Granny Cui quickly knelt down and shook her head repeatedly.
Prime Minister Zhang suddenly rushed into the courtyard and roared wildly, "Arrest everyone inside and outside the Grand Tutor's mansion, and don't let a single one escape."
------
By this time, it was already dark.
Hongyu returned to the Yanwang Mansion and hurriedly ran to Lianxiang Garden. Pushing open the door, she saw Lianxiang sitting upright at a round table, with a black dress and a sword in front of her.
"elder sister."
Hearing Hongyu's call, Lianxiang suddenly stood up, tears streaming down her face. She hugged Hongyu and choked back sobs, "I thought you wouldn't forgive me and Mother..."
Hongyu kept shaking her head. She had originally harbored resentment towards Lu Xue'er, but after learning that the woman Zhang Taishi loved most was her own mother, she felt relieved.
Grand Tutor Zhang also specifically instructed Lianxiang not to act rashly, but to work together to assist Prince Yan. Once Prince Yan ascends the throne, he can then kill Prime Minister Zhang.
She pulled Lianxiang down to sit, and the two of them continued to sob.
“Sister, listen to what Hongyu has to say. That waist token does not belong to the Grand Tutor’s mansion. The day Father saw you, he sent people to Jiangnan to investigate your background. He did not know of your existence before, nor did he ever plot against our mother. It was Prime Minister Zhang and Zhang Lianhua who did it. Father poisoned Zhang Lianhua, and she is doomed.”
Where is Prime Minister Zhang?
Hongyu was stunned. Under Grand Tutor Zhang's cover, she and Prince Yan escaped from the Grand Tutor's mansion. She feared that Prime Minister Zhang was currently beating the servants to death, and that Grand Tutor Zhang, Xiansheng, and Chenyu would likely also be unable to escape. Thinking that she had once again implicated Chenyu, she couldn't help but burst into tears again, still trying to comfort Lianxiang.
"Sister, don't be anxious. Prince Yan has already gone to the palace to invite the Emperor. Today, let's save Father and Shenyu's lives first, and then we'll think of a way to take revenge later."
Lianxiang nodded, but her heart held other plans: the Crown Prince was the eldest son, supported by the Empress, the Gao family, the Zuo family, and other important court officials, and also protected by Prime Minister Zhang. Prince Yan had absolutely no chance of ascending the throne. To avenge her mother, she had to rely on herself. Thinking of this, she gripped Hongyu's hand tightly, tears streaming down her face.
“Sister, although I met Shenyu later, I am certain that she is sincere to you, and I am ashamed of myself for that. If Shenyu can escape from Prime Minister Zhang this time, you must treat her as your own sister.”
With the help of Cuiwei and Jiu'er, Chenyu arrived at the Prince Yan's residence.
It was already past midnight when Prime Minister Zhang ordered all the servants of the Grand Tutor's mansion to be beaten to death, and then imprisoned Grand Tutor Zhang and Zhang Xiansheng in the Imperial City Guard.
She had thought she was doomed, but to her surprise, Prime Minister Zhang sent people from Chengyuan to fetch her. Thinking that Prince Yan had gone to the palace to ask for the Emperor's favor, she rushed to Prince Yan's residence to report that she was safe.
Seeing Hongyu rush in, she quickly closed the door, turned around and hugged Hongyu, bursting into tears: "The old scoundrel Prime Minister is even more vicious than Yao'er, he actually beat all the servants to death, and their corpses are piled up like a mountain..."
Hongyu hurriedly asked, "Where are my father and Xiansheng?"
"The two have been imprisoned in the Imperial City Guard."
At that moment, the door opened, and Prince Yan stormed in, shaking his head helplessly at Hongyu: "Father Emperor is unwilling to interfere in the affairs of the Grand Tutor's Mansion and the Prime Minister's Mansion, calling it a family matter." Having said that, he saw Chenyu and his eyes widened in shock. He thought of Prime Minister Zhang, who was notorious for his lust for women and had never failed in his pursuit; how could Chenyu have escaped unscathed? Could it be…?
Shen Yu looked at Yan Wang with the same confusion. If it wasn't the Emperor who ordered Prime Minister Zhang to release her, who else could it be?
Just then, there was a commotion in the courtyard: "There's a fire at one of the houses over there."
"It resembles the Grand Tutor's mansion..."
The three rushed into the courtyard and saw flames shooting into the sky from the direction of the Grand Tutor's mansion. Although it was late at night, thick smoke could still be seen billowing. Such a raging fire must mean that the Grand Tutor's mansion had caught fire.
"Yu'er, should we save her?"
Hongyu shook her head, thinking that Grand Tutor Zhang and Xiansheng had been imprisoned in the Imperial City Guard, and that two or three hundred people had died in the Grand Tutor's mansion, so it would be good if they were reduced to ashes.
The following morning, Prince Yan entered the palace to plead with the Emperor to issue an edict to release Grand Tutor Zhang and Xiansheng. Since the Grand Tutor's mansion had been reduced to ruins, Grand Tutor Zhang and Xiansheng temporarily took refuge in a separate courtyard of Prince Yan's mansion.
Just as Hongyu had settled Grand Tutor Zhang and Xiansheng, a visitor arrived at her door, who had come specifically to see her.
As she entered the hall, she was slapped in the face by Zhang Changle.
"Zhang Hongyu, don't think I don't know. You and Lianxiang are both my father's daughters. The two of you conspired to murder my mother and harm my uncle. I will make you pay with your life..."
Hongyu was startled; she hadn't expected Zhang Changle to be able to guess seven or eight parts of it correctly.
After Lady Zhang was poisoned, Grand Tutor Zhang took advantage of the moment when Prime Minister Zhang entered the room to get into the sedan chair with Prince Yan to meet her.
Grand Tutor Zhang confessed that he had poisoned Madam Zhang and intended to kill Prime Minister Zhang, but said that further planning was needed.
She was deeply puzzled as to why Prime Minister Zhang perished in the fire.
Seeing Zhang Changle raise her hand again, she quickly raised her own and slapped her first, saying sternly, "Nonsense! The Emperor has already ordered the government to investigate the fire at the Grand Tutor's mansion. How dare you draw conclusions so arbitrarily? Besides, your mother committed countless evil deeds, perhaps out of guilt, she committed suicide by poison. Your uncle slaughtered over two hundred people in the Grand Tutor's mansion and perished in the fire—that was retribution! What does that have to do with me and Lianxiang?"
"Someone witnessed Lianxiang entering the Grand Tutor's mansion last night, and within half an hour, a fire suddenly broke out. This morning, when the authorities investigated the case, a female corpse was found inside the Grand Tutor's mansion, which must be Lianxiang."
Lianxiang is dead?
Hongyu was shocked. Could it be that Lianxiang risked her life to help Chenyu escape unscathed last night?
She rushed to Lianxiang Garden, pushed open the bedroom door, and saw that Lianxiang was still on the bed. She thought of asking Lianxiang to go see Chang Le.
She lifted the blanket, and there was a lotus fragrance.
He Xiang rose tremblingly, then got out of bed in a panic. She knelt down and presented a letter and a jade pendant with auspicious clouds. She said in a trembling voice, "Last night, Consort Xiang quietly left the mansion and ordered me to lie on the bed and pretend to be her. I will give this letter to Consort Yu the next day."
Hongyu hurriedly opened the letter, which contained only a short line of text: "Sister, I can no longer help you become the principal wife. Take care in the future!"
She burst into tears, overwhelmed with grief, and collapsed to the ground, her body going limp.
I thought Lianxiang was sound asleep all night, oblivious to the fire at the Grand Tutor's mansion and the imprisonment of her father and brother in the Imperial City Guard. However, Lianxiang knew everything, and in her quest for revenge, she perished alongside Zhang Cheng.
“Zhang Hongyu, come with me to see the Crown Prince. I want you to pay for my mother and uncle’s lives.”
Through the blurry vision, Zhang Changle had already rushed in, followed by two burly old women. There was also a group of guards outside the door, who were not from the Yan Prince's mansion.
Hongyu was alarmed. If Zhang Changle saw the letter, it would confirm that she and Lianxiang had been plotting all along.
She quickly stuffed the letter into her sleeve, her tear-streaked face instantly contorted with grief and indignation. Pointing angrily at the old woman, she shouted, "You lowly servant! How dare you trespass into Consort Xiang's palace! Get out!"
"I, Zhang Changle, am acting on the orders of the Crown Prince to investigate my uncle's death. Snatch the letter from her sleeve! Now do it!"
At Zhang Changle's command, the two nannies immediately took action against Hongyu.
Unfortunately, He Xiang was petite and powerless to resist, so He Xiang and Hong Yu were pinned down by the two nannies.
The old woman reached into the red jade sleeve, pulled out a letter, and held it up high. "Miss, you've got it!"
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