Chapter 165 Who is pitiful
Feng Lanxin was horrified: "Sister-in-law, what happened?"
"Come in and tell me." Jiang Zhaoyue took Feng Lanxin's hand, walked into the warm room, sat on the soft couch, and said very seriously: "Second sister-in-law, you know that the emperor summoned the second prince to the palace, right?"
Feng Lanxin nodded.
"Then do you know what it is about?"
Feng Lanxin's eyes dodged for a moment and she shook her head: "I don't know."
Don’t you really know?
Feng Lanxin comes from a prominent family. Her parents are loyal to the emperor and patriotic, and her brothers and sisters are friendly and sensible. The entire Feng family is rare and does not have the messy things that other wealthy families have.
She naturally grew up to be an upright, polite and graceful lady from a noble family.
Therefore, the emperor took a liking to her and betrothed her to Xiao Congbei, who was the second prince at that time.
In the second year after her marriage, she gave birth to a pair of twins, a boy and a girl, who were lively and cute.
She became more and more beautiful, gentle and generous... But when Jiang Zhaoyue and Pei Jingzhou suddenly visited Prince Jing's Mansion last time, what they saw was Feng Lanxin who was reserved, cautious, uneasy and a little scared.
Normal things would not have caused a noble lady from a well-off family to become like that.
She recalled over and over again the various things that happened in Prince Jing's Mansion: Feng Lanxin's eyes, Xiao Congbei's control over Feng Lanxin, what Feng Lanxin had said, what Xiao Congbei had said, Feng Lanxin's decisiveness in redeeming Du Juan, and so on.
She guessed that Feng Lanxin knew about Xiao Congbei's dealings with the Jiang people in the south.
According to the teachings she had received over the years, Feng Lanxin should have decisively reported Xiao Congbei.
But Feng Lanxin loves Xiao Congbei and her children, and doesn't want the entire Prince Jing's Mansion to fall apart like this. She becomes so entangled that she becomes stuck in a dilemma.
Until now, he still didn't know what to do, so he said "I don't know", subconsciously protecting Xiao Congbei.
She looked at Feng Lan and thought, "I know."
Feng Lanxin raised her eyes to look at Jiang Zhaoyue: "What's the matter?"
Jiang Zhaoyue replied: "The matter of the second prince colluding with the people of Nan Jiang."
Feng Lanxin was shocked.
"Second brother colluded with the people of Southern Jiang, murdered nearly a hundred soldiers from the border states, framed the Crown Prince, privately forged a Southern Jiang sword, and once again pinned the blame on the Crown Prince... He was hell-bent on overthrowing the Crown Prince." Seeing Feng Lanxin's face gradually turn pale, Jiang Zhaoyue became more and more certain of his suspicions. He continued, "Second brother's wife, you know all this too, right?"
Feng Lanxin shook her head painfully: "No, no, I don't know."
"Then you know that these charges carry the death penalty?"
Feng Lanxin's movements faltered.
Jiang Zhaoyue said, "Now that I know these things, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince knows these things, do you think Father doesn't know?"
Feng Lanxin raised her eyes to look at Jiang Zhaoyue: "I know, but there is insufficient evidence."
So smart!
Jiang Zhaoyue discovered that many noble ladies in Dajin were extremely intelligent, like Zhang Siyin and Feng Lanxin, who knew everything clearly. She did not hide it, "Yes, there is insufficient evidence."
Feng Lanxin asked: "So, you want me to be a witness."
"That's right. You must know that even if the evidence is insufficient, Second Prince's plan has completely failed. Father will not give him any more opportunities to gain power. He will imprison him, secretly investigate the evidence, and then sentence him."
When Feng Lan heard the word "sentence", her heart ached.
Jiang Zhaoyue continued, "By then, it might not just be Second Prince's problem. It might be you, the two children, and the Feng family—"
"No!" Feng Lanxin quickly refused: "These things have nothing to do with the child or the Feng family!"
"Then you have to take the initiative to tell the emperor father. Otherwise, given his temper, you, the child, and the Feng family will all be implicated."
Feng Lanxin immediately covered her face and sobbed softly: "The prince is also very pitiful. His mother was just a little palace maid and died after giving birth to him. He has always been discriminated against by the people in the palace. He doesn't look like a prince at all-"
"There are so many poor people, but I don't see them all harming others." Jiang Zhaoyue interrupted Feng Lanxin.
Feng Lanxin put down her hands and looked over with tears in her eyes.
"Do you think Dujuan is pitiful?" Jiang Zhaoyue asked.
Feng Lanxin thought of the skinny little maid in the big kitchen.
"Her parents are both dead. Her brother and sister-in-law don't give her and her sister food, and even force them to work. First, they sold her sister, and then sold her. Not only is she discriminated against, she's also starved, scolded, and beaten... If we hadn't arrived in time, she might have lost her life in torture. Is she pitiful? Between her and Xiao Congbei, who is more pitiful?"
Feng Lanxin felt like something was stuck in her throat.
"But has she ever hurt innocent people? No." Jiang Zhaoyue looked straight at Feng Lanxin: "I know you love Xiao Congbei, so you magnify his suffering and think he is the most pitiful person in the world. You feel so distressed.
"But have you ever thought about the soldiers who died because of him?
"They have parents, brothers, wives, sons, and daughters... They may also have girls they love waiting for them to marry, but because Xiao Congbei colluded with foreign enemies, they are separated from each other. Aren't they pitiful?
“Who will pity them?
“Who will feel sorry for them?”
Feng Lanxin burst into tears when she heard this.
"Pity is never a reason to do evil!" Jiang Zhaoyue said firmly.
Feng Lan was stunned.
"If you testify in time, you may be able to save the child and the Feng family. Otherwise, they will really become the poor people implicated." Jiang Zhaoyue said.
Feng Lanxin was shocked all over.
"I've said both good and bad things. If you don't want to, I won't force you. Your Highness the Crown Prince just needs to spend some time proving himself." Jiang Zhaoyue said as he stood up and prepared to see the guest off.
Feng Lanxin grabbed Jiang Zhaoyue's wrist at this moment: "Big sister-in-law."
Jiang Zhaoyue turned and looked at Feng Lanxin.
"I'll go and testify." Feng Lan thought to herself.
Jiang Zhaoyue curled her lips slightly: "Okay."
At this time, in Emperor Hong Qi's council hall, Pei Jingzhou, Xiao Congbei, Pei Maokun, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War and others were standing with their heads bowed.
Emperor Hong Qi looked at Xiao Congbei and said, "Respectfully, Your Majesty."
"Your Majesty, I know nothing." No matter what evidence Pei Jingzhou, Pei Maokun and others produced, Xiao Congbei always said that he knew nothing. Anyway, Pei Jingzhou and others did not have any more powerful evidence.
He continued, "I was born in the Imperial Palace and grew up listening to my father's earnest teachings. I know that Dajin is my home, and I will never do anything to harm it."
His implication was that Pei Jingzhou had not grown up in the imperial palace and had ulterior motives. Pei Maokun was displeased, saying, "Your Majesty, three generations of my subjects have served the country. Our loyalty is evident to heaven."
Xiao Congbei said: "Duke Zhenguo, I have never doubted your sincerity, but..."
"Your Majesty, please speak frankly." Pei Maokun said seriously.
Xiao Congbei glanced at Pei Jingzhou with a smug look in his eyes: "Other people's loyalty is uncertain."
"Prince Jing is right. Your Highness, please explain the rumors among the people." The Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War spoke again at this time.
Before Pei Jingzhou could speak, a eunuch came in and said, "Your Majesty, the Crown Princess requests an audience."
Pei Jingzhou's heart tightened.
Pei Maokun also looked at Pei Jingzhou in surprise.
Xiao Congbei had seen Jiang Zhaoyue's eccentricity, which most people could not withstand, and he was inexplicably afraid.
"Please let her in." said Emperor Hong Qi.
Jiang Zhaoyue walked in dressed formally.
Xiao Congbei's face turned grim when he saw Jiang Zhaoyue. When he saw Feng Lanxin standing next to Jiang Zhaoyue, he immediately panicked and asked, "Lanxin, why are you here?"
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