Cheng Simian looked at him, not bothering to hide the hatred and loathing in her eyes.
Enunciating each word with a cold tone, she said, "I said, the entire Marquis of Wude's Mansion is rotten to the core. I want all of you to die!"
Cheng Yong was struck like by lightning. His mind buzzed. It took him a while to regain his senses.
He stared blankly at Cheng Simian, as if looking at a sculpture made of ice and snow.
How could his own daughter, the eldest legitimate daughter he had placed so much hope on, say such heartless words?
What on earth had he done wrong to his daughter?
Cheng Yong's gaze mechanically shifted to Rong's face.
Rong looked indifferent and didn't even spare him a glance.
All he had done was dote on his concubine a bit more. Why did this mother - daughter pair hate him so much?
The Crown Prince's dark gaze swept across Cheng Simian's face, and then he gave an order, "Grand Tutor Wen, I'll leave the thorough investigation of the Marquis of Wude's Mansion to you."
Cheng Yong's face turned ashen. His whole body went rigid, as if he couldn't feel his breath or heartbeat.
The Wen family was his mortal enemy.
If the Crown Prince asked Grand Tutor Wen to investigate the Cheng family, would the Cheng family have any chance of survival?
Cheng Simian knelt down to thank the Crown Prince, with a sincere attitude. "Your Highness is wise."
Princess Lingyang's eyebrows twitched slightly. Her gaze shifted from Song Wanchu to Cheng Simian's face.
She curled her lips, a sneer appearing on her face.
The Crown Prince already knew all of the Eldest Princess's cronies like the back of his hand.
He acted swiftly, appointing officials from the Supreme Court, the Ministry of Punishment, and the Censorate to investigate the crimes of these cronies at different levels.
The Eldest Princess's power crumbled, and those who relied on her scattered.
The Spring Banquet ended in such an unexpected way.
The carriages of the high - ranking noble families drove away from the palace, and the discussions were like a tide.
The Crown Prince first went to the Hall of Upholding Virtue. The Emperor saw him and listened to his brief report.
"You've done a good job."
The Emperor looked extremely exhausted. In just two hours, there was more desolation and vicissitude in his eyes.
The Crown Prince earnestly advised his father to rest more and take care of his dragon body.
The Emperor nodded and smiled gratifyingly. "My son has grown up and can handle things independently."
It was like an ordinary father praising his promising son.
The Crown Prince was stunned for a moment.
His father was strict and usually didn't smile. His teachings were even to the point of being harsh.
Such a tender moment had almost never happened since he became the Crown Prince at the age of five.
A warm feeling welled up in the Crown Prince's heart.
His father had finally witnessed Lu Ningzhen's crimes and knew how he had bided his time under Lu Ningzhen's tyranny over the years.
Maybe his father said such words because he felt guilty towards him.
"Father, please take care of your dragon body. Your son will take his leave first."
Just as the Crown Prince was about to reach the door of the hall, the Emperor suddenly spoke up. "Hong'er, I'm sparing her life. You won't blame me, will you?"
With Lu Ningzhen's crimes, even being lingchi (slow slicing) would not be excessive.
But the Emperor couldn't be completely cruel to his own sister.
The Crown Prince knew this was his father's test.
Deep down, he was a bit disappointed.
But he raised his head and smiled, saying calmly, "Father must have his own considerations when making decisions. Your son will follow your order and dare not make any irresponsible remarks."
The Emperor knew that he couldn't use his kindness towards his sister to coerce his son.
But his son's attitude made the faint light in the depths of his eyes go out.
...
In the inner palace, the Fragrant Pavilion.
Concubine Lan was still in a state of shock.
Her maternal family had been able to rise step by step, and she had been able to become a concubine from a humble noble lady, all thanks to the Eldest Princess's support.
The sudden downfall of the Eldest Princess made Concubine Lan and the entire Gao family extremely anxious.
It was like the towering mountain in front of her suddenly turned into an abyss. Concubine Lan was standing on the edge of the abyss, walking on thin ice.
Without a backer, could she still hold on to her position as a concubine?
The Queen had been dissatisfied with her for a long time. Now that the court was investigating the Eldest Princess's cronies, would the Queen take action against her in the inner palace?
Just now, in the main hall, the Eldest Princess was like a stray dog. Concubine Lan almost couldn't help but plead for mercy.
It was the Second Prince's warning look that made her quickly shut up.
"Your Ladyship, the Second Prince is here."
Qi Zhu, Concubine Lan's chief maid, rushed in.
"Quick, let my son in!"
As soon as Lu Siming came in, Concubine Lan felt like she had a backbone.
She grabbed her son's arm, her eyes full of panic and worry. "What should we do?"
Lu Siming smiled gently and patted Concubine Lan's hand on the back. "Mother, don't worry. Just now your son found out that although grandfather was promoted by the Eldest Princess, his military achievements are real. Our private interactions with the Eldest Princess are very secretive. When the Crown Prince is investigating the Eldest Princess's cronies, our family is not on the list."
Concubine Lan let out a long sigh of relief. "That's good, that's good. Then I don't have to be so cautious in front of the Queen anymore."
Lu Siming comforted his mother gently for a while.
"Mother, there's one thing I need you to convey to grandfather and uncle."
"What is it? Tell me."
"Although grandfather has remarkable military achievements, he is old. Uncle is over forty but is still only a fifth - rank lieutenant. If this continues, even if uncle inherits the title, he will gradually lose his military power because of his low official rank. There's a good idea now. It can not only preserve the military power of the Marquis of Anyuan's Mansion but also help uncle rise to a high position."
Lu Siming whispered a few words in Concubine Lan's ear.
Concubine Lan's eyes lit up. She was overjoyed. "Ming'er, you're really smart. I'll tell father and brother right away!"
Lu Siming reminded her again, "The Eldest Princess is already a useless person. Mother, don't mention her in front of anyone in the future, and don't show any pity or indignation towards her. We'll just live our lives as usual, as if this person never existed."
For a moment, Concubine Lan felt a chill looking at her son's cold face.
She still had some feelings for the Eldest Princess.
But then she thought that in this deep palace, there were intrigues everywhere. One careless move could lead to eternal damnation.
Who in this place wasn't cold - hearted?
...
When the Crown Prince returned to the Eastern Palace, Liang Yuzhou, Song Wanchu, and Cheng Simian were already waiting there.
"The Emperor tested your attitude and wanted to spare Lu Ningzhen's life after he passed away, right?"
The Crown Prince's state was not one of depression. He had just achieved a great victory and walked with a brisk step, clearly showing the posture of a winner.
But Liang Yuzhou keenly caught that trace of disappointment in his eyes.
"She's already a useless person. It doesn't matter whether she lives or dies."
The Crown Prince replied indifferently.
But Liang Yuzhou shook his head, with a sneer on his lips. "She has lived a magnificent life. How could she be willing to be trampled under others' feet like this? Lu Ningzhen will surely fight you to the death."
"If that day really comes, I will surely make her die on the spot!"
"What if the Emperor tries to stop you?"
The Crown Prince was stunned.
Liang Yuzhou saw much further than he did.
"We need to find a reason that the Emperor has to execute her."
The Crown Prince squinted his eyes. "Do you still have a trump card?"
Liang Yuzhou curled his lips.
Zhou Yan hid behind his elder brother Zhou Sheng and muttered, "Back then, our master embarked on the path of opposing Lu Ningzhen for Madam. Who would have thought it would all end up benefiting Your Highness the Crown Prince."
Cheng Simian laughed. "In my opinion, all the credit should go to Wanchu. It was Wanchu who persuaded Taoist Qiu to return to the capital and take over the military power, which made Lu Ningzhen's plan to control the Duke's Mansion fail. It was also Wanchu's appearance that made Aunt Fang decide to betray Lu Ningzhen and provided convenience for Lord Shi's search of the mansion. And the jade offering. If I hadn't met Wanchu, I would never have dared to take on such an important task."
"Yes, Wanchu is the most crucial part of all the plans."
The Crown Prince nodded in agreement.
Mianmian analyzed the problem incisively and hit the nail on the head.
Liang Yuzhou sneered. "My Wanchu is omnipotent. Why don't you, Your Highness the Crown Prince, consider making my Wanchu the national master?"
The Crown Prince looked directly into his eyes. "I will seriously consider it."
Liang Yuzhou's gaze instantly turned cold. He grabbed Wanchu's hand and was about to walk out.
The Crown Prince knew he had taken the joke a bit too far.
Liang Yuzhou had really helped him a great deal.
He lowered his stance. "What's the trump card in your hand?"
Lu Ningzhen must die.