Wen Congbai had always known that Liang Yuzhou was different from ordinary men. He was crazy about Song Wanchu without any regard for consequences.
Three years ago at the palace banquet, he had dared to drink the poisoned wine from Song Wanchu's cup in one gulp and had almost lost his life.
Now, he was going to openly oppose the Princess Royal.
If he was a bit careless, the entire Duke's Mansion might be dragged down to be buried with him!
"Do you have to take such a radical way to fight against her?"
Wen Congbai understood that the Princess Royal's powerful coercion had dissatisfied Liang Yuzhou. "The Duke's Mansion holds one - third of the military power in the world. The Princess Royal has a long - term vision. Besides trying to win over the old duke, of course, she also wants to win you, the future heir of the duke. Actually, if you were just a bit more tactful and accepted the two beauties she sent to the Duke's Mansion..."
The more he talked, the more gloomy and terrifying Liang Yuzhou's face became. He realized that he had stepped on this crazy man's landmine and quickly shut up.
To make up for his mistake, he forced out an embarrassed smile. "I know you only have your wife in your heart. After drinking the sweet nectar, who would want to drink the muddled rice wine?"
"Wanchu is a person, not something that can be casually compared to tea or wine."
Liang Yuzhou said word by word, his tone very displeased.
Wen Congbai slapped his mouth three times. "I was wrong, I was wrong. Your wife is noble and can't be compared to things. I just meant that, you know."
With a single glance and a charming smile, all the three thousand noble ladies in the capital would pale in comparison to her.
Who could not love her?
"I know, but you don't."
Liang Yuzhou sounded like he was saying a tongue - twister. Wen Congbai was stunned for a moment before he understood what he meant.
The two of them had grown up together. He was one of the people who knew Liang Er best.
He was not a lecher. His love for Song Wanchu was definitely not because of her beauty.
"What's the use of telling me? Go and explain it to your wife."
Because he knew him so well, Wen Congbai knew how to poke at his sore spot.
Liang Yuzhou pushed away the teacup in front of him, looking a bit annoyed.
"She won't believe anything I say."
Wen Congbai was speechless for a moment. He rolled his eyes. "Serves you right. Who told you to like someone but still act so aloof and cold? And you've been entangled with your cousin all the time. If I were her, I wouldn't believe you either."
There was a sour feeling churning in Liang Yuzhou's chest. "She doesn't like me. She only has that good - for - nothing elder brother in her heart. Do you think I should just go and fawn on her?"
Wen Congbai opened his eyes wide. Did this sound like he was complaining?
"No, Liang Er, Liang Er. Haven't you figured it out yet? The two of you have been at odds for three years, and the main responsibility lies with you! You like her but don't show your love to her. When she wanted to leave, you didn't show any remorse. Instead, you forcibly snatched her and imprisoned her. No wonder she doesn't like you!"
Liang Yuzhou's lips were pursed into a thin line, and his eyes dimmed.
Looking at his unfathomable expression, Wen Congbai sighed helplessly. "Just keep acting like this!"
"The matter between the two of us doesn't need your meddling. As for the matter I mentioned, will you help me or not?"
Liang Yuzhou pushed the sandalwood box filled with letters towards Wen Congbai.
Wen Congbai's father, the Marquis of Pingwei, was the Crown Prince's tutor. The Crown Prince had been taught by him since childhood.
The Wen family had always been on the Crown Prince's side and was absolutely loyal to him.
Liang Yuzhou's intention was to hand over the evidence to the Crown Prince through the Marquis of Pingwei.
Wen Congbai looked at this hot potato with a complicated expression.
"The Princess Royal has a special status in the Emperor's heart. Just based on her affair with Yu Jingnian, it's probably difficult to shake her status in the Emperor's heart."
The Emperor was well aware of the Princess Royal's promiscuity. Over the years, the Princess Royal had been openly keeping male favorites and forcibly snatching young and strong men from the common people. The Emperor had only scolded her a few times and mostly turned a blind eye.
Back then, the Emperor's biological mother was just a noble lady.
The former Emperor doted on Concubine Mei. Since Concubine Mei had no children for many years, she snatched the young Emperor, who was still a prince at that time, to raise.
But Concubine Mei didn't care about the Emperor at all. She didn't really want to raise him. She just envied the Emperor's biological mother. A mere noble lady could give birth to a prince, while she couldn't.
She would take out her jealous anger on the young Emperor. She often starved him, made him stand under the scorching sun in the hot summer, and didn't give him warm clothes in winter.
The Emperor almost died several times.
It was the Princess Royal, who was five years older than him, who secretly brought him food and clothes to keep him warm.
Relying on the fact that her elder brother was a great general and that she was favored by the Emperor, Concubine Mei was arrogant and domineering in the palace. She didn't even put the Queen in her eyes.
The Princess Royal had repeatedly asked the Queen to do something to save her younger brother, but the Queen didn't want to provoke Concubine Mei and ignored her requests.
That winter, when the Emperor was only five years old, he had a high fever. Concubine Mei didn't call a royal doctor for him and even splashed cold water on him. The Princess Royal rushed into Concubine Mei's palace and desperately protected her younger brother. As a result, one of her legs was broken.
The matter became so big that it finally alerted the former Emperor.
The former Emperor didn't have many heirs, and the Emperor was very intelligent. The former Emperor had high hopes for him. He wanted to give Concubine Mei a support, but he didn't expect that Concubine Mei was so stupid as to abuse the only hope for her future.
The former Emperor was extremely disappointed in Concubine Mei. He demoted her rank and handed the Emperor over to the Queen to raise.
The Emperor was able to grow up healthily, but the Princess Royal was left with a leg injury. Although the bone was set, she would suffer excruciating pain on rainy days.
Because of this, the Emperor had always felt guilty.
Later, when the Emperor ascended the throne, he promoted the Princess Royal and built a luxurious Princess Royal Mansion for her.
The Princess Royal had always harbored hatred for Concubine Mei. Three months after the former Emperor's death, she turned Concubine Mei into a human pig and tortured her for a full three years.
During that period, she used all kinds of ginseng soups and herbal medicines to keep her alive, just not wanting her to be relieved too early.
Although the former Emperor had left an edict asking the Emperor to treat Concubine Mei well, the Emperor pretended not to see the Princess Royal's actions.
Over the years, the Emperor had always felt guilty towards this elder sister.
He turned a blind eye to her promiscuity, greed, and forming cliques for personal gain.
It was almost impossible to bring down the Princess Royal.
Even though Yu Jingnian was the late Princess Jialing's husband, the Princess Royal's affair with him was clearly incest.
"I have other evidence."
"You've been secretly investigating the Princess Royal? Liang Er, what other secrets do you have that I don't know?"
A chill ran down Wen Congbai's spine.
Even the Crown Prince had to be cautious when secretly investigating the Princess Royal.
"I really don't know whether to say you're brave or just reckless!"
"For Wanchu, it's all worth it!"
Wen Congbai almost lost control of his expression because of the sourness.
Liang Yuzhou ignored him and continued, "The Princess Royal is also guilty of deceiving the Emperor. Three years ago, she told the Emperor that it was Yu Huiyan who offered her heart - blood to save me. The Yu family thus received a large reward. But it was Wanchu who gave me the heart - blood."
Speaking of this, a continuous pain welled up in his chest.
"The imperial doctor Jiang Xiumin, who treated me back then, had his hands and feet broken and his tongue cut off by the Princess Royal. I've found him and cured his hands and feet. He can write. This is the most powerful evidence to expose the Princess Royal."
"Will he tell the truth?" Wen Congbai frowned.
"I say he will, and he will."
Looking at Liang Yuzhou's confident look, Wen Congbai gritted his teeth and put his hand on the sandalwood box.
"Why don't you hand over these evidences directly to the Emperor or the Crown Prince?
Why does it have to go through the Wen family's hands? Isn't it an extra hassle?"
"If I hand them directly to the Emperor, the Emperor will probably only secretly scold the Princess Royal and restrict her power while preserving her face. Such a painless punishment is not what I want to see."
The Princess Royal wanted to kill Wanchu, and Wanchu was his bottom line, his untouchable reverse scale.
He wanted the Princess Royal to completely lose everything.
Power, glory, wealth, and the supreme status.
Losing the things she cared about most would be more painful than killing her.