Chapter 89 Thrown into the cesspool
"The way Prince Cheng died was so disgusting, it would have been better to burn him! If his body had been left alive, the Emperor would probably have buried him in the royal mausoleum. That bastard doesn't deserve it!"
Someone in the crowd shouted this, and it instantly received a lot of responses.
Everyone chimed in with their opinions, agreeing that the suggestion was excellent, rather than allowing the wicked Prince Cheng to enjoy the treatment of a royal tomb after his death.
Why not burn him to the ground? That would be a kind of solace for those he hurt!
In the blink of an eye, a tinderbox was thrown from the crowd and instantly ignited Cheng Wang's corpse.
Flames suddenly shot up, billowing thick smoke and emitting a pungent, acrid smell.
Seeing this from outside the crowd, Li Xiu was extremely anxious and shouted, "Put out the fire! You can't do this!"
But the crowd was so excited that the people he was directing couldn't squeeze in at all.
The fire grew larger and larger, and soon engulfed Cheng Wang's body.
Meanwhile, gossip about King Cheng began to circulate in the streets and alleys.
"Do you know that the missing Prince Cheng is dead? Do you know how he died?"
"Even after being castrated by his own queen, Prince Cheng was still restless and went out to seek pleasure with women. I heard he died in a house, along with his servant."
Those nearby boldly speculated: "How can he play if he becomes a eunuch? Wait, how come this servant is dead too?"
"Of course! People with money and power can do whatever they want. They can't play others, but they can't let others play them either? How did that servant die... hehe, how do you think he died?"
"I heard that Prince Cheng also has syphilis."
"You're only finding out now? This Prince Cheng is not only playful, but also incredibly cruel. Have you forgotten? He hung his queen's corpse at the city gate for three days and three nights. Who wouldn't be terrified?"
"His life of wealth and luxury has come to an end."
...
This incident caused such a huge uproar and had such a terrible impact that it quickly reached the palace.
In order to quell public anger, the emperor did not care how his disgraceful brother died or whether the accusations were true.
He directly issued an edict demoting Prince Cheng to a commoner and ordered a thorough investigation, which exposed all of Prince Cheng's past scandals.
Abducting women, raping and kidnapping, falsely accusing loyal officials, disregarding human life, and showing utter disregard for the law...
Even if all these crimes were committed, executing nine generations of their families wouldn't be excessive.
Immediately, the court and the public were in an uproar!
Now that Prince Cheng is dead, the people have no one to punish, no matter how angry they are. So the emperor ordered the confiscation of Prince Cheng's mansion and distributed all the gold and silver in the mansion to the women who had suffered and their families.
Among the common people, upon hearing this news, they clapped and cheered, and the emperor's wise decision was praised in every street and alley. They also expressed their utter contempt for Prince Cheng's evil deeds.
As for the charred body of Prince Cheng in Fuqu Lane, it was thrown into a cesspool by the cleaners.
...
A villa in the suburbs of Beijing.
Lin Wei sent word that Fang Lanzhi was dying, so he hurriedly sent a car to pick up Shen Shu.
The female doctor came out of the room and shook her head: "Miss Fang... I'm afraid she won't make it. Lord Marquis and Miss should prepare for her funeral as soon as possible."
Shen Shu staggered into the room and saw Fang Lanzhi lying on the bed, her face as pale as paper and her breath weak.
She tried to appear calm as she walked to the bedside, but tears streamed down her face.
When Fang Lanzhi saw that it was Shen Shu, a hint of relief flashed in her eyes. She wanted to raise her hand to wipe away Shen Shu's tears, but she couldn't muster any strength.
"Shu'er...don't cry...I...I was a person who deserved to die. To have lived this long is already a blessing from heaven...To have killed Prince Cheng before I died and avenged my whole family...that has already fulfilled my wish..."
Shen Shu cried even harder, but at this moment, she couldn't say a word.
“When I die… scatter my ashes in the sea… before the tragedy at home… my father, mother, and younger brother promised me… they would take me to see the sea… now that everything is over, I want to take them… to see it.”
Fang Lanzhi's voice grew weaker and weaker, each word seemingly uttered with all her might, "Shu'er...promise me...okay?"
Shen Shu nodded vigorously, choking back tears as she said, "I promise you, I promise you everything."
Fang Lanzhi's lips curled up slightly, revealing a weak smile, before she slowly closed her eyes and let her hands fall limply to her sides.
Shen Shu was devastated and held Fang Lanzhi's body, crying loudly.
She can save everyone, so why can't she save Fang Lanzhi?
The atmosphere inside the room was oppressive and sorrowful. The female doctor sighed softly beside her, her eyes filled with pity.
After Fang Lanzhi's funeral, Shen Shu sat blankly under a tree, holding the urn containing her ashes.
Lin Wei comforted her, saying, "Perhaps, for the girl in question, all of this was just a dream. Her death might be the end of that dream. Perhaps, like you, she will be a force to be reckoned with in the world after she wakes up."
Shen Shu looked up: "Really?"
Lin Wei rarely saw Shen Shu so vulnerable; her eyes were as red as a rabbit's.
She immediately softened and said, "Really."
But in his heart he was already thinking: even if it's not real, he'll make it real. Tomorrow he'll go to the temple and ask a master to properly pray for Fang Lanzhi's soul.
Shen Shu looked down at the urn in her arms, as if she could still feel Fang Lanzhi's last faint body temperature.
"Then I'll go back first. Once things are settled, I'll take Lanzhi to see the sea."
After all, there was one last thing she hadn't finished doing in the capital.
Shen Shu remained silent for a moment, then thought of her biological mother.
"I...I want to go to Baizhou."
"Go find your mother?" Lin Weixin understood. "I've already sent people to Baizhou to look for her, but there's still no news."
Lin Wei kept in mind Wen Lanting's last words at the Ministry of Justice that day.
So he immediately ordered someone to go to Baizhou to investigate.
Shen Shu's eyes widened: "You sent someone to follow me again?"
"Wasn't this the last thing Wen Lanting said to you at the Ministry of Justice that day?"
Lin Wei said slowly, "It was all my fault for losing my temper with you at the Lord's mansion before. I shouldn't have disregarded your wishes and let someone follow you all the time. I won't do it again. But you told me about your mother yourself. You can't put any more accusations against me."
Shen Shu was speechless for a moment. Looking at the sincerity and the slightly ingratiating look in Lin Wei's eyes, the unpleasantness she felt from being followed quietly dissipated.
She knew that Lin Weisu was usually domineering, so it was already rare for her to lower herself to explain like this.
After a moment of silence, she nodded gently: "Then... thank you very much, Lord Marquis."
Seeing that she was no longer angry, Lin Wei noticed that her tense jawline had softened slightly.
He reached out to ruffle her hair, but fearing she would dodge, he simply left his hand in mid-air and coughed lightly instead.
"Baizhou is a long way away, and it would be inconvenient for a woman like you to go alone. I will go with you. Once we find your mother, we will bring her back to the capital and send her off to get married. Is that alright?"
Shen Shu looked up at him, a hint of surprise in her eyes: "Aren't you busy with your official duties?"
"No matter how busy I am, nothing is more important than your business."
Lin Wei spoke with certainty, as if it were the most natural thing in the world: "Besides, with me by your side, I can protect you."
Shen Shu gazed into his deep eyes, where her own image was clearly reflected, and something seemed to gently touch a corner of her heart.
"good."
After Fang Lanzhi's funeral was over, Lin Wei personally escorted Shen Shu back to her residence.
Just as they entered the city gate, they encountered the princess's carriage.
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