Chapter 180.2

Emperor Hongjing sneered. His eyes hovered over the faces of his sons as if trying to bore holes into them.

“You’ve all become quite skilled!”

“Your Majesty, please quell your anger.” Empress Wei knelt down.

The various imperial concubines, princes and consorts all knelt down. In the entire hall, besides Duchess Xuguo who had lost her mind, only Consort Jin who was supporting her remained standing.

“Father Emperor, please quell your anger!”

In the back, knelt Lu Wang. He stretched his neck and glanced at Emperor Hongjing. “Father Emperor, don’t be upset. Erchen will go to Duke Xuguo Manor to investigate who is behind the one surnamed Xu. Doesn’t he find it shameful to make a move on women and children?”

As he spoke, he stood up and was about to leave the hall, but was stopped by Emperor Hongjing.

“You still don’t think there’s enough going on? Are you not at ease until the world completely descends into chaos?!”

Lu Wang was very wronged. “Doesn’t this matter concern other households as well? Based on what the person behind this did, every household must be more vigilant in the future. Otherwise, who knows when my own son would become someone else’s, and an entire green grassland will be grown on my head?”

Then, Lu Wang also sneered, his eyes flickering toward Dai Wang, Yong Wang and the others. “Don’t you also think so, third brother, fourth brother, and old eighth?”

Wu Wang was a little annoyed. “Sixth brother, if you want to speak, just speak. Why must you start adding in spears and knives?”

Lu Wang squinted, “Me adding in spears and knives? Old eighth, did you mishear something or do you feel a guilty conscience for being put in your place?”

The two began to quarrel with each other. It wasn’t until Emperor Hongjing slammed the armrest angrily, that the two of them shrank their necks and stopped talking.

“Your father is not old nor dead yet. However, in front of Zhen, you brothers are already starting to fight amongst yourselves!” Emperor Hongjing looked a little heartbroken, and the people below naturally knelt down again.

“Father Emperor, please quell your anger!”

Emperor Hongjing stood up and left without saying anything.

This matter did not end like so. Members of the imperial guard visited Duke Xuguo Manor later that night.

These imperial guards were one of the twelve squadrons in Emperor Hongjing’s personal army. They rarely showed their faces in front of other people. Only when a high-ranked courtier made a big mistake, would they appear.

The entire Duke Xuguo Manor was surrounded. All the masters and servants in the manor were kicked out of their rooms and gathered in a hall. Then this group of people, like hungry wolves descending down a mountain, scattered into the huge Duke Xuguo Manor.

Duke Xuguo was so furious that his eyes were about to pop out, but he couldn’t do anything to stop them. He could only watch these people search around as if hunting for something.

Actually, Duke Xuguo already knew about what had happened in the palace not long ago, which was why he felt that a catastrophe was imminent.

But nothing had happened yet, and no one knew what Emperor Hongjing was thinking. However, he didn’t expect them to come here so soon. Thinking of the letters that he had burned earlier in the afternoon, Duke Xuguo’s mouth became dry.

Now that the matter has been exposed, no matter what happens, he could only grit his teeth and admit to venting his anger on behalf of his daughter. He must not say anything else. Perhaps there was still a chance. In the future, if that man ascended the throne, no matter what, he would’ve contributed to the start of a new era. But if he foolishly tried to bite others indiscriminately just to get rid of the crime, then he really would have no hope left.

Duke Xuguo has served in the imperial court for many years. He was all too clear of these simple truths.

Lady Yulan was so frightened that her face turned pale. With two maids supporting her, she looked panic-stricken without any of her usual calmness.

“Master…” She wanted to snuggle closer to him for a sense of security, but Duke Xuguo pushed her away.

“Look at what the occasion is. Can’t you be more serious!”

Lady Yulan fell to the ground and cried out in pain.

If he were to have heard this in the past, he would’ve definitely fallen for it. Now that there was an incident in the manor, his face changed. Lady Yulan didn’t know that Due Xuguo was also angry with her. If Xu Zhe, Lady Yulan’s eldest shu son, hadn’t gotten involved with that master, Duke Xuguo would’ve never given up on Jin Wang to curry favour with that master.

People like Duke Xuguo never reflect on their own mistakes but are used to pushing the blame onto everyone else. In fact, if he hadn’t been greedy in his heart, thinking that this master was more likely to ascend to that position than Jin Wang, and was persuaded by others because of this, how could he have landed himself in today’s position?

A team of guards quickly stepped out of the study, and the leader was holding a box in his hand.

“Commander, I found it.”

The commander nodded, took the box and put it away, while Duke Xuguo focused his entire attention on the box. If he remembered correctly, there was no such a box in his study.

Then from where did this beautiful box come? Duke Xuguo had a bad premonition in his heart.

He forced a smile, took a step forward, and asked, “I wonder what’s inside this box? What are you searching for? Unless I remembered incorrectly, I never had such a box in my study.”

The commander didn’t give him any face. “It appears that you have remembered incorrectly. I’ve seen many people like you. Either you can’t remember clearly, or you don’t know anything. We did indeed find this thing, but I won’t tell you what’s inside it. His Majesty will pass on the words when the time is right. I won’t stay here any longer to accompany you. Before word from above passes, I’ll have to trouble you to stay in this manor, and not leave.”

After he finished speaking, the man cupped his hands and left, while Duke Xuguo Manor was surrounded so airtight that not even a fly could fly in.

That night was destined to be a chaotic night. Emperor Hongjing became furious in Qianqing Palace. He ordered people to bring the fourth prince, Yong Wang, into the palace overnight.

In Qianqing Palace, Emperor Hongjing’s eyes were full of anger as he threw the things in his hand toward Yong Wang who was kneeling on the ground.

“Take a good look at this yourself. You are really daring!”

As Yong Wang was brought into the palace, he already had a bad premonition in his heart. Seeing this current situation, his liver and gallbladder were tearing apart. With shaking hands, he picked up the letters on the ground and opened them one by one. They were actually secret letters between him and Duke Xuguo.

A few of the letters included nothing more than household gossip. Although there were no signatures on them, the person addressed to in the letters was him. There was also a secret letter between the two discussing their next plans. It seemed that to win the trust of the other party, and also to let the other party be of use to himself, he had used his golden seal on it.

What surprised him the most was that the handwriting on these letters was actually his own handwriting.

Yong Wang’s brain exploded with a bang. “Father, this was not done by erchen. Someone is framing erchen!”