completely. He also had to ask the Emperor and especially the Empress Dowager for their opinions.
The Empress Dowager was furious about Cheng Da's testimony. Not only did she not acknowledge it, she also believed that Cheng Da was slandering her grandson and ordered the Ministry of Justice to punish Cheng Da.
Even the Minister of Justice was reprimanded by the Empress Dowager. The Prince of Yanping's heir has been imprisoned for quite some time, and he has never claimed that anyone else was present at the time. He has no witnesses. Miss Cheng hadn't come forward before, but she's scheduled to be executed tomorrow. She suddenly appeared today. Who can prove that Miss Cheng was present at the time?!
Those who could prove that Miss Cheng was present were all in the residence of Princess Huyang, and were most likely already silenced. Because the testimony came too late, the Empress Dowager directly questioned whether it was false evidence. Not only did it fail to help the Prince of Yanping, but if it weren't for the Emperor's intervention, the Empress Dowager would have also investigated the Right Chancellor's residence.
The Empress Dowager's attitude was firm: the Crown Prince of Yanping must pay with his life for the murder.
By the time Shen Wan and Xie Jingyan received the news, it was already evening. Unless they broke into the prison that night, no one could change the fact that the Prince of Yanping would be taken to the execution ground the next day.
Shen Wan couldn't accept it. With red eyes, she asked Xie Jingyan, "Is there really no hope?"
The Crown Prince of Yanping is really going to be executed.
Cheng Da's daughter will not live a life of ignominy.
Her older cousin and Princess Qinghe had no hope of getting together.
They worked hard for a long time, but it was all for nothing.
Xie Jingyan remained silent.
Shen Wan choked up as she said, "Tomorrow I will go to see the Prince of Yanping off on his final journey."
Xie Jingyan remained silent, which Shen Wan took as his agreement.
The next day, Shen Wan and Xie Jingyan left the mansion together to see off the Prince of Yanping at the city gate. Yinshuang and Haitang wanted to stop Shen Wan from going, fearing that the scene of the executioner carrying out the execution was too bloody and would frighten Shen Wan and cause her to have a miscarriage. However, Xie Jingyan allowed it, and they, as maids, were too impolite to stop her.
The Crown Prince of Yanping was imprisoned in a prison cart and escorted to the city gate. Along the way, many maids and servants threw rotten eggs and vegetable leaves at him. It was obvious whose household those people belonged to.
Unable to save the Prince of Yanping, Shen Wan was seething with anger. Others might not know what kind of person the Princess of Huyang's son was, but the maids and servants in her own household certainly did. Unable to contain her temper, Shen Wan ordered her guards to give the maids and servants who threw rotten eggs and vegetable leaves a good beating.
When they arrived at the execution ground, it was already a quarter past noon. Prince Yanping, Princess Yanping, and Princess Qinghe came to see off the heir of Prince Yanping. The Right Chancellor's family also came, as well as Tang Ze, Lu Cheng, and others who had some personal relationship with the heir of Prince Yanping in the past.
Princess Yanping helped the Crown Prince of Yanping pick up the rotten vegetable leaves from his clothes, wiped his face, and then fed him. His tears were wiped away and then flowed again.
The Crown Prince of Yanping forced a smile. “Mother, don’t cry. I am already content to be your and Father’s son in this life. If there is an afterlife, I will still be your son.”
"Killing the son of Princess Huyang is an inescapable fate. Qinghe and Young Master Yun are in love. I hope Father and Mother can grant them their wish."
Princess Yanping was sobbing uncontrollably; she would have fainted if she hadn't been holding back.
Princess Qinghe wept uncontrollably.
Today's executioner was the Duke of Maoguo. At noon, he ordered someone to invite Prince Yanping and Princess Yanping to leave.
Princess Yanping clung tightly to the Crown Prince of Yanping until they were finally pulled apart.
The Duke of Maoguo was the Empress Dowager's nephew and the direct cousin of Princess Huyang. Naturally, he would side with Princess Huyang and would not show any leniency to the Prince of Yanping's family.
Princess Yanping was brought out, and Duke Maoguo picked up the execution token and threw it into the air, shouting, "Execute her!"
The executioner picked up his broadsword, took a sip of wine, and sprayed it onto the blade.
He pulled the wooden board from behind the Prince of Yanping's back, raised his knife, and was about to chop at his neck.
Just when everyone thought the Prince of Yanping was doomed, the sound of horses' hooves approached, and someone shouted, "Spare his life!"
The voice sounded familiar.
It is Yun Qi.
Shen Wan looked in the direction of the sound and saw Yun Qi riding over, holding a bright, shiny token in his hand.
It was a get-out-of-jail-free card.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
