Chapter 84 The Prince should feel sorry for her.
"Erlang——"
The general announced that he had ordered his men to disperse the crowd of onlookers.
Tang Xinuan wanted to catch up with Zhou Chuanxing. She went against the flow of people, and in the midst of a snowstorm, Zhou Chuanxing's heroic figure disappeared into the snowstorm in the blink of an eye.
Her shouts blended into the howling wind and the clamor of the crowd.
No one heard it.
The execution was postponed, and Li Ce ordered his men to send the entire Wang family back to prison.
He then rushed to the palace with several other executioners as quickly as possible to meet the emperor.
It took more than an hour to walk from the Meridian Gate to the Prince's Mansion.
Tang Xinuan didn't say a word.
The snow was icy and the boots melted into water inside.
I didn't feel anything when I was frozen numb outside, but as soon as I came inside and felt the heat, my feet started to ache terribly.
Tang Xinuan sat down on the edge of the bed, where Shaoyao and Baizhi helped her change her clothes.
"Ouch, that hurts!"
Bai Zhi first gave her a hot water bottle, and when she saw that her feet were covered in blisters from the cold, she said with heartache, "Young lady, you went out in such heavy snow, look, you're all frozen."
She pulled the blanket over Tang Xinuan and then covered her feet with it in her arms.
"Your Highness will be heartbroken to see this."
Tang Xinuan threw back the covers and called to Xiaoqian, "Come in quickly."
He then instructed Zisu and Lianqiao, who were standing at the door, "You two go back and rest. I'll call you if I need anything."
Only then did he respond to Bai Zhi, "I'm fine. I can't sleep soundly unless I see Grand Tutor Wang and his family being tortured with my own eyes."
Bai Zhi sighed, "Heaven has eyes; this family of wicked people has finally gotten their comeuppance."
Xiaoqian angrily cursed, "Heaven has no eyes! There was no execution at all!"
Bai Zhi was startled: "What's going on? Wasn't he sentenced to death? Why hasn't he been beheaded yet?"
Xiaoqian said angrily, "The Emperor woke up and sent people to stop him. Fortunately, the Prince was smart and ignored the general who was delivering the decree, ordering him to kill Grand Tutor Wang."
Tang Xinuan and Xiaoqian grew up in the Marquis's mansion and had little contact with the outside world, so they were unaware of outside affairs, let alone matters involving the imperial court.
Bai Zhi couldn't help but worry.
"The Emperor has awakened? The Prince insisted on killing Grand Tutor Wang despite having an imperial decree?"
Xiaoqian was still moved by the prince's domineering and decisive nature.
“Sister Baizhi, you didn’t see how domineering the prince was. He killed Grand Tutor Wang and his two sons with a single sword.”
Bai Zhi said worriedly, "I'm afraid the prince will be punished."
Ever since Tang Xinuan met Zhou Chuanxing, he has always been a "god" who holds the power of life and death.
No one ever dared to question who he wanted to kill.
She also thought this was a normal thing.
Hearing Bai Zhi's concerns at this moment completely overturned her understanding.
"Will the prince be punished?"
Bai Zhi nodded: "If Your Highness disobeys the imperial edict, that is to show contempt for imperial power. No matter what, the Emperor is the sovereign, and Your Highness will always be a subject in front of him."
"If the Emperor disapproves, punishing the Prince is just a matter of a word."
Tang Xinuan was extremely worried.
"How will the Emperor punish him?"
Bai Zhi shook her head: "This servant doesn't know either."
Tang Xinuan asked, "Is the Emperor very fierce? Is he not good to Erlang? Aren't they siblings?"
Bai Zhi: "Everyone says that the Emperor is a benevolent ruler, and his relationship with the Prince must be good. The Prince is away fighting wars all year round, and the Emperor bestows many gifts upon him every year."
Xiaoqian: "Since the Emperor treats the Prince so well and is a benevolent ruler, he certainly won't punish the Prince. After all, the Grand Tutor is so wicked and has done so many bad things. Even if he is the Prince's father-in-law, he can't tolerate evil, right?"
Bai Zhi agreed with Xiao Qian's words, saying, "Xiao Qian is right. The Emperor will definitely not punish the Prince."
Tang Xi is warm-hearted and simple-minded.
Even when she decided to escape from the Marquis's mansion, she never suffered from insomnia.
But tonight, even though Grand Tutor Wang is dead and she has avenged her great grudge, she still can't sleep in bed.
"Bai Zhi," she said softly in the darkness, "the prince is back. No matter when, have them come and let us know."
Bai Zhi could tell that she was genuinely worried.
"Miss Tang, don't worry, no matter how late the prince returns, he will come to see you."
Tang Xinuan sighed silently, hoping that Erlang would not be punished and would return soon.
After the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), Erlang still hadn't arrived. Xiaoqian said with concern, "Miss, you should go to sleep early. The Prince must be back by now. It's so cold outside, I'm afraid he'll bring you cold air. You'll see him tomorrow morning."
Tang Xinuan couldn't bear it any longer and closed her eyes.
However, he slept for a little over an hour.
As dawn broke, she climbed out of her warm bed, changed into thick clothes, and hurried to the Xiaoqinzheng Hall.
The heavy snow fell for a full day and two nights, only stopping in the early hours of the morning.
The steward, along with eunuchs and guards, had already cleaned the main road.
Tang Xinuan arrived at the Xiaoqin Hall without a single snowflake falling on her boots.
She entered the house, her hands warmed by the cold air, and asked the guard at the door, "Has the Prince returned?"
The guard replied truthfully, "I haven't seen the prince come over."
Tang Xinuan instructed Baihe, "Go and check on the Prince's palace."
Baihe received the order and rushed back. "Miss Tang, the Prince is not here; he probably hasn't returned yet."
Zhou Chuanxing occasionally stayed overnight at the palace. Given the heavy snow last night, it was perfectly reasonable for the Emperor to let him stay since he had just woken up.
Tang Xinuan kept trying to persuade herself.
After all, Erlang is the emperor's own brother. Even if he makes a mistake occasionally, he won't be in any danger.
Another half hour passed, and Zhou Chuanxing did not return, but he did meet Prince Duan.
"Miss Tang, hurry up and pack your things and come with me."
Prince Duan rushed over in a hurry, behaving in a very abnormal manner.
This was the first time Tang Xinuan had ever seen him with such an expression; he seemed flustered and insecure.
She wasn't sure if her observations were correct.
Only one thought occupied his mind: "Where's Erlang? Did something happen to him?"
Prince Duan forced a smile and said, "It's nothing, what could possibly happen to him? It's just that Yanqing is home alone, and I'm worried about her in this heavy snow, so I brought you over to keep her company."
"Your elder brother has just woken up, and your second brother can't leave; he won't be back for the next couple of days. Staying at the manor won't be interesting for you, so why don't you come visit me for a few days?"
Tang Xinuan didn't believe a single word the Prince of Duan said.
"You're lying, Erlang must be in trouble."
“No, really no,” Prince Duan explained. “It’s just that my elder brother asked him to report on the state affairs of the past year or so. My second brother was too busy to handle it all, so he asked me to come back and settle you in.”
Tang Xinuan still didn't believe it. "I'm not leaving. I'm not going anywhere. I'll wait for him at the Prince's Mansion."
Prince Duan glanced outside and said urgently, "Miss Tang, you'd better come with me quickly. I made an appointment with my second brother. He will come to my place as soon as he leaves the palace. You won't be able to wait for him here."
Tang Xinuan understood that Prince Duan would not tell her the truth.
Finally, she instructed Xiaoqian and Huangqi to pack their clothes briefly, and then left the Regent's Palace with Prince Duan.
Prince Duan only sent Tang Xinuan back to the palace, gave her a few brief instructions, and then hurriedly left.
Chu Yanqing has been suspended from her duties.
She did a very good job as a sixth-rank assistant minister in the Ministry of Revenue.
But when the emperor awoke, court officials immediately impeached her for being a woman who was ruining the country, and the emperor suspended her from her post.
Fortunately, she was still the regent's wife whom the empress had arranged to marry, so the emperor only suspended her from her duties and did not pursue any other crimes against her.
The first thing Tang Xinuan did upon seeing Chu Yanqing was to inquire about Erlang's situation.
Unfortunately, Chu Yanqing was only a sixth-rank official and had no chance to get close to the emperor, nor did he know what was happening in the palace.
"When I left, Sun Qingzhao, Yao Lin and others were summoned to the palace. The emperor probably wanted to investigate all the officials appointed by the regent."
Tang Xinuan anticipated that the Emperor would be angry about the unauthorized killing of the Grand Tutor, but she couldn't understand why the matter of Erlang acting on behalf of the Emperor was being investigated.
"Cousin, if the Emperor is very, very angry, how will he punish Erlang?"
Chu Yanqing reassured her, "After all, Prince Qin is the Emperor's own brother. No matter how big a mistake he makes, he won't lose his life. At most, he'll be stripped of his official position and title and confined to his palace, where he won't be allowed to leave freely."
Tang Xinuan was imprisoned by her cousin for more than ten years, and she knew all too well what it was like.
"How could someone as ambitious as Erlang be confined to a small palace?"
Chu Yanqing reached out and hugged her. "Cousin, don't worry. This is the worst-case scenario. Unless the Prince of Qin rebels, the Emperor will not punish him like this. Killing the Grand Tutor is wrong, but the Grand Tutor has committed many crimes and deserves his fate. The Emperor wants to give the Empress an explanation, so at most he will reprimand her. It will just look bad on the surface."
If it were just a matter of saving face, Tang Xinuan could accept it.
After breakfast, Chu Yanqing thought of her brother. "Cousin, my older brother has been missing for more than three months. My mother is very worried. My sister-in-law contacted me the day before yesterday, asking me to help look for him. If you know where he is, please tell me."
Tang Xinuan slapped her forehead, "Look at my memory, how could I forget about this?"
Chu Yannuo was imprisoned in the dungeon by her, and then she was busy helping Erlang grade papers. After the Grand Tutor was arrested, all her attention was on the Grand Tutor's case, and she also helped to collect a lot of evidence. She had no idea that her cousin was in the dungeon.
"Lily, go back to the Prince's mansion and release your cousin. Also, check if the Prince has returned."
It's freezing cold now, and the dungeon is dark and cold. She doesn't care if her cousin gets cold, but she'll feel bad if her aunt is sad.
Lily accepted the order and hurried back to the Regent's Palace through the thick snow.
After a good half hour, she hurriedly returned to the Duan Prince's residence and reported to Tang Xinuan.
"Miss Tang, something terrible has happened! The Regent's Palace has been sealed off."
Tang Xi's heart tightened. "Is it that serious?"
Chu Yanqing also couldn't believe it. "How could this be? It's just the death of a Grand Tutor. He was a man who deserved to die. The Emperor isn't senile. Why would he search the Prince's mansion?"
Lily didn't go into the Prince's mansion, so she couldn't see it clearly.
"Anyway, both Grand Tutor Yao and Prince Chu have been rescued."
She witnessed these two people being taken away.
Tang Xinuan couldn't help but regret it. She had detained Yao Taifu and tricked her cousin into going to the dungeon.
Is it all Erlang's fault now?
If she had known this would happen, she would have killed Yao Taifu, destroyed the body, and released her cousin sooner.
"Cousin, what do we do now?"
Chu Yanqing couldn't enter the palace, so naturally she couldn't find out any information.
However, there is one person whose identity is different.
“Princess Chao Li, she is the Emperor’s own sister. The Regent cannot come out, and Prince Duan refuses to tell the truth. Only Chao Li can help.”
"I'm going to find the princess," Tang Xinuan said, getting up to leave. Chu Yanqing quickly stopped her. "Grand Tutor Wang has been killed. The Empress must hate the Tang family to death. You should stay here obediently. I'll go in your place."
Tang Xinuan couldn't stand it any longer. "I'll change into men's clothes and go with you."
Chu Yanqing still disagreed, "You used Han Xi's identity to swindle Prince Rui out of 500,000 taels of silver. The Regent was punished, and Prince Rui must have played a significant role in that. If he finds out now, do you even want your life?"
Her cousin's analysis made sense, so Tang Xinuan had no choice but to behave herself.
Chu Yanqing personally went to the Li residence.
Li Ce and the princess have both entered the palace, and the Li family has no idea what's going on.
Chu Yanqing ordered her most trusted maid to stay at the Li family home and report back to her immediately if there was any news.
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