Chapter 136

Elder Princess Gao Yang knew that this was a thorn in Empress Chen’s heart. As long as she grasped this thorn, she could stab her in the part that hurt her the most. This was why she didn’t give up after hearing Empress Chen’s words. Instead, she continued, “Back then, Liuli had just turned one year old when she was poisoned by someone. Elder sister-in-law, your must know that although Consort Shu was related to this matter, she was only being exploited by someone else. The chief culprit was Noble Consort Ning.”

Empress Chen closed her eyes. Her nail guards gripped the chair’s armrests. She didn’t reply.

Elder Princess Gao Yang thought her words were effective and her eyes couldn’t help brightening. She continued to fearlessly say, “At the time Noble Consort Ning was very favored by imperial brother, so he pretended to not notice anything. If I act as a witness for elder sister-in-law now, imperial brother will definitely…”

Empress Chen couldn’t restrain her emotions and interrupted her, “Enough.” Soon after, she opened her beautiful, long and narrow phoenix eyes, “Do you think that this empress will help if you say these words? Back when Liuli had been poisoned, you concealed the truth. If you want to use this matter to threaten this empress, this empress will only feel more annoyed towards you.”

In the end, she was a woman that had led armies and fought battles. She had a bone-deep majesty of being above others. A single flat look from her made Elder Princess Gao Yang speechless.

“Do you think you’re the only person that can act as witness for what happened back then? Zhao Xuan, you think too highly of yourself.”

Back when Zhao Liuli had been poisoned and Consort Shu had been executed, Empress Chen did think that the circumstances were strange. But, she wasn’t able to find evidence at the time. Moreover, when she mentioned the matter to Emperor Chong Zhen, he had only said she was too suspicious and reprimanded her for begin biased against Noble Consort Ning. At that time, Emperor Chong Zhen had heavily favored Noble Consort Ning.

From that time onwards, Empress Chen’s feelings toward Emperor Chong Zhen started to fade. She slowly thought things through. Even if she got rid of Noble Consort Ning, there were still Noble Consort Wan and Noble Consort Xu. It would better for her to leave Noble Consort Ning alone and hold onto information could be used against her.

In addition, the poison hadn’t been completely removed from Zhao Liuli’s body and her body was extremely weak. Empress Chen whole-heartedly focused her attention on Zhao Liuli’s health. She had searched for all of the famous doctors in the world. She only occasionally thought of what had happened back then after Zhao Liuli’s health had improved during the recent years.

Now that Elder Princess Gao Yang had reminded her of this, Empress Chen only felt more disgusted towards Zhao Xuan instead of feeling happy.

If she hadn’t drawn Emperor Chong Zhen and Noble Consort Ning together back then, the following events wouldn’t have happened.

In addition, her husband was loyal to Zhao Zhang and was always opposing Zhao Jie. Where exactly did she get the self-confidence to believe that she would be willing to help her?

Zhao Xuan’s face became deathly white. She realized that Empress Chen was determined to not help House Li. In her heart, Zhao Xuan was still a lofty and unyielding person. She gritted her teeth and bid farewell to Empress Chen, “Since it’s like that, then I won’t bother imperial sister-in-law further.” She stood up and walked out of Zhao Yang Hall.

Li Xiang followed behind her. This was the first she felt desperate and uneasy. With red eyes, she asked, “Mother, what will we do next? Will daddy really be beheaded?”

Although Elder Princess Gao Yang wasn’t overjoyed with her rough and warlike husband, in the end, they had been together for many years and she did have feelings towards him. She couldn’t stand by and do nothing as he was sentenced to death.

In addition, House Li would perish if Li Zhi Liang died. Although she was an elder princess, she was no longer the previous emperor’s favored young daughter. If Zhao Jie became the emperor, her days would become even worse. Thus, she was also pleading for a guarantee for herself as she asked for leniency for Li Zhi Liang.

Unexpectedly, she saw Zhao Jie walk out of Xuan Shi Hall just as she got there. He was wearing a dark reddish purple robe embroidered with serpents. He glanced at Zhao Xuang and Li Xiang as he walked out. He ordered the eunuch that was guarding the hall, “The emperor has ordered that unless someone has an urgent imperial court matter, no one is allowed to enter the hall and bother him.”

The eunuch swung his horsetail whisk and respectfully said, “Understood.”

Zhao Jie’s line of sight swept past Elder Princess Gao Yang and Li Xiang’s faces for a moment. Then, he left.

——–

Within a few days, news about Prince Ru Yang’s family had spread to every corner of the capital.

In order to protect himself, Fifth prince Zhao Zhang had to abandon his chess piece, Prince Ru Yang, and cut of all contact with House Li. He didn’t take the risk of pleading with the emperor.

House Li was completely finished.

On the day before Prince Ru Yang would be beheaded, when Wei Luo was coming back from outside in a carriage, a person rushed out from a corner right after the carriage had stopped at Prince Jing’s residence’s entrance. The person stopped in front of the carriage without any explanation. With a resolute expression, the person’s gaze was focused on the carriage’s dark curtain that was embroidered with golden thread.

The carriage driver lifted up the whip. He was originally going to berate her. But once he had a clearer look of her face, he suddenly stopped.

Wei Luo stepped on the carriage’s pedal and came down from the carriage. She didn’t even look at the other person before she started walking towards the residence.

The other person quickly went around Wei Luo and stopped in front of her, “Wei Luo, stop!”

Wei Luo stopped walking and looked at the other person. It was Li Xiang’s tenacious and unyielding face. Although Wei Luo didn’t know why Li Xiang was here, Wei Luo wasn’t interesting in finding out why. She pretended that she didn’t see her and walked around her. She didn’t expect that Li Xiang would kneel without any warning.

Li Xiang raised her head and looked at Wei Luo. “Wei Luo, I know that older cousin Prince Jing listens to your words the most. Treat it as if I was wrong about everything in the past. I shouldn’t have opposed you. My daddy is going to be beheaded tomorrow. Older brother Prince Jing is handling his case. If you say a few words in front of him, he’ll definitely listen…”

So, she wanted her to plead with Zhao Jie. Wei Luo only found this matter laughable. Where did Li Xiang get the face to ask her for a favor? A few days ago, she had solemnly said that she and Zhao Jie had framed Prince Ru Yang. Without allowing her any time for an explanation, she had tried to slap her. Now, that she was at a dead end, she came here with pitiful appearance to beg her. Wei Luo couldn’t help thinking. Did Li Xiang think she was a weak person that could be easily bullied?

Wei Luo wasn’t in a hurry to enter the residence. In the midst of this chaotic moment, she calmly glanced at Li Xiang. Wei Luo curved her limpid almond-shaped eyes and dealt with her by saying, “Then tell me, why should I help Prince Ru Yang?”

Li Xiang lowered her eyes for a moment. When she looked up again, there was a complicated glimmer in her eyes that was difficult to discern. Before Wei Luo could figure out what that glimmer meant, Li Xiang started speaking, “After we came back from the hunting competition in Chang Xun Mountain, my older brother was holding a hairpin in his hand. Later, I found out that the hairpin was yours. My older brother once called out your name when he was sleeping. He didn’t want to marry Wei Zheng. The person that he likes is you. My older brother wasn’t the one that injured Wei Chang Hong back then. It was me, who shot him. He only took responsibility for my crime. My older brother can never participate in the imperial exams in the future. He’ll be an ordinary citizen for the rest of his life… Even if you can’t save my daddy, my older brother is innocent. I hope that older cousin Prince Jing can be more lenient with his sentencing…”

Wei Luo slightly froze. She looked at Li Xiang again. A long time later, she finally said, “You were the one that injured Chang Hong?”

Li Xiang lowered her head and frankly admitted, “It was me.”

She thought that Wei Luo’s heart would soften if she said these words, so she mumbled, “Wei Zheng committed suicide by hanging herself. Older brother has always liked you. I’m the one that you have conflict with. I’m begging you. Please let off my older brother…”

Before she could finish her words, Wei Luo leaned over, grasped her chin, and harshly raised Li Xiang’s face. She mercilessly asked, “What right do you have to beg me? Why are you telling me this? Why would I care who Li Song is thinking about in his heart?”

Wei Luo’s gaze hovered over Li Xiang’s lower lip. It seems that she hadn’t been living well during the past few days. Her lips were dried and cracked. She was no longer a strikingly lovely girl. Wei Luo lightly laughed and her lips curved into a beautiful smile. Her eyes were bright and glittering.

Her tone slightly softened into a sweet and moving voice, “Li Xiang, aren’t you too presumptuous? Even if Li Song wasn’t the one that injured Chang Hong, this matter is still related to House Li. Besides, the emperor was the one that personally supervised and examined this case. Do you really think the verdict can easily be changed?”

After Wei Luo thought something over, she straightened her body and lightly glanced at Li Xiang. “I wouldn’t be willing to help even if it was possible to change.”

In a few steps, she walked into Prince Jing’s residence. As she passed the guards at the entrance, she instructed, “If Miss Li wants to kneel here, then let her keep kneeling here. You don’t need to pass on any messages or news.”

The servant sympathetically glanced at Li Xiang, then he turned his head and respectfully said, “Understood, Your Highness.”

——–

Wei Luo was a hard-hearted person. She would never reconsider a decision after it was made or regret not changing her mind once she disliked someone.

She didn’t tell Zhao Jie about this brief episode.

On the next day, a prison cart brought Prince Ru Yang to the south main street. He was beheaded at the southern east gate. Prince Ru Yang’s family that had once been famous started its downward spiral towards decline.

Because Zhao Zhang was implicated by Prince Ru Yang’s actions, Emperor Chong Zhen wasn’t happy with him. After Emperor Chong Zhen called him to his study and questioned him, he put Zhao Zhang under house arrest for three months. He wouldn’t be allowed to take a step out of his residence until the three months passed. Emperor Chong Zhen even took back the government affairs that he had recently given to him and handed the work over to Zhao Jie to deal with.

Gossip came from the imperial courts that Emperor Chong Zhen was going to declare who would be the heir apparent.

Zhao Jie would be overseeing the beheading. Around noontime, seeing that Zhao Jie hadn’t returned, Wei Luo called Yang Hao to her side and asked, “Why hasn’t His Highness returned yet?”

Yang Hao had been left behind by Zhao Jie to protect Wei Luo. With his head lowered, he said, “To respond to Your Highness, His Highness has to go to the palace to report to His Majesty after the beheading.”

After Wei Luo thought it over, it seemed reasonable, so she didn’t ask any more questions.

——–

Towards the evening, it suddenly started to rain. Raindrop after raindrop fell. The ground quickly became wet as the rain became heavier. Wei Luo was standing next to a window. She rested her chin in her hand as she admired the view of the rain falling on the osmanthus flowers in the courtyard.

A short while later, a servant girl came inside. She saluted Wei Luo and said, “Your Highness, there someone outside that wants to see you and hopes that you’ll come outside.”

Wei Luo turned her head, “Who wants to see me?”

The servant girl shook her head, “This servant doesn’t know. The person had an unfamiliar face.”

Wei Luo’s expression didn’t change. “Then, ask the person’s identity and reason for wanting to see me. If the person doesn’t answer, I won’t see that person.”

The servant girl withdrew from the room.

Wei Luo walked to a cabinet in the corner and took out a frame for embroidering from a basket. The frame held the tops of the shoes that Wei Luo was embroidering for Zhao Jie. However, her embroidery skills weren’t very good. After one month, she still hadn’t finished. It would probably take her two more months to finish sewing this into shoes. Wei Luo had Jin Lu light the candles, then Wei Luo embroidered for almost an hour underneath the candlelight.

Just as she raised her head to rest her eyes for a bit, the previous servant girl came inside again. Her tone was slightly distressed as she said, “Your Highness, that person has been staying in the rain for such a long time. No matter what I say, the person won’t leave…”

Wei Luo put down the embroidery frame. She had already guessed who that person was. She had Jin Lu bring an umbrella over, then she stood up and said, “Let’s go out and look.”

Outside Prince Jing’s residence’s entrance, Li Song was sitting on a tall black horse. He was wearing a woven rush coat. The rain had inevitably soaked his handsome face. His dark eyes were like unfathomably deep pools. Seeing Wei Luo coming out, Li Song’s gaze slightly moved. But, he didn’t move forward and only quietly stayed in place.

Wei Zheng had already been buried. Duke Ying and Wei Kun had gone to her funeral. Wei Kun felt very sad and thought that Wei Zheng had been too foolish. The person that had been the most upset was Du-shi. Du-shi embraces her coffin and cried for a long time. When she returned to Count Zhong Yi’s residence, her mind was unclear and she seemed slightly deranged.

Wei Luo already knew all about this.

Wei Luo stopped at the entrance’s eaves. She raised her eyes and looked at Li Song, who was in front of her. There wasn’t the slightest surprise in her eyes. “Why are you here in front of my home? It’s too late for you to learn to beg for pity.”

This young girl’s mouth was always so poisonous. From the very beginning, she made him hate her to the point that his teeth felt itchy from wanting to bite her. But still, he couldn’t stop longing for her.

Li Song looked at her, “Li Xiang came to look for you yesterday?”

Wei Luo curved the corners of her lips and didn’t express an opinion.

Li Song asked, “What did she say to you?”

“She said many things. What do you want to know?” Wei Luo handed the oilpaper umbrella that was painted with orchids to Jin Lu. A raindrop coincidentally rolled down from the umbrella at this moment to drip down to the corner of her eye. The raindrop slipped down her cheek. Her eyes were clearer than the raindrop.

“She thought that I would stop disliking you if she told me that Chang Hong’s injury wasn’t caused by you. But, Li Song, I won’t feel bad that you decided to take responsibility for Li Xiang’s actions. You reap what you sow.”

Li Song moved the horse slightly closer to her. He didn’t say a word as he stared t her small face. He suddenly smiled and said, “Who wants your sympathy?”

Before Wei Luo returned to her senses, he untied something from his waist and threw it at Wei Luo. Wei Luo instinctively retreated a step back and the item fell onto the ground in front of her. When she moved closer, she saw that it was a knotted red waist accessory. There was a piece of jade tied to the accessory. The jade had been separated into two pieces after falling onto the ground. Wei Luo lowed her eyes to look. It was a circular jade piece that resembled a lotus root. She didn’t understand his action.

Li Song seemed as if he didn’t care that the jade had been broken. He turned his horse around and headed towards one of the capital’s gates.

He had already spoken with Elder Princess Gao Yang. He was going to leave the capital and travel around. Perhaps, he might never return.

That jade piece was something that was given to House Li’s heir’s wife. When Wei Zheng married into Prince Ru Yang’s household, he had never thought about giving this to her. It felt good to throw this at Wei Luo. At any rate, he wouldn’t be giving this to anyone else.

Before he had ridden far, he saw a parked carriage. The carriage’s curtain lifted and he saw a person sitting inside.

Zhao Jie was leaning against the carriage’s wall. He didn’t know how much of the previous scene Zhao Jie had seen.

Li Song tightened the reins and stopped the horse. He directly faced Zhao Jie.

Zhao Jie’s phoenix eyes were unfathomably deep. He took the umbrella that Zhu Geng handed to him, came down from the carriage, and said in an understated tone, “Cripple his martial arts ability.”