Chapter 53
When they arrive at the Chongzheng Hall, Zhou Xian Yang is the first to see Duan Fei. His face was serious and he stood at the door of the hall, signaling him that the front was not good.
Zhou Xian Yang walked straight in, and saw King Li standing with an unfamiliar military general, and another familiar looking subordinate, kneeling in the middle of the hall, in front of him, two pieces of clothing and a drape hat.
“Son servant greets father.” Zhou Xianyang bowed, and met with King Li, and then stood peacefully in the middle of the hall.
The emperor’s face was as normal, quietly sizing up this unfamiliar son, and slowly spoke, “Being called into the palace in the middle of your wedding, it’s disturbing your life as a young couple.”
“Father made fun of it. Wangfei is going to take a mid-day nap after lunch, so there’s no harm in my son leaving for a while.” Zhou Xian Yang thought that she would not be able to eat this meal well.
He was so calm and collected that the Emperor couldn’t see through him.
King Li could not hold his tongue, “Xian Yang, you still have the heart to talk about this? Didn’t the official who delivered the decree tell you what he was calling you for?”
Zhou Xianyang turned to him, “King Li, the official only said that I was ordered to come to the palace by my father, so I didn’t dare to ask about it myself. In any case, if there is anything, I will wait for my father’s instructions when I arrive at the Chongzheng Hall.”
The emperor nodded and pointed to the general standing in the center of the palace, “This is Wei Ying, the general of the Imperial Tomb Guard.”
Zhou Xian Yang glanced at him, and when he saw him saluting himself, he nodded his head.
“Is there something going on at the mausoleum?”
The Emperor signaled Wei Ying to speak, so he said, “After nightfall on the 15th of this month, some bandits broke into the Imperial Tombs on horseback, heading straight for the courtyard where Yu was imprisoned.”
“Something happened to her?”
No one expected Zhou Xian Yang to dare to ask this, to dare to be so blatantly concerned about Yu, Wei Ying paused for a moment. King Li reacted and busily said, “Fourth brother doesn’t have to put on a show here, does he?”
As if he did not hear, Zhou Xian Yang walked over to Wei Ying, “What’s wrong with her? Shocked, or injured? Is she …… she still alive? You speak!”
Wei Ying was shocked by Yu Wang’s appearance and didn’t dare to look directly at him, lowering his head and saying, “Yu is unharmed. It’s just that …… Your Highness hasn’t already met her, so why ask more questions?”
Zhou Xian Yang was puzzled: “When have I seen her?”
“Your Highness, that bandit who broke in, wearing white regular clothes, wearing a drape hat, and riding a black horse, several eyewitness accounts from the Imperial Tomb guards agree.”
Zhou Xian Yang was unimpressed, “So what?”
“Could it be that the one who broke into it was not His Highness King Yu?”
Zhou Xian Yang was stunned for a moment and laughed coldly, “Did your people see that it was me?”
“Naturally I couldn’t see it with the curtains and hats covering me, but what did Yü Wang go and do on the fifteenth day?”
“I brought the princess to the palace to thank for the favor, who doesn’t know this?”
King Li coldly said, “Xian Yang, stop pretending. Where did you go after leaving the palace? I wanted to see your birth mother and ask Father for a favor. Now that you’ve been honored and praised by the court, your father will do whatever he wants.”
Zhou Xian Yang turned around and laughed, “Third brother, you weren’t there, so how can you be so sure it was me? Or do you really hope it’s me?”
“You!” King Li was so blocked by him that he didn’t know how to retort, so he plucked out a glance at the man underground.
That person immediately said, “Your Majesty, not long after Yu Wang returned from the palace the day before yesterday, he went out from the east gate of the royal residence with the princess in their regular clothes and drapery hats, and didn’t return all night. It wasn’t until yesterday morning that they rushed back, changed their clothes and hurriedly went to the Duke of England’s residence to return to the door. I think this matter is strange, then keep an eye on it. Later, someone from the palace came to see Mr. Chang and asked about Yup King’s movements. The Chief Mansion Officer didn’t know anything about it, and the slave felt something was wrong before informing the palace messenger about it, and letting my daughter-in-law secretly take out the clothes that His Highness’ Crown Princess had changed out of.”
It was only when Zhou Xian Yang heard this that he realized, “You’re from my house? The first time you spoke, it was actually in the Chongzheng Hall, you’re really something.”
Seeing that Zhou Xian Yang was still unperturbed, King Li took the initiative to make an issue of it, “Xian Yang, the white regular clothes, the drape hat, and that black mount of yours are all consistent with Senator Wei’s claim, do you still want to deny it?”
Zhou Xianyang rolled his eyes, “So you let someone break into the mausoleum, didn’t catch the culprit, and are afraid to take the blame, so you’re focusing on me? I’ve never seen such a hasty, no evidence, based on the claims of a few guards to conclude a case.”
Wei Ying immediately opened a black cloth bag and took out a drape hat inside, the same color style as the one on the ground.
“Your Highness, this is what that bandit dropped in a panic when he was being searched and arrested, this can be the same as the drapery hat in your mansion, and you did only replace it with a drapery hat after you returned to your mansion.”
Zhou Xian Yang was unimpressed: “This kind of hat is used by many people both inside and outside the capital, so why do you think it belongs to the Yul Wang Mansion? We clearly had two hats when we returned to the house that day, but now we only have this one left, why don’t you go ask the lackey who tipped you off?”
“Xian Yang, with such strong words and sophistry, do you think Father will believe you?”
“Third brother, do you think that with these things, Father will believe you?”
Zhou Xian Yang argued, exasperating King Li half to death.
The Emperor was in the middle and only felt his head spinning.
Zhou Xian Yang continued, “Since you said I went to see Yu, don’t you have any testimonies or evidence from there?”
Wei Ying had to answer: “At that time it was already late at night, micro-chen’s people into the Qingfengxuan search, just did not find any evidence, Yu also said that she and the slaves are asleep, do not know anything.”
“Yu is naturally harboring the fourth brother, how can her testimony be valid? Father, besides Fourth Brother, who else would have gone to see Yu? In my opinion, the only way she will confess is to torture Yu! I ask Father Emperor’s permission.” King Li was somewhat unable to suppress his anger.
Zhou Xian Yang sneered, “So he was waiting here, Third Brother wanted to take out the anger for the Empress, so he didn’t have to go through such a big circle.”
“What are you babbling about?!” King Li was surprised how this was dumped on his head. Although, he did have this idea and was just going along for the ride.
Zhou Xian Yang looked at the emperor and sincerely said, “Father, trespassing into the imperial tomb is a major crime, did my son leave his royal consort behind on the first day of his wedding and run so far just so Yu could be tortured to make him confess? My son is also a person who comes and goes from the sand field, and has acted more in the darkness of Western Qin, how can I not be so stupid as to wear a white dress to break into the imperial tomb at night.”
The emperor had kept quiet just now, just wanting to observe Xian Yang, only for him to see nothing. Either, this son was truly innocent, or he was too good at acting.
He tried, “Xian Yang, you returned to the capital to get married and want to visit your birth mother, Father understands. If you write a letter requesting this, I will also consider it at my discretion, so why do you have to work so hard?”
Only then did Zhou Xianyang become anxious: “My father explicitly forbade me to interact with Yu back then, so how could I dare to trespass on the mausoleum at night? I was with Consort Yu from morning to night the day before yesterday and never separated, please be clear with Father.”
The emperor is unsure of this son, but to Rong Xiangmian, he knows him well and is very assured, immediately summoning, “Go and invite Consort Yü Wang to come.”
Rong Xiangmian ate a full lunch, fearing that later in the palace, to be unlucky, no food to eat hungry.
She also thought that Yuhang didn’t eat at noon, so he must be starving. She put two rice balls in her purse, thinking that if the two people are locked up, they can still hold out for a while.
Rong Xiangmei outside the Chongzheng Hall, delayed for a while, did not dare to go in.
Or heard Shen Duzhi called her, only carefully entered the hall, bowed and kneeled.
The emperor asked, “Why did you delay to come in?”
Rong Xiangshi looked down at the ground, “Chongzheng Hall is the place where father and former ministers discuss, harem women trespassers die, my daughter-in-law is terrified.”
“I know you are extremely disciplined, get up and speak.” The emperor’s tone changed from the seriousness of the previous day, with the gentleness of a loving father, King Li vaguely felt bad in his heart.
Father loves the sixth sister the most, even the Sun family Rong family girls, are like daughters. They over the years, and accustomed to currying favor with Father Emperor, can be said to be more favored than some of the Emperor’s son. Now do daughter-in-law, more so.
After Rong Xiangmei got up, the emperor asked: “The day before yesterday, you and Xian Yang out of the palace, where did you go? Have you ever been separated? I will only ask once, if you are a good girl of the British Duke’s family, just like your father, be loyal and straightforward.”
This is taking the full glory of the British Duke’s family and asking her.
Rong Xiangmei immediately knelt down, “Please forgive me, Your Majesty!”
The fact that she was so alarmed surprised both His Majesty and King Li. King Li had thought that Zhou Xian Yang would at least string a confession with her and struggle for a moment. He didn’t expect to be so unfazed.
The Emperor said with a straight face, “Tell me, what sins are you forgiven for?”
“My daughter-in-law shouldn’t have privately begged Your Highness to go to the Western Mountains with me.”
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