Xie spoke out to attack Chu Feiyang, but her beautiful eyes, which always held a smile, were now filled with viciousness.
Yun Qianmeng saw that Xie was articulate and quick-witted, and recalled that Zhang Lan and others were standing outside the door, so she knew that Xie was still thinking of framing Chu Feiyang.
Her expression gradually grew colder as Yun Qianmeng emerged from behind Chu Feiyang and sneered, "Second Mother, what are you talking about? If it weren't for the Prince, how would Father have gotten the antidote? Everyone is responsible for their own actions. If they have done something wrong, they must be punished. Could it be that in Second Mother's mind, those who make mistakes can get away with it? The Prince's trip to Youzhou to investigate this case was entirely ordered by the Emperor. Could it be that Second Mother thinks that the Prince can influence the Emperor's thoughts? Besides, Second Mother is well aware of the Xie family's affairs. Do you really need us to explain it in detail again?"
"Hmph, the children didn't say anything, which was a face-saving thing for you as parents. But you turned the tables and threw all the dirty laundry on Feiyang. If it weren't for him, the Xie family would have been implicated long ago!" Yun Qianmeng had just finished speaking when she heard Chu Nanshan snort in anger. He glanced at Xie with displeasure and said these words in a very cold tone.
Xie was now a criminal, so naturally, she was not afraid of wearing shoes. Moreover, both of her children were found guilty, while Chu Feiyang still sat on the throne of King Chu without any impact or involvement. She was naturally very dissatisfied and resentful. Even when Chu Nanshan angrily scolded her for her stupidity, she still did not wake up.
She laughed wildly and handed Chu Jie to Xie Wanwan and Xie Yuanyuan for care. She stood in front of Chu Nanshan and the others, sneered and questioned: "Then, father, when have you ever been fair? Your son is still alive, but you passed the throne to Chu Feiyang. How do you make your husband feel? Even if he is talented, if you do this, outsiders will definitely think that he is not even as good as your own son. I know that the mother of King Chu is a princess of the Xiahou clan, and her status is superior. In your heart, father, her weight is much heavier than Qingyang. But your husband is still your biological son. Can you be fair to him? He left the capital alone and came to Youzhou. He worked hard to manage the important border city for the emperor. Do you think it is easy for him? If your father does not like your daughter-in-law's merchant background, why don't you say it directly? Why don't you give your husband a chance to explain and directly pass the throne to Chu Feiyang?"
The more Xie spoke, the more excited she became. Her eyes were red with resentment and unwillingness. They had worked so hard for so many years and had finally managed to survive, but the whole game was ruined because of a Chu Feiyang. How could she not be angry?
Moreover, it would be fine if she was convicted, but why did Chu Feiyang ruin Qingyang and Jie'er's future? Jie'er was just a girl, and posed no threat to Chu Feiyang! Chu Feiyang, you are so cruel, actually harming your own siblings like this!
Chu Nanshan had never been so angry before. He had lived for most of his life and had one foot in the coffin, but he was actually being accused and questioned by his own daughter-in-law. However, these questions were all false. How could Chu Nanshan not be angry?
Seeing Chu Nanshan about to explode in anger, Yun Qianmeng frowned and whispered, "Second Mother, what you said is illogical. The throne belongs to Grandpa, and Grandpa naturally has the right to choose his successor. Besides, Father probably doesn't even consider the position of King of Chu, and Second Brother probably dreams of a palace even larger than the Chu Palace! Why is Second Mother putting on such a show, making a fool of herself? Or perhaps, Second Mother feels that this is her only chance left, and she's disregarding right and wrong to discredit Grandpa and the Prince? Second Mother, don't forget that if it weren't for your husband's intervention, it wouldn't just be Xie Yingping and a few stewards who were beheaded from the Xie family. Second Brother and Jie'er wouldn't just be exiled. If the Prince truly wanted you dead, do you think it would have taken until today for the Emperor's decree to be heard? What was Second Mother's purpose in coming to the capital this time? What was Second Brother's purpose in accepting Wen Di as his disciple? What was Second Mother's purpose in risking her own life to save the women of the Wen family? What was the purpose of Xie Wanwan and Xie Yuanyuan's frequent appearances at banquets? Do I need to explain everything?"
Speaking of this, Yun Qianmeng felt a little angry, but more importantly, she felt sorry for everything Chu Feiyang had given.
After being interrupted by Yun Qianmeng, Xie was slightly stunned. The bloodshot in her eyes gradually faded, but what was left was an even stronger hatred and unwillingness.
"You are now the Prince of Chu and the Princess of Chu, so naturally what you say is the truth. We are just commoners, and now we are still guilty, so we are not tolerated by others. All we can ask for is a little fairness. I know that the prince was brought up by my father, and the relationship between grandfather and grandson is naturally special, but Qingyang is also the grandson of the Chu family. With my father's prestige in the court, can't he protect his grandson?" Xie's tough attitude suddenly softened, and she spoke with a sad face. Turning to Chu Qingyang, her eyes were full of heartache, but hidden in her eyes, was still the hatred that could not be erased.
"Your Highness, it's getting late. The Emperor has already issued the order. We should set off after the imperial edict is read!" At this time, Zhang Lan walked in from outside and spoke to Chu Feiyang in a businesslike manner.
Behind him stood a dozen jailers, all holding shackles in their hands, staring coldly at Xie and the others.
Chu Feiyang's eyes flashed with a cold gleam at Zhang Lan's unsolicited entrance, and he sneered, "Why, Lord Zhang, are you so anxious? Even death row prisoners are given a good meal before their execution. My family is about to be exiled. Is it not possible to have a few more intimate words?"
Chu Feiyang's words made Zhang Lan realize that his rash intrusion had displeased the King of Chu, but the imperial edict was before him, so how could he disobey it?
Zhang Lan could only bite the bullet and say, "Your Highness, I am also following orders. Please help me, Your Highness, so that Madam Chu, Master Chu and the others won't suffer on the road."
"Hmph! Lord Zhang, are you threatening me? Or do you think that these prison guards in the Ministry of Justice will resort to lynching on prisoners under the supervision of Qu Shang?" Chu Feiyang glanced at Zhang Lan and listened to the other party's threatening words, but his heart was full of disdain, and he asked back in a cold voice.
Zhang Lan never expected Chu Feiyang to implicate Qu Changqing in his words. The Emperor had recently been frequently visiting the Empress Dowager at Fengxiang Palace, seeking the remains of his late grandfather. Naturally, the relationship between mother and son had gradually improved, breaking the previous stalemate. If Zhang Lan were to criticize the Qu family now, even the Emperor wouldn't forgive her.
Zhang Lan frowned slightly, swallowed his resentment, and said in a deep voice, "That is not my intention at all. Please don't misunderstand me, Your Highness."
"Oh? Misunderstanding? I didn't misunderstand anything. Lord Zhang was just angry. Since Lord Zhang is so anxious to return to the palace to report, then take the person away! However, since Lord Zhang is in a hurry to take the person away, if something happens, I will definitely not let it go!" As he said that, Chu Feiyang hugged Yun Qianmeng and walked to the other side of the front hall, giving the way ahead to Zhang Lan.
Seeing this, Chu Nanshan didn't say much. Like Chu Feiyang, he gave up the way in front of him and made his attitude clear.
Chu Qingyang was already furious when he saw his grandfather and half-brother treating him like this, but at this moment he was extremely quiet and let the jailer put on shackles for him.
Until he walked out of the Prince Chu's Mansion, Chu Qingyang did not look at Chu Nanshan and Chu Feiyang again.
After escorting them out of the Prince Chu's Palace, the common people passing by the palace stopped to watch when they saw the runners from the Ministry of Justice bringing prisoners out of the Palace. They all found it hard to believe that there were prisoners in the Palace of Prince Chu, which had a good reputation. For a while, people on the streets were talking about this matter.
Watching the figures of the few people getting farther and farther away, Yun Qianmeng retracted her gaze and sighed slightly. If Chu Pei hadn't gone too far, how could things have come to this? If Chu Feiyang had held the military power and temporarily immobilized Emperor Yugan, I'm afraid the Chu Palace would no longer exist today.
More and more people gathered on the street. They watched as several people dressed in gorgeous clothes and shackled walked towards the city gate under the supervision of yamen runners. They pointed at the Xie family and their friends, and whispered to each other.
Chu Jie was dragged forward by two yamen runners, and Xie Yuanyuan and Xie Wanwan followed behind Xie. Faced with so many people pointing and talking, their faces turned extremely pale and they wished they could hide their faces in their clothes.
When they arrived at the city gate, it was almost time for the gate to be locked. Chu Pei was also being escorted by the yamen runners and waiting at the city gate. Seeing his wife and children coming, Chu Pei immediately took a few steps inside the city gate, but a thousand thoughts were stuck in his throat and he couldn't say them out.
"Husband..." When Xie saw Chu Pei, whom she hadn't seen for a long time, her eyes instantly filled with tears. Her pretty face looked even more pitiful against her pale complexion. Her two thin eyebrows were gently twisted together, making Xie look extremely innocent and helpless, which made Chu Pei's heart ache.
"Dad..." Chu Qingyang followed Xie's words, but there was no concern and worry for his father in his eyes. His eyes were as cold as Xuanxue and contained a bone-chilling chill, as if nothing in the world could soften him.
"Qingyang, what are you doing..." Chu Pei never expected his son to have such an expression. His brows immediately furrowed, and he glanced at the people approaching him again. Chu Jie was still in a coma, and Xie Yuanyuan and Xie Wanwan also stood behind Xie with pale faces.
"All this is thanks to King Chu." Xie naturally understood Chu Qingyang's reluctance, but things had come to this point, and no matter how much reluctance he had, it could not defeat the power in Chu Feiyang's hands. It was just that Qingyang originally had a share of these things, but now they were monopolized by Chu Feiyang. How could they swallow this?
Xie's words also aroused Chu Pei's anger. He looked at the capital city in front of him again and slowly turned around.
Seeing Chu Pei's resigned expression, Chu Qingyang was immediately enraged. He hated Chu Pei's retreat even more. He rushed to Chu Pei and growled, "Dad, are you just giving up like that? All this belongs to you, how can you admit defeat? Don't you still have..."
"Shut up!" Unexpectedly, the originally calm Chu Pei suddenly yelled at Chu Qingyang when he saw Chu Qingyang's expression that was about to lose control, instantly interrupting Chu Qingyang's words.
Not to mention Chu Qingyang, even Xie was shocked by Chu Pei. She didn't understand what was wrong with Chu Pei? Why did he suddenly get angry at his own son?
The yamen runners beside them also looked at Chu Pei and Chu Qingyang with puzzled expressions.
Feeling the strange looks coming from all around, Chu Pei closed his eyes, suppressing his fluctuating emotions. Then he slowly opened his eyes and looked at Chu Qingyang with distressed eyes. He spoke earnestly, "Dad knows what you are thinking and your ambitions, but the more you are at a time like this, the more you must not lose your composure!"
This obscure sentence gave Chu Qingyang hope, but this joy was hidden in his heart, and the expression on his face and eyes was still chillingly cold.
"Master Chu, let's get on the road quickly, otherwise it will be late and the road will be difficult to walk on." The yamen runner on the side spoke angrily, giving Chu Pei enough face.
Chu Pei nodded indifferently, followed by a dozen yamen runners out of the capital's gate and headed towards the northwest border of Western Chu...
The night wind was blowing, and the moon was hidden by the dark clouds, with no light at all. The group walked for three or four hours but still did not see the yamen runners stop. Now they had arrived in the woods outside the city, which was dark and eerie, making people feel scared.
This was undoubtedly torture for the pampered few. Chu Jie had long since regained consciousness, but when she discovered the shackles on her shoulders, she began to cry as she walked. Her low sobs, accompanied by the pervasive night wind, assaulted her senses. Xie Wanwan and Xie Yuanyuan also began to cry...
"Alright, why are you crying? You're crying like this after just a few steps. Do you want to give up your life?" Chu Qingyang was irritated, and the crying of the three people made him even more upset. He couldn't help but yell at them. Now that Chu Jie, Xie Yuanyuan, and Xie Wanwan had lost their usefulness, Chu Qingyang would not treat them kindly, but it also exposed his cold side.
Chu Jie's sobs paused for a moment. She looked up at her brother, who was glaring at her coldly. A chill ran through her heart for no apparent reason. She felt that her brother's eyes were even more frightening than the eyes of a wolf in the dark night. For a moment, she didn't pay attention to her steps and accidentally stepped on the hem of her skirt, causing her to fall straight forward...
"Ah..." A scream accompanied by a cloud of dust rose, and Chu Jie fell to the ground, unable to speak in pain.
"Useless thing!" Chu Qingyang, who was walking in front of her, threw down these words, then turned around and continued walking forward...
Not a single glimmer of moonlight could be seen through the dark clouds. The wind gradually picked up, carrying with it a strange smell...
"Attack!" A very soft whistle suddenly sounded in the woods outside the city, and hundreds of dark shadows instantly rushed down from the treetops...
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