"I did not stop Lord Shen from kneeling down to apologize. I hope Lord Shen will not hold it against me, because I want all women in the world to know that if they are slighted, they deserve an apology."
Shen Jiefeng seemed completely unconcerned: "This is what I promised you, Miss. Why should I care? I should thank you for giving me the opportunity to fulfill my promise."
Shen Jiefeng stood up, his face showing no anger. He said to Ye Qingxue, "In a few days, I will send a matchmaker to propose marriage."
He gave Ye Qingxue a deep look, then left with his men, and the tense atmosphere in the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion instantly quieted down.
Madam Wan's legs went weak, and she collapsed into Ji Mingwei's arms.
Ye Qingxue glanced at the puddle; she almost, almost, that Shen Jiefeng discovered the secret passage.
The secret passage does indeed start from here, and on the other side of the passage, there is another similar water pit that submerges the entire entrance.
However, the mechanism is not located underwater.
Moreover, this door only opens to a height of half a meter; to enter the secret passage, one must crawl underwater.
...
The guards of the Palace Guard had not received any prior information that the deposed crown prince was hiding in the residence of the Marquis of Zhongyong.
Therefore, they were also puzzled by Shen Jiefeng's "digging deep" behavior tonight.
One of the guards voiced his doubts.
Shen Jiefeng did not answer, but a slight smile appeared on his lips.
He led his men to the next house.
Then, the next one.
This family is an ordinary one, with a grandmother, two children, and a husband and wife.
Before Shen Jiefeng went in, he had people spread the word that the deposed crown prince had been seen in their house. Then he led his guards in, arrested the whole family, and forced them to reveal the whereabouts of the deposed crown prince.
How did this family find out?
Shen Jiefeng drew his sword on the spot, piercing the throat of the head of the family. As the man fell to the ground and died, Shen Jiefeng looked at a certain place in the darkness and laughed.
The guards killed the rest of the family. Their bodies lay on the ground, unclaimed, their blood staining the ground red.
The surrounding people were saying, "They knew the whereabouts of the deposed crown prince but didn't reveal it; this is their fate! They deserved it!"
...
Late at night, Zhuang Xin found Yun Zhuo in the secret passage and told him about the family's situation.
A gust of wind blew in from the secret passage, causing the tinder to flicker and almost go out.
A single lamp cast a dim light, and Yun Zhuo sat in complete darkness, as if he were enveloped in darkness from head to toe.
Zhuang Xin gritted his teeth: "It must have been the Empress's idea. She knew you were still alive, so she deliberately killed that family to make the people fear you more and hate you more."
Yun Zhuo did not respond, seemingly lost in thought.
Zhuang Xin said, "If only Your Highness could be exonerated soon, I wouldn't be afraid even if I were taken back. Your Highness, after these two days of investigation, I have received some good news."
Yun Zhuo remained squatting in the secret passage, not looking at Zhuang Xin upon hearing this.
Zhuang Xin said, "When the blood flowed like a river in Consort Li's palace before, didn't a maid escape?"
"It is said that she has a letter written by Consort Li herself, which can prove that the person who had an affair with Consort Li at that time was not Your Highness!"
"When Consort Li framed you, she was forced into it. In the end, her entire palace was massacred. She probably had already left behind a plan to ensure that the person behind it would suffer a terrible death."
"I have already inquired and found that the maid was seen in the area northwest of Yongning City."
Zhuang Xin paused for a moment, then continued, "And there were also the old nannies who served the late Empress. Recently, they were falsely accused of crimes by the Empress Dowager. One of them was beaten to death, and the other escaped."
"If we can find that old woman, we can clear your name of the injustice of disrespecting the late Empress!"
Zhuang Xin took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "If it can be proven that Your Highness was wronged in the previous two matters, then the Emperor will definitely give you a chance to prove that your rebellion was also a frame-up."
Yun Zhuo's body shifted slightly.
Enough innocent people have been killed because of him, and he is unwilling to just obediently accept his death. So he has no choice but to find out the truth and prove his innocence.
"You go first and search carefully for the old woman and the maid. We'll contact you again later," Yun Zhuo said.
Realizing that Shen Jiefeng had already taken his men elsewhere, Yun Zhuo turned around and headed towards Guanju Courtyard after Zhuang Xin left.
As Ye Qingxue walked out of Guanju Courtyard, another red line appeared on her palm. Xiao Bao suddenly stepped forward and took her hand.
...
After that voice disappeared.
Xiao Bao stayed in the chaos for a long time.
He was unaware of the passing of days and nights, the changing of seasons, and the coming of spring and autumn.
They didn't even know what time was.
After an unknown amount of time, the voice came again: "The parents you were waiting for have both passed away. This time, will you change?"
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