Chapter 80: It is a blessing for a divorced woman to be a concubine
"Prince Beining!" After a fierce psychological struggle, a sly look flashed in his eyes, and he decided to bow his head and beg for mercy. "I don't know how I have offended Your Highness. Why did Your Highness mobilize so many troops...? "
"Don't you know how you have offended me?" The man in black temporarily moved his black boots away so that he could speak. "I think you are pretending to be ignorant. Qianxue is my niece. Where did you hide her children?"
Lu Changqing took a breath, raised his head and pretended to be dumbfounded: "What are you talking about, Your Highness? Qianxue's children are my own flesh and blood! They were kidnapped, and I was very anxious and was planning to send people to look for them. Why did Your Highness treat me as a criminal without knowing right from wrong?"
“Your Highness, don’t listen to his nonsense!” Sui Qiong also knelt down quickly and said to Xiao Mingzhe, “It was he who used the incense to knock our wife unconscious and took the child away at night!”
"Shut up!" Lu Changqing glared at Suiqiong, then said to Xiao Mingzhe, "Your Highness, don't listen to this damn girl's nonsense. How could I do such a cruel thing? Please let Qianxue come out and confront me. Did she see me take the two children away with her own eyes? Why did she insist that it was me?"
"You have a good tongue," Xiao Mingzhe narrowed his eyes and looked at the kneeling man, "Someone just went to report you to the police, accusing you of colluding with the evildoers to murder their own children. Now the people in the capital all know that your Lu family favors concubines and kills wives, and you have no sense of shame."
"I am an official appointed by the court. Only the Three Judicial Departments can judge me!" Lu Changqing raised his head proudly and said, "Ms. Fang is too careless. Falsely accusing one's husband is a serious crime in our Dayong. Considering that we have been married for five years, I can let her accuse me of false accusation as long as she admits that the disappearance of my children has nothing to do with me and that everything is just her wild guess."
At this time, a guard ran in and clasped his fists towards Xiao Mingzhe and said, "Your Highness, I have searched all over the Lu Mansion, but I did not find the young lady and the young master, nor did I find Madam Lu."
Xiao Mingzhe's face darkened: "I didn't expect you to act so quickly and send the child away overnight."
"I don't understand what your Highness is saying."
"Since we can't find the person, please ask Lord Lu to go with me to the Jingzhao Yin Mansion for a slow interrogation." Xiao Mingzhe couldn't figure out where Fang Qianxue had gone.
In the morning, he heard someone beating the drum outside the Jingzhao Yin government office, and thought it was Fang Qianxue. But when he got there, he found out it was a maid from the Lu family.
Fang Qianxue is neither in the Jingzhao Yin Mansion nor in the Lu family. Could it be that she has gone to the palace?
Just as the two guards were about to step forward to arrest them, Lu Changqing suddenly had an idea: "Your Majesty! As long as Your Majesty releases me, I can write a divorce letter to Fang and set her free."
He had a hunch that Prince Beining was somewhat interested in Fang Qianxue. He was right. Fang's seductive look would tempt any man, but they would just treat her as a plaything. A divorced woman, not that young, was already a great honor for her to be someone's concubine.
Xiao Mingzhe frowned and said nothing. His dark eyes were like a deep pool in the dark night, and there was no telling what monster was hiding in them.
"Once Fang is divorced, it will be legitimate for the prince to take Fang as a concubine or have her serve him. No one will dare to say anything." The more Lu Changqing spoke, the more hopeful he felt. "As long as the prince is kind enough to let me go, I will prepare my pen and paper."
Lu Changqing originally wanted to keep Fang Qianxue under his control for the rest of his life, but when he saw that Xiao Mingzhe had bad intentions, he was afraid that he would never be able to get out of the prison in the Jingzhao Yinfu Yamen, so he changed his mind temporarily and planned to use Fang Qianxue to exchange for his own life.
When Xiao Mingzhe heard this, his eyes sparkled. He stared at him and asked, "Are you serious, Lord Lu? If I let you go, will you let Qianxue go free?"
Lu Changqing said: "A man's words are spoken and cannot be taken back. Although Fang committed the sin of jealousy in my Lu family, I am willing to forgive her because she gave birth to our children. In the future, we will part ways and live happily."
"Let's part ways and live happily ever after..." Xiao Mingzhe repeated, and suddenly raised his black boots and stepped on Lu Changqing's shoulder with a "bang". This time he stepped him even lower, and his face was rubbed against the ground.
"What qualifications do a scum like you have to divorce my niece? If anyone is going to write a divorce letter, it should be Qianxue who divorces you!" Xiao Mingzhe was wearing Mobei military boots, which normally wouldn't slip when he stepped on the snow, but now it felt like a mountain on Lu Changqing's shoulders, breaking all his bones.
"Hahaha... poof!" Lu Changqing spat out a mouthful of blood foam with great effort, and challenged unwillingly, "You are simply dreaming! There is no precedent of a woman divorcing her husband in Dayong. What right does Fang Qianxue have to divorce me? Do you really think you can cover up everything with one hand?"
When Lu Changqing read "Yonglu Shuyi", he did read a clause that a woman had the right to divorce her husband, but the conditions were extremely harsh, requiring one of the following three things: a revelation from heaven, an imperial decree, or a written agreement in blood from the people. In the final analysis, this was just an empty clause, as no one had ever successfully divorced a husband since the founding of the Yong Dynasty.
Moreover, Lu Changqing had nothing to fear because he knew that Emperor Ming still relied on him.
Today, Emperor Ming is under attack from all sides. On one side, Empress Yang and the Yang family's relatives are interfering in politics, and on the other side, Prince Beining is eyeing him covetously. The emperor can only rely on loyal ministers like him!
The fact that Emperor Ming handed Prince Yong's case over to him for trial is very telling.
The Prince of Beining now seems to be extremely noble, but in fact the Emperor Ming is on guard against him. As long as he finds any fault in him, he will treat him as a traitor. Then... Humph! He will die without a burial place!
Xiao Mingzhe understood the meaning of his words and stepped down his black boots on his shoulders a little bit: "Since you are so capable, go to the Jingzhao Yin Mansion and see if the laws of Dayong can do anything to you."
"Come here!" Xiao Mingzhe said to the guards beside him, "Put shackles on Lord Lu and take him to the Jingzhao Yin Mansion."
"Xiao Mingzhe, how dare you?!" Lu Changqing said in horror, "I am an official appointed by the court. Why do you want to put shackles on me before I am convicted?"
If he was to be led to the Jingzhao government office in shackles like a cow, wouldn't that be like parading through the streets? It would be a complete disgrace!
Lu Changqing could not allow this to happen no matter what.
"I'm also afraid that Lord Lu will get lost, so it would be safer if I tie him up with shackles." Xiao Mingzhe put down his foot and hooked his finger at the guard behind him.
Qingcong directly called two soldiers forward, forcibly put shackles on Lu Changqing, tied him with an iron chain, and walked out the door.
"Xiao Mingzhe, you are so brave! I will repay you a hundred or a thousand times for what happened today! Just wait for His Majesty to punish you!" Lu Changqing was led out of the door cursing.
He was just a civil official, and had just been kicked by Xiao Mingzhe, causing internal injuries. He was no match for the warriors from Mobei.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
