Chapter 48 "You bitch! Die!"...
The Princess's residence was raided, and two dark figures flashed across the west courtyard wall.
In order to sneak out, Pei Shen'ai specially changed into a coarse cloth dress and pretended to be a servant in the mansion.
"Mother, be careful!" Xiao Chongheng crouched on the wall and reached out to help.
The moonlight was obscured by rolling dark clouds, and the occasional beams of torches from the distant patrolling imperial guards swept across the wall.
Pei Shen'ai stepped on her son's clasped hands and struggled to climb over the wall. The rough bricks wore down her well-maintained fingertips.
As she jumped, Pei Shenai's clothes accidentally pulled a tile to the ground, causing it to shatter with a sound. Both mother and son froze.
Immediately, barking dogs came from outside, followed by the voices of guards, as if they had noticed the commotion and were coming to investigate.
Xiao Chongheng acted decisively, taking two or three steps to climb the wall and leaping down from the two-zhang-high top.
"Mother, let's go quickly."
Just as Pei Shen'ai was about to nod, a sudden commotion erupted in the front yard.
The sounds of clashing armor, hoofbeats, and arrows piercing the air mingled together, occasionally interspersed with the piercing screams of maids.
The flames instantly illuminated half the sky.
There was no time to lose; if they didn't run now, they would be caught. Pei Shen'ai and Xiao Chongheng stopped talking and ran towards the stable.
Xiao Chongheng drew his sword and cut the horse's tether, then leaped onto his horse. Pei Shen'ai took the sword, cut the tether of another horse, and mounted her own.
Donning the black cloaks they had prepared beforehand, the two disregarded the people still remaining in the mansion and, under the cover of night, spurred their horses on, determined to escape Chang'an before the city gates were sealed off.
Xiao Huanzheng and Xiao Yuzhen, who remained in the mansion and were unable to escape, suffered the consequences. They were captured by Pei Shang'er's men and taken to the imperial prison.
Pei Chanlian was then taken to the palace.
*
The Prime Minister's residence was brightly lit upon receiving news of His Majesty's passing.
Xue Wenmian and Xue Haoting changed into their official robes and were about to enter the palace when Cui Yuerong also changed into her court dress as a noblewoman. Ling Zhenli felt flustered and had a strange sense of fear. She dared not return to the East Palace alone to change into her court dress.
Cui Yuerong had intended to accompany her back to the East Palace, but before she could even step out of the bedroom, another group of messengers arrived with secret messages, saying that it was the emperor's will to depose Pei Xuanlin from his position as crown prince and make Pei Chang'er the crown princess.
"What?!" Cui Yuerong exclaimed in surprise.
There has never been a precedent of a princess becoming the crown princess, which is truly astonishing.
Now that Pei Chang'er has become the Crown Princess and Pei Xuanlin, the Crown Prince, has been deposed, Ling Zhenli, the Crown Princess, will naturally be deposed as well.
"It must be Pei Chang'er. Pei Chang'er wrote the edict herself. Mother, we can't be fooled by her. His Majesty could have deposed Pei Xuanlin as crown prince sooner or later, but now that His Majesty has suddenly passed away, the edict to depose the crown prince has been issued, and Pei Chang'er has been made crown princess. All of this is too suspicious."
Ling Zhenli was already upset, and when she learned that she had lost her status as the Crown Princess, her mood plummeted to rock bottom.
"Pei Xuanlin will definitely return to Chang'an immediately upon receiving news of His Majesty's passing. Besides, if there are any doubts about the Emperor's death, with so many Imperial Guards on duty in the palace, one of our people will surely send word. Don't worry."
Xue Wenmian remained silent for a moment before speaking: "No wonder he insisted on having Pei Xuanlin lead the troops into battle; it turns out it was all for the purpose of usurping the throne..."
"Are you crazy? Things have changed so much, how can you still say anything like that!" Cui Yuerong was speechless.
"Fifth emperor in thirty years. No dynasty can withstand such turmoil. And look what happened. Do you remember that Emperor Gaozong didn't want to bear the infamy of killing his brother? It was your father who did it. My father also took the blame for Emperor Shizong. These few words are all we have to say. In any case, our family is loyal to the emperor."
They pledged allegiance to whoever was the emperor, which is why powerful and influential families have remained prosperous for generations.
Ling Zhenli did not want Pei Shang'er to become emperor, because if she did, the position of empress would not only be completely out of her reach, but she might also be killed by Pei Shang'er.
"No, Father, I'm already married to Pei Xuanlin. Shouldn't we observe for a while and wait for Pei Xuanlin to return before deciding who to support?"
Ling Zhenli was anxious, fearing that Xue Wenmian would support Pei Shang'er. If Pei Xuanlin lost the support of his wife's family, his chances of success in rebellion would be slim.
Seeing that Xue Wenmian seemed to prioritize his own interests and disregard Pei Xuanlin, a hopeless pawn, Cui Yuerong worried that Ling Zhenli would be heartbroken. She advised, "The Fang family will definitely stand with Pei Xuanlin. Why don't we wait a little longer? The Crown Princess has half of the Tiger Tally of the Great General, and Pei Xuanlin also has half of the Tiger Tally. It doesn't matter who wins or loses between the two of them."
Just then, a rapid knocking on the door interrupted everyone's thoughts.
The butler shouted loudly from outside the door, "Master! Someone from the palace has arrived! The new emperor summons Miss to the palace immediately!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the palace guards and eunuchs came in to announce the imperial decree. Since Ling Zhenli had recently been the Crown Princess, they respectfully bowed to her according to the rules before reading Pei Chang'er's decree.
Ling Zhenli and Xue Wenmian exchanged a glance, and Xue Wenmian saw fear in Ling Zhenli's eyes.
After the messenger left, Xue Wenmian frowned, looked at Ling Zhenli, and said to her:
"The Xue family has been prominent for generations, with disciples and friends all over the court. Although she is the Crown Princess and will soon ascend the throne as the new emperor, with the Xue family and the friendship between your father and Yang Chengxiu, she will not touch you for the time being. You don't need to be afraid."
Ling Zhenli was suddenly summoned to the palace, and it was Pei Shang'er who summoned her. She was inevitably flustered: "But...but Father...but Pei Xuanlin has been deposed, I am no longer the Crown Princess, if I go to the palace at this time, I..."
"Xue Yingyue!"
Xue Wenmian shouted sternly, his voice carrying an unprecedented weight, which even stunned Xue Haoting who was standing next to him.
When Ling Zhenli heard Xue Wenmian call her so sternly, her wildly beating heart calmed down, and her rationality gradually returned.
“I have told you many times, no matter what happens, you are Xue Yingyue, and that will never change, understand? Don’t lose your composure over the smallest things. You are Xue Yingyue, and there is no one in the world worthy of your fear, at most, you can only be in awe.”
Ling Zhenli's pupils contracted sharply, and she instantly regained her composure, nodding.
Seeing that Ling Zhenli had regained her composure, Xue Wenmian was finally relieved: "Alright. There's no time to lose, let's all go to the palace. Your mother and I will go first to pay our respects to the late emperor's spirit tablet. Xue Haoting, you go with your sister to see the new emperor, do you understand?"
Xue Haoting nodded: "Understood, Father."
*
The golden dragon pillars of the Taiji Hall gleamed coldly in the morning light.
Pei Shang'er leaned back on the dragon throne, her slender fingers toying with a jewel-encrusted dagger, her eyes empty and lifeless.
Xue Haoting escorted Ling Zhenli to the palace gate, but the guards stopped him, allowing only Ling Zhenli to enter. Ling Zhenli turned back and gave Xue Haoting a reassuring smile, then went up the steps without looking back.
A high-pitched summons echoed through the hall.
Ling Zhenli stepped across the threshold with a calm expression.
Emperor Xuan passed away at night. She could not dress flamboyantly or in bright colors, so she wore only white and silver jewelry.
"This humble servant greets Your Highness the Crown Princess."
Ling Zhenli performed a kneeling bow, her forehead pressed against the cold ground. In this posture, she could not see Pei Chang'er's expression, but she could clearly feel the cold light reflected from the scabbards held by the imperial guards on both sides.
It rained lightly last night, and the sound of the water clock dripping was particularly jarring in the quiet hall.
Pei Shang'er's melodious laughter, like the tinkling of silver bells, broke the deathly silence in the Taiji Hall.
"Xue Yingyue, are you surprised to see me here... no, to see me here, are you delighted?"
Pei Shang'er's laughter was like a ghostly call, tugging at Ling Zhenli's nerves, and her muscles tensed up instantly.
"Your Highness, I do not know what you mean."
Despite the chilling atmosphere, Ling Zhenli stubbornly stared back at Pei Shang'er.
Pei Shang'er clapped her hands lazily: "Alright, alright, I almost forgot, your identity is the former Crown Princess, the apple of the Xue family's eye, haha, how ridiculous, Xue Yingyue, when I call you by your name, don't you feel awkward?"
As she spoke, Pei Shang'er stared at Ling Zhenli with innocent big eyes and a naive expression. Ling Zhenli was extremely annoyed by her words, and coupled with Pei Shang'er's pretentious expression, Ling Zhenli simply gave up on pretending to be respectful.
Ling Zhenli rolled her eyes, stood up abruptly, patted non-existent dust off her skirt, and said in a tone devoid of any respect, "You called me by my name, do you expect me to be awkward?"
"Oh, is that your name? Really, has everyone been calling you that for so long that you've started to believe it's really your name?"
Pei Shang'er's provocative expression, coupled with her almost openly stating that Ling Zhenli was not the real daughter of the Prime Minister's family but an imposter, made Ling Zhenli sense her malicious teasing and decide not to fall for it.
"The late Emperor has not been gone long, and Your Highness seems to be overwhelmed with grief, even talking nonsense. Although the Crown Prince has been deposed, I am the Crown Princess appointed by Emperor Gaozong, the future Empress of the Tang Dynasty. I do not wish to listen to the Crown Princess's nonsense here, so I will take my leave."
After saying that, Ling Zhenli turned to leave, and the guards did not dare to stop her. Besides being the Crown Princess, she was also the daughter of the Prime Minister. Except for urgent military matters, all matters, big and small, in the court had to go through the Prime Minister's eyes before being handed over to the Emperor. No one dared to offend the Prime Minister's only daughter.
Seeing that no guards stepped forward to stop her, Pei Chang'er had no choice but to speak up herself.
"Wait, Xue Yingyue, don't rush off."
Ling Zhenli turned around and sneered, "What, Your Highness, is there something else important?"
"Hmph, bring Princess Roujia here."
The side door creaked open.
Two guards led in a woman with disheveled hair; the woman was clearly Princess Roujia, Pei Chanlian.
Upon entering, Pei Chanlian glared angrily, glanced at Pei Shang'er, and then shifted her gaze to Ling Zhenli. Ling Zhenli was thoroughly fed up with Pei Chanlian and felt nauseous whenever she saw her.
"You two know each other, how come you didn't even greet each other when you met?"
Pei Chang'er's sharp and sarcastic words lingered in her ears. Ling Zhenli glared fiercely at Pei Chanlian, as if she had seen something disgusting.
"Xue Yingyue!"
Provoked by her gaze, Pei Chanlian sprang up and struggled angrily to rush towards her, but was grabbed by the guards.
"You bitch! How dare you show your face in front of me!"
The guard kicked Pei Chanlian in the back of the knee, forcing her to kneel down. Pei Chanlian screamed in pain and fell to the ground.
Ling Zhenli remained motionless, not even her eyelashes trembled: "Princess Roujia, have you lost your mind? How dare you address me by my name? Fine, considering that His Highness the Crown Prince has been deposed, I will not hold it against you. As for your insults, the new Emperor is here, and he will decide who is right and who is wrong."
Pei Chanlian laughed hoarsely: "You damned woman, you're still acting even now! You're clearly the same woman who was having an affair with Chongheng at Zuixianlou a year ago! You're already the Crown Princess, so why are you still haunting him like a ghost? Don't you have any shame? Are you blind? Can't you see that Chongheng already has me as his wife?!"
Ling Zhenli's fingers, hidden in her sleeve, dug into her palms, growing angrier the more she listened.
"Why are you all acting like this today? Did His Majesty's passing take your reason with him? Princess Roujia, if you dare to slander my innocence again, just wait for the Ministry of Justice to come and talk to you."
"Xue Yingyue, are you really going to stick to your guns?"
Pei Shang'er smiled, stood up from the dragon throne, played with a dagger in her hand, and walked down step by step.
A faint fragrance wafted from her, suggesting she had specially scented herself after bathing, but it couldn't mask another subtle odor emanating from her—the smell of blood.
She stopped in front of Ling Zhenli, used the unsheathed dagger to lift the other's chin. Ling Zhenli felt offended, so she didn't hold back and directly slapped Pei Shang'er's hand away.
"Pei Le, show me some respect. You haven't even ascended the throne yet." Ling Zhenli's eyes were icy.
"You've been spoiled rotten by Pei Xuanlin." Pei Chang'er waved her hand, raised an eyebrow, and sneered, "Have you forgotten that you're no longer the Crown Princess? You're just a subject's daughter now!"
“And this minister is the prime minister you have to fear and treat with respect.” Ling Zhenli smiled at her. “You don’t dare to kill me. If you did, you would have already given me a white silk ribbon and poisoned wine to send me to my death.”
Pei Shang'er could no longer laugh. Her trump card had been exposed. Indeed, now, apart from her uncle, the Grand General who held 50% of the military power, no one else supported her. She dared not mess with the Prime Minister's daughter at this time, especially since Xue Yingyue was backed by a powerful family, and any move she made would have far-reaching consequences.
"Hmph, Xue Yingyue, you think I can't deal with you?"
Pei Chang'er flicked her sleeve, throwing the dagger in her hand to the ground, and then looked at Ling Zhenli with interest.
The dagger landed with a crisp clang.
“Pei Chanlian, you can now pick up this dagger that can cut through iron like mud, stab it into the chest of this woman who destroyed your marriage, and kill her.”
Pei Chanlian stared at the murder weapon so close to her, trembling all over.
"What? You don't dare?" Pei Chang'er leaned down and whispered in Pei Chanlian's ear, "Think about Xiao Chongheng. Why did Xiao Chongheng break off relations with you? Wasn't it all for her? Don't you hate her?"
These words were like the last straw that broke Pei Chanlian's back.
Trembling, she picked up the knife and pointed the tip at Ling Zhenli's heart.
The pent-up resentment erupted at this moment.
"Xue Yingyue! It's all because of you! If you hadn't seduced Chongheng, we wouldn't have ended up in this divorce! We were a loving couple! All because of you!"
Ling Zhenli smiled.
Her smile was so bright it was almost blinding.
"You're ridiculous. It's your husband who's after my beauty, chasing after me like a dog. And me? He doesn't even need to be given scraps; he's willing to pursue me. And you, a pitiful woman who can't win your husband's heart, you've never enjoyed my happiness in your entire life. Tsk tsk."
Ling Zhenli finished speaking with a smile, but her eyes and expression returned to their icy coldness, as if she were looking at a dead object.
She herself was disgusted by what she just said. She would never have said such things if it weren't to anger Pei Chanlian.
She's not enjoying any happiness at all! She's only had a few good days left. She finally had some peace and quiet, but these wretches keep ruining it and making her miserable.
Damn it, she's the one who really wants to kill.
Provoked, Pei Chanlian roared, "You're talking nonsense! It was clearly you! You even went to the Duke's mansion to see Xiao Chongheng! It's clearly you who's shameless!"
Ling Zhenli pursed her lips, feeling extremely agitated. She looked up, but ultimately couldn't help herself.
"Have you said enough? You're so annoying! You're always haunting me, are you? You're a stupid idiot, you're worse than a pig or a dog. Clean your ears and listen carefully. Xiao Chongheng even told me that he had never slept with you just so I could see him. Look at you, you're so infatuated with a man like that. What kind of good person is he? Did he save your life? You're so crazy about a man I don't even want, is that it? But what can I do? Even if I persuade him to give me up, he doesn't love you. He hates you, he finds you disgusting. Even a scumbag like him doesn't even look at you. You're not even worthy of his attention. And you still have the nerve to criticize me? What kind of person are you?"
After Ling Zhenli finished her tirade, she felt much better and hoped that Pei Chanlian could come to her senses and stop being so obsessed. However, in Pei Chanlian's eyes, her composure and calmness were nothing but contempt and disdain.
That despicable Xue Yingyue! So what if she won Xiao Chongheng's heart? How dare she flaunt her power and mock him so blatantly in front of her?
That's outrageous! Utterly despicable!
Provoked by Ling Zhenli's words, Pei Chanlian completely broke down and recklessly brandished his dagger, stabbing at her.
"You bitch! Go to hell!"
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