Chapter 805: Private Matters
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Yuwen Chu ignored her. Su Lan gently pried Su Mei’s hands away, adjusted her hair, and said, “Thank you, Su Mei. Thanks to you, I feel that my popularity isn’t so bad. Tell the Wangfei that I have a clear conscience and ask her to seek justice for me someday.”
Afterwards, she spat at Zheng Momo without being dragged away, then walked out with her head held high. When she reached the door, she couldn’t help but turn back and say, “Your Highness, I’m willing to die for the Wangfei, but dying in such an unclear manner is too cowardly. Please pay attention to that seemingly upright Momo. She often advises the Wangfei to separate from you whenever she gets a chance.”
Zhou Shuyi glanced at Yuwen Chu quietly. Yuwen Chu’s face remained impassive, but his right thumb and index finger on the armrest of the chair lightly rubbed against each other. Zhou Shuyi couldn’t help but silently wish Zheng Momo well. Even if she could escape from this, her future wouldn’t be pleasant. To dare to sow discord in the marriage between the Wangfei and his highness, how much courage did that take? It’s a sin that can’t be atoned for even with skin and bones.
Zheng Momo, who had maintained an unchanged expression all along, finally showed some change. She sighed, “Your Highness, whether I’ve done such a thing or not, just look at how the Wangfei treats you, and you’ll know, won’t you?”
What a perfect answer! Zhou Shuyi wanted to applaud Zheng Momo again. Without any defense, she simply let Yuwen Chu think about how the Wangfei treated him. What else needed to be said? It’s natural that the Wangfei treats His Highness extremely well. Truly, silence is better than speech, and no tactic can beat the tactic of having no tactic. No wonder she was carefully selected by the Fu family as an old Momo.
Yuwen Chu said lightly, “Take Zheng Momo out.”
Zheng Momo and the remaining people were all surprised. Zheng Momo seemed to have heard the most ridiculous joke. “Your Highness? Are you saying you want to take my life?”
Yuwen Chu replied, “Yes. Do you have anything to say?”
Zheng Momo frowned. “Since Your Highness thinks this is the best course of action, I’m willing to die for the Wangfei. Before I die, I have one thing to tell Your Highness. No matter what the Wangfei has done, it’s all for Your Highness’s own good.” After speaking, she walked out like Su Lan, facing death with composure.
Su Mei cried loudly. Before Yuwen Chu could speak, she walked out herself. When she reached the door, she turned back and cried, “Your Highness, although you said it’s best to die for the Wangfei, I haven’t done anything wrong and still don’t want to die. Tomorrow is my birthday. The Wangfei promised to reward me with a bowl of bird’s nest soup and a gold ingot symbolizing everything going well. I haven’t had a chance to eat them, and I haven’t received the gold. I can’t bear to die.”
Her words relieved the tense atmosphere. Yuwen Chu said calmly, “Since you can’t bear to die, then eat the bird’s nest soup first, take the gold, and then die. Don’t blame me for being harsh on you, not even letting you die satisfied.”
What? Su Mei couldn’t believe her ears. She looked foolishly at Zhou Shuyi, Fu Lin, and the others, trying to see from their faces if she had heard correctly. Fu Lin nodded sympathetically. Overjoyed, she knelt down and cried miserably. Then she remembered Su Lan and crawled to Yuwen Chu to plead for Su Lan, “Su Lan and I grew up together. She’s definitely not that kind of person.”
Yuwen Chu said, “Take them away.” After that, he got up and walked out, heading to the next room, standing by the peephole in the wall to look inside.
Both Su Lan and Zheng Momo, who should have been beheaded, were inside. Zheng Momo had her hands in her sleeves, looking compassionate. “Su Lan, you can’t hide your affair with Fu Zhan. It’s only a matter of time before it’s exposed. No matter how careful you are, there will inevitably be things in your room and his that are related to each other. What do you think the Wangfei will think when she finds out?”
Su Lan remained silent, trembling with her hands hidden in her sleeves.
Zheng Momo sighed, “Others may not know, but I do. You and Fu Zhan have already made a lifelong commitment. He told you that your status differences are too great now, and you’re destined not to be his legal wife. But if the Wangfei becomes the Empress, she can appoint you as a fifth-rank court lady and find you a decent match. He promised to wait for you, and you promised him to serve His Highness and the Wangfei faithfully. Remember?”
Su Lan’s face was bitter, tears streaming down her face.
“It’s a pity, Young Master Zhan, such a good person, ended up losing his life like this. In heaven, they wish to be birds flying wing to wing; on earth, they wish to be two branches intertwined. Both of you dying for His Highness and the Wangfei can be considered a fitting end,” Zheng Momo said with a bitter smile. “It’s a pity for me, an old woman, to plan everything for the Wangfei and end up with such a fate for no reason.”
Suddenly, Su Lan jumped up, rushed forward, and grabbed her throat, her expression frantic. “It’s you, it’s you, it must be you!”
Ye Xiu tried to rush into the room, but Yuwen Chu stopped him. “Wait a moment.”
Zheng Momo seemed completely defenseless, lying motionless on the ground, allowing Su Lan to attack her. A puddle of liquid seeped from beneath her skirt, spreading wider and wider. This was the appearance of someone losing control of their bodily functions before death.
Yuwen Chu then said, “Truly unrepentant. Spare her worthless life for now.”
Ye Xiu quickly opened the door, leaped in to separate Su Lan and Zheng Momo, while Su Lan continued to reach out frantically. “I want to kill this troublemaker. She harmed Fu Zhan and now wants to harm the Wangfei.”
Ye Xiu had no choice but to tap her neck lightly, knocking her unconscious. He gently laid her on the ground, then went to check Zheng Momo’s breathing. He gestured to Yuwen Chu, indicating that she was still alive.
Yuwen Chu ordered someone to take Su Lan away for isolation and confinement, then had Tang Chunlai come over to give Zheng Momo emergency acupuncture treatment and had someone clean her up.
Zheng Momo’s throat was injured, making it difficult for her to speak, but her first words were, “Your Highness, please don’t blame the Wangfei. She hasn’t done anything.”
Yuwen Chu frowned. “Of course she hasn’t. With unclean maids and servants around her, how could she escape culpability? Zheng Momo, I respect you as an elder. I’ll give you one last chance. Tell me everything you know, or else, think about your granddaughter. Even if you refuse to admit it, I won’t believe that Fu Mingzhu is completely innocent.”
Zheng Momo fell silent for a moment before finally saying, “The Wangfei knows nothing. It was me.”
“Oh? Then tell me, what did you do?” Yuwen Chu became interested, sitting back in his chair and having tea brought to him.
Zheng Momo’s eyes flickered. “I accidentally found out about the affair between Su Lan and Fu Zhan. Originally, I wanted to cover it up for them, especially since Su Lan is not the type to act recklessly and hasn’t done anything inappropriate.”
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