The senior duke was strong and powerful. Although he only used 30% of his strength, it was still beyond the weak Liang Yuchuan's ability to withstand.
He was hit so hard that his body swayed violently, and stars danced before his eyes. It took him a long time to regain his senses.
At this moment, the senior duke seemed to him like the majestic and fierce King of Hell!
"Father! You mustn't believe Han Cheng's words. He's such a sinister and cunning villain. To achieve his goal, he'll pour any kind of slander on me!"
Liang Yuchuan knelt upright on the ground, hugged the senior duke's thigh, and looked up at his tall father eagerly and fearfully.
He knew that this was the look that would soften the senior duke the most. He resembled his mother by 70%. Coupled with his sincere defense and pitiful eyes, his father would surely believe him.
This trick had always worked for him.
The senior duke's face was as cold as ice. He lifted his foot and kicked Liang Yuchuan away without any pity.
"You're the despicable villain who'll do anything to achieve your goal!"
He kicked so hard that Liang Yuchuan spat out a mouthful of blood. The senior duke looked at him heart - broken and filled with grief and indignation.
"I never thought that the son I've doted on for most of my life would stab his own father in the back just for the title of heir apparent! Wan Chu hates the Duke's Mansion to the core. Your second brother became a monk because of her. Our family is torn apart and has become a well - known joke. Is this what you wanted, Liang Yuchuan? Are you willing to destroy everyone for your own interests?"
He didn't sleep all night last night, thinking about Zhou'er's words.
His first suspicion was the eldest princess, but the eldest princess was a shrewd old fox. Without any pre - conditions, if she exposed the events of that year, she wouldn't gain anything.
After ruling out everyone, there was only his son left, the one he was absolutely reluctant to suspect but who was the most likely suspect.
Han Cheng's words completely confirmed his suspicion.
He felt pathetic and ridiculous.
He had placed high hopes on Liang Yuchuan. Even though he knew that Liang Yuchuan was inferior to Zhou'er in every aspect, he had openly favored him for over twenty years.
In the end, he had raised a heartless and despicable creature!
The senior duke's heart was in agony. Remorse and shame flooded over him like a tide.
Liang Yuchuan got up awkwardly, coughing up blood, and crawled at the senior duke's feet. "Father, your son was blinded by jealousy and made a momentary mistake. Your son knows his wrong. Your son just wants to become the heir apparent so that he can bring honor to his mother and make her rest in peace with more comfort..."
His father loved his mother the most. As long as he mentioned his mother, his father would surely soften his heart.
"I'm not your father. I don't have a shameless son like you!"
There was not a trace of pity in the senior duke's eyes. His cold and sharp eyes were like blades. "Since you like being the eldest princess's dog so much, go guard her door!"
He angrily flung his sleeve and stepped into the gate. When Liang Yuchuan tried to chase after him, he ordered the servant to close the door.
Liang Yuchuan was blocked outside the gate.
He slumped down on the cold stone steps. Fear came over him like a wave, as if he had fallen into a bottomless abyss.
He looked up. The plaque of "Jin Duke's Mansion" shone brightly in the mid - day sun.
He was just one step away from becoming the future master of the Duke's Mansion. But Han Cheng's sudden reappearance shattered all his beautiful dreams.
Now, not only did he have no chance of becoming the heir apparent, but he couldn't even enter the gate of the Duke's Mansion.
Liang Yuzhou, you've become a monk, yet you still won't let me go?
...
At night, the eldest princess was mingling with several young male favorites.
The scene in the bedroom was unsightly.
Suddenly, a spy rushed in, looking panicked. "Your Highness, something's wrong! Yu Jingnian has been arrested by the Supreme Court, and the Crown Prince will personally interrogate him!"
The eldest princess was greatly shocked. She scrambled up and put away her lascivious demeanor.
"How dare they! On what grounds did the Supreme Court arrest the people of this palace? Do they have any evidence?"
Yu Jingnian had been very low - key since he returned to the capital. It was impossible for them to catch him on something.
The spy was extremely panicked. "I heard it's because of the incident three years ago when sand and stones were mixed into the senior duke's grain and forage!"
The eldest princess's heart sank suddenly.
The Crown Prince was always cautious. If he didn't have absolutely reliable evidence, he would never dig out the old matter from three years ago!
Yu Jingnian knew too many of her secrets and their illicit relationship...
The eldest princess was extremely upset. She drove away all the male favorites and stayed up all night.
Early the next morning, she rushed to the palace.
At the palace gate, Li Luxiang, the senior eunuch beside the emperor, greeted her, as if he had been waiting for her there in advance.
Li Luxiang smiled respectfully. "It's getting cold since autumn. His Majesty has caught a cold and is afraid of passing the illness on to the eldest princess. So he specially sent this servant to tell the eldest princess that there's no need to come to the palace to pay respects these days."
The eldest princess's eyelids twitched. Clearly, the emperor was making an excuse not to see her!
"It doesn't matter. You take this palace to the outside of His Majesty's room. This palace will just say a few words and leave."
Li Luxiang still maintained his respectful smile. "Your Highness, please don't make things difficult for us servants."
The eldest princess left with a very ugly expression on her face.
In the imperial study, the emperor's face was even uglier.
Yu Jingnian's confession was lying in front of him. Three years ago, he had embezzled most of the grain and forage prepared by the Ministry of Revenue for the senior duke and replaced them with silver, which he had offered to the eldest princess.
The luxury of the eldest princess's mansion was built on the blood and sweat of the common people.
Embezzling the imperial court's grain and forage. Her hand had reached too far!
Grain and forage were crucial to the safety of the border. She had disregarded the people of the Great Zhou and the country itself!
The emperor was extremely angry.
The Crown Prince said nothing. He had brought the confession and didn't comment on the eldest princess's actions, acting as an absolutely fair and just person.
"Hong'er, you've done a good job."
The emperor nodded in approval. Then his face darkened. "Immediately issue an imperial edict. All the bricks paved with gold in the eldest princess's mansion shall be confiscated into the national treasury. The eldest princess is extremely extravagant and corrupt. From now on, she shall be under house arrest and shall not go out without an imperial edict. All the servants in the eldest princess's mansion, except those who serve her closely, shall be dismissed!"
As soon as the imperial edict was issued, the eldest princess completely lost her freedom.
The emperor didn't even give her a chance to defend herself.
After leaving the imperial study, Xiao Anzi followed the Crown Prince back to the Eastern Palace.
He was a bit puzzled. "Your Highness, why don't we just go all the way and tell His Majesty about the relationship between the eldest princess and Yu Jingnian?"
The Crown Prince held a large amount of evidence of the eldest princess's crimes, and embezzling grain and forage was just the most insignificant one.
Xiao Anzi knew that in the Crown Prince's eyes, the eldest princess was a cancer in the Great Zhou. He would never show mercy to this aunt.
Punishing her for multiple crimes together would surely nail the eldest princess to the pillar of shame, wouldn't it?
The Crown Prince tapped Xiao Anzi's head with his folding fan. "Think about it. If you were Father, after learning about the improper relationship between the eldest princess and Yu Jingnian, how would you punish them?"
(Just to explain, Yu Jingnian is the husband of Princess Jialing, and Princess Jialing and the eldest princess are cousins.)
Xiao Anzi frowned and thought for a while. "Then this servant will be bold and say it?"
The Crown Prince smiled faintly. "Go ahead. You're forgiven."
"This is a scandal of the royal family. It must be kept secret and not spread. Yu Jingnian will surely not survive. He'll be ordered to commit suicide. As for the eldest princess, she'll be placed under house arrest and never allowed to see outsiders again."
The Crown Prince nodded. "This prince ultimately wants the eldest princess to have no way out. Do you think the punishment the eldest princess will receive after this prince tells Father about their improper relationship will be any different from what it is now?"
Xiao Anzi suddenly understood. "Your Highness is truly wise!"
The evidence shouldn't be presented all at once. This time was just to give the eldest princess a little intimidation and make her panic.
She would surely not be willing to lose her freedom and luxurious life. In order to fight back, she would act recklessly.
The more anxious a person is, the more extreme the path they'll take, and the more likely they are to make a big mistake.
The next time she angers the emperor, the Crown Prince will present more evidence of the eldest princess's crimes.
The emperor's punishment for her will be even more severe than this time.
The Crown Prince gently shook his head and sighed. "This prince is inferior to the second son of the Liang family."
The evidence that this prince couldn't find, Liang Yuzhou could.
"Let's go back. This prince is going to write a memorial to Father, asking to inspect the southern states."
Xiao Anzi naturally understood that the Crown Prince had other motives.
"If we go there in such a hurry, will His Majesty guess something?"
It would be criticized if the current Crown Prince went after a woman who had been married twice.
Wan Chu was already a free woman. The Crown Prince didn't care what others said.
"This prince is restricted by his status and is already one step behind the second son of the Liang family. I can't delay any longer!"
...
In just a few days, the eldest princess's mansion had changed from a paradise of indulgence to a cold and desolate empty house.
But the eldest princess had nowhere to vent her anger!
"Liang Er, just you wait. Don't think that this palace can't do anything to you just because you've become a monk!"