ebookland Chapter 118 Impossible
Chapter 118 Impossible
"Prince Jing, in a fit of rage for a woman, actually threatened the Dong family's fortune!"
"The two young masters of the Gan family have been arrested by the Imperial Guards, and now all the women of the Gan family are crying and wailing!"
These rumors spread like wildfire, reaching far and wide.
Xie Jinghan's actions shocked the entire capital.
Even the emperor was alarmed.
He sat in the main seat with the Empress, and below him sat Consort Dong.
Consort Dong was exceptionally beautiful; in the entire palace, only Consort Zhang could rival her.
At this moment, her eyes were filled with tears as she stared at the emperor: "Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty! Are you just going to stand by and watch Prince Jing so recklessly persecute loyal officials? Our entire Dong family is now surrounded by the Imperial Guards; not even a mosquito can escape!"
She tearfully recounted Xie Jinghan's atrocities, hoping that her weak and vulnerable demeanor would soften the emperor's heart.
To her surprise, after crying for a long time, when she looked up, the emperor still had that indifferent expression, looking extremely amiable, but his eyes always made her feel uneasy.
Her voice grew softer and softer until it fell silent, and the entire Taiji Hall became so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
"Alright," the Empress said softly. "Your Majesty, this commotion can't go on. It's up to you to make the decision."
Upon hearing this, Consort Dong's eyes lit up.
But she forgot that if anyone in this world favored Xie Jinghan the most, the emperor would be second, and the empress would be first.
The Empress's next sentence was: "What Jinghan is most worried about right now is the safety of his princess."
“The Liu family, the Dong family, and the Gan family refuse to admit that they are involved in this matter, but Jinghan always acts only when he has evidence.” The Empress said, then sighed, “I’m afraid it’s because you haven’t given Jinghan enough love that these three families think they can escape suspicion by simply dragging things out.”
"Your Majesty the Empress!" Consort Dong's voice was extremely sharp upon hearing this.
She couldn't believe that these were the words of the gentle and generous empress.
Upon hearing this, the Empress glanced down slightly and said, "Consort Dong, do you know how much effort His Majesty and I have put in to ensure Prince Jing's marriage?"
"You should never have touched his princess."
The imperial examination cheating case was a struggle between the imperial power and the aristocratic families. These were undercurrents hidden beneath the calm surface. If the aristocratic families had been sensible, they should have obediently withdrawn their claws and severed this arm after Liu Hanlin and others were arrested, in order to quell the storm.
Instead of being audacious enough to kidnap Wen Shuyao.
Where do they put Xie Jinghan's face? Where do they put the dignity of the royal family?
Even if Xie Jinghan doesn't care about Wen Shuyao's safety, she and the emperor will definitely take action and severely punish these aristocratic families.
Consort Dong was pale and her mind was blank. She didn't understand why the Empress had said such a thing, but she knew that the Emperor's silence when the Empress said these words showed his stance.
—Unless Princess Jing is handed over, everything Xie Jinghan has threatened will come true.
Consort Dong raised her head with difficulty: "Your Majesty, our Dong family has been loyal and virtuous for generations. How could we do such a treasonous thing?"
"In that case, let Duke Dong come to the palace in person to speak with me." The emperor finally spoke, but his words only made Consort Dong's heart grow colder. "On the condition that he leaves the Dong family."
"Someone come here!" He beckoned to Li Dehai. "Send Consort Shu back."
"Without my order, you shall not step out of the palace gates."
Consort Dong's face turned pale. She wanted to say something, but under the emperor's indifferent gaze, she swallowed back all the words that were on the tip of her tongue.
She dared not say any more, fearing that if she continued, the Dong family would be punished even more severely.
……
In just one day, the capital was in an uproar.
Wen Shuyao went missing, and Xie Jinghan led his troops to surround the three major families. Consort Dong pleaded for her father's life, but was instead confined to her quarters.
These events, taken together, are enough for a wise person to know the final outcome of this matter.
Upon learning this news, Wen Yitong was so angry that she smashed a set of teacups.
When she closed her eyes, all she could see was Xie Jinghan's indifferent gaze. It wasn't like he was looking at his wife; it was more like he was looking at some insignificant passerby.
The moment I opened my eyes, I saw Xie Jinghan and Wen Shuyao being affectionate again. The two were inseparable, just like a loving couple.
The moment the word "affectionate" appeared in Wen Yitong's mind, her anger surged uncontrollably.
How could this be?
She never imagined that what she had initially welcomed would eventually become a tormenting inner demon.
Xie Jinghan risked offending the three great families for Wen Shuyao, acting out of a fit of rage for the sake of his beloved!
How ridiculous! Is this something Xie Jinghan would do?
However, the facts are undeniable, and no matter how unwilling she is to admit it, she cannot change them.
Seeing Wen Yitong's shocked and angry expression, Ruyi sighed inwardly.
She knew that Wen Yitong would react this way after finding out about this.
Chen Che was still in the examination hall, and no letters could be sent out.
Meanwhile, the prince offended the three great families for the sake of the eldest daughter, causing a great uproar throughout the city. At the same time, many rumors circulated that the prince had fallen in love with the eldest daughter at first sight, which is why he changed his wife.
The previous rumors have been largely forgotten in the face of this overwhelming barrage of gossip.
The rumors circulating among others that the young lady seduced the prince and replaced her sister as the Princess Consort of Jing are nothing compared to the prince's real actions.
Moreover, these are plots from the most popular storybooks and novels.
It was tough on her; not only did she have to serve the capricious second young lady, but she also had to keep an eye on the news about the eldest young lady and the prince. If she missed anything, the second young lady would punish her again once she found out about it from elsewhere.
Ruyi inwardly groaned while trying to comfort her: "A whole day has passed. Even if the young lady is rescued, her reputation will be ruined. Miss, why don't you think about how to comfort her?"
Upon hearing this, Wen Yitong clenched the Buddhist prayer beads in her hand—ever since her last nightmare, she had specially sent someone to Jinhua Temple to get her a string of Buddhist prayer beads.
She was terrified that Xie Jinghan and Wen Shuyao would live a very loving life, and at the same time, she was afraid that her dream would not come true and that she would not receive the title of First-Rank Imperial Lady.
So she played with her prayer beads every day, hoping to calm her mind.
She quickly twirled the prayer beads in her hand, and her mood calmed down a little.
"That would be for the best." Her eyes sharpened as she considered her options. "No matter what, the fact that she's been defiled... must come true!"
"Ruyi, you understand what I mean, right?"
When Wen Yitong raised her eyes, Ruyi trembled all over.