The Crown Prince strode steadily into the imperial study. The Emperor wore a smile on his face, while the Eldest Princess squinted her eyes unhappily.
Liang Yuchuan was extremely terrified. He buried his head low, and a chill ran down his spine.
If the Crown Prince were to accuse him in front of the Emperor, wouldn't all his good impressions in his father's eyes be ruined?
Then he thought again. The Crown Prince was a cautious man. There were no other witnesses to their conversation that night. He wouldn't just make unfounded accusations in front of the Emperor.
That didn't match the Crown Prince's steady - tempered character.
Unless, he could find Han Cheng.
But Han Cheng was already dead. After that cup of poisoned wine, his intestines would have rotted, and there would be no whole body left.
The Crown Prince had no evidence to accuse him.
Liang Yuchuan thought he was safe again.
"The Princess remembers that the Crown Prince doesn't seem to like to join in the fun." The Eldest Princess said sarcastically, "In the past, when you came to see your father, didn't you always choose times when there were no ministers around?"
After he failed to win Song Wanchu's heart, he had been in depression for more than a month. He shut himself in his room, drinking day and night.
But today, his eyes were bright and he was full of energy. There was not a trace of listlessness. He was clearly the same high - spirited Lu Sihong.
The Crown Prince glanced at the Eldest Princess indifferently, clearly not putting her in his eyes.
"Reporting to Father, your son originally planned to come later. But early this morning, a man came to plead at the gate of your son's palace. Your son heard some very interesting things from him and brought him here to tell Father as well."
These words piqued the Emperor's curiosity. "Who is it? Bring him in to have a look."
The Eldest Princess and Liang Yuchuan looked at each other, not knowing what the Crown Prince was up to.
But when that person came in, the two of them couldn't smile anymore in an instant.
Han Cheng was standing alive right in front of them.
The Eldest Princess's face suddenly changed. Her eyes glared fiercely. Liang Yuchuan's pupils dilated suddenly. His legs went weak, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
How was it possible!
How could Han Cheng still be alive?
The spies reported that they clearly saw a badly - mutilated corpse being carried out of the Ning'an Inn...
The Emperor stared at Han Cheng's face for a while before recognizing him. "Han Cheng? Weren't you in the bloody battle at Pingsha Pass..."
Han Cheng fell to the ground and sobbed about how hard his life had been in the past three years.
"Later, fortunately, I got to know Young Master Liang. Young Master Liang helped me for two years and promised to find someone with influence to put in a good word for me in front of Your Majesty and clear my suspicion of colluding with the enemy and betraying the country..."
Liang Yuchuan was frightened to the core.
The Eldest Princess interrupted Han Cheng and said to the Emperor with a smile, "It's true, Your Majesty. Young Master Liang is kind - hearted. He came to plead with me earlier, hoping that I could plead for Han Cheng. I thought that the Duke was loyal to the Great Zhou, and his subordinates must not have succumbed to the Hu people. I originally planned to mention this matter in front of Your Majesty, but somehow I forgot for a while."
She warned Han Cheng with a fierce look in her eyes not to say any more.
The Emperor's expression was not very good.
Han Cheng looked at the Eldest Princess, with a bit of fear in his eyes, but he still continued, "The Eldest Princess is kind - hearted. So when Young Master Liang promised me, I was extremely grateful. But do you know what request he made of me before he was willing to help me?"
"What request?" the Emperor asked sharply.
Han Cheng was trembling with fear. "Young Master Liang asked me to expose the real cause of Song Wanchu's father's death to her. He also asked me to make it clear that it was the old Duke who wronged her father, which led to his tragic death at Pingsha Pass!
Song Wanchu broke up with Young Master Liang Er. She left on the day of their wedding, and Young Master Liang Er became a monk. Young Master Liang became the biggest beneficiary. But he still wasn't satisfied. He wanted to poison me with poisoned wine and destroy the evidence! Fortunately, I found out in time that the wine was poisonous. The more I thought about it, the more scared I was. I was desperate and had nowhere to cry for help, so I had to go to the Crown Prince's door..."
The Crown Prince slowly showed a faint smile. The Eldest Princess gritted her teeth, and a look of hatred flashed in her eyes.
She thought that Han Cheng would surely expose both her and Liang Yuchuan. She was eager to interrupt Han Cheng and give him a warning.
Who would have thought that Han Cheng didn't mention their deal at all. Instead, she seemed to be trying to cover up something.
Han Cheng's speech was obviously carefully arranged. As a military general, he wasn't that meticulous.
She stared at the Crown Prince with a cold look in her eyes, as if venom was about to shoot out.
If Han Cheng had come up and accused her and Liang Yuchuan of their shady schemes, the Emperor might not have believed him. But now she had exposed herself.
The Emperor was perceptive and would have suspicions.
Sure enough, the Emperor's face turned cold, and he glanced at the Eldest Princess out of the corner of his eye.
"You're spitting blood!" Liang Yuchuan roared angrily. "When did I ever instruct you to talk nonsense in front of Song Wanchu?"
"Shut up!" the old Duke growled in a low voice. He took a step forward and stood in front of Liang Yuchuan. "My son was rude in front of Your Majesty. Please don't blame him, Your Majesty. I will surely punish him severely when I get home!"
The Crown Prince smiled faintly. "The old Duke is a wise and understanding man."
Han Cheng's words should have caused a great stir and raised countless questions, but the imperial study was strangely quiet at this moment.
Liang Yuchuan was the most nervous one. He hid behind the old Duke, his body trembling constantly. His heart was pounding violently, and his face was as pale as a dead man's.
"I'm tired. You may leave."
The old Duke thanked the Emperor and left with Liang Yuchuan.
Han Cheng still knelt there.
The Emperor examined him for a long time. Han Cheng didn't dodge his gaze.
"Han Cheng, you were imprisoned by the Hu people but remained unyielding and loyal to the Great Zhou. You are a true hero. I'll reward you with a hundred taels of gold. Go back to your hometown and live a good life."
Han Cheng was so excited that he kowtowed repeatedly. "Thank you, Your Majesty. Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Liang Yuzhou had guessed correctly. The Emperor wouldn't hold him accountable, nor would he grant him an official position again.
His relationship with the old Duke was awkward, and they wouldn't be able to see each other from now on.
With the Emperor's words, his life was saved.
Neither the Eldest Princess nor Liang Yuchuan would dare to harm him again.
Once he was silenced, their crimes would be confirmed in the Emperor's mind.
Liang Yuzhou was really good at predicting things.
He had already left, but every step of the matter was developing in the direction he had predicted.
His ability to understand people's hearts was terrifying.
After Han Cheng left, the Eldest Princess also got up to leave.
She had been outwitted by the Crown Prince. Any more explanations would be superfluous and would only arouse the Emperor's more suspicions.
The Emperor could turn a blind eye to her extravagant life, but if he suspected that she was interfering in the matter of enfeoffing the heir apparent, then in the Emperor's eyes, she was reaching out to the court.
The Emperor's indulgence of her also had a bottom line.
When she reached the door of the imperial study, the Emperor suddenly called out to her. "Sister, it's getting colder. If you have nothing to do, you don't have to come to the palace to pay respects every day."
The Eldest Princess's heart tightened suddenly. She met the calm smile of the Crown Prince.
When she left the palace, her legs were a bit weak.
The Crown Prince remained silent and served the Emperor by his side, grinding ink for him.
After a long time, the Emperor spoke first. "You go and investigate who your aunt has been associating with recently."
Father had indeed suspected her.
This was exactly what the Crown Prince had been waiting for.
Father had seen that the reason Han Cheng dared to appear in front of Song Wanchu and expose the old Duke was that he had received Liang Yuchuan's guarantee.
The person with influence that Liang Yuchuan had found was the Eldest Princess.
The Eldest Princess and Liang Yuchuan had joined forces to make Song Wanchu break up with Liang Yuzhou.
Then, the Eldest Princess had suggested that Liang Yuchuan be enfeoffed as the heir apparent.
From then on, Liang Yuchuan would serve the Eldest Princess.
Father suspected that if the Eldest Princess could interfere in such a major matter as enfeoffing the heir apparent, would she also be involved in other matters in the court?
As soon as he spoke, he gave the Crown Prince the power to act at his discretion.
The Crown Prince thought happily that he no longer had to investigate the Eldest Princess secretly.
Since Father wanted him to investigate, he would start with Yu Jingnian.
As he walked out of the imperial study, the autumn sun was shining brightly.
The Crown Prince felt light - hearted and happy. He couldn't help but feel grateful to Liang Yuzhou.
The evidence he had left behind was really useful.
At this time, Liang Yuzhou was already on a south - bound boat.
The autumn wind was cold, and it made the cabin whine, as if it was crying.
Zhou Sheng carried a nightgown into the cabin.
Liang Yuzhou was sitting quietly in the cabin. The wind had whipped up big waves, and the boat was rocking. But he sat upright, motionless.
Only his hair was in a mess, fluttering on his pale face, showing a bit of desolation.
"My lord, the boatman's wife has mended your nightgown."
Liang Yuzhou took it and gently stroked the bamboo embroidery on the nightgown, his eyes soft.
"It's just that the bloodstains on it can't be washed off."
Zhou Sheng was a bit regretful. This nightgown was embroidered by the lady herself. On the day of their wedding, his lord had happily put it on to welcome the lady into the house again.
The lady's sword had not only hurt his lord's heart but also pierced through this close - fitting nightgown.
Liang Yuzhou seemed to be recalling something. The corners of his lips curled up slightly. "It's good that they can't be washed off."
These bloodstains reminded him that his many debts to Wanchu couldn't be made up for just by shedding a little blood.
...
Liang Yuchuan followed the old Duke home uneasily.
As he was about to step over the threshold, the old Duke turned around.
His gaze was sharp and scrutinizing. Liang Yuchuan got scared and retracted his foot.
Suddenly, the old Duke raised his arm and slapped him hard twice.