Chapter 138 You are mine, and no one can take you away!
Seeing Jiang Wan's calm demeanor even after being framed, Dou Wenyi couldn't help but sigh, "Those who can become 'femme fatales who bring ruin to the country' are indeed not simple."
She suddenly remembered Xie Guidu's warning; she had underestimated Prince Rui's insidious and ruthless nature.
He indeed realized that he had the ability to 'predict', so on the one hand, he wanted to destroy the Dou family, and on the other hand, he wanted to turn her into a canary in the Prince Rui's mansion that could be slaughtered at will.
That's wishful thinking!
Now, Consort Tan will surely seize the opportunity to escalate the matter.
She is the suspect in the assassination of Prince Rui. Even without evidence, they will falsely accuse her of having an affair with Prince Rui and using this as an opportunity to get the Emperor to bestow her upon Prince Rui.
Grandmother has already proposed that Dou Mingyan propose marriage today. If she dares to be disrespectful and refuse the royal family, she will probably incur the Emperor's wrath.
What a brilliant plan!
Consort Jiang endured the sting of the icy water, her body turning blue from the cold. "You might as well just deny it directly. Just say that you've been staying in Zhongcui Palace the whole time and haven't gone anywhere else."
Dou Wenyi shook her head. How could she then explain the matter of the antidote? Smuggling pills into the palace was also a crime!
Moreover, the guards around Prince Rui and that little eunuch would all be able to testify.
Despite being in a precarious situation, she became even calmer. Emperor Muzong was not easily fooled and she had to be cautious.
——
The atmosphere in Chongzheng Hall was tense and cold.
Emperor Muzong, sitting on his throne, looked slightly weary. When he heard Dou Bochang say that someone had recently forged his calligraphy and paintings, and that the Dou family had been robbed and lost a large number of calligraphy and paintings, and that he had even reported the case to the Prefect of the Capital and left a criminal record, he could already guess that this treasonous letter was probably a forgery.
Emperor Muzong raised his chin slightly and asked Shen Yanzhou in a calm voice, "Yunzhi, what do you think?"
Throughout the court, everyone knew that Shen Yanzhou was highly regarded and trusted by Emperor Muzong.
Shen Yanzhou calmly pointed out the subtle differences between the seal patterns on Dou Bochang's old work and the rubbing of the letter of treason. At this moment, the whole case was almost solved, and the only dispute was the signature.
The Imperial City Guard reported, "Your Majesty, I have already had a Hanlin Academician Yan compare it, but the signature is clearly Lord Dou's own handwriting."
Shen Yanzhou's expression was cold and indifferent. He lowered his eyes and calmly replied, "Your Majesty, this case is strange and there are still many doubts. Lord Dou just said that he went to the Qingtan Conference a while ago and wrote countless words outside. If someone sincerely tricked him into signing his autograph and then imitated his handwriting, the possibility is extremely high."
Who were the people invited to the discussion meeting with Lord Dou?
Dou Bochang looked nervous, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. "Minister of Revenue, Lord Jiang..."
Eunuch Feng suddenly coughed lightly. Recently, the court has been in turmoil, which has caused a lot of trouble. If the investigation continues like this, who knows who it will lead to?
Dou Bochang was terrified and very tactfully changed his tune, "Lord Shen, I really did drink too much... I can't remember."
The hall fell silent immediately.
Emperor Muzong's sharp gaze swept over the crowd, his face expressionless, and no one knew what he was thinking.
At that moment, a young eunuch rushed in and reported, "Your Majesty, His Highness Prince Rui was assassinated while on a date with the fourth daughter of the Dou family in the palace. Consort Tan is frantic with worry..."
Upon hearing this, Madam Dou and Dou Bochang exchanged a glance, both seeing panic in each other's shocked eyes.
Dou Wenyi followed two fully armed imperial guards toward Chongzheng Hall with trepidation.
The long palace path was lined with lush trees. As she passed through the Imperial Garden, a large hand suddenly pulled her behind a rockery.
Before she could even gasp, a large hand covered her lips.
"Yi'er!" A deep voice entered her ears, and the man's familiar scent enveloped her, holding her tightly in his arms.
Dou Wenyi froze, and when she looked up, she met Pei Siyan's deep, dark eyes.
Dou Wenyi's breath hitched, and she almost called out his name, "What are you playing at? Those Imperial Guards..."
Right under Emperor Muzong's nose, he was incredibly audacious—no, he was utterly rebellious!
Wasn't he under house arrest? He's openly entering and leaving the palace; isn't he afraid...?
Pei Siyan raised an eyebrow, a dazzling and charming smile playing on his lips. "Yi'er, are you worried about me again? There are secret passages in the palace; no one knows about them!"
"Well done, just not ruthless enough. Next time, remember to use a deadly poison that kills instantly! Don't worry, even if the sky falls, I'll cover for you."
His tone was indulgent, and it didn't sound like a joke. It seemed that killing Prince Rui was just a trivial matter in his eyes.
Does that mean the situation isn't bad, and everything is under his control?
Dou Wenyi's heart pounded wildly. "What if Prince Rui wants me to become his concubine?"
Pei Siyan lowered his eyes, staring at her slender, fair wrists. "He's dreaming. You're mine, and no one can take you away!"
As he spoke, he pulled out a silk handkerchief to wipe the stains from her forehead. His hot fingertips pressed against the handkerchief against her cool skin with just the right amount of pressure, which made her feel a tingling sensation. Dou Wenyi's flustered heart felt as if it had been ignited by a wildfire.
What time is it? How can he still be using his good looks on me?
Pei Siyan lowered his voice and reminded him, "Later, Your Highness, act according to the situation. Just tell the truth and deny everything about stabbing him. That old man is inherently suspicious; this time, he'll make sure Prince Rui suffers!"
Life in the palace is full of scheming; she still has a lot of practice to do.
As soon as Dou Wenyi arrived at Chongzheng Hall, all eyes were drawn to her.
Dou Wenyi performed a proper kneeling ceremony, when she heard Consort Tan accuse her with a sob in her voice, "Your Majesty, it was this fourth daughter of the Dou family who had a secret rendezvous with Shaoqin. She was unharmed, but our poor Qin'er was ambushed."
"Your Majesty, this fourth young lady of the Dou family possesses extraordinary skills and is likely in league with that assassin... Your Majesty, you must do us justice!"
Emperor Muzong rubbed his temples, feeling annoyed. Today was supposed to be the day to hear the Dou family's "treasonous letter," but one problem after another had arisen.
Eunuch Feng glanced at Emperor Muzong, then looked at Dou Wenyi, "What exactly happened? Tell us the truth now!"
Dou Wenyi looked up and saw Shen Yanzhou giving her a reassuring look.
She composed herself and replied calmly, “Your Majesty, I have never met Prince Rui before, except for a brief encounter with him from afar during a hunting trip outside the palace. Just now, I did indeed encounter Prince Rui. At that moment, I felt dizzy and almost fell. Prince Rui, being kind-hearted, saw that I was unwell and ordered the eunuch accompanying him to fetch the imperial physician.”
"Since childhood, I have suffered from a condition that causes weakness and dizziness when I am hungry for a long time, and Your Highness is aware of this."
"It only took a few words for this woman to feel better, so she left first. As for the secret rendezvous mentioned by Consort Tan, it is utter nonsense."
"Furthermore, I have never seen the assassin who attempted to kill Prince Rui."
"His Highness Prince Rui seemed to have drunk too much tonight. He should be sober by now, right? Perhaps His Highness could come over and explain things in person to avoid any unwarranted misunderstandings."
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