Chapter 41 The court session in the military camp was a session where she seduced me!
The night was deep, and the lamplight flickered in the study of the Shen family mansion, but it could not illuminate the gloomy and sorrowful look on Shen's father's face.
Fangru stood quietly in front of her father, dressed in plain clothes, without any makeup, her face as pale as paper, but her eyes were surprisingly bright, filled with an unwavering determination.
“Father,” her voice was soft, yet clear and firm, like jade clashing, “I want to confess my sins.”
Upon hearing this, Mr. Shen trembled, nearly dropping the teacup in his hand.
He looked up at his daughter in disbelief: "Confess? You... what crime did you confess to? Gu Zhou was spouting nonsense, His Majesty has already..."
"Father!"
Fangru interrupted him, her voice rising slightly, carrying an undeniable air of authority, "General Yan's death is largely the fault of Gu Zhou and me. If I hadn't let the wolf into the house, if I hadn't been momentarily confused and failed to resolutely stop it, how could the general have... how could he have died with such resentment?"
At this point, her eyes reddened, but she held back her tears, and her forced strength was even more heartbreaking.
"But Gu Zhou is the real culprit! You were just implicated!"
Father Shen said urgently, trying to grasp at the last glimmer of hope, "Ru'er, think of your father, think of the Shen family! If you confess to this fabricated crime, what will become of the Shen family's reputation? How can I face myself?"
Fangru walked up to her father and slowly knelt down.
This action caused Shen's father even more heartache.
She tilted her head back, her gaze clear and open, and said, word by word, "Father, from childhood you taught me that a person should prioritize 'responsibility' in this world. There are things one should do and things one should not do. Now the General has died because of me, that is a fact. If I were to hide at home to protect myself, letting others bear all the blame, or letting the General die without knowing the truth, how could I, Shen Fangru, face the world afterward? The Shen family's reputation is not based on empty fame, but on integrity!"
She grasped her father's trembling hand, her tone softening yet remaining firm: "Your daughter is unfilial, unable to be by your side any longer. But please believe me, Father, that my actions are not cowardly suicide, but rather an attempt to confront my mistakes, seek peace of mind, and demand justice for the General. If I were to cower and refuse to come out, I would spend the rest of my life in regret and self-reproach, which would truly be worse than death."
Looking at the unwavering light in his daughter's eyes, Mr. Shen knew that what his daughter inherited was not the power and wealth of the Shen family, but the unyielding spirit that had been passed down through generations of the Shen family.
Tears streamed down his face as he knew he could no longer change his daughter's decision.
This integrity and courage both tore his heart apart and gave him a faint, indescribable sense of pride.
He reached out his trembling hand and stroked his daughter's head, finally letting out a long sigh filled with endless sorrow and helplessness: "...Your father...allows you. Stay at home...for a few more days, let your father...take a good look at you again."
During her stay at the Shen residence, Fangru was like a walking corpse, remaining silent all day.
A few days later, she insisted on returning to the Yan residence to pack up some old things, as if to make a clean break with the past, before going to the Jingzhao Yin's office.
Returning to the Yan family mansion, a place filled with memories yet now a place of sorrow, Fangru felt as if her heart was being torn apart.
She packed a few simple clothes and a few personal belongings and prepared to leave this suffocating place.
However, her carriage had only traveled a short distance from the Yan residence when it reached a secluded street and was suddenly stopped by several masked, burly men!
Before the driver could even cry for help, he was subdued. Fangru felt a sharp pain in the back of her neck and then lost consciousness.
When she slowly awoke, she found herself in a desolate place, surrounded by cold military tents and the sound of patrolling soldiers' footsteps.
This is clearly a military camp!
She was horrified, and before she could even process what was happening, her gaze was drawn to another person in the tent.
The man's clothes were slightly disheveled and his face was pale; he was none other than Gu Zhou, who should have been imprisoned in jail!
Fangru's pupils suddenly contracted, and a mixture of anger, hatred, and contempt surged into her heart.
She immediately turned her head away, refusing to look at Gu Zhou again.
This is the man who used vicious words to drive her husband Yan De to his death; and this is also the man who shamelessly admitted to the fabricated charge of adultery in court, dragging her into this abyss of infamy from which there is no return!
In her heart, Gu Zhou was no longer the person she knew, but a despicable and shameless enemy who had caused her family to be destroyed.
When Gu Zhou saw Fangru wake up, a complex and unreadable expression flashed in his eyes. He opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something: "Fangru..."
"Shut up!"
Fangru interrupted sharply, her voice trembling with anger, yet carrying a cold resolve, "I have nothing to say to you! Your actions only disgust me!"
The atmosphere inside the military camp's main hall was somber and tense.
The soldiers standing on either side, halberds in hand, stared intently at the two men kneeling below, their eyes like knives, burning with rage for the revenge of General Yan De.
Someone shouted, "Kill the adulterous couple and avenge the general!" This immediately drew a chorus of angry echoes, the sound almost lifting the tent roof off.
Amidst the crowd's outrage, the curtain was suddenly flung open, and the Empress, dressed in magnificent robes and with a commanding presence, slowly entered, surrounded by palace attendants and guards.
Her gaze swept across the entire area, and the soldiers immediately fell silent, with only heavy breathing remaining.
She finally fixed her gaze on Shen Fangru and Gu Zhou, a cold smile curving her lips.
"According to military law, adultery resulting in death is punishable by immediate hanging, which is already a grace."
The Empress's voice was not loud, but it clearly carried to every corner, "But I have heard that you two are old acquaintances and have a previous marriage agreement, so you can be considered a pair of 'unlucky lovers'."
She emphasized the last four words, making them sound sarcastic.
Fangru knelt there, her back straight, her face expressionless, as if everything around her was irrelevant to her. Only when she heard the words "Mandarin Ducks" did a deep look of disgust flash across her eyes.
Gu Zhou was already deathly pale, trembling like a leaf, and kept kowtowing: "Your Majesty, please see the truth! I'm innocent! I'm innocent!"
The empress ignored his wailing and clapped her hands lightly.
A maidservant approached, carrying a strangely shaped wine jug.
The lid of the wine jug was clearly divided into two halves, each with a hidden button.
The maid announced in a clear voice, "This pot is called the 'Yin-Yang Revolving Pot.' Inside the lid, there are two separate containers: one for fine wine and the other for deadly poison. Pressing the button on the left will cause the liquid on the left to drip into the pot; pressing the button on the right will cause the liquid on the right to drip in. Now, the buttons have been switched, and no one knows which side contains the wine and which side contains the poison."
She paused, looked around at everyone, and continued to announce the cruel rules: "This button can be pressed a maximum of twice on each side. That means the wine in the pot can be poured into a maximum of four cups. The first three cups may be harmless, but the fourth cup will definitely be deadly poison, without any chance of escape!"
The Empress looked with satisfaction at Fangru's instantly pale face and Gu Zhou's horrified expression, and smiled, "I am merciful and will give you a choice. Since you are so deeply in love, why not let one of you drink all four cups of wine? Whether you live or die depends on fate, and also on... who of you is more willing to sacrifice for the other."
Her gaze finally settled on Gu Zhou, her tone filled with seduction and malice, "Gu Zhou, you keep saying that you and she are true love, are you now willing to drink these four cups for her and fight for a chance to live? If you dare, I might consider sparing her life."
In an instant, everyone's eyes were focused on Gu Zhou.
Fangru also subconsciously looked at him. Although she despised him to the extreme, she still had a faint hope for humanity in the face of life and death.
Gu Zhou felt that gaze, which seemed almost tangible, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back.
He looked at the strange wine pot and seemed to see the deadly force of fate before him.
Overwhelmed by the extreme fear of death, he abruptly avoided Fangru's gaze, prostrating himself on the ground like a lump of mud, crying and sobbing uncontrollably, "Your Majesty, have mercy! Spare my life! It was her! She seduced me! I was forced! I don't want to die! Please spare my worthless life!"
His words were like the sharpest icicle, shattering the last shred of illusion.
Fangru closed her eyes, and the last ripple in her heart subsided into deathly silence, leaving only boundless coldness and absurdity.
Inside the military camp's main hall, the air seemed to have frozen into ice, so heavy it was suffocating.
The soldiers on both sides glared at the two kneeling men with hatred like needles.
Driven by extreme fear, Gu Zhou's psychological defenses completely collapsed. Tears streamed down his face as he screamed desperately, "It was Consort Xian! It was Consort Xian who bribed me! She promised that as long as I insisted on having an affair with Fangru, her relatives in the Ministry of Justice would protect me from death! I was just confused for a moment, Your Majesty!"
These words caused an uproar in the room.
A hint of surprise flashed in Fangru's eyes, which then turned into deeper disappointment and coldness. She hadn't expected that this was related to the infighting within the imperial harem.
The Empress narrowed her phoenix eyes slightly. "Consort Xian?"
This was an unexpected bonus, but her main target remained Shen Fangru.
She turned to Fangru, her tone maliciously probing: "Oh? And what about you? Are you willing to drink all the wine for your 'lover' and die in his place?"
Fangru turned her head away, not even bothering to give Gu Zhou another glance.
Her silence was the greatest contempt.
"Gu Zhou," the Empress turned to him, her voice soft yet carrying a deadly threat, "you say Consort Xian instructed you? That's just empty talk. I'm more curious, how much of your 'affection' for Shen Fangru is genuine?"
Her gaze shifted to the eerie "Yin-Yang Revolving Pot," and she said, "Why don't we use this pot of wine to test it?"
Gu Zhou was already terrified, tears streaming down his face as he kowtowed, "Your Majesty, spare me! Spare me! I dare not do it again! I will never dare to do it again! It was Bai Yang who forced me to sneak into the General's Mansion to spy on the imperial court's troop deployment outside the East Gate!"
The Empress turned away from him and said to Fangru, "Shen, you heard that. Your former lover will say anything to save her own life. Now, I will give you another chance."
She gestured to the maid, "Who among you two will taste this first cup of wine?"
A soldier with a menacing expression immediately placed a gleaming steel knife against Fangru's neck, the cold blade pressed against her skin.
Another knife was held across Gu Zhou's neck.
Fangru felt a chill on her neck, her heart pounding, but the more critical the situation, the clearer her mind became.
She didn't look at the blade so close to her face, but instead suddenly looked up, her sharp gaze fixed on Gu Zhou, and questioned him clearly, "Gu Zhou! You just said that you were forced by Bai Yang Hui and had no other choice but to steal official documents. Then let me ask you, when exactly did you become devoted to Bai Yang Hui? Was it before or after our engagement?"
This question was extremely tricky and ruthless, instantly shifting the focus from romantic affairs to the more serious issue of political identity.
Caught off guard, Gu Zhou blurted out instinctively, "It was...it was before the engagement..."
Fangru immediately seized on his words, her voice rising abruptly, filled with grief, indignation, and determination. She spoke not only to Gu Zhou but also to the entire assembly of soldiers: "What a fine pre-engagement statement! So you've been lying to me and General Yan from the very beginning! You infiltrated the Yan residence not to help my cousin, but to steal military intelligence for the Baiyang Society! When General Yan discovered your infiltration, you became emboldened and provoked him with your words, driving him to his death! Isn't that right?!"
This series of accusations is logically clear and hits the nail on the head.
The soldiers, who were initially indignant and focused solely on the "adultery," suddenly became agitated.
If Gu Zhou is a spy for the Baiyang Society, then General Yan's death is entirely different in nature!
Gu Zhou was forced into retreat by Fang Ru's series of hurtful words, feeling as if all his pretenses had been ripped away.
Meeting her eyes that seemed to see right through him, and feeling the chill of the blade against his neck, his last shred of reason crumbled, and he screamed out recklessly:
"So what if it is...so what!"
"Bai Yang will hold my life in his hands! If I don't steal intelligence for them, I'm dead! What can I do!"
"Do you think I wanted to live this kind of life in constant fear? I was forced into it!"
These words shocked everyone in the room!
This completely confirms Fangru's accusations!
The Empress's expression changed slightly. She hadn't expected Shen Fangru to be able to fight back so calmly at this time and steer the situation in her favor. A woman who was deceived by spies and whose husband was killed by spies was far more worthy of sympathy than an adulterous woman who "committed adultery and murder"!
"What a silver tongue!"
The Queen sneered, attempting to regain control of the situation, "Even so, you brought the thief into the house, and you can't escape responsibility! This wine must still be drunk! Let's see how long you can keep up your sharp tongue!"
She gestured to the maid to pour wine.
The maid pressed the button, and a drop of liquid fell into the cup.
Fangru knew that backing down now would only lead to the loss of all her previous efforts.
Without waiting for the soldiers to force her, she took the wine glass and drank it all in front of everyone!
His movements were swift and decisive, carrying an air of arrogance that disdained to defend himself.
The surroundings were deathly silent. The soldiers looked at Fangru, who was unharmed, with complicated expressions.
The pressure instantly shifted entirely onto Gu Zhou.
The second cup of wine was handed to him, and the soldier pushed the blade forward, causing blood to seep from his neck.
Gu Zhou completely broke down, crying incoherently, "I'll drink! I'll drink! Don't kill me! It's all the emperor's fault! If the emperor hadn't ordered the purge of the Baiyang Society, the Baiyang Society wouldn't have forced me!"
He drank the second cup with trembling hands.
The maid then poured out a third cup and handed it to Fangru again.
The rule is clear: if this cup is not poisonous, the fourth cup must be highly poisonous.
Fangru took the wine glass but did not drink it immediately.
She saw a fleeting glimmer of hope in Gu Zhou's eyes—a hope that she would drink the poisoned wine.
At this moment, she felt no emotion whatsoever towards this man.
At the same time, an even more terrifying thought struck her like a thunderbolt: Zhou Ling suddenly promoted Yan De and Gu Zhou... Yan De was investigating the Baiyang Society... Gu Zhou was a spy...
I see!
Zhou Ling was trying to kill two birds with one stone!
She not only used Yan De to get rid of Gu Zhou, her rival in love, but also made Yan De bear the crime of killing her true love!
But to his utter surprise, Gu Zhou, in a desperate act, actually angered Yan De to death!
Once he understood all of this, boundless hatred erupted like magma!
Yan De, her husband, her savior, the upright man who knew she had someone else in her heart but still used marriage as a pretext to protect her from Zhou Ling's control, was actually just a pawn on Zhou Ling's power game from beginning to end, and ultimately died tragically because of this emperor's despicable scheme!
Zhou Ling!
Fangru screamed that name in her heart, filled with a deep-seated hatred.
All the tragedies point to the man sitting on the dragon throne!
It was his suspicion, his possessiveness, and his seemingly strategic but actually ruthless imperial tactics that drove Yan De step by step to his death!
A raging fire, a mixture of overwhelming anger, endless regret, and bone-chilling cold, exploded in her chest, burning her limbs and bones until they trembled.
A price must be paid!
An incredibly clear and unwavering thought, like a blood-red brand, was deeply engraved in the depths of her heart: she would use every means to make Zhou Ling, this selfish and ruthless emperor, pay a thousand times the price for Yan De's death!
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