Chapter 106: Just Personal Grudges And Old Hatreds
“Because this matter is dangerous, I dare not trust anyone.”
After Princess Pingcheng finished speaking, “Yang Luo,” who had been quietly standing beside her, also spoke up.
“The situation at the time was very urgent, and I didn’t have time to say more. I only whispered in the princess’s ear while pretending to fall that someone was harming the princess.”
At this point, Mo Zheng looked up at Princess Pingcheng, her gaze full of admiration.
“The princess is wise and intelligent, reacting quickly and arranging everything properly.”
Princess Pingcheng nodded slightly to her, then looked at everyone: “So I immediately pretended to be injured, ordered Miss Yang and me to be locked together, then, using the terror of disfigurement, refused anyone to approach, did not allow inspection of the injury, only had the imperial guards impose martial law on the National Academy, and notified Mother Empress…”
At this point, Ling Yu suddenly asked, “The Empress knew as well, right?”
Princess Pingcheng nodded: “After Mother Empress arrived, I told her…”
As she spoke, she saw Ling Yu suddenly look toward the Empress, his brows slightly furrowed.
Was he going to accuse Mother Empress of knowing Miss Yang was innocent yet still ordering the caning…
Although she was also somewhat surprised by Mother Empress’s actions, it was probably to make the pretense more real, to see everyone’s reactions, so she
hurriedly continued speaking.
“…It was I who asked Mother not to reveal the truth, pretending I was really injured, and continuing the inquiry.”
After speaking, she looked at the palace maid on the ground who had received the caning, then at Wu Gongfu being dragged over and kneeling on the ground.
“Now you should tell the truth.”
The two palace maids, one trembling and one dazed, neither spoke.
“Use punishment.” The Empress ordered.
The palace maids stepped forward and hurriedly pressed the kneeling Wu Gongfu to the ground, while the eunuchs snatched the punishment staff from the instructor…
“Mother Empress, please wait.” Princess Pingcheng said again.
The Empress said nothing, tacitly agreeing, and the eunuchs held the punishment staff waiting to the side.
“Wu Nu Shi.” Princess Pingcheng looked at Wu Gongfu, “When I was ten years old, you came to serve by my side. I really don’t understand why you would harm me.”
Wu Gongfu looked at her, tears sliding from her eyes, but she kept her mouth tightly shut and said nothing.
“I won’t torture you. You’ve been in the palace for many years and know that for doing such a thing, you won’t live.” Princess Pingcheng said. The blood and dye on her face had not yet been wiped off, making her look calm yet eerie. “What I can guarantee you is, if you tell me who instigated you, I will give you a quick death, without letting you suffer the torment of punishment.”
Wu Gongfu did not speak, but the palace maid who had been punished and was lying on the ground nearby struggled to kowtow: “Princess, Princess, it was Wu Nu Shi who instigated me. She gave me a lot of money and a land deed.”
Wu Gongfu closed her eyes, then opened them to look at Princess Pingcheng, forcing out a smile.
“Princess, this matter has nothing to do with others. It is a private grudge between this slave and the Empress.” She said.
The Empress said indifferently: “When this palace entered the palace, you were already a palace slave of the inner supervisor. This palace chose you to serve by my side, sparing you from death, and this has become a private grudge?”
Wu Gongfu smiled: “Empress, why did you choose me to serve by your side?”
She said this sentence in another tone, and the others in the hall did not react at first, but Princess Pingcheng recognized it—it was Mother Empress’s local accent.
Although she was born in the Capital City and spoke the official dialect of the Capital City from birth, when Mother Empress spoke with her maternal grandmother, mother and daughter still often used the local accent.
“You and this palace are from the same hometown.” The Empress said coldly.
“Yes, then do you know why I entered the palace as a slave?” Wu Gongfu said. “It was your Chai Clan that seized my family’s land! They drove my father and brother to death. Our family of women and children was sold into slavery and brought to the Capital City. My sisters all died from the grinding of slavery, and only I survived until you entered the Capital City…”
At this point, her voice suddenly rose sharply, looking at the Empress.
“You let me serve by your side, giving me the status of female official, no longer suffering beatings. But, Empress—you see, I shouldn’t have suffered all this originally. It was all because of your Chai Clan—”
“My youngest sister.”
Wu Gongfu’s gaze turned to Princess Pingcheng, tears surging out.
“She was only ten when she died. When I came to your side, you were also ten. I watched you sometimes happy, sometimes sad…”
She pressed her hand to her heart, letting out a cry of pain.
“I really hate so much—”
After saying that, she suddenly rushed toward the imperial guard standing nearby. The imperial guard was caught off guard and watched as Wu Gongfu lunged onto the long saber in his hand, slitting her own throat. She fell into a pool of blood.
…..
…..
“….Then that Wu Nu Shi committed suicide.”
“Sun Nu Shi only said she was instigated by Wu Nu Shi, and there were no others.”
Hearing the newly arrived news, the Emperor sat in the carriage, slightly furrowing his brows.
“Old matters and old people from so many years ago, brought out at this moment…” He said, shaking his head.
To say no one behind the scenes was instigating it was simply too ridiculous.
“Your Majesty.” An imperial guard outside the carriage said softly, “We are about to arrive at the National Academy ahead.”
The Emperor reached out and slightly lifted the carriage curtain, seeing the palace walls towering in the mountains ahead.
Although he was only told after the Empress left the palace, how could the movements in the Imperial City hide from him.
Especially since Princess Pingcheng was in trouble.
He immediately stopped the morning court. For faster travel, without the imperial carriage procession or eunuchs, in a small carriage, escorted by a dozen imperial guards, he quietly sped out of the palace through the side gate.
Upon hearing the news from the secret guard that Princess Pingcheng was unharmed, he had the carriage slow down.
But even slowed, they still had to arrive…..
Go to the National Academy?
Although Princess Pingcheng was not injured, she must have been greatly frightened. Alas, this child encountered such great malice for the first time in her life…
However, going to the National Academy would inevitably mean seeing that Miss Yang.
The Emperor lowered the hand lifting the carriage curtain, dropping his gaze.
“Return to the palace.” He said, “Tell the Empress to bring the princess back to the palace. Since it is a crime by palace people, bring them back to the palace for interrogation, so as not to frighten those children.”
…
….
When the companion reader young ladies walked out of the National Academy, there were many carriages and people outside.
The Empress’s procession did not display great pomp, but did not hide the tracks either. The noble families of the Capital City all knew, especially the families of the companion reader ladies, who immediately rushed over in panic…
However, although panicked, upon seeing their own young lady come out, their families did not say much, picked her up, and left. Matters involving the imperial family could only be discussed behind closed doors.
Outside the National Academy, there were many people and carriages, which soon dispersed.
No one from Jiang Rui’s family came to pick her up. She knew that Mother stayed behind closed doors, her younger sister was still young, and Uncle and Aunt were not presentable in the Capital City with no connections, so they certainly did not yet know the news. As the thought flashed, she saw someone riding a horse galloping from ahead…
It was Yunxiao.
A smile bloomed on Jiang Rui’s face, and her originally floating and somewhat desolate heart settled down. She had Yunxiao.
She hurried forward to greet him, but thought of something and turned back, indeed seeing that Liu Chan also had no family to pick her up, only a coachman waiting nearby with a carriage.
But “Liu Chan” did not get in the carriage either, instead standing in place looking toward the National Academy.
Not long after that Wu Gongfu committed suicide and died, an eunuch hurried in from outside and whispered something in the Empress’s ear. The Empress sneered and ordered to bring Wu Gongfu’s corpse, the surviving palace maid, and Imperial Consort Li and the princesses back to the palace.
She did not take “Yang Luo” away again.
But because it involved such a major matter, “Yang Luo” did not come out with them either, and the young ladies of the Yang Family were also kept in the National Academy.
The Empress asked no more, but the National Academy still needed to carefully inquire, and Duke Ding’an’s Wife, who had hurriedly come to pick them up, was also asked to go inside.
So, “Liu Chan” had not left either, wanting to see Miss Yang and confirm if she was safe.
This “Liu Chan” gave a very strange feeling—clearly sycophantic, arrogant, rude and impolite, yet also very loyal…
“Miss Liu.” Jiang Rui could not help but call out.
Yang Luo looked at her.
“Don’t be reckless and say things you shouldn’t.” Jiang Rui said.
Yang Luo looked at Jiang Rui, her expression somewhat complex. In that life, when she learned of Jiang Rui, Jiang Rui was already dead, and she did not know what kind of person she was…
At that time, under the Empress’s interrogation, everyone else was silent, wishing to not exist, but only this Miss Jiang stopped her from going to her death. Moreover, they had quarreled before, and even rumors said she coveted her fiancé.
Logically, Jiang Rui should be more eager than others to see her in trouble.
Yang Luo sighed lightly in her heart. This Miss Jiang was truly a kind-hearted person.
No wonder she was killed by Zhu Yunxiao.
As Yang Luo’s thought flashed, she heard a male voice calling.
“A Rui—”
Yang Luo looked up and saw Zhu Yunxiao jumping down from the horse.
He looked past Jiang Rui at her, but with just one glance, he immediately shifted his gaze back to Jiang Rui.
