Zhou Wang’s hands trembled, yet he still insisted on kneeling on the ground, steadily knocking his head three times: “Your Majesty is wise! This subject, accepts the decree!”
The Eldest Princess had no sympathy at all.
Sympathy for what?
She had truly regarded Zhou Wangfei as a benefactor, yet in the end Zhou Wangfei had turned her son into a complete laughingstock.
Now Zhou Wangfei was merely reaping what she had sown.
As for Zhou Wang, he was certainly not innocent either.
Not to mention she did not believe that Zhou Wang truly knew nothing, even if he really knew nothing, that would still be failure to manage his household strictly, allowing his wife and daughter to act recklessly.
Being demoted was not unjust at all!
Emperor Yongchang curled his lips coldly: “Zhou Wang, I had always thought you worthy of reliance. But if you take my reliance on you as indulgence toward you, then you have misjudged the situation.”
Zhou Wang naturally knew that Emperor Yongchang was warning him, and he immediately felt his hair stand on end: “This subject would not dare! This subject absolutely would not dare harbor such thoughts, Your Majesty!”
Emperor Yongchang looked at him indifferently as he continued knocking his head: “It’s best that you don’t.”
He paused, then said meaningfully: “There are not many members left in the imperial clan to begin with. Behave yourselves and your glory will not be lacking. But if you cannot tell what is proper, then do not blame me for cleaning house.”
His words were light, yet carried overwhelming force. Zhou Wang felt his head buzzing, and when he stood up he nearly staggered and fell.
But in the end he still forced himself to stand.
Emperor Yongchang glanced at Eunuch Xia. Eunuch Xia immediately understood, went out, and called several palace maids in to take Luochuan Commandery Princess away as well.
Song Chang, who had been waiting outside for an audience, first saw Zhou Wangfei dragged out, and then saw Luochuan Commandery Princess dragged out as well. The joy in his heart instantly vanished, turning entirely into terror.
What had happened?
How could Zhou Wangfei and Luochuan Commandery Princess be dragged out so disgracefully?
This…
This did not look like anything good!
However, before he could think carefully, Eunuch Xia had already come out. Standing on the steps, he looked at him with a half-smile: “Song Shaoqing, His Majesty summons you.”
Song Chang’s vision had already gone dark and his gaze stiffened. Not only had the confidence he had when he first arrived disappeared, he even felt as though needles were piercing the soles of his feet when he walked.
Yet Eunuch Xia even turned back to glance at him: “Song Shaoqing, have you not eaten?”
Song Chang felt even worse. Cold sweat broke out across his head and face. When he entered Taiji Hall and saw the Eldest Princess and Lu Mingan at a glance, he immediately dropped to his knees with a thud.
It was over!
Zhou Wangfei and Luochuan Commandery Princess had been dragged out, and now the Eldest Princess and Lu Mingan were here as well.
Even if he were slow-witted, he knew this could not be a coincidence.
And the only matter connecting him with both parties was that incident between Song Six and Zeng Wenxiu!
Heavens!
The moment the Eldest Princess saw him, she let out a cold laugh: “Imperial Brother, it is this man. I don’t know what grudge he has against me, a woman his own son didn’t want, yet he deliberately had Zhou Wangfei send her around in a roundabout way to the Princess Residence.”
Song Chang did not have Zhou Wang’s standing before Emperor Yongchang. If he could faint at this moment, he would have.
Unfortunately he did not even dare to faint. Hearing the Eldest Princess’s words, he immediately stammered in denial: “N-no… no…”
His upper and lower teeth were chattering as he shook his head in terror: “This subject would not dare, this subject would not dare!”
Emperor Yongchang raised his brows: “Would not dare?”
He glanced at Eunuch Xia.
Eunuch Xia immediately delivered the testimony previously shown to Zhou Wangfei to Song Chang.
Song Chang only needed one glance before feeling as though the sky had collapsed and the earth split apart.
His hand trembled, and he immediately shouted: “Your Majesty, spare my life! Your Majesty, spare my life!”
Emperor Yongchang did not even look at him, merely instructing Eunuch Xia: “Have Lai Chenglong take him away and interrogate him properly.”
Lai Chenglong!
How could Song Chang not know who Lai Chenglong was?
It was precisely because he knew that he felt utterly hopeless, terrified to the core: “Your Majesty! It has nothing to do with this subject, nothing to do with this subject! It was Zhou Wangfei who approached us, it was she who said she could help us!”
Emperor Yongchang lowered his eyes and held his teacup. Lai Chenglong had already entered the hall with Chunsheng and Chunlin. After cupping his hands in salute, he covered Song Chang’s mouth and took him away.
Chunsheng and Chunlin each dragged one of Song Chang’s arms. Only after leaving Taiji Hall and going down the steps toward the Imperial Guard Office did they click their tongues.
Lai Chenglong drank a sip of tea calmly: “Dislocate his arms and legs. Let Lord Song speak properly.”
Chunsheng immediately responded energetically.
He actually dared to scheme against Qi Yuan, and even recklessly tried to make Qi Yuan take the blame.
The Song family and Zhou Wangfei truly did not even know which direction the gates of the King of H*ll opened.
If Miss Qi had not likely been trying to cultivate her temperament lately, it would not even have been their turn to act, these people would not be enough for Miss Qi to play with using one hand.
Tsk tsk.
After Song Chang was taken away, the Eldest Princess finally felt a breath of pent-up anger leave her chest.
She was truly fed up with Zhou Wangfei.
Emperor Yongchang raised his brows and glanced at the Eldest Princess: “You as well, already a grandmother, yet still so careless.”
His tone was that of an elder brother reproaching his younger sister.
The Eldest Princess immediately could not help but retort: “There are only thieves for a thousand days; no one guards against thieves for a thousand days! Besides, this matter was personally arranged by Zhou Wangfei, how could I have imagined she had already conceived before marriage?”
Moreover, when prominent families arrange marriages, what they look at is only the yuanpa.
She could hardly have someone examine Zeng Wenxiu’s body before the wedding, could she?
No one would do that.
With the earlier pressure gone, Emperor Yongchang shook his head helplessly: “You really are something. I don’t know who you take after with such a fiery temper. This matter is not exactly honorable, yet you’ve stirred it up so vigorously, what will Jintang do?”
Even if the matter had not been made big, Emperor Yongchang would not have sat by while his sister was schemed against like this.
And with such a low method.
What he found even more intolerable was that Zhou Wangfei intended to take sides, choosing Xiao Jingzhao was one thing, but she even tried to use a Zeng Wenxiu to tie the Eldest Princess onto that same ship.
He was still alive, whoever dared to touch power would die.
The Eldest Princess grew more and more angry the more she thought about it, biting her lip even now: “How could I care about so much? I wasn’t even angry enough! Besides, I was also worried, this matter also involves the maternal family of the Crown Prince’s favored consort…”
She sighed: “Imperial Brother, do you think this matter is also related to Nanan?”
This was actually a very sensitive matter.
After all, Xiao Jingzhao was also Emperor Yongchang’s own grandson, and was greatly favored by the Crown Prince.
Yet Emperor Yongchang was not angry, only saying meaningfully: “Whether it is related or not, striking the mountain to scare the tiger is still necessary. As for whether he truly harbors ambition, we will know by watching how he walks his path.”
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