Guangfu had just returned to the manor when he was worried about whether Zhao Dahu was still alive, as Mu Jin had said.
If Zhao Dahu were truly alive at this moment, and had been arrested by the authorities, it would only be a matter of time before he confessed under severe torture.
As Guangfu pondered how to resolve his current predicament, a servant rushed into his room in a great hurry.
"Steward, something terrible has happened! Outside the gate, an old woman claiming to be your legal wife is shouting and cursing, saying... saying..."
Upon hearing this, Guangfu's nerves tensed up as if he had foreseen something bad happening. His tension made his eyes contort and turn bloodshot, and his cold hands gripped Xiaosi's arms tightly.
"Speak quickly! What else did the old woman say?"
The servant was also stunned by Guangfu's appearance. When Guangfu yelled at him, he stammered.
“That old woman also said that Consort Shen was born from your adultery with the matriarch of the Shen family.”
Upon hearing this, Guangfu staggered back a few steps and slumped into a chair. A chilling fear surged through him, like a bolt from the blue, and he felt the world spinning around him.
Just as the servant was about to step forward to help him, he seemed to wake up from a dream, pushed the servant away, and muttered, "I'm going to kill that slut!" After saying that, he rushed out of the gate of the Prince's mansion.
The guards, like the common people, hadn't yet recovered from the old woman's words when Guangfu suddenly shouted at them, and only then did they all come to their senses.
Just as the guards realized what was happening and were about to step forward to gag the old woman, another loud shout rang out from not far away.
"Guards! Zhang Guangfu is suspected of murdering Princess Yun. Arrest him!"
The common people gathered in front of the Prince Yun's mansion today have had their fill of gossip. Some, not wanting to miss out on the excitement, even ran to a nearby place to call on acquaintances to come and watch the spectacle at the Prince Yun's mansion.
Two soldiers stepped forward and twisted Guangfu's body, forcing him to kneel on the ground. Guangfu, who had been immersed in the Yunwang Mansion for many years, was not about to submit.
Guangfu shouted that he had arrested the wrong person and tried to stand up, but the constable held him down and he couldn't move at all.
Zhao Wude dismounted and said to the guards in front of the Yun Prince's mansion, "Please inform the Yun Prince that the yamen has found the person who hired someone to kill the Princess Consort, and I wish to meet with the Yun Prince."
Just as Su Yuntian and Shen Qianqian were deeply in love, a guard came to report that Zhao Wude had found out who had murdered the princess and was requesting to see him.
Upon hearing this, Su Yuntian immediately stood up, and Shen Qianqian's heart tightened. She instinctively grabbed Su Yuntian's hand and wouldn't let go.
Su Yuntian turned to look at Shen Qianqian and said gently, "My dear, the yamen has finally found the person who murdered the princess. I will come and keep you company after I have finished interrogating that person."
After Su Yuntian finished speaking, he shook off Shen Qianqian's hand and followed the person who had informed him out of Qiushui Garden.
Su Yuntian walked to the gate of the Yunwang Mansion and saw a large crowd of people gathered in front of the mansion. At the gate, he saw two yamen runners holding Guangfu down and making him kneel on the ground.
When Guangfu saw Su Yuntian walk out of the gate, he shouted loudly, "Your Highness, save me! That Zhao Wude is a mediocre official who has wronged me! Your Highness, save me!"
Su Yuntian frowned as he looked at the scene before him, and couldn't help but look at Zhao Wude: "What's going on here?"
Before Zhao Wude could reply, the old woman next to him knelt down in front of Su Yuntian, crying.
"Your Highness, please do justice for me! That treacherous villain Zhang Guangfu committed adultery with Madam Ye, the mistress of the Shen family, and gave birth to Shen Qianqian. He even impersonated Madam Shen's legitimate daughter and relied on Your Highness to enjoy wealth and honor, leaving me and my poor son to suffer in that remote and impoverished place."
Hearing what the old woman was saying to Su Yuntian, Guangfu wanted nothing more than to rush up and strangle her. His face contorted with rage, he struggled desperately and roared at the old woman, "You vile woman, you're not allowed to spout nonsense in front of the Prince!"
Meanwhile, Cui Xiang, supporting Shen Qianqian, had been quietly following behind Su Yuntian, wanting to know exactly what the officials had found out. However, as soon as she reached the main gate, she overheard the old woman's words.
The old woman's words were like a sudden thunderbolt from a clear sky, instantly leaving Shen Qianqian weak and paralyzed on the ground.
Cui Xiang also heard it, and her surprise was no less than Shen Qianqian's reaction, but she quickly recovered and immediately helped Shen Qianqian up to comfort her.
"Consort, don't listen to that old woman's nonsense. She might be someone from the Green Bamboo Courtyard who came to frame you. Consort, you must cheer up and not be defeated."
Upon hearing Cui Xiang's words, Shen Qianqian felt as if she had found a lifeline. She hurriedly wiped away her tears and nodded repeatedly.
"Yes, yes, yes! How could I be Guangfu's daughter? My father is the head of the Zhao family, and my aunt is Consort De. It must be that bitch Mu Jin who framed me. She wants the prince to despise me so that she can win back his love. That must be it."
Upon hearing the old woman's words, some were shocked, some disbelieving, and some panicked. But Zhao Wude, because of the old woman's words, finally understood why a servant of the Prince's mansion would hire someone to kill the Princess.
If Shen Qianqian is Zhang Guangfu's biological daughter, and he wants to help his daughter become a princess, then the reason for hiring someone to kill her would be perfectly reasonable.
Seeing Su Yuntian's gloomy face, Zhao Wude still forced a smile and reported, "Your Highness, Zhao Dahu confessed. He said..."
Before Zhao Wude could speak, he was interrupted by Su Yuntian, whose face was full of gloom. Su Yuntian then spoke to the attendant beside him.
"Take Zhang Guangfu and that old woman back to the manor. Summon the Princess and the concubines to the main hall. Everyone else, disperse!"
Inside the main hall of the Yunwang Mansion, Su Yuntian looked at Guangfu kneeling before him with a gloomy expression, along with the old woman who claimed to be Guangfu's legal wife.
Shen Qianqian stood calmly a few steps behind Su Yuntian on the right, supported by Cuixiang. If it weren't for Cuixiang's slightly trembling, sweaty face from being gripped so tightly that her arm was turning purple, people would have thought that Shen Qianqian was just watching from the sidelines.
Eleven and Qing'er followed Mu Jin into the main hall. Mu Jin saw the different expressions on everyone's faces and couldn't help but smile slightly: "Oh, why are so many people here?"
Su Yuntian looked at Mu Jin, and his expression softened slightly. He stood up and invited Mu Jin to sit in the main seat next to him.
After Mu Jin sat down, Su Yuntian ordered Zhao Wude to report to him about the interrogation of Zhao Dahu.
Upon receiving the order, Zhao Wude said, "Your Highness, today we received news from the Princess that we indeed found Zhao Wude, who was tightly bound, under his bed. We pulled him out from under the bed and threw him into the courtyard full of corpses. He was so scared that he wet his pants. Before we even asked him any questions, he confessed everything."
Upon hearing Zhao Wude's words, Guangfu's body stiffened involuntarily.
Su Yuntian glanced at Guangfu and snorted coldly: "What did you confess to?"
"Zhao Dahu said that both times Princess Yun was kidnapped, it was Zhang Guangfu who paid them to do it!"
Upon hearing this, Su Yuntian grabbed a cup from the table and threw it at Guangfu. The cup hit Guangfu squarely on the forehead, causing him to bleed profusely instantly.
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