"What? Impossible! It can't be!"
Li Wentian felt as if he had been struck by lightning; the hope in his eyes was instantly replaced by fear.
"I have already knelt down and begged the people's will as the prince ordered, so why are you treating me like this?"
His eyes were bloodshot. He grabbed Lin Yong's robe and gritted his teeth, saying, "Where is the Prince? He must not have seen my pleading posture. I want to plead with the Prince myself!"
Lin Yong's disappointment deepened.
Such behavior is befitting royalty and nobility—how utterly laughable!
Lin Yong, determined to see the light at the end of the tunnel, didn't stop Li Wentian. He let him wash up before having the yamen runners take him there.
Li Wentian was anxious to enter the clinic, but An Yi suddenly appeared and kicked him out the door.
"Without the Prince's order, neither the Marquis nor his dog are allowed to trespass."
"Pfft, hahaha!" The two constables in charge of guarding the place laughed so hard they were doubled over, just watching the show from the sidelines without offering to help him up.
"Well said, 'Lord Marquis and dog,' isn't that referring to this dog Marquis?"
Li Wentian's body trembled violently, his face showing a mixture of disbelief and resentment that vanished in an instant.
He staggered to his feet, feeling anxious.
Since he can't go in, he can at least wait for the prince to come out!
Looking around, he saw that the Su family's shop next door was open for business. He walked in, his body aching all over, and plopped down at a table near the door, staring intently in the direction of the clinic.
Who would have thought the surprise would come so quickly.
Before he could even sit down properly, a woman pushed the prince out of the Su family's backyard!
The woman lowered her head and told a funny story, while the prince in the wheelchair looked relaxed and laughed.
Great opportunity!
Li Wentian clenched his fists, rushed forward, knelt down in front of the wheelchair with a thud, and kowtowed fiercely:
"Your Highness, I have come to plead guilty! I have deeply realized the mistakes I have made, and after a night of painful reflection, I have knelt in repentance. I will definitely correct my past mistakes and serve the people. I beg Your Highness to have mercy and give me another chance!"
Su An stopped pushing the wheelchair, frowning as if something was wrong.
What a jinx this morning.
Fu Zhun's handsome face darkened slightly.
Wearing a cloak in June ruins my good mood.
He narrowed his eyes with a cold glint in them, staring down at Li Wentian, who appeared to be trembling with fear.
“Those who have minor flaws or mistakes, if they are upright, I should make amends for them. As for your own mistakes, you are surely well aware of what you have done. Being demoted to a commoner is already a lenient act by me. What opportunity do you have?”
His voice was cold, but the words he spoke sent chills down Li Wentian's spine, and his face grew even paler.
He looked up with a fawning smile and said blankly, "Your Highness, I was just a little arrogant when I was walking around, and I didn't do anything else wrong... Besides, the siege of Fuyou County was all done by my father-in-law. He's dead now, his sins are absolved, and I've explained everything clearly. It has nothing to do with me!"
"All sins absolved? You'd have to ask the innocent people who died unjustly if they agree." Su An stared at him coldly and interrupted. Judging from this man's pig-headed appearance, he must have suffered a lot, yet he remained so unrepentant.
Li Wentian gritted his teeth in resentment, but dared not show any sign of bitterness. He only felt deep regret for his past actions.
He regretted it! He shouldn't have listened to those two twin women in the backyard, saying they wanted to avenge his father-in-law! He regretted even more listening to the prefect's instigating nonsense and blindly coming here, only to kick the regent's hot potato!
"That's right, it's the prefect! It's all the prefect's fault!"
Li Wentian put on a look of deep disgust and quickly blurted out, "What do you mean there are rebels causing trouble in Fuyou County? That's all the prefect's way of fooling outsiders! He's the one who sent me to cause you trouble, which is why I put on airs as soon as I arrived. It was all his doing. I was just acting on impulse!"
"Your Highness, if you want to teach a lesson, you should teach that scoundrel of a prefect a lesson, just ignore me!"
He shouted with hope, but Su An and Fu Zhun exchanged glances and were not surprised by what he said.
Since learning yesterday that Li Wentian and the clerk were father-in-law and father-in-law, they had roughly guessed that the prefect had instigated this.
They even speculated that the emperor was behind the prefect!
Otherwise, how could a prefect dare to order the burning of the city and the massacre of its inhabitants, unless the emperor was behind it all and was supporting the prefect?
Li Wentian was merely pushed out to cause them trouble, a scapegoat to be the first to stick their necks out.
“Even if you were instigated by the prefect, your character is not innocent. Do you want me to order people to investigate all your past misdeeds? Rape, kidnapping, oppressing the innocent and treating them as lowly, you are innocent then.” Fu Zhun spoke coldly, tapping his fingertips, his aura emanating from within.
Upon hearing these words, Li Wentian's expression turned completely ashen.
His last shred of hope vanished, and he slumped weakly to the ground.
So it seems the Prince of Zhenbei is determined to punish him!
"I...I was wrong, I was really wrong...Please forgive me, Your Highness! I promise I'll never do it again!"
He was terrified and wanted to plead for mercy, but Fu Zhun was already impatient.
Only after ordering An Yi to throw the man out did the shop regain its tranquility.
"Wow!" Su An stared at Fu Zhun with sparkling eyes, unable to suppress her infatuation: "Do you know how cool you were just saying those words!"
"Were you always this imposing? How many young girls must have been captivated by you? The legendary one who could change the world with a flick of his finger??"
Fu Zhun couldn't help but chuckle, raising his eyes to ask, "You like watching?"
"Then I'd rather have my men arrest more corrupt officials and deal with them one by one, so you can have more to enjoy."
"Hey, wait!" Su An waved his hand with a laugh. "Your Highness's handsome appearance is timeless, there's no need for an assembly line! Besides, there shouldn't be that many corrupt officials, right?"
Fu Zhun smiled, neither confirming nor denying.
I'm afraid it's quite the opposite.
"..." Upon hearing this conversation, An Yi, who had just returned, silently broke out in goosebumps all over his body.
Even sending him to the battlefield wouldn't have been this terrifying!
Li Wentian was thrown into the street like a rag doll, his magnificent robes and crown symbolizing his nobility were stripped off, leaving him only in a disheveled undergarment covered in dust.
"Prince Zhenbei... Prince Zhenbei! Do you really think you can control everything? You wait, I will never let this go!"
His eyes were bloodshot, and he roared through gritted teeth as he got up, but then he immediately thought of someone else.
The culprit who caused him to become so destitute is the prefect of Qingzhou!
"Damn bastard! If it weren't for your instigation, I wouldn't be in this state!" He couldn't settle scores with the Prince of Zhenbei, but couldn't he at least deal with a prefect?!
Qingzhou, inside the prefect's residence.
The prefect was leisurely enjoying tea in the courtyard when he heard that Li Wentian had arrived. A barely perceptible sneer appeared on his lips.
"You treacherous villain, how dare you scheme against me!"
Li Wentian rushed into the courtyard like a whirlwind, roaring as he threw a punch at the prefect's face.
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