It can be said that this royal cuckoldry incident caused a great uproar throughout the capital. Not to mention the officials, even ordinary people had heard about it, and it even had a tendency to spread to other places in Dalin.
The next morning at court, the ministers below glanced at Situ Yin with pitying and sympathetic eyes, then looked at him again.
Then they couldn't understand why the person sitting on the dragon throne was so indifferent to such a humiliating disgrace. If it were an ordinary man, he would have probably already personally dismembered the adulterous couple, but judging from Situ Yin's appearance, he didn't seem to show the slightest inclination to get angry.
Because of this doubt, the ministers below looked at Situ Yin with slightly unrestrained eyes due to momentary distraction. Two of them were even a bit hotheaded, and their eyes even carried a hint of disdain that they themselves did not realize.
Yes, that's how it is in a patriarchal society. Being cuckolded will attract ridicule from a small group of mentally unstable peers and will be seen as a sign of being useless.
Tsk.
Unexpectedly, at that moment, Situ Yin, who had been sitting there listlessly, raised an eyebrow and then waved his hand casually.
Just as his arm fell, two black-clad guards suddenly leaped out from the side, wielding their knives with swift movements.
"ah!!!"
The two hotheads immediately covered their eyes with their hands, fell to the ground, and began to writhe in pain, screaming.
"If their eyes always show a look that I don't like, then they're of no use to me. Don't you all agree?"
Situ Yin said this with a smile, enunciating each word clearly.
Upon hearing this, all the ministers, regardless of whether they had previously shown any unusual expressions, immediately bowed respectfully.
"Your Majesty is wise."
After Situ Yin revealed such a trick, none of the ministers dared to show any emotion in their eyes. They all reverted to their previous serene and composed demeanor when attending court.
They had let their guard down. His Majesty's attitude had improved these past few days, and he no longer acted as if he could chop off everyone's heads at any moment. He even occasionally smiled, which made them complacent.
The group of people kept reflecting on this in their hearts.
After the morning court session, apart from Chancellor Ji, most of the other ministers left.
Although they have left, their hearts remain in the Golden Palace.
No one knows what the old fox, Ji Xiang, who was left alone, said to the emperor. All they know is that from that day on, Ji Xiang began to stay at home to recuperate, and no one knows whether his illness will ever be cured.
Some were eager to act, while others were terrified.
The absence of Prime Minister Ji also fueled the rumors circulating in the capital.
Meanwhile, Ji Muqing, who was imprisoned for several days, was almost driven insane.
She thought that being banished to the cold palace was the most miserable and humiliating time of her life, but who could have imagined that one day she would fall into an even more humiliating and desolate situation?
The food in the prison was spoiled, and the soup was like swill. Ji Muqing was so hungry that she forced herself to eat two bites before she immediately vomited it all up.
The only place to sleep was a hard wooden board covered with some dry grass. The tattered blanket had been used by someone and was covered with a strong, sour smell of sweat.
These aren't the worst things. The most terrifying thing is that there are rats in such a place.
When Ji Muqing saw a fat gray rat crawl past her for the first time, she screamed with all her might, but only received a barrage of curses from the jailer.
Ji Muqing was going crazy; she couldn't live like this for even a day longer.
She couldn't understand how she had suddenly been stripped of her protective barrier and recognized by her former enemies. Heaven knows, when Situ Yin's guards appeared before her, her legs went weak. At that moment, she even felt a little resentful towards Helan Ruo, who had rescued her from the cold palace.
Because they stayed in the cold palace, at least they didn't have to die.
Now, she couldn't even imagine how the ruthless Situ Yin would deal with her. Just thinking about the possible fate that awaited her filled Ji Muqing with dread.
Now, all she can do is hope that Helan Ruo will remember their past relationship and the life she once saved for him, and will do everything in his power to protect her. After all, in this world, if there is anyone who can speak up for that madman Situ Yin, it is only Princess Qingping.
She tried to comfort herself with these thoughts, but the excessive fear, coupled with her inability to eat or sleep well and the unhealed shoulder injury, caused Ji Muqing to fall ill. She lay on the hay and began to talk nonsense.
Meanwhile, Helan Ruo never stopped worrying about Ji Muqing.
Because when they were taken away by the guards, he saw Ji Muqing turn pale and faint before she could see a doctor, so Helan Ruo assumed that her injuries were really that serious, which was why she suddenly fainted.
Given the appalling conditions in the prison, Helan Ruo was genuinely worried about whether she could endure it.
He was worried not only about Ji Muqing, but also about Tang Ning. He hadn't had a chance to be honest with Tang Ning yet, and she probably only learned about Muqing's true identity from others.
Never before had Helan Ruo felt so despicable.
He couldn't imagine what kind of storm Tang Ning would have to face alone now that her parents were no longer in the capital.
The more Helan Ruo thought about it, the more sleepless she became, and she visibly grew thinner and thinner.
Because she genuinely wanted to see Helan Ruo in prison, Tang Ning frequently dismissed everyone around her for several days in a row, eagerly awaiting Situ Yin's arrival.
Unfortunately, the other party seemed to be up to something, and never appeared before Tang Ning.
He would occasionally come over to smell her scent, since it wasn't the right time for him to meet Tang Ning yet. Besides, he was afraid she would cry, because when she cried, not only would her scent change, but he would also have to comfort her.
He doesn't know how to coax people.
To avoid trouble, Situ Yin simply stopped showing up and just stayed out of the way to smell the aroma.
Meanwhile, everyone in the capital saw that Situ Yin had merely imprisoned Helan Ruo and Ji Muqing without sending anyone to interrogate them or imposing any punishment. For a time, everyone in the capital secretly speculated whether Situ Yin was waiting for Princess Qingping, who had gone out to provide disaster relief, to return before taking any action.
This made everyone secretly look forward to Princess Qingping's return, and they also wanted to see how much weight this Princess Qingping, who was rumored to be especially favored by His Majesty, actually held in his heart.
Two days later, Ji Muqing, who was in prison, experienced a fluctuating fever that kept rising and falling, leaving her barely alive.
Princess Qingping finally appeared at the city gate of the capital, covered in dust and grime, under the watchful eyes of everyone. She didn't even enter the gate of the Duke's mansion, but went straight to the palace. Without even uttering a word of begging for mercy, she knelt down at the palace gate with a thud.
The moment Princess Qingping returned, Tang Ning quickly received the news at the Duke's mansion and, without a second thought, came looking for her after seeing Princess Qingping kneeling at the palace gate in Dezhou.
From a distance, she could see Princess Qingping kneeling upright under the blazing sun, wearing a blue cloak.
Two eunuchs stood beside her, one holding an umbrella and the other holding a cushion.
Only when she got closer did she hear the two eunuchs earnestly persuading Princess Qingping, who was kneeling on the ground, to not make things difficult for them, the servants. They said that His Majesty would definitely not come out to see her today, but he still cared about her, which was why he had the servants bring these things to the princess.
“If Your Majesty does not wish to see me, I will kneel here until Your Majesty is willing to see me.”
Princess Qingping uttered these words in a hoarse voice.
No matter how the two eunuchs beside her tried to persuade her, she kept her dry, chapped lips tightly pressed together and refused to say anything more.
Before Princess Qingping could react, she caught a glimpse of a voice kneeling beside her, followed by Tang Ning's soft yet firm voice, "I'll go with Mother..."
However, before Tang Ning could kneel down completely, Princess Qingping on the ground raised her hand to stop her.
"No need, Ningning."
As she spoke, Princess Qingping looked at her apologetically, "You're a young lady, you don't have any children yet, don't kneel and ruin your health, ah..."
"mother!"
Upon hearing Princess Qingping's words of concern, Tang Ning's eyes immediately welled up with tears.
Her eyes reddened, and Princess Qingping wasn't much better off. She raised her hand and touched Tang Ning's hand hanging by her side, saying guiltily, "It's because I haven't raised you well that you've suffered such a great injustice..."
"I am not wronged."
"You should feel wronged. A'Ruo did something so shameless and disregarded your dignity, so it's only right that you feel wronged."
Princess Qingping had not anticipated that Helan Ruo would cause her such a huge mess no sooner than she left.
What is so good about Ji Muqing that makes him willing to disregard his parents and Tang Ning, and risk his life for her?
Princess Qingping had never been so disappointed in her son.
Tang Ning is such a good girl. Doesn't he worry that she will be hurt and leave? How dare he do something so disrespectful to her?
If Princess Qingping thought that Prince Jian's heir, Wei Jing, was bad, then the things her son had done only made her think that Tang Ning would have been better off marrying Wei Jing directly in the first place, thus avoiding so much trouble.
Even though Tang Ning was just her daughter-in-law, she had already begun to feel sorry for this sensible girl whose life had been full of hardships.
Finally, after much persuasion, she managed to convince Tang Ning to leave.
After all, in Situ Yin's heart, she, as his older sister, still held some weight. Tang Ning had no relation to him what use was it for her to kneel down? It would only cause one more person to suffer.
Princess Qingping thought to herself.
At this moment, Tang Ning, who had already walked some distance away, subconsciously turned back and looked at the other person's figure still kneeling steadily on the ground. Her eyes reddened even more, and then a resolute look flashed in her eyes. She then ran towards the Duke's mansion without looking back.
After she ran all the way to her room in the Duke's mansion, she locked herself up alone.
After a long while, she suddenly raised her head and looked around, then began to shout in a hoarse voice, "I know you're here, please come out?"
In the past few days, although Situ Yin has not appeared in front of Tang Ning again, the furnishings in her room have been changed frequently. The person who tampered with them seemed to care at all whether she would find out, and continued to do so with impunity.
Tang Ning called out several times, and just as a faint sense of despair was about to spread across her eyes, Situ Yin finally appeared at the window behind her, one foot on the windowsill and the other casually hanging down.
"Is he calling for me?"
Upon hearing the sound, Tang Ning turned her head sharply.
The two stared at each other for a long time, but Tang Ning was the first to give in. She looked away and, after a long while, asked with difficulty, "Was it... was it because I agreed to go to the palace..."
At this point, Tang Ning paused slightly before looking up at Situ Yin again. "So you're just going to release He Lan and Ji Muqing?"
Upon hearing this, a flash of joy crossed Situ Yin's eyes. "Of course. Not only will I release them, but I will also not pursue the matter further. If possible, I can even grant them a wedding, thus completely fulfilling the wishes of this loving couple."
Upon hearing this, Tang Ning immediately clenched her fists, her face turning slightly pale.
"Okay, I promise you."
Upon hearing this, Situ Yin immediately changed his previous nonchalant demeanor and looked intently at Tang Ning.
"However, I need to see Helan Ruo in prison first. I have something to say to him."
Tang Ningqiang suppressed his emotions and said these words with a nasal tone.
Upon hearing that Tang Ning wanted to see Helan Ruo again, a faint sense of displeasure involuntarily swept through Situ Yin's heart, and he felt somewhat irritated, but he still nodded, "Alright, a gentleman's word is his bond..."
"What's done is done!"
Tang Ning replied in a deep voice.
Just then, Situ Yin suddenly remembered something and a smile appeared on his lips.
He was prescient; before he arrived, he had ordered someone to exaggerate Ji Muqing's current miserable state and injuries to Helan Ruo, and to point out that she could die at any moment.
If Tang Ning wants to see him, then let her go.
Presumably, Helan Ruo is now determined to save Ji Muqing, and will not listen to anything Tang Ning says, which will only deepen the rift between the two.
The cunning boy, Situ Yin, secretly gave himself a thumbs up for his brilliant thinking.
As expected of him.
With Situ Yin's word, Tang Ning could enter the capital's prison with virtually no difficulty.
Meanwhile, sitting on the wooden bed, looking at the sunlight streaming in through the small window, Helan Ruo was lost in thought.
Just then, his cell door was suddenly banged on from the outside.
"Helan Ruo, someone has come to see you."
Upon hearing his name, Helan Ruo was momentarily stunned. He stiffly turned his head and saw a person wearing a long black cloak following behind the jailer. The person slowly extended a pair of jade-like hands from the filthy prison and gently removed the hat from their head, revealing a face as beautiful as a spring flower.
Tang Ning...
Having not seen her for ten days, Helan Ruo felt a sense of déjà vu upon seeing such a familiar face.
It was fine before she saw Tang Ning, but after seeing her, He Lanruo realized how much she missed her, wanted to see her, wanted to hug her, and missed her so much that her bones ached.
"Thank you for your trouble..."
Tang Ning handed the prepared reward money to the jailer and watched him leave with a smile. He Lanruo, who had just come to her senses, stumbled to the rough wooden prison door, the iron chains on her feet rattling loudly.
"Tang Ning..."
He called out in disbelief.
Hearing his call, Tang Ning slowly turned her head. When she saw He Lanruo's tormented state, tears streamed down her face.
"I...I brought you food. I had the kitchen at home make it for you before I came. It's all your favorite food...You eat first!"
As she spoke, Tang Ning immediately put the red lacquered lunchbox she was carrying on the ground and began to hurriedly pass the dishes inside, one by one, through the crack in the prison door to He Lanruo.
He Lanruo, who had been eating spoiled food for ten days, didn't not want to eat these tempting dishes, but he cared more about Tang Ning's thoughts at this moment.
"sorry……"
Just those three words froze Tang Ning in place, her head bowed low, and Helan Ruo couldn't see her expression at all.
"Do you remember what I told you that night? I originally planned to confess to you that day, but... Believe me, I absolutely did not have anything happen between me and Mu Qing. I just... just... received the letter written in blood from the Cold Palace. She said she couldn't go on living and begged me to save her. She saved my life before, and I couldn't just stand by and watch her die, so..."
He Lanruo hurriedly explained.
"And now?"
Before Helan Ruo could finish speaking, Tang Ning interrupted him, raising her head and looking at Helan Ruo with red eyes. "I don't want to know what your original plan was, nor do I want to know what happened between you and Ji Muqing before, or why you brought her out of the palace. I don't want to know any of that..."
"I just want to know, what are you thinking right now?"
When Tang Ning asked the question, He Lanruo froze on the spot.
A long silence stretched between them before Tang Ning's voice rang out again, "She was originally an imperial concubine, can't we let her go back?"
“But she will die. The jailers say she’s been burning with fever for five whole days. Once she’s back in the Cold Palace, no one will be able to call the imperial physician for her. How can I just watch the woman who saved me twice die…”
"And what about me!"
Tang Ning's tears rolled down her cheeks. She looked at He Lanruo in front of her with resentment and choked out, "What about me? Where do you put me? Fine, let's say you can save Ji Muqing, and then what? She's mentally unstable now. Are you going to take care of her for the rest of your life? What does that make you? Or are you planning to marry her into the Duke's mansion right away so that she won't be gossiped about?"
"I don't……"
"You mean to say you won't do that, right?"
Tang Ning looked at him with a hint of sadness.
"But everything you do now proves that you can't let her go... Helan Ruo!"
At this point, Tang Ning suddenly reached out and grasped He Lanruo's hand, calming herself down. "How about you let Ji Muqing go back to the palace? Let her go back. Her grandfather is the prime minister, and given the current situation, the emperor won't let her die. Then, have your mother beg His Majesty to pardon your crime. At worst, we won't stay in the capital anymore. I'll go with you to the frontier, and we'll never come back, okay?"
Tang Ning looked expectantly at He Lanruo in front of her. After a long while, the other party slowly spoke, "Mu Qing saved me twice..."
"I don't want to know how many times she saved you!"
Tang Ning slammed her hand on the cell door in front of her. "You're going to die, or would you rather die with Ji Muqing than live with me? I'm your wife!"
Seeing Tang Ning so agitated, He Lanruo clenched her fists, and after a long while, she finally spoke in a hoarse voice.
"Tang Ning... don't force me..."
He said.
With just these seven words, all the emotions on Tang Ning's face completely turned into a calm at this moment.
The surroundings were eerily quiet, with only the wind whistling through the hall, which immediately ruffled Tang Ning's hair.
Just then, she suddenly chuckled softly.
He Lanruo looked directly at her and said, "I didn't mean that..."
Unfortunately, before he could finish speaking, Tang Ning straightened her clothes and slowly stood up.
"Okay, I won't force you."
She said softly.
"Eat quickly, or the food will get cold and won't taste good."
She laughed.
Knowing that nothing he said would make a difference, Helan Ruo ate the food without tasting it under her gentle gaze, and then watched as Tang Ning put the bowls and plates into the food box one by one.
Take good care of yourself.
After tidying up everything, Tang Ning reached in and gently wiped He Lanruo's slightly dirty face with her sleeve.
"I'll be going now."
After speaking, she slowly stood up, took another deep look at Helan Ruo in front of her, and turned to walk out.
Watching her walk towards the light, Helan Ruo, pressed against the prison door, watched and watched, and felt as if she were leaving and never looking back, and would never see him again.
"Tang Ning!"
The panic and unease in his heart made him shout out in a subconscious way.
Hearing his call, Tang Ning stopped, but did not turn around.
"No matter what, you will always be my only wife in this lifetime. Please believe me."
He Lanruo made a serious promise.
He had already thought it all out. His mother still had a death-exemption token bestowed by the emperor when she married into the Duke's mansion. Once she returned, he would use this token to save Mu Qing. After that, he would no longer owe her anything, nor would he take care of her anymore. After all, she was a member of the Ji family. Without the crime on her body, he believed her family would take care of her. From then on, he would live a good life with Tang Ning and treat her well.
Helan Ruo tried to convince herself of this, but the fear and unease in her heart still clung to her like a leech.
Tang Ning, who had heard his words, tilted her head slightly and curled the corners of her mouth.
"Um."
She responded softly, then stepped outside.
As soon as she left the prison, she saw Situ Yin standing under a tree not far away, looking rather bored.
"I've come to keep my promise. I'm willing to go to the palace with you, but I don't want to bring shame to the Qin family. So, could we find another way? Also, could I take my two maids with me?"
How about another approach?
Situ Yin raised an eyebrow.
That night, a fire broke out at the Duke's mansion. Qin Jiatangning, the wife of the young master Helan Ruo, and her two maids perished in the flames. When they were found, their bodies were so badly damaged that they were unrecognizable.
Author's Note: Situ Yin: Hehe, wife, mine.
He Lanruo: I may not be human, but Uncle, you really are a dog. Hei tui!
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