The maid was stunned for a moment, and then she saw Fang Rong swim ashore by herself. Her eyes widened. Had the young lady come to her senses?
The straightforward maid naturally had no idea that Fang Rong had never intended to commit suicide; she was merely using this as an excuse to cause trouble.
He Jiuniang ruined her plans, so she simply clung to Lu Baichuan. Who told He Jiuniang to meddle in other people's business?
Little did she know that she had overlooked one thing: Lu Baichuan was not so easy to outsmart.
Otherwise, how could he have risen from an ordinary person to a high-ranking official of the second rank in just a few years?
"Miss, you've finally figured it out, waaaaah..."
The maid rushed over and burst into tears; she had been terrified just now.
She was just a lowly maid; if she were to simply watch her master drown in the lake, she wouldn't be able to survive either.
"Shut up! I'm not dead yet!"
Fang Rong was furious and reached out to pinch the maid to vent her anger. This stupid maid would sell her off sooner or later!
She was in such a sorry state that if others saw her, her reputation would be ruined, so she ordered her maid, "Take off your clothes and give them to me to wear!"
The maid was taken aback. She wasn't wearing much either. If she gave her clothes to her mistress, what would she wear?
Furthermore, if someone saw them changing clothes here, how could they possibly live?
Seeing her hesitate, Fang Rong wanted to slap her again, but just as she raised her hand, she heard a series of footsteps, and soon the two of them, mistress and servant, were surrounded.
"Disrupting and vandalizing a state banquet, harboring malicious intentions, take them away!"
The leading guards didn't care whether their attire was appropriate or not; the general had ordered them to come and arrest people, so they simply took them away.
Tonight's state banquet cannot afford the slightest mistake.
Actually, everyone saw her struggling in the water just now and was about to come to her rescue when the general stopped them with a gesture and they hid in the shadows to watch.
After the general left, the woman went ashore without saying a word, and there was no sign of her wanting to commit suicide.
They then realized that the woman was faking it; no wonder the general had told them not to help her.
The general is wise!
Therefore, the look in their eyes towards Fang Rong and her servant was full of disgust and contempt. Why did a perfectly respectable young lady from an official family have to make such a scene? Did she think it was interesting to show off at a state banquet?
It seems the family's conduct was improper; it's likely that Lord Fang will also lose his official position.
However, this can also be seen as a warning to the civil and military officials after the new emperor's ascension to the throne: not only should they do their own jobs well, but they should also discipline their families and prevent them from doing anything shameful.
"Ah! Let me go! You've got the wrong person! I am... mmm!"
Fang Rong was about to introduce herself when she was forcibly gagged and taken away. They had already said that the state banquet was still in progress, so how dare she make such a loud noise?
This is utterly lawless! I must deliver a proper report against him at court tomorrow!
He Jiuniang never expected that her well-intentioned reminder would almost cost her man his life.
Fortunately, Lu Baichuan wasn't stupid and wasn't fooled. Instead, he arrested the person, which will implicate the entire Fang family. Fang Rong's future days won't be easy.
After the banquet, He Jiuniang and Lu Baichuan did not leave with their families. Instead, they sent them home first, and then He Jiuniang and Lu Baichuan met with the emperor alone.
The emperor knew that she hadn't finished speaking in the main hall, so it was reasonable for her to come to him after the banquet.
He never expected that He Jiuniang would bring Xun Wang with her. Although it was Xun Wang who had been knocked unconscious, it was indeed him.
"Is this the grand gift you intended to give me?"
The emperor's face showed shock, but it didn't stop him from being happy; he couldn't hide his smile.
"Your Majesty is wise. Originally, I planned to bring it directly to the main hall for everyone to see, but I received a message and felt that we should not alert the enemy. So I can only inform Your Majesty in this way."
He Jiuniang explained earnestly that it wasn't that she was backing down at the last minute, but that there was a reason for it!
The emperor looked excited and very curious: "How did you capture him? So you mean the news of his capture hasn't spread yet?"
“When I was assassinated by the Xiteng people before, I suspected that he was the one who did it. Then this morning, Princess Xiteng was kidnapped and almost bullied. That was also his doing. I was waiting for him to make his move today so that we could wipe them all out. So far, it seems that the news has not spread yet because I have led my men to arrest all of his people.”
He Jiuniang never disappoints when she makes a move.
The emperor grew increasingly agitated. Ever since He Jiuniang said that the person behind the scenes was Xun Wang, he had been worried that the affairs of the Eastern Court had not been resolved before the country was about to fall into internal strife.
That would cause too much internal strife; he dared not gamble, nor could he afford to.
Just as she was thinking of discussing with Lu Baichuan in a while to settle the matter of finding the king in advance, so as not to let it become a disaster, He Jiuniang had already sent this great gift.
If he remembered correctly, He Jiuniang was the biological daughter of King Xun.
When He Jiuniang said she would personally capture Xun Wang, he thought it was unlikely, since blood ties are not so easily severed.
Of course, it wasn't that he didn't trust any of Jiu Niang's people, but he felt it was a bit cruel to entrust this matter to He Jiu Niang. He would be satisfied as long as He Jiu Niang didn't help Xun Wang.
But to my surprise, He Jiuniang was so capable that she captured the person with ease.
"I truly don't know how to praise you! If you were willing to serve in the court, I could even promote you, but you have no interest in court affairs, I really..."
"It's alright, Your Majesty!" He Jiuniang quickly interjected, "This humble woman doesn't ask for much, you understand!"
"Hahaha! Excellent! I will certainly reward you handsomely!"
The emperor was very generous. He Jiuniang had helped him solve a major problem, so naturally he would give her whatever she wanted, since the benefits this matter brought him were too great.
"By the way, what news did you get?"
This news must be very important, otherwise He Jiuniang wouldn't have changed her mind at the last minute.
Lu Baichuan was also looking at her, as he hadn't yet had a chance to find out what the news was.
He Jiuniang didn't say anything, but directly handed over the envelope that Mingze had given her.
It was shown to the emperor first, and then handed to Lu Baichuan after the emperor had finished reading it.
After reading it, both of them looked rather solemn.
"No wonder he made such a fuss back then, even willing to give up all the wealth and glory of the capital to go into exile. It turns out it was all for that mountain!"
The emperor practically gritted his teeth as he read the last few words.
Lu Baichuan said, "There are only two possibilities for him to know there is a mine on that mountain: either he has been sending people to search for it, or the local officials discovered it and handed it over to him. He has been operating there for twenty years and has a lot of influence, so we still need to be careful."
That's right. The information Mingze gave us said that there was an iron mine in Xun Wang's territory.
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