Chapter 133 Chapter 133 The night is already deep,...
The night was deep, and all was silent. Yan Zhuo still sat at his desk, lit by a dim oil lamp. His thin figure was elongated by the flickering candlelight, casting a shadow on the mottled wall.
The man's narrow eyes stared intently at the file in his hands, as if they could see through the paper and see the truth hidden behind the words. Only an occasional cough or two would break the quiet night.
Jing Liu, who was standing by, couldn't bear to see him exhausting himself like this, so he took the cloak and put it on Yan Zhuo's shoulders, chattering like an old mother.
"Go to bed early today. During this period, you have to personally supervise the military training in Xishan during the day, and bury yourself in the mountains of files in Prince Jin's Mansion at night. Even a body of iron can't withstand such torture!" After saying that, he tried to urge Yan Zhuo with his eyes to put down the work in his hands and have a good rest.
Yan Zhuo knew that he was concerned, so he smiled and waved his hand, "Don't worry, I will rest early today. I have roughly read through these files, and I have marked all the doubts and key evidences one by one." As he said that, he handed Jing Liu a sealed letter. He had sorted them out overnight, and each letter carried the heavy responsibility of revealing the truth.
He instructed, "Submit this to the Dali Temple tomorrow morning. Have them follow up and complete the follow-up work. The day when the truth is revealed is not far away."
After saying these words, he was silent for a moment, his gaze involuntarily drawn to the flickering candlelight. The flame danced in the darkness, sometimes bright, sometimes dim, as if to speak of the impermanence and uncertainty of life. Yan Zhuo's thoughts drifted away, reflecting on the dawn of this long struggle. But the road ahead was still long, with much for him to do and protect.
As the investigation continued to deepen, like peeling off threads from an onion, the numerous crimes committed by Prince Jin and his closely connected cronies gradually surfaced. One after another, the horrific evil deeds and heinous misdeeds were exposed and verified to be true.
What shocked the government and the public the most was his blatant betrayal of the country, his secret communication with the enemy, and his sale of vital secrets and strategic intelligence to the enemy. This despicable act directly led to General Cui being in a desperate situation on the battlefield. Of the 100,000 elite soldiers and generals, only three out of ten survived, and General Cui even died in battle.
Such actions not only seriously damaged national interests, but also constituted a great betrayal and insult to the loyal and brave soldiers, arousing indignation and condemnation across the country.
As Prince Jin was thoroughly investigated and punished for the crime of treason, his once glorious Prince Jin's Mansion also collapsed. All the concubines in the palace, no matter how noble they had been, were now ruthlessly detained in the cold detention center, awaiting the final decision of the court.
Among this group of women whose fates changed suddenly, there were naturally Princess Jin and Zhao Mingzhu, who was still dreaming of becoming a queen.
The prison cell, like an icy cellar, was heated only by a weak charcoal fire. The nobles, usually of wealthy families, had shed the hairpins and ornaments that once dazzled them, donning simple, even crude, clothing. They were crammed into the cramped cell with the servants and old women, and the distinctions of high and low were no longer there.
Zhao Mingzhu huddled in a corner, staring at the cold walls around her, her heart filled with endless fear and resentment. She had never imagined she would end up in such a state. Prince Jin's current situation was completely different from his previous life.
At this moment, someone opened the door from the outside, and a cool breeze blew in through the crack, hitting everyone in the face. Everyone looked outside and saw that it was a maid from Princess Jin's family. Princess Jin no longer cared about being dignified and hurriedly stood up to greet her, asking, "How are the prince and the prince?"
Zhao Mingzhu also pricked up her ears, hoping that things would turn around.
But the maid shook her head, then burst into tears and said, "They say the three trials have already taken place, and tomorrow he will be executed."
"Impossible, you are lying!" Princess Jin's voice was sharp and trembling, her face was distorted by extreme disbelief and grief, her eyes seemed to be spewing fire, staring at the maid who delivered the message.
She lunged at him through the cold bars, grabbing his throat. "My husband is the chosen one, destined to rule the world, to be the future emperor revered by all! How could he be executed tomorrow? This must be a conspiracy, a lie! Tell me this isn't true, it's not true!"
The little maid was strangled by her until she could hardly breathe, her eyes rolled back, and her limbs struggled weakly. The maidservants nearby saw this and, fearing that someone might die, hurriedly separated the two.
Zhao Mingzhu was stunned, her heart suddenly tensing as she quickly focused on her current situation. Desperately, she approached the messenger, her eyes filled with anxiety and uneasiness. Her voice trembled as she demanded, "What about us? Did they mention what would happen to us innocent women? They can't... they can't really execute us all together!"
The little maid recovered and trembled as she said, "The Queen is pregnant. The Emperor has granted a pardon to the women in the family, allowing them to become nuns or return to their master's home."
Zhao Mingzhu breathed a sigh of relief, as long as they were not executed together.
Seeing Zhao Mingzhu in such a state, yet still only caring about herself, Princess Jin was furious. She broke free from the maids on either side, rushed forward, pointed at Zhao Mingzhu and cursed, "Are you innocent? It's all your fault, you jinx! Our family could have enjoyed endless wealth for generations, but you bewitched my husband and my son, especially since he's always been well-behaved. If it weren't for you, how could our family have been in such a catastrophic disaster?"
As she spoke, Princess Jin fiercely scratched Zhao Mingzhu's face with her still-unfaded nails, so fast that Zhao Mingzhu had no time to dodge. With a single, shattering sound, a long bloodstain instantly appeared on Zhao Mingzhu's fair face. Bright red blood quickly oozed out, sliding down her cheek and dripping onto her clothes, a shocking sight.
Facing the Princess Jin, who was like a mad beast, Zhao Mingzhu was both afraid and angry. She covered her injured cheek, tears glistening in her eyes, and her voice became sharp with pain: "What does it have to do with me? He is greedy and insatiable. Both he and his son have long had rebellious intentions. How can I, a boudoir girl, manipulate them? You don't teach your son properly, and you don't speak up for your husband. You are unworthy of being a wife and a mother! Now I am not even your prince's concubine, and you blame me?"
Princess Jin was unable to gain any argument and raised her hand to hit her, pulling her hair and slapping her in the face. Zhao Mingzhu grew up in the countryside and was no pushover, so she started to wrestle with Princess Jin. The female relatives nearby rushed forward to separate them, and some took the opportunity to punch the Princess and slap the concubine's maid. The whole place was in chaos.
At this moment, a yamen runner came in through the door. Seeing this, he struck the animal fence several times with his unsheathed sword and shouted, "What are you yelling about? You don't want to live anymore! Get out!"
Upon hearing this, the female relatives dispersed, leaving only Princess Jin and Zhao Mingzhu still fighting.
The yamen runner pulled the two men apart and asked loudly, "Who is Zhao Mingzhu?"
Zhao Mingzhu straightened her messy hair, stood up, and replied, "Yes, yes, are you here to let me out?"
The yamen runner looked her up and down and said without saying much, "Your mother is here to pick you up. Come with me."
Zhao Mingzhu was stunned. She hadn't expected Liang to be the first to come pick her up. Touched, she couldn't help but feel secretly proud. After all, if she could just leave this hellish place and return to the Marquis' Mansion, she could continue to enjoy the wealth and splendor of her high position.
"Hmph, I'm sorry I won't keep you company any longer. You guys just wait to go to some mountain to become nuns!" Zhao Mingzhu said smugly, then patted her clothes and left the detention center with the yamen runners in a proud manner.
Outside the detention center, Liang had been waiting for a long time. When she saw her daughter's ragged clothes and haggard face, tears welled up in her eyes. "My daughter has suffered," she choked out, her voice filled with endless pity and heartache.
Zhao Mingzhu had originally thought she could at least return to the Marquis's mansion and continue her life of luxury. However, when she saw Liang's simple, even shabby, clothing, her heart skipped a beat. She suppressed her disappointment and uneasiness, forcing a forced smile. "I know I'm wrong. I'll serve my mother and grandmother well when I return."
After saying this, she looked around at the empty alley, a sense of foreboding welling up in her heart. She tentatively asked, "Where's the sedan chair from the mansion? Why hasn't it arrived?" Her words revealed a hint of anxiety and uneasiness, as if she was trying to grasp at the last glimmer of hope.
Upon hearing this, Liang's eyes reddened slightly, a complex, indescribable emotion flickering across them. She sighed softly, "Mingzhu, mother begged the old lady for three days and three nights, practically breaking her legs on her knees, before she reluctantly agreed to let me take you back to the villa. The Marquis' Mansion... The Marquis' Mansion is no longer our support. From now on, we, mother and daughter, will spend the rest of our lives together, devoted to each other, is that okay?"
Zhao Mingzhu was struck by lightning when she heard this, and she froze in her tracks. Her eyes widened as she stared at Liang in disbelief, as if all her fantasies and expectations had vanished at that moment.
How could she, who had just gloated over someone else becoming a nun, be willing to spend her own life in seclusion? A strong sense of resentment and anger surged within her.
She suddenly shook off Liang's hand, "I won't! I want to go back to the Marquis' Mansion! I want to live my original life again!"
As he spoke, he ran towards the alley entrance, and just as he ran out of the alley, he ran into a group of people who were bringing gifts. Each of them had a red ribbon tied around their waist and was carrying red boxes that stretched as far as the eye could see.
Passersby would usually avoid seeing this, but Zhao Mingzhu was distracted at the moment and bumped into the man, falling hard to the ground. The red box fell to the ground, and the silk and satin inside it scattered.
The man who had fallen got up and pointed at Zhao Mingzhu and cursed her. Someone else came to persuade him, saying, "Don't bother with her. She looks like a fool. Just go away."
Everyone hurriedly packed the silk back into the box, saying, "Hurry up! These are all gifts to be sent to Fifth Lady as a housewarming gift. Don't miss the auspicious time."
When Zhao Mingzhu heard the words "Fifth Lady," she suddenly grabbed the man and asked, "Who do you want to give this gift to?"
The man beside her tugged the corner of his clothes out of Zhao Mingzhu's hand and said unhappily, "She's the Fifth Lady of the Pingyuan Marquis's Mansion. Who else could it be? Today is her housewarming celebration, and many dignitaries in the capital are sending gifts. My master also needs me to send him some of the finest Suzhou embroidery and silk." He rolled his eyes and muttered to himself as he packed up and left, "What am I going to say to this lunatic?"
After hearing this, Zhao Mingzhu suddenly laughed out loud towards the sky. Passersby retreated and heavy rain began to fall, hitting her face one by one. She only stopped laughing and could no longer laugh.
"What is my life worth? What's the use of being reborn? I still can't find my true love, I'm deserted by my loved ones, and all my schemes are just dreams, nothing but empty promises."
Lightning flashed through the mist, and thunder split the heavy rain curtain. Zhao Mingzhu stared at the direction where the man was going away, and said word by word: "Don't let only me have to bear this bitter fruit, you should all taste it yourself!"
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