Chapter 403: Chapter 305: You Call Me Mother?_3
"Would killing Pei Zhan solve everything?" Xu Yin suddenly turned around, "He’s General Pingxi, the heir of the National Guardian General; do I kill him? How would I kill him? Kill him and then run away? Then all my years of painstaking work will be in vain? And where would I run to?"
Xu Yin’s eyes blazed with fury: "You’ve been with me for six or seven years, how could you come up with such a foolish idea at a time like this?"
Lian Rong knelt down: "This little one is at a loss, it’s my stupidity!"
Xu Yin withdrew his angry gaze, gritting his teeth again, "It’s just a small matter, why are you panicking? Do you think my efforts in the court these years have been for nothing? What if they’ve caught Lian Yang’s people? At most, they know my identity. And the rest? Do they have evidence that I killed Liang Ning? Evidence that I killed Princess Rong? The only crimes they can pin on me are these few, but they have no evidence!
"Don’t forget, those two who died in Baiyu Lane have nothing to do with me, that case is the enormous one! If the sky were to fall, then there’d be someone who would bear it for me!"
Lian Rong raised his head: "Master’s words are true. It’s my confusion. For us Dayue people, it’s not necessarily a matter of losing our heads, at most we would be demoted to commoners, forbidden from approaching the court. Truly, in the face of great disaster, there are many involved. My understanding was shallow, and I couldn’t maintain composure."
Xu Yin tightly pursed his lips, pulling the hairpin from his head, and slammed it onto the table, "Submit a memorial to the Eastern Palace, I must see the Crown Prince immediately. Also, inform He Qunying about Pei Zhan’s trip to the palace! As for the He Family, act decisively when the opportunity arises."
...
By the time they stepped out of the house, dawn was nearly breaking.
Early risers, sprightly and energetic, walked the streets, greeting each other, their faces filled with hopes for the peaceful era to come.
To enter the palace and meet with the Emperor were not only Pei Zhan, but also Liang Chen, Liang Zhi, and Du Mingqian.
After bidding them farewell, Fu Zhen hurried to the Ning Family.
Mrs. Ning answered the door herself, and as soon as Fu Zhen saw her, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of emotion, rushing into her arms.
Mrs. Ning trembled slightly, "What happened? Who bullied you?"
Fu Zhen buried her head in her shoulder, shaking her head, choking, "No one bullied me—no, a heartless beast did bully me! Mother, I, I—"
"I" what? Fu Zhen ultimately didn’t say anything.
Perhaps she didn’t know what to say, feeling aggrieved? What right did she have to feel aggrieved? Feeling saddened, what right did that Xu person have to cause her sadness?
Mrs. Ning gently caressed her hair, silently letting her embrace her, her beautiful eyes also filled with sorrow.
"You, you’re calling me Mother now?..."
...
As the eunuch from the Imperial Study stepped out, the first light of dawn shone under the porch. The pale and frail Third Prince sat on the railing, with a faint smile at the corner of his lips, watching a kite in the sky.
The group followed the eunuch inside, and the emperor, who was donning his robe on the kang, set aside the memorial as he raised his head, "I’ve just gotten up, and you’ve come to the palace so early, all together?"
After performing their respects, the emperor granted them seats and looked at Pei Zhan, "I was just thinking of calling on you. You’ve been stationed at Prince Rong’s Mansion for some days, any findings?"
Pei Zhan said, "Your Majesty, I have found something. And it’s a significant find!"
"Oh?" The emperor showed a hint of curiosity, "Then speak the truth."
"Your Majesty," Pei Zhan raised his head, "the murderer of the Princess Rong is someone else. But before I truthfully report, I must plead for a decree exempting me from punishment. No matter what unorthodox actions I mention in my report, I beg for Your Majesty’s leniency."
"What crime have you committed?" The emperor’s doubt deepened.
"I violated the law by trespassing into the ancestral shrine of Prince Rong’s Mansion and stayed half the night, but I witnessed the murder of Princess Rong with my own eyes. I not only saw who killed the Princess but also learned the entire background of the murder."
"What did you say?" The emperor straightened up from his slight lean, looking toward the others, who all met his gaze with firm eyes, "We stake our official positions in assurance. Everything General Pei Zhan will say is the truth! If there is any falsehood, we are willing to be punished alongside General Pei Zhan!"
The emperor’s throat moved slightly, his right hand placed on the kang table involuntarily curling.
In a slow voice, he said, "Speak. I will not punish you."