Chapter 53
"Because of someone's frame-up yesterday, Mingxue and I have become husband and wife. But please rest assured, I love Mingxue. Even if what happened yesterday had not happened, I would have asked His Majesty to grant us a marriage long ago, so we are now an engaged couple." Li Fei deliberately emphasized the word "granted marriage".
"Asshole! You...!"
"Uncle, this is not Li Fei's fault. They were also framed. I have also consulted the imperial physician Li about the medicine that framed them. If they do not sleep together, they will surely die. But fortunately, he and my cousin are lovers and they were granted marriage. It can be considered a blessing in disguise." Gong Yuchen smoothed things over for Li Fei at the right time.
"Oh...! So it was you who asked for the imperial decree granting the marriage?" Looking at Li Fei who was kneeling on the ground.
"yes."
"But how did you and Mingxue meet? Who is planning to frame you?!"
Looking at Li Fei, since His Majesty had already granted him a marriage with Ming Xue, it was a done deal. As for the reality of their marriage, it was already a fait accompli, and there was no point in saying more. Although not as good as Chen Er, Li Fei at least had a clean family background and high social status. However, he was also a bastard, and his future career was uncertain.
"It was a coincidence, but I have been in love with Mingxue for a long time. My true feelings for Mingxue are clear to all."
"Li Fei, I have nothing to say about His Majesty's arranged marriage, but haven't you always been in love with Princess Yue? To be honest, I'm not optimistic about Mingxue and your marriage. Let me be frank: I'm afraid my daughter's personality is not suitable for your family."
He said he liked Mingxue, but he knew his own daughter well. She was not suitable for being a mistress. He let her marry Chen'er because it was a close relationship, or at least they could be relatives. However, with the power of the Li family, he alone could not protect his daughter.
"The princess and I are just siblings. Uncle Gong, do you mean you can't trust Li Fei?"
"No, no, to be honest, I don't trust Mingxue. This child has a bit of a quirky personality and is really not suitable to be our mistress. But I don't want her to suffer any grievances. I think you should understand what I mean, right?" Wasn't what he said obvious enough?
Fortunately, fortunately, this father-in-law doesn’t dislike me.
"I think Mingxue's personality is just right for me." Li Fei couldn't help but smile. It turned out that even her own father disliked Mingxue's personality.
"As for your concern that she might be wronged, Li Fei swears here that I, Li Fei, will only marry Gong Mingxue in this life and will never take a concubine or raise a mistress."
"You can do this!!" This boy was calm and collected. If he could really do this, he must have taken Mingxue to heart.
"If you break this oath, you will be struck by lightning."
"Okay, okay. In that case, my dear son-in-law, please get up quickly."
"Thank you, father-in-law, for your help! I'll send the betrothal gifts tomorrow." It's done! Li Fei quickly stood up, her eyes filled with surprise and gratitude.
"Okay, okay, then tell me what happened yesterday?"
"Brother Gongyu knows more about the scheme, so let him explain."
"Chen'er??"
"Let me tell you." Gong Yuchen sighed and spoke slowly.
Afterwards, Gong Yuchen told Gong Che in detail how Yi Luoyao and Gong Yuxian planned to lure Gong Mingxue and Li Fei to the side hall, attempting to use aphrodisiacs to create a scandal between Li Fei and Gong Mingxue, and alienate the relationship between himself, Li Fei, and Yi Luoyue.
When Gong Che heard this, his face instantly turned pale, his eyes widened, and he slammed the table and shouted angrily.
"Is this true? How dare they be so vicious! Mingxue is my daughter, how could they plot against her reputation like this!"
"I would like to thank Brother Gongyu and the princess for this. They arrived just in time to rescue Mingxue and me, and prevented the scandal from being leaked."
"You are my brother, Mingxue is my cousin, we are all family, so we can't just stand by and watch. Besides, the virtuous king was coming for us in the first place."
"Why would the virtuous king be so cruel to Li Fei? Even if Li Fei is a candidate for the prince consort, would he still be a threat to the virtuous king?" Gong Che looked at his future son-in-law.
It seems that there are some things that need to be informed to the future father-in-law. Li Fei took out a token from her arms and showed it to Gong Che.
"What is this?" Gong Che looked at the token of a third-rank military officer in his hand in surprise.
"My son-in-law is a third-rank military officer, directly under His Majesty."
He always felt that Li Fei was not what everyone thought he was. As a result, it turned out that he had good vision. What he didn't expect was that he was already a third-rank official. As the illegitimate son of Wu Cheng's family, he was indeed not like an ordinary illegitimate son. He was better than the legitimate sons of most aristocratic families. His future was also limitless. Since he saved Ming Xue Jing'er, and made Chen'er, Princess Yue, and His Majesty trust him so much, perhaps he would be a good son-in-law.
"The virtuous king must have some suspicions about my identity, but he couldn't find any evidence against me, so he was so anxious to get rid of me."
Gong Che nodded. Indeed, although this son-in-law had not appeared in the court, he held real power, especially as he was a close confidant of His Majesty. It was no wonder that the virtuous king wanted to get rid of him.
"Yi Luoyao and Gong Yuxian have always regarded Li Fei and me as thorns in their side. Li Fei is a talented and skilled warrior, deeply favored by His Majesty, and everyone believes she will be engaged to Princess Yue. So, to prevent our growing influence, Yi Luoyao and his men planned to engineer a scandal, allowing Li Fei to defile Mingxue. This would surely cause me to turn against Li Fei and the princess over Mingxue's humiliation. What they didn't know was that Li Fei had already received His Majesty's imperial decree granting her marriage yesterday morning.
Gong Che was so angry that he was shaking all over. He had not expected Yi Luoyao and the others to be so cruel. For the sake of power, they did not hesitate to frame the royal family and even used his daughter as a pawn. If this were to be made public, not only would Mingxue's reputation be ruined, but even his face would be gone.
Gong Yuchen and Li Fei looked at each other, both with coldness in their eyes.
"If their plan succeeds, they will publicize the matter widely and make our families feel ashamed in Yidu." Gong Yuchen said coldly.
"Gong Yuchen, what are your plans next?"
"I have already made these arrangements. Last night, I asked Liefeng to investigate relevant information about the palace maid overnight, but I don't know how much useful it will be."
"Then how can we make Yi Luoyao and his men's crimes known to the public, so that Your Majesty can see their true colors?"
"Uncle, please calm down for now. The most urgent matter now is to go to the palace to see His Majesty. I hope that you will go with me and Li Fei to the palace to meet His Majesty and file a complaint."
"You mean an audience with His Majesty?"
"Although we have no direct evidence against Yi Luoyao, he didn't ask right from wrong. Without any verification, he led the ministers to catch the adulterer, and even firmly said it was Li Fei and Ming Xue. This alone is enough to charge him with defamation and slander."
"Alright, let's go to the palace now." Since the virtuous king had his hands on him, he knew, both publicly and privately, that if he were ever to ascend to the throne, there would be no hope for them. Since Chen'er and his future son-in-law were both pushing for him to become king, he was determined to side with them for the sake of his family's century-old foundation.
Just after noon, the palace carriage had already stopped outside the palace gate. Gong Yuchen, Li Fei, and Gong Che disembarked one after another, facing the surprised gazes of the palace guards, and headed straight for Tianlu Pavilion.
Outside the Tianlu Pavilion, Zhang Liang, the chief steward of the Imperial Household Department, saw three people coming together and hurried inside to report.
Soon, Yi Xuanxin's voice was heard.
"Let them in."
"Your Majesty, this is Gong Che."
"Your Majesty, Li Fei."
"Western Yi, Gong Yuchen."
"Greetings, Your Highness."
The three of them walked into the room and saluted in unison.
"It's rare to see the three of you here together. What's going on? Are you here to thank me for the emperor's order?"
Yi Xuanxin said in a light tone.
Gong Che fell to his knees with a thud, his voice filled with excitement.
"Your Majesty! I have come here today to appeal for the injustice done to my daughter Gong Mingxue and Li Fei!"
"What do you mean, my dear Gong?" Why? The marriage was granted yesterday, why are you seeking justice today?
"Your Majesty, the virtuous king maliciously fabricated rumors, saying that my daughter and Li Fei committed adultery in the side hall of the Orchid Pavilion. I implore Your Majesty to give my daughter and Li Fei justice!"
"What do you mean?"
"Last night, the virtuous prince believed a palace maid's claim that my daughter and Li Fei were committing adultery in a side hall of the Orchid Pavilion. Without verifying anything, the virtuous prince led a group of people to catch them. He even swore that it was my daughter Gong Mingxue and Li Fei. But when they arrived at the Orchid Pavilion, even though no one was inside, he still insisted that it was the two of them who had committed the affair. If Gong Yuchen hadn't happened to go with Imperial Physician Li to investigate, I'm afraid the virtuous prince would have framed my daughter and Li Fei."
"Yes! Your Majesty, the rumors have spread beyond the palace. Mingxue has even shut herself up and refused to see anyone. She's clearly my fiancée, yet she's being framed like this. I beg Your Majesty to stand up for Mingxue and me, and ask the virtuous king to give an explanation!"
"Your Majesty," Gong Yuchen added.
"The virtuous prince's actions not only slander Cousin Mingxue and Li Fei, but I even have reason to suspect that the virtuous prince is trying to alienate the relationship between me and Princess Yue. If the rumormongers are not thoroughly investigated and severely punished, there will be no peace in the palace and the court in the future!"
Since it is a complaint, of course the more people the better, and as long as Luo Yue is involved, His Majesty will certainly not protect the virtuous king.
"You bastard! Zhang Liang! Go and ask the virtuous king to come and see me."
As expected, Yi Xuanxin was furious when he heard that Gong Yuchen and his precious daughter were involved. When he left the palace banquet last night, everything was fine. How could so much have happened since he left? The virtuous prince's actions were increasingly falling short of the royal ideal! Every single one of yesterday's troubles was linked to him.
The eunuch took the order and left. Soon he brought Yi Luoyao into Tianlu Pavilion.
"Your son, Yi Luoyao greets his father."
Yi Xuanxin looked at him and asked in a bad tone.
"Wise King, Master Gong, Crown Prince Gongyu and Li Fei both said that you fabricated rumors, slandering Li Fei and Master Gong's daughter Gong Mingxue, alleging that they were committing adultery within the palace. Is this true?"
Yi Luoyao panicked and hurriedly explained.
"Father, it's a misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding! I am innocent! I have never spread rumors."
"Bastard!" Yi Xuanxin grabbed a folder on the table and threw it at him.
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