A desolate and stagnant state of mind, a heart in turmoil.
"Tell me, what happened?"
Yongfu lay on the ground, filled with regret.
"It was my greed! Seven days ago, I was sweeping in a corner of the back garden when I overheard Young Master Chi and Steward Yuanshan talking. My mother is seriously ill, and I was overcome by greed. I was wrong..."
Cang Yuan urged impatiently, "What did you hear? Explain clearly."
Yongfu wiped away his tears and said haltingly:
“That day, Young Master Chi Yan and Steward Yuanshan passed by the back garden. I overheard Young Master Chi complaining in a corner that Your Highness goes to the Hehuan Pavilion to guard Lu Shijun after school, saying that Lu Shijun is fully recovered but still hogs you.”
"Master Yuanshan, with a fawning expression, said to Young Master Chi, 'Since Lord Lu likes to pretend, why not give him some medicine and make him suffer a little, so that Lord Lu won't be so arrogant.'"
"After hearing about this, I thought of reporting it to my master so that I could get some reward to treat my mother's illness. When I told Langyue, the steward, he gave me a thousand taels of silver and told me to drug Lu Shijun and frame Tingfeng Pavilion."
"This servant has never seen so much silver before. With this money, my mother can be cured, which is why this servant did something wrong. I beg Your Highness for mercy..."
After saying this, Yongfu lowered his head and his chin hit the floor, which was wet.
Wen Yanche asked in a deep voice, "What kind of poison did Lang Yue order you to use? Where is the silver note he gave you?"
Yongfu choked up a few times, his shoulders trembling as he replied, "Reporting to my lord, the poison that Lu Shijun was poisoned with was purchased by Langyue, the head steward."
Wen Yanche let out a slight sigh of relief…
Fortunately, Langyue isn't too confused.
Leng Qingning said, "Explain clearly how you poisoned Shi Yi. Did you have any accomplices?"
“After I bought the medicine as instructed by Master Langyue, I secretly added poison powder to Lord Lu’s tonic during my daily cleaning time. I did this for five days in a row. I dared not let anyone else know because I had no accomplices.”
Upon hearing this, everyone understood.
Wen Yanche frowned slightly. Lu Shiyi had just assigned two new male servants to his courtyard, along with three eunuchs including Xiao An, and several other servants. How could Yongfu have succeeded so easily? There must be more to the story.
"Your Highness, please have mercy and spare my life!" Yongfu tried to get up but fell heavily to the ground again.
Leng Qingning's expression was serious, as if she was thinking about something.
Yongfu's attitude of seeking Leng Qingning over Wen Yanche led to various speculations among the crowd.
Lang Yue couldn't bear to see others looking at Wen Yanche with suspicious eyes, so she knelt down in front of Wen Yanche and Leng Qingning with red eyes.
"Your Highness, this has nothing to do with the Lord. It was all Lang Yue's doing. Please, Your Highness, do not take your anger out on the Lord."
Leng Qingning asked, "Lang Yue, why did you harm Shi Yi? And why did you frame A Yan?"
“I did not intend to harm Lord Lu; it was just a coincidence.”
"So you mean... you're deliberately trying to frame Ayan?"
Langyue raised her hand to wipe away the tear that was about to fall.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Now that things have come to this, I have nothing more to say. This was all my idea, and it has nothing to do with my lord. Your Highness can punish me however you wish, and I will have no complaints. I only beg Your Highness not to take your anger out on my lord."
Chi Yan sneered, "What a loyal slave act."
Wen Yanche looked disappointed: "Lang Yue, why?"
Lang Yue looked up and saw the disappointment in Wen Yanche's eyes. Feeling a pang of pain and unease, she immediately lowered her head.
Wen Yanche spoke again: "Lang Yue, why did you do this?"
The questioning tone made Lang Yue tremble, and tears welled up in his eyes, dripping onto the ground.
“My lord, I hate Young Master Chi, but I feel sorry for you. You are the noble young prince, who has come all the way to Yue Kingdom for a marriage alliance. But as soon as Young Master Chi arrived, he used every means to deceive Your Highness’s heart and often lured Your Highness away. On the second day of your wedding, he even pretended to be sick in an attempt to lure Your Highness to Tingfeng Pavilion.”
“Since entering the manor, Young Master Chi has been running rampant and domineering, showing no respect for you at all. He has even bullied Minister Cang and dared to openly insult me, even his male servants. Yet he has protected Yuanshan.”
"It's nothing for me to suffer injustice, but I can't bear to see you sad, my lord. Every time Your Highness goes to him, you are very disappointed, and I see it all..."
Wen Yanche interrupted Lang Yue: "Don't talk nonsense."
"Yes, my lord."
Leng Qingning looked at Wen Yanche with guilt in her eyes. So A-Che cared about her so much?
"Langyue, you say that I am protecting Yuanshan, and you keep saying that he is slandering you. Tell me how he slandered you."
Lang Yue straightened her back and said in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, "Young Master Chi, ask your servant how much silver he tried to bribe the slave with."
Chi Yan looked towards the distant mountains. "Hmm?"
Yuanshan looked bewildered and honestly replied, "I first gave Langyue three taels, and then I took five taels and thirty taels respectively. Master, is there a problem?"
Sighs filled the hall. So this simpleton really is simple-minded!
Chi Yan almost had a heart attack; his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he glared fiercely at Yuan Shan.
Seeing the expressions on his master's and everyone else's faces, Yuanshan scratched the back of his head, not understanding why everyone was looking at him like that.
Leng Qingning frowned deeply, and after a moment she sighed.
"Ache, Langyue is your person, so you can deal with her as you see fit."
"Mm." Wen Yanche nodded.
Leng Qingning looked at the kneeling man: "Yongfu, an accomplice, was blinded by greed and committed treason, daring to poison the emperor and frame the concubine. Considering that he has not yet committed a serious crime and has already received forty strokes of the cane, he shall be given another twenty strokes of the cane, expelled from the mansion, and his three clans shall never be employed again."
Yongfu said gratefully, "Thank you for your mercy, Your Highness."
“Yuanshan, this matter arose because of you. In an attempt to curry favor with your master, you even suggested poisoning the servant. Although it was not carried out, your intentions were impure and your heart deserves to be punished. You shall be given thirty-five strokes of the cane and fined three months’ salary.”
"This servant... thanks Your Highness for your mercy." Yuanshan deeply regretted his careless words.
"Yongshou, you will be in charge of sweeping and cleaning from now on."
Yongshou kowtowed to express his gratitude: "Thank you, Your Highness. I will do my best and live up to your expectations."
"Okay, let's leave it at that."
…
In the evening, at Hehuan Pavilion
"Shi Yi, I feel very bad that you were implicated this time. Is there anything you want? I will try my best to satisfy you."
Lu Shiyi smiled gently, "Your Highness, you have already given me so much. I am very satisfied."
"Shi Yi, the Lord and A Yan... they didn't mean to harm you. It was just a coincidence that you suffered. I have already punished the servants in their courtyard. Don't take it to heart."
Lu Shiyi said nonchalantly, "I have already heard about this. I don't blame them; it's just that I was unlucky."
Leng Qingning sighed, "Shi Yi, you are always so magnanimous, which I greatly admire."
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