Chapter 191: Walking into a Trap

For two days, there was a rumor circulating in the streets that the Right Censor of the Censorate was having an affair with the daughter of the Director of the Imperial College.

It is said that Lord Pei was so angry that he risked his life for the woman he loved.

He assassinated the princess and framed Prince Jing just to vent his anger for the woman he loved.

It is said that he is the top scholar of this year's imperial examination, with great talent and has been praised by His Majesty many times. But who would have thought that he is actually an idiot who cannot escape from the love affair between children.

Now that the truth has been exposed, he has been taken to prison by the Dali Temple.

This was originally the best topic of conversation in teahouses, bars, and on the streets. There were many gossipers in the capital who loved these charming and intimate affairs.

But soon, no one mentioned Pei Langjun anymore.

To be precise, there are very few people idle around nowadays. The capital is tense and the royal guards are frequently dispatched. The East and West Markets are usually crowded with people, but now there are large numbers of armored soldiers patrolling every day.

No one knew what happened.

Everyone knew something was happening.

A sexy rumor soon spread like the wind.

Because the framed prince, Prince Jing, was sent to his fiefdom, and is now in charge of the government at the instruction of Your Majesty.

The Wen family also heard the news.

At first, Father Wen and Mrs. Li said, "Who knew that Shi Zhang would come up with this idea? He is usually a quiet person. When he comes to our house, he only talks to me about poetry and painting. He actually has a crush on Nian'er!"

He treated Pei Jian as a close friend regardless of age difference, but Pei Jian actually wanted to marry her daughter!

Li glanced at him and said, "I hope you can see that the sun must rise from the west."

Wen Yuanqiao had always been very kind to his wife. Hearing this, he stroked his beard and smiled, "Madam, you are right. I am not as discerning as you. So what do you think of Shi Zhang?"

In fact, Li herself did not understand Pei Zhen's thoughts.

Compared to Pei Jian, she is more optimistic about Zhou Yanli, who grew up with Nianxi. But even if we take a step back, Pei Jian is also a very good young man——

Young and handsome, he is steady and motivated.

She couldn't make a decision for a moment.

"Mr. Pei is currently involved in a lawsuit."

Wen Yuanqiao regarded Pei Jian's assassination of Princess Wenshu as a joke and did not take it seriously at all. "How could I not know Shi Zhang's character? He is the one who was framed. Just wait and see. The truth will soon come out."

Wen Yuanqiao is full of confidence in this regard.

But he was clearly too optimistic.

The political situation is becoming more tense day by day.

Just yesterday, an old minister suggested that it was against etiquette and law for Prince Jing to lead the government, and that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince should return to the court as soon as possible to take charge of state affairs. However, Prince Jing punished him with caning for disrespecting the monarch.

The execution took place outside the main hall. In front of all the ministers in the court, the old minister was beaten to death on the spot with eighty tiger whips.

Your Majesty is seriously ill and can hardly get up. The harem is controlled by Empress Lu, and the previous dynasty has Prince Jing and Duke Fuguo. Even someone as broad-minded as Wen Yuanqiao realizes that something is wrong.

Pei Jian had deeply offended Prince Jing. According to Prince Jing's mind, if he ascended to the throne in the future, Pei Jian's fate would be even worse than that old minister Yu Shi.

He was worried about this day and night, but he was powerless. It was Wen Qingheng who woke everyone up with a word and said quietly, "Father, don't worry about others first, think about our own affairs first."

"Shi Zhang is not your classmate? Why are you so indifferent? Besides, what happened to our family?"

Wen Qingheng: "We have also offended Prince Jing. Have you forgotten what happened at the Queen's Thousand Years Banquet? Nian'er is still unmarried. Do you think he will cause trouble for us when Prince Jing takes action?"

Wen Yuanqiao:!

Wen Yuanqiao couldn't sleep at all this time. Most of his hair was rubbed out. He was eagerly looking forward to the news of the prince's return to the capital.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is the legitimate heir. As long as he comes back, Prince Jing should get out of the capital as soon as possible and never cause harm to anyone again!

…

Midnight.

It was a dark and windy night.

The lights were dim in the prison where Pei Jian was detained.

Pei Jian lay sideways on the straw mat in the cell. Although it was May, the cell was damp and cold. His wounds had not healed yet, and his brows were furrowed. He lay unsteadily.

Gradually, footsteps were heard outside the cell. The footsteps got closer and closer, and finally stopped in front of the door lock. A moment later, accompanied by the sound of unlocking, someone stepped into the cell door and stood in front of him.

Pei Jian opened his eyes, slowly turned around and glanced at the person who came. He did not stand up, but lay on his back and said to the person who came, "I am not feeling well. Please forgive me for being rude."

Half of Lu Wensheng's face was reflected in the dim candlelight, as if coated with a layer of faint glow, and the elegance at the tip of his brow was unique and extraordinary. No matter where he was, he was always gentle and elegant.

However, the pair of eyes hidden in the dim candlelight were not as clear as before. One was bright, the other was dark, and the gaze was dim.

"Did you expect this day to come?"

Lu Wensheng asked in a deep voice.

Pei Jian forced a smile and looked out the side window at the dark sky. He looked shabby and not as handsome as before, but he still looked like he was sitting in a temple. He didn't look embarrassed at all and just said casually:

"Who wants the scourge of prison?"

"You knew that the He Yuan in the Ministry of Revenue's account book was a trap, but you still jumped into it, step by step, following the trap I set in advance, until you were taken to the Dali Temple. What on earth do you want to do?"

Smart people often avoid roundabout and repetitive probing in their conversations.

Pei Jian did not deny it, but did not respond either.

Lu Wensheng could see that he did all this without leaving any way out for himself.

"Do you really want to die?"

"I don't want to die if I can live."

Lu Wensheng was silent for a moment, then said, "Someone doesn't want you to die."

"She came to beg me," he stared at Pei Jian carefully, not missing any expression on his face, "begging me to let you go."

Sure enough, Pei Jian's forehead twitched. He was no longer careless and became serious.

"Really?"

Lu Wensheng replied, "As long as I keep you alive, she is willing to give herself to me."

Pei Jian's breathing became heavy, he clenched his fists, and several blue veins on the back of his hands slowly bulged and popped up.

He turned and looked at Lu Wensheng.

She stared at his every expression and said coldly, "I know why she doesn't like you."

Lu Wensheng's expression changed slightly.

Two men were standing at a distance from each other, one lying down and the other standing.

One had a cold gaze, the other had a scrutinizing gaze.

"She used to admire you. You have the charm of a mature man, and you have a lovely child."

"What a pity~" Pei Jian sighed with a chuckle, "You don't understand her at all."

Compared to him and Zhou Yanli, Lu Wensheng was the one who was most likely to enter Nian Xi's eyes and heart after Gu Ci left.

But he was too merciful, calculating everything and weighing the gains and losses. It was ridiculous that he was jealous and crazy because of Lu Wensheng at that time, even though Lu Wensheng was obviously not as good as himself.

Lu Wensheng didn't say anything, just stared at him silently.

"You framed me and made up a rumor, but it would also affect her reputation. You thought that after the storm was over, you could give her the highest honor and offset the damage. You wanted to protect the family, and you were willing to use her as a reason. You calculated too well."

Pei Jian's voice was a little vague, as if he was talking to Lu Wensheng, but also as if he was talking to himself, "Relationships require sincerity the most."

There was a moment of silence in the crude cell, and you could hear a pin drop.

After a long while, Lu Wensheng's clear voice sounded, and he said, "You do understand her."

Pei Jian said in an inaudible voice, "It's a pity it's too late."

"She did come looking for me."

Lu Wensheng raised his eyebrows and smiled slightly.