"Lu Yanzhao, don't think you can get away with it just because you don't admit it. It's true that I gave Bai Lian'er to you, but I never intended to lay a finger on her. Don't try to pin this on me."
Chu Luoxun's explanation was weak and unconvincing, and the crowd clearly did not believe it.
Especially for the wealthy young men in the men's section, the image of Bai Lian'er, graceful and charming, lingered in their minds and could not be forgotten.
No man could resist the allure of such a beauty, let alone a high and mighty prince like Chu Luoxun. He could have any beauty he wanted with just a word.
Chu Luoxun's refusal to admit that he slept with a mere maidservant of a subject is petty and narrow-minded.
They even said they were tricked; who would believe that?
Whose territory is the palace? Who can scheme against His Highness the Crown Prince? And who has that right?
Lu Yanzhao sighed and said slowly, "The Crown Prince has framed me, and I have no way to defend myself. I can only ask Your Majesty to do justice for me."
He turned and left in anger, but Gu Nanjiao called out to him, "Husband, it's just a mere maid. What's wrong with giving her to the Crown Prince if he likes her? Why make a scene in front of Father and upset him?"
Lu Yanzhao stopped in his tracks, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Then let's listen to Jiaojiao."
Chu Luoxun was so angry that his face turned ashen. It was clearly Lu Yanzhao who didn't want to accept the beauty he was giving him, but now he was acting like he had been wronged, making him look like he was caught in the middle.
"Lu Yanzhao, it was clearly you and Prince Cheng who plotted to frame me, the Crown Prince. Who are you trying to fool by pretending to be wronged?"
He was furious. Chu Luoxun had never been so angry before. He hated that he hadn't killed Lu Yanzhao sooner, which made it difficult for him to deal with him now that Lu Yanzhao had hardened his claws.
It seems that Headmaster Zheng is no match for Lu Yanzhao at all, and Zhou Wanjing is also giving him some bad advice, which has put him in a bad position and caused him to openly break off relations with Lu Yanzhao.
Lu Yanzhao took a deep breath and feigned sadness: "I clearly did nothing wrong, yet Your Highness the Crown Prince falsely accused me of colluding with Prince Cheng. I have lived an upright life and cannot bear such false accusations. Therefore, I request to resign and return to my hometown."
Lu Yanzhao lifted his long robe and left, and everyone tried to persuade him: "Lord Lu has devoted himself to the country and the people. We all know what kind of person you are. We hope that you will not take His Highness the Crown Prince seriously. The Crown Prince was just so angry that he said some things he should not have said."
At this moment, Consort De stepped in to smooth things over: "Alright, Your Highness, so many people are watching. Quickly go back to the side hall and put on your clothes."
Consort De frowned, looking disgusted. As the Crown Prince, he was making a scene in public wrapped in a blanket, showing no demeanor of a heir apparent.
The palace is a place of dignity and security. Apart from His Highness the Crown Prince, who else can freely enter and leave the palace?
He keeps saying that others framed him. If he had no selfish motives, how could others have framed him?
Regarding today's events, if it were said that the Crown Prince was blinded by lust, Consort De would not believe it.
She had no children and didn't want to get involved in the struggle for the princes' positions.
"Everyone, please disperse. And Your Highness, even Lord Lu didn't hold it against you for sleeping with his maid, so stop holding a grudge. Hurry up and pack your things, and take this little maid back with you."
After speaking, Consort De turned around domineeringly and sternly ordered the people present: "What happened today must not be spread. If I find out anyone is gossiping, I will rip out their tongue."
The crowd was stunned and knelt down, promising not to spread rumors and to keep their mouths and tongues shut.
After everyone left, Zhou Wan slowly woke up, her pale face devoid of any color.
"You wretch!" Chu Luoxun slapped her hard, his eyes filled with the ferocity of a bloodthirsty wolf: "Did you plot against me, the Crown Prince?"
Zhou Wan screamed and collapsed to the ground, trembling as she covered her swollen cheek.
"Your Highness, Her Majesty is pregnant, you can't hit her..." Qingci knelt on the ground, kowtowing and begging for mercy.
"If it weren't for the fact that you're pregnant, I would have strangled you."
Chu Luoxun's face was ashen, his chest heaving violently. He shouldn't have listened to that vile woman's slander; what good people could there be in the Zhou family?
Everyone wants to bring him down. King Cheng is Zhou Wan's cousin, so this whole drama might be part of Zhou Wan's scheme.
"Your Highness, I don't know how things have turned out this way. I didn't plot against you, please believe me." Zhou Wan ignored the pain in her cheek, crawled to the Crown Prince's feet, hugged his ankle and kept begging and apologizing, looking pitiful and miserable.
"Get out of my way!" Chu Luoxun kicked him away, his face full of gloom.
Although Consort De ordered everyone not to spread the word, secrets always come out eventually, and the Emperor would find out sooner or later.
Today's events have made it clear to the families and wives of all the ministers that the Crown Prince is morally flawed, and who would want to marry their daughter to him as his principal wife in the future?
Chu Luoxun turned and left without even glancing at Zhou Wan on the ground, completely unaware that there was a patch of crimson blood beneath her.
Now that Lu Yanzhao has broken off relations with him, he can no longer hold back and must speed up his actions.
In the shadows, King Cheng watched Chu Luoxun's departing figure, a cold smile appearing in his eyes.
"When the cunning rabbit dies, the good dog is cooked." Even if Lu Yanzhao helps Chu Luoxun ascend the throne, given Chu Luoxun's suspicious nature, he will kill him sooner or later.
Lu Yanzhao was very clever. He had seen through Chu Luoxun's true nature long ago and used Chu Luoxun step by step to gain a foothold in the capital and become a favorite of the emperor. Now he was even more determined to bring Chu Luoxun down.
He never knew that a subject could be so cunning, but this also proved that Lu Yanzhao was not to be trifled with and was a rare talent.
Such people have made outstanding contributions to economic, agricultural, and cultural development. They can only be won over, not schemed against.
Unfortunately, despite his repeated offers, Lu Yanzhao refused to accept them.
Thinking of his own background, Prince Cheng curled his lips. Lu Yanzhao's actions were also to help him. In return, he would sincerely befriend Lu Yanzhao. Regardless of whether Lu Yanzhao accepted the offer or not, he would not be like Chu Luoxun, constantly suspecting, scheming, or even destroying him.
...
The news eventually reached the emperor's ears. The emperor was furious and rebuked the crown prince for his moral failings, ordering Chu Luoxun to reflect on his actions in the crown prince's residence and not to leave without orders.
Enraged, Chu Luoxun smashed a room full of valuables and then beat Zhou Wan.
Zhou Wan, whose pregnancy was already unstable, suffered a complete miscarriage.
She hated Chu Luoxun to the core. She had offered him advice and worked tirelessly for him, but he attacked her with fists and feet after just one failure, and even caused her to lose her child.
And then there's Bai Lian'er, who was brought back to the manor and immediately imprisoned in the water dungeon. She kept shouting that she wanted to see Chu Luoxun, saying that she had a secret to tell him.
That little vixen tried to use tricks to gain His Highness's pity, but she didn't even consider whether she was qualified. She caused His Highness to lose face in front of others and was even confined to the Crown Prince's residence.
It even caused her to lose her child.
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