Upon seeing this, the guards around the prefect quickly drew their swords and stood in front of him.
Although Li Wentian was furious, he had lost his former power and influence, and even his own guards had been dismissed. He was easily stopped by his guards.
The prefect, a middle-aged man with a shrewd and worldly appearance, slowly put down his teacup without moving. Instead, he put on a pained expression and said, "What do you mean by this, Your Excellency? I've only done this for your sake; how could I possibly scheme against you?"
Li Wentian's face turned ashen with rage, and he roared with wide eyes, "You still dare to argue! If you hadn't sent me to cause trouble in Fuyou County, how could I have offended the Prince of Zhenbei and now even been stripped of my title of Marquis!"
"I've done nothing to you, why are you hurting me like this?!"
"My lord, please don't act rashly. There's more to this than meets the eye. The Prince of Zhenbei was trying to suppress you. I was just trying to help you, but the Prince of Zhenbei turned on me instead." The prefect shook his head heavily and sighed.
Upon hearing this, Li Wentian's anger instantly froze, and he suddenly raised his hoarse voice: "What did you say? The Prince of Zhenbei is deliberately targeting me?"
"Think about it, you gained high rank and riches because of your sister's favor with His Majesty. This has already offended many people and blocked their path. How many people are so jealous that they wish they could bring you and your sister, Consort Li, down from their horses? Not to mention that arrogant and aloof Prince Zhenbei?"
"He is determined to control the emperor and seize power, so how could he allow His Majesty to continue to favor your sister and strengthen your Li family? He also sees you, as the emperor's brother-in-law, as a thorn in his side. Naturally, he wants to take this opportunity to eliminate this threat so that he can seize power for himself."
The prefect, adding fuel to the fire, incited the madman with a mournful and sighing voice.
As Li Wentian listened, it seemed to make sense.
But something doesn't seem right.
He raised his eyes, his gaze bloodshot, and said, "Since you already know that the Prince of Zhenbei is going to deal with me, you still dare to lure me into a trap?!"
The prefect couldn't help but scoff inwardly. This fool's brain had suddenly become sharp at this moment. He quickly sighed, "Oh, no, no, on the contrary, it was the Prince of Zhenbei who handed this handle to you!"
"You originally intended to go to Fuyou County to quell the rebellion, but that Prince Zhenbei disregarded the law and dared to attack you without authorization. If you just return to the palace and file a complaint with His Majesty, wouldn't you be able to get revenge through His Majesty's intervention? If you can make Prince Zhenbei suffer a setback, His Majesty might even reward you handsomely."
Hearing the prefect's words, Li Wentian clenched his fists tightly and laughed resentfully.
"That's right! I'm going to the palace. Since the Prince of Zhenbei dared to treat me like this, he won't get away with it either!"
His eyes were filled with hatred, but he didn't notice that the prefect opposite him was calmly blowing on his tea, having already absolved himself of all responsibility.
Li Wentian traveled non-stop all the way to the capital and went straight to the palace to visit Consort Li.
Inside the palace, sheer curtains fluttered gently, and a delicate fragrance wafted through the air. Consort Li reclined on a brocade couch, her crimson silk dress accentuating her graceful figure and exquisite curves.
Her face was alluring, her eyes were full of affection, and her slightly upturned lips carried an innate charm, making her look extremely charming.
Seeing Li Wentian rush in, looking disheveled and ignoring the maid's attempts to stop him, Consort Li was initially startled. Her previously languid and leisurely expression instantly turned to concern, and she quickly straightened up to greet him with heartache.
"Xiao Tian, what's wrong with you? Didn't you say you went to Qingzhou to settle scores? Who would dare to hurt you?"
Li Wentian knelt down in front of her with a thud, and burst into tears with bloodshot eyes.
"Good sister, you must stand up for me! The prefect of Qingzhou tricked me into going to Fuyou County, but who knew that the Prince of Zhenbei lived in that small county town! I was just passing through the streets, and the Prince of Zhenbei used this as an excuse to humiliate me, beat me, scold me, and even strip me of my title of marquis. How am I supposed to live now!"
Upon hearing this, Consort Li's beautiful face turned deathly pale, and then she became so angry that her veins bulged: "Outrageous! Outrageous!"
Seeing Li Wentian wailing and crying, she felt even more distressed and quickly helped him up.
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. I will not let this matter rest. How dare the Prince of Zhenbei be so arrogant! I will definitely report him to His Majesty!"
Her alluring eyes turned sinister: "Perfect timing. His Majesty has always been troubled and wary of the arrogant and domineering Prince of Zhenbei. By handing over this handle to him, I can both vent your anger and relieve His Majesty's worries. It's killing two birds with one stone!"
At that moment, Chu Yi was sitting behind the imperial desk, which was decorated with dragons and phoenixes. The candlelight in the hall flickered, and the golden dragon on his robe shimmered as if it were about to take flight, which further accentuated his handsome features. His expression was sometimes bright and sometimes dim, sometimes unpredictable.
"Your Majesty, you must do justice for me..." Consort Li moved gracefully, her robes fluttering, her eyes reddening.
Tears welled up in her beautiful eyes, but she held them back, making her look utterly pitiful.
"Your Majesty, as you know, I only have one younger brother. He's grown up and wanted to go to Fuyou County to quell the rebellion and earn merit, but unexpectedly, he angered the Prince of Zhenbei who was there..."
"That Prince of Zhenbei is utterly unreasonable. Not only did he distort the truth, but he also arbitrarily stripped Wen Tian of his title, causing Wen Tian to be humiliated and nearly lose his life!"
"Oh?" Chu Yi, behind the desk, stroked his chin, feigning surprise. "Imperial Uncle, how dare you be so audacious?"
"That's right!" Consort Li pounced on him, her body soft and boneless, her face full of resentment and accusation.
"Your Majesty, Wen Tian's title was personally bestowed upon him by you. That Prince of Zhenbei stripped it away so easily. This is utterly rebellious and an overstepping of Your Majesty's authority! You must seek justice for my brother and me!"
Chu Yi tapped lightly on the imperial desk, raised his eyebrows and smiled, revealing a hint of coldness and ruthlessness.
“My beloved consort is right. Li Wentian is, after all, the emperor’s brother-in-law and the Marquis of Jiayu, whom I personally bestowed upon him. Even if he has committed some wrongdoing, it is not his place to deal with it. This is a blatant provocation against the imperial majesty!”
"Issue my decree—"
"Send the envoy to Fuyou County immediately and ask the Prince of Zhenbei if he intends to disregard the laws of the land and the Emperor!"
Seeing this, Consort Li was secretly delighted, and her soft, delicate hands clung even deeper to Chu Yi's neck: "Your Majesty is wise and will surely give my brother justice, letting that Prince of Zhenbei know that this world ultimately belongs to Your Majesty and will not tolerate his reckless behavior..."
"I am but a humble woman of modest appearance; only Your Majesty would have mercy on me and make decisions for me..."
She lowered her head slightly, revealing a section of her fair neck. Her posture was like that of a docile lamb, yet it inadvertently stirred Chu Yi's heartstrings.
"Of course, you are my woman. If I don't protect you, who will?" Chu Yi chuckled and lifted her chin, his breath hot against her skin, but his eyes were cold and mocking, devoid of any affection.
My dear uncle, the more enemies you make, the more opportunities you give me to seize upon your weaknesses.
You must never change your arrogant nature!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
