Chapter 31 Could it be that the Crown Princess really is...?
Ling Zhenli said she was frightened and needed to go back to the Prime Minister's residence for the night. Although the Prime Minister and his wife were not very kind to her, they were still her biological parents, and she felt safe with them.
Pei Xuanlin agreed and sent two squads of soldiers to escort them out of the palace.
Xue Wenmian sat at one end of the carriage, while Cui Yuerong sat opposite him, comforting the crying Ling Zhenli. Ling Zhenli was crying so hard that Cui Yuerong thought she had been bullied, so she hurriedly asked her what was wrong.
“I… my identity has been discovered by the Prince Consort Yang Chengxiu… He… he knows I’m not the real Miss Xue… I’m afraid he’ll expose me…”
Ling Zhenli finished speaking with red eyes, then burst into tears, "He said he's met the real Miss Xue... What should I do..."
Cui Yuerong raised her head and met Xue Wenmian's gaze. Their eyes were both calm and composed, and Cui Yuerong immediately chuckled.
“My silly child, why are you crying? The prince consort has gone insane. He doesn’t even recognize you anymore. No one will believe his madness.”
Cui Yuerong smiled and patted Ling Zhenli on the back, "I thought it was something extremely important that you were crying like this."
Having received a protective response, Ling Zhenli gave up on pretending to cry, raised her head, wiped away her tears, and the next second, her expression was normal.
Seeing this, Xue Wenmian, who was sitting opposite, spoke casually, his eyes filled with disdain: "What do you want to do?"
Ling Zhenli was startled.
"I'm asking you, now that the prince consort knows your identity, what do you plan to do?"
...If her identity is exposed, she will die. She cannot die, absolutely not.
Ling Zhenli's sweaty hands clenched into tight fists: "I don't know..."
"Don't know? It's either you or him who dies now, are you still hesitating?"
"Then kill him." Ling Zhenli's originally helpless eyes revealed fear and cruelty.
Upon hearing this, Xue Wenmian burst into laughter, clapping his hands in approval. Cui Yuerong also laughed and repeatedly agreed.
"Decisive and ruthless, that's my daughter. The Vice Minister of Justice has already arrested your cousin Cui Yingxue's maid. The maid has confessed that her mistress was jealous of you and sent her to poison you. Cui Yingxue is just a nobody, but there must be someone who instructed her that hasn't been found yet. We can't let her die so easily."
While speaking, Xue Wenmian kept a close eye on Ling Zhenli's facial expressions and subtle movements to see if she was timid.
He was very satisfied with the result. Ling Zhenli did not show the slightest fear, but only an expression of wanting to get rid of him as soon as possible.
"Run'er, how do you want to handle this matter?" Cui Yuerong probed indirectly, trying to see if Ling Zhenli would hesitate.
"Mother, how would you like me to conduct the interrogation?" Ling Zhenli asked hesitantly as she raised her head.
Cui Yuerong and Cui Yingxue are the real family. She is just not Cui Yuerong's real daughter. She dares not gamble, for fear of angering Cui Yuerong.
“You are the Crown Princess, the only daughter of the Prime Minister’s family. You must be decisive in dealing with matters. Even if it is your cousin, if she harms you, she does not deserve to be your family.”
Cui Yuerong's gaze was firm as she tightly gripped Ling Zhenli's sweaty hand, implicitly indicating that she stood by Ling Zhenli's side.
The warmth traveled from her palms to Ling Zhenli's heart.
Since that's the case, she has nothing to be afraid of.
...
The night is deep and the dew is heavy. Ling Zhenli finds it hard to sleep. I carry a lamp and pace in the courtyard. A faint fragrance wafts through the air, and my shadow falls on the empty wall. My soul is utterly still.
Xue Wenmian made a special trip to Ling Zhenli's room to talk to her, only to find her alone in the courtyard, browsing the flowers by lamplight.
"Run'er."
Xue Wenmian called out from behind her in a calm voice, so Ling Zhenli was not startled.
“Father.” Ling Zhenli’s eyes darkened.
Xue Wenmian was displeased with her submissive manner and said coldly, "Did you understand what your mother said today?"
"Your daughter understands, your daughter is now the daughter of the Prime Minister..."
"Now? You have been a daughter of the Xue family since you were a child, and that has never changed. You must always remember the high hopes that your family has placed on you. If you always think of yourself as the daughter of a disgraced official, how can you expect to become anything of value?" Xue Wenmian frowned.
Ling Zhenli gritted her teeth secretly: "Yes, daughter knows."
Seeing her defiant expression, Xue Wenmian knew she already knew he was involved in her biological father's death, so he sneered and explained it to her clearly:
"In the imperial court, everyone is holding their heads high to become an official. If Magistrate Ling can't hold his head high, he can only blame himself for being less capable than others. He can't blame others for setting up a scheme. Xue Che asked me to bring you back and give you a chance to live again. This is something that many people would beg for. If you live up to your potential, you will rise to a high position one day. Hmph, right and wrong will be just a matter of a word."
Ling Zhenli's eyes widened, and she gripped the lamppost even tighter.
Yes, what Xue Wenmian said may seem cold-hearted, but it is true. Princess Wuyang and he are both people at the height of their power. Crushing a county magistrate is as easy as crushing an ant. It is a blessing from heaven. Now that she has been given a good opportunity to ascend to a high position of power, why not seize it with all her might? Or should she continue to be indecisive?
If we wait any longer, we may die without a burial place.
Ling Zhenli's state of mind underwent a drastic change. She could no longer be Ling Tang. She was Xue Run, the daughter of a prime minister from a prestigious family, the beloved and trusted crown princess, and the future mother of the nation who would rise to power alongside Pei Xuanlin.
"Yes, I know. I am the one who is most like my father, and I will never forget my father's hard work in raising me."
Ling Zhenli bowed respectfully, her expression now one of unrestrained ease.
“Very good, Run’er has finally come to his senses,” Xue Wenmian said with a genuine smile. “Your mother and I didn’t expect you to bring any glory back to the Prime Minister’s Mansion. On the contrary, your mother and I hoped that the Prime Minister’s Mansion would become your support, so that you would be fearless outside and not be humble and controlled even when facing the Crown Prince. Your mother loves you and hopes that you will not become estranged from her in the future and will visit her more often and get closer to her.”
"Yes, I understand. I also miss my mother."
Ling Zhenli nodded; she could tell that the Prime Minister's wife had been treating her very differently lately.
"You've had a long night, so get some rest. The Crown Prince just sent someone to say he'll come to pick you up in person tomorrow. Since you and he are a loving couple, and I've heard he's in trouble, you can tell him when you get back to the East Palace. I'll give him some help. As for Princess Wuyang, she'll have to figure it out herself. The Imperial Guards have a very good relationship with the Crown Prince, so I don't think Princess Wuyang will refuse."
Having been reassured, Ling Zhenli finally relaxed and nodded after listening to Xue Wenmian's advice.
"Okay, I understand. Father, you should get some rest too."
***
"Cui Yingxue, strangle her immediately."
The palace's blue brick floor was chilly at night, and the moonlight cast a pale white glow on the palace walls.
After the incident, the patrolling guards thoroughly searched the palace. The sound of their footsteps echoed between the pillars, and the glow of the lanterns flickered in the wind.
Pei Shang'er didn't even bother to lift her eyelids; a single, casual remark decided a person's life or death.
After a long night of running around, her hair was a little loose, and her clothes were stained with Yang Chengxiu's blood.
Xie Daojian was startled upon hearing this, and hesitated slightly: "There is no conclusive physical evidence yet, only the maid's testimony. Moreover, Cui Yingxue is the daughter of the Imperial Censor and the Prime Minister's niece..."
"Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free. Everyone involved in this matter must be executed without exception. No need to report back." Pei Chang'er opened her eyes and waved her hand impatiently.
The imperial physician diagnosed that the love poison in the prince consort was exceptionally potent, and if it weren't for the pain keeping him rational, something terrible would have happened.
Yang Chengxiu had just taken the antidote and fallen asleep. When the imperial physician bandaged him, Pei Shang'er was terrified to see the wounds from which blood was flowing continuously. The wound on his thigh was so deep that the bone was almost visible. It was hard to imagine how much pain Yang Chengxiu had endured. Even if the person who hurt him were torn to pieces, it would not be enough to quell the hatred in her heart.
Seeing that Pei Shang'er had lost her temper, Xie Daojian had no choice but to speak to Pei Xuanlin, who was standing to the side.
"I think there must be something fishy about the fact that the daughter of the Imperial Censor is so familiar with the palace structure and had the opportunity to drug the Crown Princess and the Prince Consort one after another."
Pei Xuanlin exuded a chilling aura. After listening to Xie Daojian's words, he spoke for a long time: "Order the Ministry of Justice to torture them severely and make sure they tell the truth. If they don't get anything useful out of them before dawn, have them beaten to death."
"Cui Yingxue's elder brother, Cui Haoxu, has already taken up the post of Prefect of Changjun. Does Your Highness wish to recall him?"
Seeing that Xie Daojian had already come to ask after having a plan, Pei Xuanlin smiled and glanced at Xie Daojian.
"Now that you have a plan, you will no longer interfere with my opinion. Just do it, but one thing: do not let anyone go unpunished."
"Your subject will obey your decree."
After Xie Daojian left, only Pei Xuanlin and Pei Shang'er remained in the Taiji Hall.
Pei Xuanlin also wanted to summon Xue Haoting the next day to discuss this matter, since the Cui family was the Crown Princess's maternal family, and he wanted to hear their opinions on how to resolve the issue.
He hesitated for a moment, then said, "It's getting late. His Majesty and the Empress have already gone to bed. You should go back and rest too."
Pei Chang'er remained expressionless and coldly said, "I will stay in the palace tonight. I need to know immediately if there is any news."
"Plotting against the Crown Princess and the Prince Consort is a capital offense. It's not worth the trouble for a dying person like you. Get some rest. I'm going back to the palace soon."
With no one else around, Pei Chang'er didn't want to use flowery language and directly broke through the barrier between the two of them tonight:
"I ask you, if the prince consort really did have an affair with the crown princess tonight, what should you do?"
After rescuing the Crown Princess and the Prince Consort, the two of them have been thinking about this matter all night, but they keep it to themselves.
Now that Pei Chang'er has started to speak, Pei Xuanlin might as well speak his mind as well.
"This is not the Crown Princess's fault."
"It's not the prince consort's fault either."
"Since neither of them is at fault, there is nothing to blame them for. Even if nothing happened, or even if we broke down the door and found them lying together naked, I would not blame the Crown Princess."
Pei Xuanlin's expression was calm, and what he said didn't seem like a lie.
Pei Shang'er recently learned that tonight's events were entirely aimed at the Crown Princess. The fact that the Prince Consort was implicated was simply because he hadn't been in a hurry enough to step into the trap, and the villains were also looking to kill two birds with one stone.
"What would you do if the man in the room wasn't the prince consort? What if the crown princess was with someone else..."
Before Pei Chang'er could finish speaking, Pei Xuanlin interrupted her.
"Then I can only blame myself for being an incompetent husband, putting my wife in danger. Even if she was forced into it, or even if she did it willingly one day, I can only blame myself for not being able to keep her heart."
After Pei Xuanlin finished speaking, he gave Pei Chang'er a cold glance and said, "Are you satisfied with what I said?"
"That's your opinion of the Crown Princess, what does it have to do with me?" Pei Chang'er said angrily.
Pei Xuanlin knew what she was angry about.
Pei Shang'er was afraid that Yang Chengxiu had other women; she was terrified of losing Yang Chengxiu.
Especially tonight, Xue Yingyue and Yang Chengxiu were once engaged.
“The Crown Princess and the Prince Consort are things of the past, so you don’t need to hold a grudge. Yang Chengxiu’s character is better than mine. Since my views are like this, I suppose his views are much more stubborn than mine. Jin’an, you know he loves you more than himself.”
Pei Shang'er was extremely annoyed and didn't want to say anything more, so she left Taiji Hall directly.
Yang Chengxiu told her more than once that he loved her not just for her looks, but for her indomitable spirit and her ability to survive in the deep palace. However, she was extremely insecure. She knew that she had nothing to offer except for her beauty. She had only managed to get into Yang Chengxiu's bed by virtue of her beauty and seek his protection. As a result, she was always worried about losing him.
Especially when she saw a woman even more beautiful than her, Xue Yingyue, who was more voluptuous, more alluring, and, more importantly, possessed a natural confidence.
That kind of pampering is only something that people who have been truly spoiled since childhood can have.
Xue Yingyue has everything that Pei Chang'er doesn't.
Even Pei Shang'er's arrogance and recklessness were all out of revenge, used to cover up her deep-seated inferiority complex.
***
Throughout the night, people from the palace were dispatched in batches. The entire family of the censor was summoned to the palace for interrogation, and even Cui Haoxu, the eldest son of the prominent Cui family, was recalled to the capital overnight.
After Ling Zhenli left the palace, Xiao Chongheng returned to the Princess's residence.
The incident happened so suddenly tonight that no one could sleep, including Pei Shen'ai. In particular, Pei Chanlian followed Yang Chongzheng back to the Gao'an Prince's Mansion, and Pei Shen'ai couldn't help but suspect that she was involved in the matter.
"Jing'er, let's think about it tomorrow. It's so late."
Pei Shen'ai sat on the bed, lost in thought. Xiao Huanzheng, seeing that she wasn't sleeping, kindly offered words of comfort.
“I’m afraid it will be too late if I think about it tomorrow. The people from the palace have searched the Princess’s residence. Roujia ran to Dalang’s place to hide, and Erlang hasn’t come back yet. I hope something has happened to him.”
"Everyone knows about Roujia and Dalang's affair. If she wants to go, she can go. Erlang has been smart since he was a child, so there's no need to worry."
Pei Shen'ai was both angry and anxious: "The palace gates are locked, and there are less than three hundred guards in the manor. If something happens, we won't even be able to get into the palace. Why can't they learn from Yu Zhen and make things easier for me?"
"Forget it, Yuzhen is completely devoted to the Prime Minister's son. Xue Che may seem dashing and debonair on the surface, but I heard he frequents brothels and even took a fancy to a woman there, apparently even redeeming her and bringing her back to his mansion..."
"A brothel?!" Pei Shen'ai frowned, as if remembering something, and asked, "Which brothel? The one in the capital?"
"It seems to be Zuixianlou."
Pei Shen'ai's eyes darted around, and her mind seemed to be split open instantly. All the things in her mind quickly connected and exploded in her thoughts.
Xiao Chongheng kept a woman at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion. Then, Xue Haoting redeemed a woman from the brothel, and the woman Xiao Chongheng kept at the brothel disappeared without a trace... Pei Xuanlin later married the Crown Princess from the Prime Minister's residence... Every time Xiao Chongheng saw the Crown Princess, he was like a lost soul...
Could it be...?
Could it be that the Crown Princess really is...?
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