His voice was gentle and soft, without any domineering air, and his smile was serene and beautiful, making it impossible to look away.
But ironically, this very person seemed like a living Yama, making Yuwen Cheng tremble with fear.
"Soul Reaper!"
He suddenly remembered Si Jin's nickname, and knelt on the ground without any dignity, kowtowing repeatedly: "The Soul Reaper has come to take my life! Spare me! I've come to beg for medicine for my father, and I'll restore your official position!"
"Governor, spare my life!!!"
He cried his heart out, repeatedly fainting from the pain, then waking up from the pain, then fainting again, then waking up from the pain again.
Finally, the piece of music ended, and I felt as if I had been drenched in cold sweat.
"Guards!" Yuwen Cheng, unrepentant, reached out to brace himself on the ground and crawled insidiously towards the door like a maggot: "Gu Sijin is plotting murder... Your Highness, arrest him..."
However, before he could finish speaking, he saw Yuwen Linyuan riding in from outside the gate, followed by more than a dozen Imperial Guards.
"You've come... to save me..."
Seeing the Imperial Guards, Yuwen Cheng felt a glimmer of hope, and his spirits lifted considerably. His pale lips trembled as he pointed at Si Jin: "Catch...catch him..."
However, Yuwen Linyuan's next words plunged him into an abyss.
"By imperial decree, the Second Prince Yuwen Cheng has committed adultery with Consort Yu, and the evidence is conclusive. He has shown contempt for the Emperor and his crime is unforgivable. From this day forward, he shall be stripped of all his titles, his entire family property shall be confiscated, he shall be expelled from the royal family, demoted to a commoner, and his surname shall be changed to Gou. So be it."
Yuwen Cheng was shocked, his breath caught in his throat, and he almost fainted.
He never imagined that he, who had suggested confiscating Si Jin's property, would one day have his own family property confiscated and be expelled from the royal family.
It's true... we can't use the surname Yuwen anymore...
"Impossible." Yuwen Cheng's tears fell in a steady stream as he struggled to stand up and snatch the imperial edict from Yuwen Linyuan.
Unexpectedly, the handsome young prince suddenly took a step back, and when Yuwen Cheng missed his target and landed half-dead, he spoke again.
“If Gou Cheng intends to assassinate the Crown Prince, arrest him and give him one hundred strokes of the cane.”
When Gou Cheng was dragged away by the Imperial Guards, his face was covered in blood.
His eyes had lost all their luster; fifty strokes of the Imperial Guard's paddle could kill a strong man.
Yuwen Linyuan is... not planning to let him live.
His life has come to an end.
Gou Cheng closed his eyes, silently enduring endless despair, never dreaming that this was just the beginning of Si Jin's revenge.
After Yuwen Cheng left, the main hall of Qunfang Pavilion was completely silent.
The courtiers, who had been indulging in pleasure, were now like birds that had survived a catastrophe, silent and still, not daring to move an inch.
With Yuwen Cheng's downfall, the position of Crown Prince became unassailable.
Now that His Majesty is unwell, Yuwen Linyuan's ascension to the throne is imminent, and there will be no unexpected events.
Many officials saw his momentum and, with great difficulty, forced a smile and went up to him to curry favor.
But the young wolf turned his head and asked, "Did you all enjoy the music today?"
Someone quickly chimed in, "Excellent, excellent! Since His Highness the Crown Prince is here, why don't we invite Young Master Gu to..."
Another, more quick-witted woman hurriedly covered his mouth, whispering a warning: "Didn't you hear what Madam Mei just said? Young Master Gu was... by His Highness the Crown Prince..."
The person who was reminded narrowed their eyes and quickly stepped back and shut their mouth.
Thinking he had said something wrong, he was about to slip away when Yuwen Linyuan spoke again: "Eunuch Gu's song is priceless. He just asked how much everyone wanted, and he has to give them that much. He can't listen for free."
The man stopped in his tracks and turned around with a miserable expression.
Thus, all the princes and ministers who listened to the music today reluctantly scraped together five thousand taels of gold, even with tears in their eyes.
Yuwen Linyuan then stopped, dismissed everyone, jumped onto the stage, came to Si Jin's side, obediently squatted down, and casually placed the imperial edict on the ground.
"You're absolutely right." Yuwen Linyuan's intimidating aura always vanished when he was around Si Jin.
He was incredibly obedient: "I gave that thing to the emperor, and he was indeed furious. Yuwen Cheng is finished too."
"But that's all minor. I'm very curious." The puppy hooked its hands on Si Jin's knees, rested its chin on its hands, and stared at her expectantly.
"Why do I pay two thousand taels for a night, while others pay five thousand taels just to listen to music? Isn't that too biased, Jinjin?"
————
Thank you all for the gifts, my lovely readers! This chapter is an extra one! (/ω＼)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com