After watching the drama at Prince Rong's Mansion, Lan Shuang began to look forward to the next reaction of the Duke of Yingguo's Mansion. When she got into trouble, the Duke of Yingguo's Mansion immediately drew a line and removed her from the family tree. Now, she wondered whether they would come forward to plead for Lan Yuning.
The heavy snow stopped as early as noon. Lan Shuang walked back to the palace on the snow and saw Prince Ming waiting for her in a wheelchair.
Seeing her come back, Ming Wang stretched out his hand to her: "Are you cold?"
Lan Shuang extended her hand and shook Ming Wang's. She found that Ming Wang's hand was particularly hot. She raised her eyebrows in confusion: "Your Highness's hands are very hot."
Ming Wang smiled and took out a small hand warmer from his arms and handed it to her: "I just had someone prepare it. Take it."
Lan Shuang took it, held it in her hands, and immediately breathed a sigh of relief. The white mist drifted away with the wind. Lan Shuang's eyelashes trembled: "I didn't feel it when I was watching the show, but it is indeed a bit cold now."
"Come back to the house. I just made some tea. Want some?"
Ming Wang stood up, took her other hand and led her into the bedroom.
Lan Shuang looked at his tall figure and suddenly smiled: "Your Highness is becoming more and more like a virtuous wife."
Ming Wang paused, turned around to look at her, and raised his eyebrows slightly: "Oh? Really?"
Lan Shuang sensed a dangerous atmosphere from these simple words, but she has always been a restless person. The more dangerous it is, the more eager she is to take action.
There seemed to be hooks in her eyes, and just a gentle glance at him hooked the desire in the deepest part of Ming Wang's heart.
He suddenly reached out and hugged the person tightly in his arms, rubbing his ears.
In between their intimate moments, his voice, hoarse with desire, rang out, "I've sent people to the Duke of Ying's mansion to keep an eye on them. They'll report back as soon as there's any movement. Just wait patiently."
Lan Shuang gently stroked his face and said with a smile, "Okay."
Ming Wang stood up slightly, touched his forehead to hers, and whispered, "I will help you with whatever you want. Whatever you want to do, just do it. I'm here for you."
Lan Shuang stared at him for a long moment, then took the initiative to kiss him. When their lips touched, she said vaguely, "Don't worry, I'll help you too."
…
After Prince Rong and his family were imprisoned, the emperor ordered the Jinyiwei to interrogate them overnight and obtained a full confession the next day. Even though Prince Rong denied everything, his men were not all tough. The Jinyiwei's torture methods were notoriously terrible. After just a few rounds, Prince Rong's men could not bear it and confessed everything.
The emperor looked at the confessions presented to him and was so angry that he almost fainted again. It was only because Li Jian helped him to calm down and fed him medicine that he was able to hold on.
The evidence was irrefutable, and there was no need to try Prince Rong again. The emperor directly ordered Prince Rong to be demoted to a commoner and executed three days later.
All the concubines were also executed. The pregnant one was spared thanks to the pleading of Concubine Liang and her mother's family, and was sentenced to exile.
But Concubine Liang was also banished to the cold palace and was never allowed to leave for the rest of her life. This was already the best outcome.
Liang Fei's maternal family was also implicated and was ordered by the emperor to be investigated. Fortunately, they reacted quickly and dealt with a group of people first. In addition, they did not interfere in Prince Rong's private affairs, so they were not convicted. After dismissing several officials, they asked to be sent to other places, and the whole family left the capital and returned to their ancestral home.
The aristocratic families that have stood for many years will not be uprooted in a short period of time, but the signs of decline are already apparent, and it is only a matter of time before they are obliterated in history.
Everyone understands this. The head of every family has his own considerations, and the Duke of England is no exception. After the incident, he sat in his study all night, racking his brains to find a way to get his family out.
After much deliberation, the only option left was to give up Lan Yuning as his daughter.
His son is about to enter the court as an official. If he is implicated in this, he will definitely be disliked by the emperor. His son is stupid enough to begin with, and if he is disliked by the emperor again, he will have no good days in the future!
When dawn broke, he stood up and made the final decision, sending someone to remove Lan Yuning from the family tree.
He asked his servants to prepare a carriage and went to the palace to ask for an audience with the emperor.
He locked the British Duchess in the backyard and did not allow her to go out and cause trouble.
He was not stopped from entering the palace. He went all the way to the emperor's bedroom. He straightened his clothes and knelt before the emperor as soon as he entered, kowtowed respectfully and said, "Your Majesty, I am guilty."
The emperor leaned against the headboard, holding the list of confiscated items from Prince Rong's mansion in his hand. He glanced at the Duke of Ying calmly and asked, "What crime have you committed?"
The Duke of Ying fell to the ground, his voice muffled, "I shouldn't have married my daughter to Prince Rong. I was negligent, but I didn't go along with Prince Rong. I immediately removed Lan Yuning's name. From now on, she has nothing to do with the Duke of Ying's mansion."
He spoke so bluntly that the emperor laughed. His slightly swollen face showed a meaningful expression. "You are quite cruel. Didn't you like this daughter very much before?"
"If she hasn't committed a serious offense, my daughter is my daughter. If she has committed a crime, she must be amputated to save her life. This old minister has no other choice. The lives of hundreds of people in the Duke of Ying's mansion, including those of the concubines and side branches, depend on me. I cannot ruin their future for my own selfish desires."
When facing a stubborn monarch, only half-truths and half-lies can convince him.
As expected, the emperor's expression brightened after hearing his words. "I know you are loyal and have never made a mistake over the years. I admire your abilities."
The Duke of England was not at all happy to hear this. He always felt that the emperor had more to say.
After waiting for a moment, the emperor sighed, "I hope you won't disappoint me in the future. Only those who are loyal can live long. Don't you agree?"
"Yes, I understand. In my eyes, there is only the Emperor."
The emperor's smile finally became more genuine. "Alright, I won't implicate the Duke of Ying over a daughter who isn't my blood. Please leave. I'm tired."
"Yes, Your Majesty, please take care of yourself. I will take my leave."
The Duke of England breathed a sigh of relief as he left the house.
He looked at the sky which was gradually clearing up and felt relieved. The emperor was just warning him just now. Because of Prince Rong's matter, the emperor now hated factions. If he took sides again, the emperor would be the first one who would not let him go.
The Duke of England shook his head. He only had one legitimate son left and could not afford to take the risk.
After leaving the palace, he planned to teach his wife a lesson, let her see the reality and not do stupid things, but when he returned home, he was stopped by the housekeeper Lao Gao with a swollen face, who said that his wife had forced him to leave the house by threatening to commit suicide.
The Duke of England suddenly felt dizzy.
He gritted his teeth, grabbed the butler's collar and asked, "Where did she go? Didn't I tell you to keep an eye on her?"
The housekeeper was on the verge of tears. "My Lord, the Madam has put a pair of scissors to her neck. If I try to stop her, she'll kill herself in front of me! I...I don't dare to gamble!"
"Where on earth has she gone? Tell me!" The British prince's veins were throbbing.
The housekeeper hesitated and said, "She...she seemed to say she was going to look for Princess Ming..."
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