Chapter 192: Burn It Clean
The words carried immense weight, and the last trace of color drained from Luo Wanwan’s lips.
’Offending Ye Chutang was one thing, but the Eldest Princess and the Heir of Duke Dingbei were people they absolutely could not afford to provoke!’
The more Luo Wanwan thought about it, the more frightened she became. She swayed, on the verge of fainting.
Seeing this, another young woman seated beside her reached out, as if to offer support. But on second thought, she pulled her hand back and lowered her gaze, terrified of getting involved.
Princess Qingyang noticed her state and called out, "Miss Luo doesn’t look too well. Should we summon an Imperial Physician to take a look?"
Luo Wanwan was truly terrified. As countless gazes of all kinds pressed down on her, her eyes rolled back into her head, and she fainted.
"Wanwan!"
Luo Yingqi hurried forward.
Observing the chaotic scene, Consort Ru took the opportunity to speak. "Regardless, her well-being is the priority. Take Miss Luo away for now."
Seeing that Emperor Muwu did not object, Luo Yingqi acted as if he had been granted a great pardon. He thanked them profusely and quickly took his leave, dragging Luo Wanwan away.
Watching their pathetic, retreating figures, Princess Qingyang pursed her lips and snorted. "And here I thought she had some nerve. Turns out she’s all bark and no bite, only good for gossiping behind people’s backs!"
Her words were harsh, but though many heard them, no one dared to say a word.
’The stance of the Eldest Princess and the Heir of Duke Dingbei could not have been clearer. They were dead set on backing Ye Chutang. Now that the Luo family had offended such powerful people, who knew what fate awaited them!’
Consort Ru tried to smooth things over. "Alright, Qinyang. It was just a few words from some ignorant people; no need to dwell on it. Miss Ye has done nothing wrong, so she has nothing to fear from such rumors. She risked her life to save Yanchuan and ought to be handsomely rewarded for it."
Shen Yanchuan gently rubbed the teacup with his slender fingertips, then gave a slight nod. "The Imperial Concubine is right. However, she is not one to covet fame or fortune; such material possessions are of no importance to her. On the other hand... the assassination of her father and brother all those years ago might indeed be suspicious. If the truth could be uncovered and justice served, perhaps that would be the best reward of all."
The smile on Consort Ru’s lips stiffened.
"Princely Heir, you mean to say..."
Shen Yanchuan turned his head to look at Su Wei.
"A moment ago, Lord Su mentioned that Han Yao publicly accused Ye Heng of being connected to the deaths of Ye Zheng. I wonder if there has been any progress on your end, Lord Su?"
Everyone was stunned, not expecting Shen Yanchuan to bring the matter up again himself.
However, in the next moment, Su Wei cupped his fists and announced respectfully:
"Your Majesty, I did indeed receive an anonymous letter of accusation last night. The contents of that letter suggest that Ye Zheng’s death years ago was no accident, but rather the result of a plot by his very own brother!"
After a moment of deathly silence, the hall erupted in an uproar.
"What!?"
"The ’accident’ that befell Ye Zheng and his family back then... was it really Ye Heng’s doing?!"
"I thought Han Yao was just making a desperate accusation, spouting nonsense. But now there’s an anonymous letter?"
Emperor Muwu’s expression was icy.
"What exactly is going on? Explain everything, from beginning to end!"
Xiao Chengxuan’s fist tightened, and his jaw clenched. He shot a cold, heavy glance toward Su Wei.
A moment later, however, he withdrew his gaze, his expression returning to normal.
Su Wei cupped his fists again. "Your Majesty, the letter states that when Ye Zheng left the Capital City with his family to head north for Wuzhou, he did so very discreetly. Few people knew of his departure, and almost no one saw them off. At the time, the weather was freezing, and heavy snow had blocked the roads. Even if bandits were rampant, it’s unlikely they would have been active on such a remote stretch of road. The letter suggests that someone deliberately leaked their itinerary, sending assassins disguised as bandits to ambush and kill them. And the person who leaked the information... was very likely Ye Heng!"