Chapter 225: Your Majesty, I implore you to grant me marriage (Part 1)
The head of the Lei family felt dizzy and almost fainted.
Oh my God, if he had known Yun Zheng was such a ruthless person, he would have... changed his strategy.
"Your Majesty, please listen to my explanation..."
The emperor was in an extremely complicated mood. Look at how far he had pushed the child.
Haha, this is not forcing Yun Zheng, it is clearly challenging the dignity of the king.
All the anger in his heart was directed at the Lei family.
"I don't want to hear your excuses."
"Jinyun, you are too hard on yourself, but you shouldn't hurt yourself, you should stab others."
Yun Zheng felt wronged, tears welling up in her eyes. "Is it because I don't want to? It's because I can't beat him. I'm just a weak woman."
"Your Majesty, I just want to live a good life, to live a respectable and honorable life. Why is it so difficult?"
Her show of weakness made the emperor feel very uncomfortable. She had done nothing wrong. She was just loyal to him and refused to betray him.
Such a loyal minister must be protected.
Otherwise, it will discourage other loyal ministers.
"Don't be afraid. I know you are loyal to me. Anyone who dares to hurt you is against me."
When these words were spoken, everyone in the audience was shocked.
What a trust and respect this is.
The face of the head of the Lei family was extremely ugly. Yun Zheng was too smart. She judged the situation and found the right time to show weakness cleverly and took the opportunity to win the favor of the emperor.
The knife she used seemed to be stabbing herself, but it was actually a ladder to the pinnacle of power.
She is not a narrow-minded merchant's daughter at all, but a seasoned official who is adept at planning every move.
He actually thought that he could easily take her down and use her weakness for their own benefit.
However, reality slapped him hard in the face. The Lei family relied on sending women into the harem to gain wealth and status, while the Yun family's daughter relied on her own abilities to gain a foothold in the previous dynasty. They were different in themselves.
"Your Majesty, it really wasn't me who did this. It was Princess Jinyun who had a grudge against the Third Prince and deliberately framed his in-laws to weaken his power."
"Your Majesty, please understand."
Everyone in the Lei family knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, please understand."
The emperor looked at his third son with a gloomy look in his eyes. "Third Prince, what do you say?"
The Third Prince looked at Yun Zheng deeply. Her words "Third Prince's Party" put him in an irretrievable situation.
They are destined to be enemies!
Then, let’s sink together.
"I'm completely confused and still can't figure out what's going on. Princess Jinyun said the Lei family was responsible for her murder, but how did that turn into her having an affair with the Ninth Prince...? Is there something else going on?"
He was a smart man and aroused his father's suspicion with just one sentence.
The emperor followed his gaze and asked, "Wuyang, why are you here?"
Li Wuyang had a sullen face and said impatiently, "Your Majesty, you should ask, who did Earl Annan collude with to attack Princess Jinyun?"
The emperor immediately grasped the key information. Could it be that the pawn was special? "Who is it?"
Li Wuyang clapped his hands and ordered, "Drag the man out."
Guyu walked forward and pulled a man out from a pile of grass.
When everyone looked closely, they were shocked to see that the body was completely covered in blood, with eyes tightly closed, and it was unclear whether he was dead or alive. It was really scary.
The head of the Lei family felt dizzy and couldn't help vomiting.
The emperor looked at him and asked, "Who is this?"
Yun Zheng's eyes were filled with hatred as she stepped forward and kicked the man hard.
"Your Majesty, this is the backbone of the Third Prince's faction, the Yangzhou salt merchant, Cao Dewen. He just openly demanded salt permits for Zhenjiang, Gaoyou, and Suning."
She paused and said meaningfully, "Yes, it's a token of allegiance."
Salt merchants? A token of surrender? The Lei family even dared to touch the imperial salt permits, a heinous act of treason.
The emperor's face changed drastically, veins on his forehead throbbing, and he shouted angrily, "Lei Wentao, do you recognize this man?"
The head of the Lei family's face turned pale, his mind racing. "I recognize him. He once sent an invitation to the Lei family and we met once. However, this was just a normal social interaction. His status and position do not make him worthy of being a guest of honor at the Lei family."
It is useless to deny it completely. Some things can be revealed once you investigate.
But he still wanted to struggle.
"I didn't invite him to the party, and I don't know why he's here."
The Third Prince said calmly, "Your Majesty, although the Lei family is hosting the banquet today, Qinyuan is the former residence of the Yun family. The Yun family knows the terrain better than anyone else."
Yun Zheng sneered, "According to the Third Prince, I brought this person in. I directed and performed this myself? Is that what you mean?"
The Third Prince pursed his lips and said, "You know best."
"What do I want?"
The Third Prince said without hesitation, "Of course it's the Emperor's favor and... the position of Princess Rui."
He raised his thumb, but there was an unspeakable pain in his eyes.
"I have to say, Princess Jinyun is very calculating."
Yun Zheng looked at him with admiration, thinking he had made great progress.
However, she is not a vegetarian.
"Those who oppose me will perish, and those who follow me will prosper. Even before becoming emperor, you already have the courage of an emperor. I really admire you."
"However, if you only know how to resort to lowly tactics like drugging, even if you become emperor, you will still be a ruler who destroys the country."
The whole place was silent, no one dared to speak loudly, and they wished they could disappear right away.
The Third Prince was furious. "Yun Zheng, you lunatic, stop talking nonsense."
Yun Zheng's eyes were filled with determination. "I narrowly escaped death and barely managed to save my life from this conspiracy, but to be slandered by the Third Prince is truly chilling."
"Your Majesty, please take good care of yourself. If you live another hundred years, you must not allow these traitors to succeed in their schemes."
The emperor felt mixed emotions. "Everyone else hopes I die soon, but you are the only one who hopes I live another hundred years. You are the most loyal."
When he spoke of others, he specifically looked at Patriarch Lei and the Third Prince, which spoke for itself.
The two of them looked extremely ugly.
In the emperor's mind, loyalty and treachery have already been distinguished!
The emperor's gaze fell on Li Wuyang, with a hint of suspicion, "Ninth brother, what is your connection with this person?"
Li Wuyang's expression was solemn. "I have reported to you before that we are investigating a case of illegal salt trafficking in Jiangnan."
The emperor thought about it and realized that this was indeed the case. "I remember."
Li Wuyang raised his chin. "All the major salt merchants in Jiangnan were involved. I heard that Yangzhou salt merchant Cao Dewen had come to Beijing, so I followed the clues and came here."
He paused, lowering his voice, "When I found Cao Dewen, he was about to do something bad to Princess Jinyun. In my haste, I used some force."
"But he's not dead yet. Your Majesty, please feel free to ask anything you want to know."
The emperor raised his eyebrows. Isn't this just a bit too heavy-handed?
He gave a look, and the imperial physician stepped forward to examine him. "Your Majesty, this man is still alive, but his tendons and veins have been severed, and he is now a cripple."
The emperor still had some doubts in his heart, "Wuyang, you always have people by your side, why didn't you bring anyone this time?"
"I brought it."
The emperor looked at him deeply and asked, "Why did it become like this?"
Li Wuyang was silent for a moment, his expression complicated. "I can't just leave Princess Jinyun, who has been drugged, to my subordinates to deal with."
He sighed softly, "That would be an insult to her. She's a fiery person, extremely proud. I'm afraid...
The emperor understood what she hadn't said yet. She was afraid that she would commit suicide in a fit of rage.
The emperor's expression eased slightly.
Alas, it was all a coincidence.
Li Wuyang glanced at him calmly, bowed his hands, and looked solemn.
"Your Majesty, I beg you to grant me the marriage."
The scene was filled with an unusual silence.
The Third Prince's expression changed drastically, "No."
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