Chapter 286 Princess, are you going to punish my fourth brother and me based on your mere speculation?
After an unknown amount of time, He Weizhou couldn't believe it, "Si Si?!"
"Master He, please stop calling me by my name!" Wei Si shrank back in fear, clinging tightly to Xie Zhe's legs. "I didn't choose Master He back then, and I still won't do that twenty years later! Wei Si, I only love Your Majesty!"
He Weizhou felt cold all over.
He could barely find his voice. "Si Si, you lied to me? How could you lie to me? Have you forgotten how your father, brother, and sister-in-law died? How could you...how could you willingly serve your enemy?"
"The country was destroyed, and the family was ruined, because of their incompetence!" Wei Si said emphatically, "It is because of their incompetence that I have experienced so much hardship in Shu County! A wise bird chooses a tree to roost in. Now I only know that Your Majesty is the strongest in this world. I only know that Your Majesty can protect me and my children from the wind and rain!"
She turned to look at Xie Zhe and held his hand tightly, "Your Majesty, please trust me!"
All the strength in He Weizhou's limbs was drained.
He stared at Wei Si, as if he was meeting her for the first time.
Wei Si used to be innocent and naive, but now she is so cold-blooded that it frightens him!
He opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but when he saw Wei Si's delicate posture leaning against Xie Zhe's legs, he suddenly felt so powerless that he couldn't utter a word.
Concubine Zhang jumped up and shouted, "Your Majesty, Wei Si is such a silver-tongued bitch! Don't listen to her! She must be cheating on me to get away with this, so she's making this up!"
Xie Zhe lowered his eyes to look at Wei Si, but his words were directed to Concubine Zhang. "The Crown Prince is seriously injured, and as a mother, you have no regard for him, yet you have the leisure to gossip here. Say one more word, and I will pull out your tongue."
He spoke in a very calm tone.
But Concubine Zhang was so frightened that she lost her voice instantly.
Xie Zhe looked down at Wei Si and gently stroked her cheek.
Time is particularly fond of beauties, and her face is so soft and smooth that it is almost the same as that of a young girl.
His fingertips paused at the corners of Wei Si's eyes, and he stared into her tearful eyes for a long time, as if trying to find something in them.
But Wei Si's gaze was always gentle and affectionate.
Like a mother looking at her child.
Such stubbornness and expectation, as if a mother would never abandon her flesh and blood.
Xie Zhe liked such gentle eyes.
The strength with which he caressed her cheek gradually loosened.
Wen Xingluo watched his mother being treated like a pet, and his hands tucked into his sleeves almost broke his palms.
She lowered her brows, held her breath, and subconsciously took half a step forward.
Xie Guanlan grabbed her arm in time.
Wen Xingluo looked at him.
Xie Guanlan shook his head.
Although he had little contact with Wei Si, he could understand Wei Si's actions very well - she just wanted to sow discord and use Xie Zhe to get rid of He Weizhou.
A very simple beauty trap.
If it was when Xie Zhe was young, it would definitely be of no use.
However, the aging Xie Zhe seemed to be very fond of this.
Is it because that position is lonely?
As he expected, Xie Zhe slowly held Wei Si's hand and pulled her to his side.
With the help of the candlelight in the tent, he carefully looked at Wei Si's face.
After a while, he said quietly, "I believe in Si Si."
Ignoring the strange looks from everyone, Xie Zhe glanced at He Weizhou and said, "You are incredibly brave to kidnap a concubine. I think you no longer need to be the Prime Minister. I will dismiss you from office and demote you to a commoner today."
He Weizhou's Adam's apple rolled and his eyes were bloodshot.
The loss of being dismissed from office was far less painful than the betrayal given by Wei Si.
He knelt there with a deathly pale face, still staring blankly at Wei Si, and even forgot to thank her.
Wei Si did not avoid his gaze.
She looked up at him.
Now he, too, has tasted betrayal.
But compared to the betrayal she suffered that year, the pain He Weizhou endured was just a drop in the bucket!
She slowly gave He Weizhou a provocative smile.
At this moment, a female official hurried to Empress Mei and whispered a few words in her ear.
Empress Mei's eyes moved slightly, and she looked at Concubine Zhang in surprise.
After a moment, she looked at the commander of the Imperial Guard and asked casually, "What did the lord just say he found in the woods?"
The commander of the Imperial Guards came to his senses and replied with a bow, "Your Majesty, I have discovered the Ninth Prince's body in the woods!"
He made a gesture, and immediately two of his men came in carrying a stretcher.
The young man lying on the stretcher was covered in blood, with several bloody holes on his neck and heart. His gray face showed that he had been dead for a long time.
Concubine Zhang's eyes suddenly widened.
She stared at Xie Mingrui intently, her knees became so weak that she was prevented from falling down by the timely support of the palace maid beside her.
The next moment, she held her head and let out a shrill scream, then pounced on Xie Mingrui and shook him, calling out his nickname at the top of her lungs.
The sound is so mournful that it frightens those who hear it.
The commander of the Imperial Guards knelt on one knee and said to Xie Zhe, "When I found Your Highness, he was already dead. The perpetrator was very cautious and left no traces."
Xie Zhe stared at Concubine Zhang and Xie Mingrui, not knowing what he was thinking. He did not say a word, nor did he have any intention of going down to check the bodies himself.
So for a while, the only sound in the tent was Concubine Zhang's crying.
Xie Guanlan glanced at Wen Xingluo.
Noticing his gaze, Wen Xingluo looked back at him innocently.
Xie Guanlan couldn't do anything with her and silently held her hand.
"Brother!"
Xie Xiang suddenly rushed in.
She was about to go to bed when she learned that Xie Mingrui had been murdered. She quickly changed her clothes and rushed over.
"Brother..."
She looked at the dead boy in disbelief, not even daring to touch him.
Empress Mei sighed, "The man is gone. The most urgent task is to find the murderer as soon as possible. The Imperial Concubine and the Princess should not be too sad. You must cheer up."
Xie Xiang wiped the tears from his face and suddenly said, "Father, I know who the murderer is!"
She suddenly pointed at Wen Xingluo, "It was Wei Ning and the Zhenbei Palace who did it!"
Wei Si said coldly, "Princess, be careful with your words! Ningning is a delicate little girl, soft-hearted and cowardly. She wouldn't even dare to kill a chicken, so how could she possibly murder His Highness the Ninth Prince?!"
"Shut up!" Concubine Zhang protected Xie Xiang behind her and pointed at Wei Si fiercely. "Ever since you and your daughter came to the capital, there has been no peace in the palace! If it wasn't you, who else could it be?!"
Xie Xiang refused to give in and knelt before Xie Zhe, crying, "Don't be afraid of your father laughing at you. Your son and I played a prank on Wei Ning and Xie Shi'an today. My brother's death must be revenge from them out of spite! Wei Ning couldn't kill me, but Xie Shi'an could! I beg your father to uphold justice for my brother and chop off the heads of these two bastards!"
Wen Xingluo said calmly, "Princess, are you going to punish me and my fourth brother based on mere speculation? Princess, you should produce evidence."
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