Helped by the magpie, they arrived in the courtyard, where Xiao Zhu and the others were already waiting. They lowered their heads, feeling extremely guilty, especially Xiao Zhu, who felt very sorry for the princess. The princess had entrusted him with great power, but he had overlooked such important information, leading to such a terrible tragedy for the entire household.
Zhao Shu walked slowly. The magpie originally wanted to carry her over, but she insisted on walking on her own. This was the first time in her life that she had been punished to kneel for such a long time. If it were in her previous life when she was younger and more naive, she would definitely feel resentful at this time. But now she understood that the Empress Dowager was punishing her for others to see, and also to warn her not to treat others as fools and be presumptuous.
Feeling conflicted, he glanced at Xiao Zhu and the others a few times, then asked, "Is there anything you want to say?"
Xiao Zhu stepped forward and handed Zhao Shu an envelope. "Princess, this is a letter for you. It was delivered by Lord Wei." He lowered his voice and spoke the last sentence very softly.
He delivered it to Zhao Shu personally, without passing it through anyone else. Zhao Shu took it; there was no writing on it, presumably to avoid giving anyone cause for gossip. She removed the wax seal and found only a few words inside: "The king is raising an army; prepare our armor and weapons." There was no signature.
After reading it, she tore the paper and envelope into pieces, put them into her teacup, and watched as the shredded paper softened and diffused with the water. She clapped her hands, thinking that since she was going to be away for a while, she should first settle the accounts.
"I once said that as long as I, Zhao Shu, have a bite to eat, I will never let you go hungry; as long as I, Zhao Shu, have a breath left, I will never let you be humiliated. But there are two things. If you commit either of them, you will be subjected to the eighteen cruel tortures and slowly tortured to death. Do you all remember?" Her voice was not loud, but she was stating the facts. Her face was not cold, as if she were chatting casually. However, everyone in the courtyard was silent.
They all knew these words and remembered them perfectly. When Zhao Shu said these words, some people might not have been present, such as the maids who did the cleaning and sweeping, but they had all heard Zhao Shu's "two deaths": those who climb into someone's bedchamber will die! Those who betray their master will die! Those who die from torture!
Almost as soon as Zhao Shu finished speaking, all the maids and servants in the courtyard kowtowed loudly, saying, "We are loyal to the princess and will never betray her. Please believe us, princess."
"This servant has absolutely no disloyalty to the Princess. If I have uttered even the slightest lie, may I be struck by lightning and die a horrible death!"
Everyone rushed to pledge their loyalty, kowtowing until their foreheads were red, but they didn't stop.
Zhao Shu raised her hand, "Alright, I didn't say I didn't trust you, but if you don't want people to know, then don't do it in the first place. The truth will eventually come out. I'll give you all a chance to make a contribution. If you think anyone has betrayed you, you can come to me privately. It doesn't matter if you're wrong. I promise here that I will never reveal the identity of the informant."
Upon hearing Zhao Shu's words, everyone felt a chill run through them. What were they to do when they were wronged? Yet, they felt an even stronger urge to dig up the ancestral graves of the traitor and whip her corpse.
After speaking, she carefully observed everyone's reactions, and after observing for a long time, she chuckled softly, "I actually trust you all very much." Everyone was unsure of what she meant by this, and they were uneasy, afraid of being wronged, and even more afraid that the princess's words were sarcastic. However, Zhao Shu did not intend to explain, and those who should be given important positions would still be given important positions.
“Little Zhu, Little Guo, early spring, midsummer, late winter, come closer to my ear.”
The five people exchanged glances, then knelt down in front of Zhao Shu, listening attentively to her instructions. Zhao Shu lowered her voice and gave a few instructions, then said, "Go. The most frightening thing in this world is not a flood or a beast, but someone whose bottom line you can never guess."
Even without the intelligence sent by Wei Tingsi, she knew who wanted to harm her. She knew even without evidence. Besides, she wasn't an official of the Ministry of Justice. What evidence did she need to settle accounts?
Nowadays, the Prince's Mansion on Zhuque Street is deserted. Even the gatekeeper is listless. The head of the family has been imprisoned, and the mistress has followed him in. The old master has also passed away. His coffin is still in the mansion and has not been buried. The eldest and second sons are busy running around all day and rarely stay at the mansion.
The other gentlemen all went to the Wang residence and followed the eldest son. They could no longer tell whether Wang Jiyang or Wang Muxuan was the eldest son, as both claimed to be the eldest son. The servants were caught in the middle, not knowing what to do.
Many people in the manor have secretly sought refuge with the Wang family. They also want to join the Wang family. Over the past few days, they have gradually realized that the eldest and second young masters are not as capable as the eldest young master of the Wang family. Ironically, the most respected third young master is also in the prison with the master and madam.
They don't know when they'll be able to get out. If only the eldest son of the Wang family could come and take them all away, but the eldest son of the Wang family has never come to visit.
I heard they are still looking for evidence to clear the name of the second wife's family. The old master is usually strict and well-educated, but I never expected him to be this kind of person.
The gatekeepers were exchanging glances, their unspoken sorrow and anxiety palpable, when Wang Muxuan and Wang Mulei returned dejectedly.
"Young Master, Second Young Master." The gatekeeper bowed and respectfully opened the door for the two young masters.
Just then, a Taoist priest appeared at the gate, carrying a banner that read "Cloth-Clad Divine Physician." The priest looked to be only thirty or forty years old and had a rather otherworldly and dignified appearance.
"Please wait, gentlemen." The Taoist priest held a whisk in his hand and wore a yin-yang fish hat on his head. His Taoist robe was worn, but his shoes were clean.
Wang Muxuan and Wang Mulei turned around and saw a Taoist priest with an otherworldly air frowning at them. "You two gentlemen have very noble appearances and are destined for great wealth and honor. However, there is a sinister aura between your brows. I suppose you two gentlemen have been having some bad luck lately?"
Upon hearing the Taoist's words, the gatekeeper was filled with admiration. The Taoist was absolutely right. The eldest and second young masters were born into a wealthy family and were destined for a life of luxury, but they had indeed been experiencing some misfortune lately.
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