Chapter 382 Go to my house and find Chen Suizhu first!
Seeing that neither of them would give an inch, Zhou Rulin felt a headache coming on.
Zhao Zheng naturally wanted to find out the truth, but he didn't want to speak up for Shen Lanxi, so he kept quiet. Even when he saw Zhou Rulin constantly giving him meaningful glances, he pretended not to see them.
"Shen Lanxi, I'm asking you one last time, are you going to back out or not?" Zhou Zhuangyun had reached his limit.
Shen Lanxi replied coldly, "What will you do if I don't back down?"
Zhou Zhuangyun had already backed down time and time again, giving Shen Lanxi ample face. Since she was so arrogant, disregarding the royal bloodline and the eldest prince, she shouldn't blame him for being impolite.
If he backs down now, he will lose face for the Prince Ji's mansion.
"Your Highness, you see, I have already discussed things with her. It was she who acted arrogantly and domineeringly. I have nowhere left to retreat. For the sake of the royal family's reputation and for the sake of the Ji Prince's Mansion, I will also drive her out of the manor!"
Zhou Rulin quickly tried to mediate.
"Your Highness, it's not that serious, it really isn't. We were both doing this for Yunxue, it's just that our words were a little inappropriate. How about we each take a step back today?"
“Just consider it giving me face, after all, I’m the presiding judge for this case. If there’s a conflict with the Prince Ji’s residence today, Father will definitely intervene,” Zhou Rulin analyzed the pros and cons with Zhou Zhuangyun.
Zhou Zhuangyun remained silent, his neck stiff. It would be best if both sides compromised; if things really escalated to the Emperor's ears, things might get complicated.
The eldest prince's words gave him a way out. Zhou Zhuangyun was not an ungrateful person.
"Lanxi, listen to my advice. Seriously, you two have grown up together since childhood. How could things have come to this? If Yunxue knew this from beyond the grave, she would definitely be unhappy to see you arguing like this over her."
After thinking for a moment, Shen Lanxi looked at Zhou Rulin and agreed with what he said.
Seeing that the two had taken his words to heart, Zhou Rulin breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "We have already troubled you at your residence for quite some time today. We will go to find Zhou Yunyuan and Chen Suizhu later. These two were eyewitnesses at the time. If their testimonies are inconsistent, we will come to the Prince Ji's residence to question the other female members. What does Your Highness think?"
Zhou Zhuangyun's eyes flashed, and he nodded, saying, "My sister wasn't the only one who went boating on the lake back then. When she fell into the water, everyone who was with her must have seen it. The First Prince's insight is truly remarkable, and I admire him greatly."
Unlike Shen Lanxi, who only brought a sheep from the Ji Prince's mansion.
“Our Prince Ji’s Mansion is the victim. Those people who don’t distinguish right from wrong are only targeting our manor. They are utterly shameless.”
Shen Lanxi glanced at them coldly: "Is the young master referring to me?"
Zhou Zhuangyun raised his chin and snorted coldly: "Whoever keeps criticizing our Prince's Mansion without distinguishing right from wrong, I'll name them."
Shen Lanxi: "I am investigating this case by imperial decree and will treat all those involved equally. It is precisely because the Prince's Mansion is the victim that I should investigate further to seek justice for the Prince's Mansion and Yunxue. If even the Prince's Mansion is hiding the truth and refusing to tell the facts, then don't expect anything from outsiders."
Zhou Zhuangyun's expression changed, and he was enraged once again.
“Lanxi, listen to me. After all, the Ji Prince’s Mansion is Yunxue’s family. They have lost a loved one and are still upset. Their words are naturally too harsh. Let’s ask Zhou and Chen before deciding whether to come to the Ji Prince’s Mansion.”
"If the two of them know the inside story, we won't have to make another trip. It will also save them from completely offending the Prince Ji's residence."
Seeing that Shen Lanxi remained unmoved, Zhou Rulin continued to appeal to her emotions and reason with her.
"After all, it is the Prince Ji’s Mansion, which was personally appointed by the ancestral emperor. We should give it some face."
"Let's do it for Yunxue's sake!"
Shen Lanxi was moved.
"All right!"
Zhou Rulin went to negotiate with Zhou Zhuangyun, and after a few words, the group left the palace.
...
"What are you doing following us?" Shen Lanxi asked Zhao Zheng.
The latter walked with a limp, looking quite angry.
“I’m following the First Prince, not you.”
Zhao Zheng had already spoken with Zhou Rulin about Zhou Yunxue's case, and he would be accompanying her to investigate. He would be in charge of calming things down at the Prince Ji's residence.
Otherwise, given the situation just now, Zhou Zhuangyun would definitely have called for guards.
Zhou Rulin patiently explained to Shen Lanxi, "In the case of the princess, to be precise, the Marquis of Yong'an is also a victim. He still cares about Yunxue."
Shen Lanxi disagreed: "If he truly loved her, he would have stepped forward to propose to her after Yunxue fell into the water. But what about now? He married Chen Suizhu instead."
Zhao Zheng's face darkened. How could Shen Lanxi's words be so venomous?
Zhou Rulin, wanting to do Zhao Zheng a favor, continued, "I've heard about what happened back then. It's not Zhao Hou's fault. After Yunxue fell into the water, she took the initiative to say she wanted to marry into Xishan."
Shen Lanxi: "As far as I know, Yunxue was also unwilling. If Zhao Zheng had stood up to fight the rumors immediately, Yunxue would not have been forced to marry into Xishan because she couldn't stand the rumors."
Zhao Zheng said angrily, "I was observing mourning at the time, and by the time I found out about this, it was already over."
Shen Lanxi's eyes flickered: "As far as I know, the old Marquis of Yong'an died on the battlefield. The old Marquis's wife also passed away a long time ago. Your Yong'an Marquis's mansion is sparsely populated. Who are you going to mourn for, and what kind of mourning are you going to do?"
Zhao Zheng was furious: "Can't I observe mourning for my uncles and brothers who died on the battlefield?"
Shen Lanxi retorted sarcastically, "As far as I know, your Southwest Army has relinquished its power for about ten years, hasn't it?"
Zhao Zheng's eyes were bloodshot, clearly indicating that he was extremely angry.
"Shen Lanxi, you've gone too far..."
Seeing that a fight was about to break out, Zhou Rulin was so frightened that he quickly stood between the two to stop them.
“We came together for Yunxue’s sake. The matter between Zhao Hou and Yunxue is so long ago, and things have changed drastically. The fact that Zhao Hou still cherishes the old marriage agreement shows that he surpasses most young men.”
Zhou Rulin went on to persuade this person and then that person.
"What happened back then can only be described as a twist of fate, a case of being destined to meet but not to be together. If everything could go as planned, there wouldn't be so many regrets in the world. What we need to do now is try our best to make amends. For example, we should clear Yunxue's name as soon as possible so that she can ascend to heaven sooner. Don't you agree?"
Shen Lanxi and Zhao Zheng remained silent, clearly agreeing with his statement.
“There are still two people in the capital who know about what happened back then. One is Zhou Yunyuan, and the other is Chen Suizhu.” Zhou Rulin glanced at Zhao Zheng. Chen Suizhu was his wife.
Zhao Zheng was furious. Having been put on the hot seat for so long, he blurted out, "Go to my house and find Chen Suizhu first!"
Zhou Rulin turned to look at Shen Lanxi: "Lord Zhao is a man of great integrity!"
Shen Lanxi remained silent and followed the two to the Yong'an Marquis's residence.
"As far as I know, Chen Suizhu is an extremely jealous person. If she finds out that Zhao Hou is protecting Yunxue so much, I wonder what her reaction will be?" She was really looking forward to it.
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