Chapter 50 If she is the original owner of this body, then she really should…
King Yu clenched his fist, making a cracking sound.
The crown prince of Yu, who had kept his head down and remained silent the entire time, trembled uncontrollably upon hearing the creaking sound of the bones pressing together, and crawled even further to the ground.
Princess Rongyang: "No, don't come any closer."
Facing Yu Wang's bloodshot, murderous glare, Princess Rongyang, still recovering from the pain of being kicked by her uncle, was deeply hurt.
She instinctively dragged her kicked body to the side, pleading, "Uncle, save Rongyang! Uncle is going to kill Rongyang!"
With a wave of his hand, the imperial guards instantly stepped forward to stand between the two, preventing King Yu from making a move.
"King Yu." The Emperor's voice was not loud, but it was full of warning.
King Yu lifted his robe, and with a thud, his knees hit the ground, and he knelt down heavily.
“Your Majesty, the deaths of those women have nothing to do with Jun’er. Your Majesty is free to send people to investigate. I have not covered for him. Your Majesty, do not listen to Rong Yang’s crazy words.”
As soon as King Yu finished speaking, a scroll of documents was thrown in front of him with a snap.
"Open it and take a look," the Emperor said casually.
At the same time, the Emperor looked at the three ministers and said, "Carry Lord Tao away for treatment. You may also leave."
The next sentence was addressed to the other two ministers.
"We take our leave." Having overheard a bunch of ridiculous gossip that could have gotten them killed, the two ministers hurriedly withdrew.
What happened next is probably something His Majesty doesn't want them to know.
The imperial guards withdrew upon seeing the gesture.
After everyone else left, apart from the royal family, only Shen Hui, the emperor's personal eunuch, remained in the Hall of Diligent Governance.
King Yu had already picked up the petition, opened it, and was shocked to see what Princess Rongyang had just said. But that was just the tip of the iceberg; all the stupid things his son had done were listed in the petition.
At that moment, King Yu felt a chill run down his spine. Everything he did was under surveillance. If it weren't for what happened today, would these things have been brought out?
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. It is my fault for failing to properly educate my son. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness."
The person in charge spoke up: "Calm down? The emperor is subject to the same laws as commoners, and considering the crimes he committed today, once they are made public..."
'That's a capital offense,' King Yu knew very well. The crimes listed in the official register could be minor or major, but if you included contempt for the royal family, disregard for etiquette, and assassination of a minister, it would be enough to get his son killed.
"Your Majesty, I am willing to return the command of 30,000 troops to you. I only ask that Your Majesty not punish Jun'er and allow him to retain the title of heir apparent."
The Emperor tapped his fingers lightly on the table, where a petition still lay.
--
Many people were waiting for the follow-up to the case of Prince Yu silencing Imperial Censor Tao, but unexpectedly, the imperial decree that came out of the palace was to strip Princess Rongyang of her title and revoke the fiefdom granted by the royal family.
Upon hearing the news, Zhao Xian was stunned for a moment before asking Jiang Liangxu, "Where is the Crown Prince Yu? How come he's alright?"
Princess Rongyang has been stripped of her title, so she should no longer be called Princess Rongyang; she should be called by her real name, Xiao Langyue.
They all made the same mistake, and they're all members of the royal family, so why is the decision-making process still biased towards men? Is it only targeting women?
Such injustice?
Jiang Liangxu: "King Yu handed over all the two mines in Chu Huai City and surrendered 30,000 troops, thus saving the life and title of King Yu's heir."
Zhao Xian opened her mouth.
Jiang Liangxu seemed to see through her thoughts: "There's a problem with Prince Duan. Long after Xiao Langyue instigated him to ask the Emperor for an imperial decree to force him into marriage, the Emperor and Empress Dowager decided to send him away to travel and enjoy the scenery."
Zhao Xian: "This is still a game of who has the best father."
Jiang Liangxu: "She failed."
Zhao Xian: "Didn't the Empress Dowager dote on her? Why didn't she protect her?"
Jiang Liangxu: "They did this on the Empress Dowager's birthday, which is a disgrace to the royal family and to the Empress Dowager."
Zhao Xian: Oh, still angry.
In fact, Zhao Xian's act of presenting cotton and linen clothes to the disaster-stricken people in the name of the Empress Dowager was also a preparation for dealing with Xiao Langyue later, since royal incest is a major taboo.
She thought that if she gave the Empress Dowager a sweet treat first, and then the scandal was exposed, the Empress Dowager wouldn't be too biased towards Xiao Langyue for the sake of her reputation.
Unexpectedly, the two of them themselves caused a scene at the banquet.
However, the outcome was not good for Zhao Xian; she was quite disappointed with this era of imperial power.
Zhao Xian: "So, this matter is over?"
Jiang Liangxu shook his head: "Some things are hard to say. Madam, please don't go out these days unless you have to."
Princess Rongyang is somewhat insane. When they returned to Jin'an, she still wanted to make a move. At that time, Jiang Liangxu accidentally discovered her affair with the Crown Prince of Yu and used it to blackmail her into not making any rash moves.
But Jiang Liangxu remained wary of her.
Even after giving him a warning, he was still a little worried, so he arranged for many more people to stay away from Zhao Xian, but always around her.
-Lin Family-
Granny Yuan, who served Madam Lin, was helped into Qingyang Garden by a maid.
Granny Yuan's face showed unprecedented relief; she could finally stand up for her mistress. She glanced at the old woman who had come to deliver the message: "Weren't we supposed to be paying our respects? Where is she?"
The old woman replied, "Oh dear, I've been urging her, but she won't come out."
Granny Yuan said disdainfully, "She's not a princess anymore, so why is she still so arrogant?"
The old woman said, "It's because she's used to being a princess; she can't change that overnight."
Granny Yuan glanced at the maid beside her: "Go, knock on the door."
After the maid knocked on the door, Granny Yuan said in a loud voice, "Princess, oh no, Fourth Young Mistress, as a daughter-in-law of the Lin family, you should go and pay your respects to the Madam."
“You are no longer a princess, but a lady with the title of Lady. As her daughter-in-law, you can no longer be lazy and negligent.”
Pfft, someone couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.
"Pfft, haha..."
Once the entrance was opened, everyone couldn't hold back any longer, and a burst of unrestrained laughter filled the courtyard and even seeped into the house through the doors and windows.
The maidservant cautiously looked up, "Princess, Princess."
Slap! A handprint appeared on the maid's face, stained with blood. Xiao Langyue's sharp gaze swept over the maid. "You're making fun of me too?"
The maid immediately knelt down, saying, "This servant wouldn't dare, this servant wouldn't dare."
Looking at her inhuman reflection in the bronze mirror, Xiao Langyue bit her lip. "Go tell those old women that I am no longer a princess, my father is a prince, I call the emperor my uncle, and my maternal grandmother is the empress dowager. They have no right to ride on my head and act arrogantly."
Another maid went out to deliver the message.
Xiao Langyue reached out and opened the makeup box, taking out a small porcelain bottle from it.
"Go and send a message to the Crown Prince of Yu. I'll be waiting for him at the usual place."
The kneeling maid hesitated, "Will the young master come?"
This has happened...
Xiao Langyue played with the small gourd-shaped porcelain bottle and said, "Tell him that I can't stay in the Lin family anymore, that I want to go back to Chu Huai City with him, and... how to get that person away too."
The maid couldn't understand who 'that person' was, but in the past, she would write down whatever the princess said and pass it on.
Or perhaps she received a letter from the Crown Prince and relayed it on his behalf.
"Go early, avoid some people, and make sure the young master knows in person." Princess Rongyang said, picking up a piece of rouge and putting it in her mouth. With a gentle sip, her originally bloodless face suddenly brightened up.
A slow smile crept onto her lips.
The maid glanced at it unintentionally as she got up and was startled by the smile.
Not daring to delay, she said, "This servant will go right away."
-Fragmentary Courtyard-
Xiao Langyue lay half-reclined on the middle bed, the red gauze curtains fluttering slightly in the wind.
The bed was covered in red silk, which shimmered with a lustrous sheen.
Pushing open the door, the Crown Prince of Yu saw the graceful figure inside the red gauze curtain.
Although the pain from the wound on his back was unbearable, and his father had been ruthless this time, the pain could not extinguish the fire burning within him.
The crown prince climbed onto the bed and reached for her flawless white jade feet:
"Cousin, I'm sorry, it's all my fault. When we get to Chu Huai City, I promise I won't let you suffer any injustice."
Xiao Langyue raised her foot and pressed it against the chest of the Prince of Yu. "That sounds nice, but you've made me suffer."
"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, it's all that damned old man's fault for ruining my plans." The Crown Prince of Yu gently held her delicate feet to soothe her. "Tell me quickly how we're going to kidnap her. Doesn't my cousin hate that person too? We'll lock her in a cage and let her vent her anger however she wants, okay?"
His apology was sincere, his eyes were full of remorse, but deep down there was a restless madness.
Xiao Langyue pulled her foot away and reached out her hand, but was pulled up by the Crown Prince of Yu. Her red lips were like fire, and the Crown Prince of Yu kissed her without hesitation.
The rich, vibrant lip rouge mixed with fragrant saliva entered his stomach, and the Crown Prince of Yu, smelling the scent he loved, became even more aroused.
But gradually, he felt his tongue going numb, and his movements became sluggish.
Until the body loses consciousness.
With a thud, he fell backward onto the bed.
The pain from the wound on his back jolted him awake, but once the medicine took effect, the pain was no longer a problem.
The Crown Prince of Yu was completely immobilized, his tongue was numb, and his eyes could only stare blankly in one direction.
Xiao Langyue leaned down to look at him, licking her lips, "How come you didn't detect the drug you gave me back then?"
As she spoke, she snatched the sachet containing the antidote from his waist and casually tossed it away.
Xiao Langyue took out the dagger hidden under her skirt, slowly pulled it out of its sheath, and the sharp blade of the dagger slowly moved down from the shocked and fearful pupils of the Prince of Yu.
"Hahaha... You're so adorably naive. Why are you still thinking about getting revenge on Zhao Xian? If I didn't use her to keep you hanging on, would you even dare to come? You're so despicable. You hate being trampled on, yet you want to be trampled on. You bastard!"
The crown prince of Yu wanted to beg for mercy and call for help, but his tongue was numb and he couldn't make a sound.
“You harmed me, yet you stripped me of my title. Even those old hags from the Lin family can laugh at me. I am a princess, how dare they do that?”
Xiao Langyue held the dagger in her hand, moving it down from above the Prince of Yu's eyes to his chest: "I have nothing left, so why are you alright? You can even go back to Chu Huai City and continue being your lawless prince."
Yu the Great's heir: "Uh—"
"What are you yelling for? You scared me!" Xiao Langyue said, annoyed, and stabbed him in the groin again.
The shout from Yu the King's heir was not loud, as if it came from deep in his throat.
Even though he couldn't see it, the Crown Prince of Yu seemed to know what he had lost.
He was unable to move or make any expression, and he couldn't even express his hatred.
Seeing the tears in his eyes, Xiao Langyue said with heartache, "Why are you crying? You're such a shameful man."
"So what if I got castrated? Just like when you drugged and humiliated me, saying, 'Chastity doesn't matter once you get married.' You even comforted me and told me not to cry. My dear cousin, don't cry either."
However, the tears on the face of Yu the Great's heir flowed more and more.
"Why are you refusing to listen? Well then, your cousin will punish you."
Xiao Langyue glanced at the Crown Prince of Yu's body, her eyes full of disdain, "Cousin, wait a minute."
As she spoke, her expression remained calm, a smile playing on her lips, as she continued to stab him with the dagger.
Seeing the tears in the eyes of the Crown Prince of Yu, Xiao Langyue gently wiped them away.
But they found bloodstains on his face.
Staring at the bloodstains on her palm, she disgustedly smeared them on the Crown Prince Yu's clothes, trying to wipe them clean.
However, the blood couldn't be wiped away; instead, it multiplied, staining the entire hand red.
Finally, he simply stopped wiping and lay down next to the Crown Prince of Yu. "Cousin, you can't tell on me. If word gets out, no one will believe you. They'll think you're promiscuous and don't even spare your own family."
The crown prince of Yu was so frightened that he couldn't make a face, and was even so frightened that he lost control of his bladder.
Those words, those words... were all things he had said before.
"What's that smell? It's disgusting." Xiao Langyue waved her hand in front of her nose in disgust. "Cousin, is this game fun? If it's fun, we can play it all the time, okay? It's right here. If you don't say anything, I'll take that as a yes. You're such a good cousin."
The repeated calls of "cousin" terrified the Crown Prince of Yu, causing him to faint.
Lin Nianzang went to look for her mother today, but found that the maid was blocking her from entering, so she guessed that her mother was probably not in the mansion again.
She knew of a place long ago, but had never been inside; she dared not.
For some reason, this time a powerful force was pushing her forward...
--
News of Princess Rongyang being stripped of her title spread throughout Jin'an.
Everyone was puzzled. Lord Tao was stabbed by the heir of the Yu King, so why was it that Princess Rongyang was stripped of her title in the end?
Unexpectedly, after the news spread in Jin'an for only two days, it was suddenly heard that the Crown Prince of Yu had been stabbed and that Yu was searching everywhere for the culprit.
Lou Bai did manage to relay the truth of the matter to the household, which made Zhao Xian feel physically uncomfortable.
What was not widely known was that King Yu had found the murderer who stabbed his crown prince, but the real culprit had committed suicide, and the palace suppressed any disturbances, so the matter was left unresolved.
However, gossip is the most prone to updating and iteration. Before long, it was replaced by the story of the Empress Dowager feeling sorry for the disaster-stricken people and sending them cotton-padded clothes to keep them warm in winter.
And some, like a bureaucrat who kept a mistress, was discovered by his wife, scratched his face, and was reprimanded by the emperor when he went to court.
Or perhaps it's about some spoiled brat spending lavishly at a certain building.
etc.
Many things, true and false, are mixed together, concealing certain secrets.
-Jiang Family-
It was early morning again. After breakfast, Zhao Xian watched Li Lianniang handle household affairs for a while before going to play with the children.
She found it particularly interesting to teach a reborn child to play Gomoku.
Watching the kids' reactions is the most fun.
Only at this time could she control herself from thinking about things that would affect her.
Yingchun entered the room with a big smile and said, "Madam, the eldest son has sent a letter."
Jiang Shuxiu is climbing very fast now. Zhao Xian had just received the letter when she had already climbed over and was next to Zhao Xian.
Zhao Xian simply held the child in her arms and opened the letter.
After some time of recuperation, Granny He had fully recovered. While tidying up the crystal chess set, she asked, "Madam, what did the eldest young master say in his letter?"
After reading the letter, Zhao Xian said, "Wei'er and Heng'er are on their way back and will be home in about seven or eight days."
Granny He smiled and said, "Then the second young master can celebrate his birthday at home."
Zhao Xian thought for a moment. Jiang Heng's birthday was December 5th, so there was enough time.
Jiang Wei's birthday is in August, but he didn't celebrate it because he went to Changzhou.
"Then we need to prepare two birthday gifts, one for Wei'er as well. Even though we missed the deadline, we still need to make up for it."
There is almost no description of Jiang Wei's birthday banquet in the book; he never held a grand celebration when he turned twenty.
The longevity noodles he ate were secretly prepared for him by Li Lianniang. Later, the two divorced, and he was saddened that no one would cook longevity noodles for him. All his memories were of Li Lianniang's kindness.
When I read the book back then, I only thought that he was disliked by his mother, who didn't even remember his birthday.
Looking back now, it's likely that his birthday was related to the day Jiang Liangxu disappeared.
For some reason, Zhao Xian felt as if her heart was being torn apart at that moment.
If she is the original owner of this body, then she truly deserves to die.
They placed all the blame on a child.
"Pearl, um, no..."
Noticing water droplets falling, Jiang Shuxiu looked up and saw her grandmother crying. She quickly raised her little hand to wipe them away, her words mumbled incoherently.
Just as Granny He was delighted that the two young masters were returning, she saw the madam suddenly burst into tears and exclaimed in surprise, "Madam!"
"I'm fine, I'm fine." Zhao Xian quickly wiped away her tears so as not to worry them.
-----------------------
Author's Note: A red envelope as compensation. [Hands clasped in prayer][ ...]
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