In the Imperial Palace, in the Empress's Anle Palace, the Empress was sitting in a hall, dressed in an elaborate and exquisite imperial robe, exuding luxury and wealth. When she heard the servant kneeling on the ground reporting to her, the phoenix hairpins in her hair suddenly jumped up, showing her surprise and astonishment. The Empress's expression changed, her eyes flashed, and she hurriedly asked, "Are you telling the truth?!"
A servant kneeling on the ground with his head bowed immediately replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, this servant has inquired thoroughly and there is absolutely no falsehood in the matter."
Upon hearing this, the Empress suddenly revealed a strange smile.
Inside Mingxiang Palace, Baili Le anxiously pleaded with Consort Sun, "Mother, you must think of a way for me! I absolutely cannot marry that useless Hong Yicheng. Of the three great young masters in the capital, he is the most useless. Leng Caiwen and Dai Yu are both a hundred times better than him!"
When Consort Sun heard about the Chen Prince's residence, she was furious. How could her precious daughter marry Hong Yicheng? Not only was the Hong family originally part of the Crown Prince's faction, but Hong Wantang was also out of favor, and Hong Yicheng had no promising future. If it were Leng Caiwen or Dai Yu, Baili Le might have readily agreed, as it would have benefited Baili Jian's power. But Hong Yicheng was not only useless, he was a menace! She even suspected that the Crown Prince and the Empress had orchestrated this whole thing to lure Baili Le into marriage. If Baili Le married Hong Yicheng, she might come up with some other vicious schemes! That vile Empress, she's quite cunning too!
"His Majesty has arrived!" Just then, an announcement rang out from outside. Consort Sun and Baili Le were both startled. Emperor Mingxian, dressed in a dragon robe, walked in with an angry expression. Consort Sun and Baili Le were both shocked. It seemed that what had happened earlier had reached the palace. A princess being dishonored in the Prince Chen's residence was a scandal.
Consort Sun and Baili Le exchanged a glance. Yes, Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue were also involved in the Chen Prince's mansion. They would blame everything on them. Humph!
Baili Le burst into tears: "Father, you must do justice for your son! Your son has been bullied..." As he spoke, Baili Le rushed towards Emperor Mingxian and was about to hug his leg when Emperor Mingxian suddenly dodged away and even tried to kick Baili Le. Baili Le was shocked and immediately dodged away. Just as he was wondering what was going on, he heard Emperor Mingxian's extremely angry voice.
"You, Baili Le! You are incredibly audacious! Not only did you do something that disgraced the royal family at the Prince Chen's residence, but you also killed Hong Yicheng in a fit of rage, and even dared to kill Hong Wantang, an important official in the court. You clearly have no respect for me!"
Hearing Emperor Mingxian's furious voice, Consort Sun and Baili Le were both stunned. Hong Wantang and Hong Yicheng were dead? What happened?!
Seeing Emperor Mingxian's furious expression, Baili Le's heart suddenly tightened. She knew that Emperor Mingxian would not forgive her easily this time. She heard Emperor Mingxian say, "Guards, arrest the Fifth Princess!"
☆、191、The Princess Turns into a Chicken, the Crown Prince of De!
Upon hearing this, Consort Sun Baili Le's heart skipped a beat. She immediately went over and grabbed Emperor Mingxian's arm, saying urgently, "Your Majesty, is there some misunderstanding? How could Le'er do such a thing? We should investigate this thoroughly."
Emperor Mingxian frowned, a hint of coldness in his eyes as he looked at Consort Sun. The latter was startled; Emperor Mingxian rarely showed such an expression, and when he did, it meant he was unlikely to change his mind. Had he actually decided to kill Baili Le? Consort Sun's heart tightened. This wouldn't do. The so-called vying for favor was all a means to the future. Baili Le had been Emperor Mingxian's favorite for many years, which had even benefited Consort Sun, Baili Jian. If this time Emperor Mingxian hated Baili Le and thus convicted her, they too would be implicated.
Just now, Baili Le ran back, and she couldn't explain clearly what happened at Prince Chen's mansion. Consort Sun only knew that Baili Le was humiliated at Prince Chen's mansion and hugged Hong Yicheng. She absolutely wouldn't have anything to do with Hong Yicheng and was determined to find someone to suppress the matter. But why did they die so quickly? Baili Le was so panicked at the time, so it couldn't have been her!
Consort Sun hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, Hong Wantang and Hong Yicheng are dead? Why would they die? Le'er was humiliated at Prince Chen's residence and just came back to complain to me. The time in between is only the journey. How could they have had time to have someone kill them? There must be some conspiracy involved. This underhanded act is really suspicious."
Emperor Mingxian's eyes flickered slightly. Although he did not speak, Consort Sun was secretly pleased. This meant that Emperor Mingxian also had some doubts. That was good. No matter who did it, the most important thing now was to clear Baili Le's name.
"The Empress has arrived!" Just then, an announcement rang out from outside. Upon hearing this, Consort Sun's heart sank for some reason.
However, in the moment she was lost in thought, the Empress had already entered the hall with more than ten people and hurriedly greeted Emperor Mingxian: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects."
"Why is the Empress here too? Get up," Emperor Mingxian said calmly.
The Empress slowly rose, glanced at Baili Le who was huddled behind Consort Sun, and sighed, "To be honest, Your Majesty, I have heard that the Fifth Princess is having an affair with a man in Prince Chen's residence. I have come to verify this."
Baili Le suddenly widened her eyes and said, "No, it's all because Hong Yicheng has ulterior motives and ill intentions. He's clearly doing it on purpose. I, the princess, will never marry such a wolf in sheep's clothing!" As she spoke, she had a ruthless look on her face. The Empress heard this, but a smile flashed in her eyes.
The Empress said, "Fifth Princess, I understand your difficulties, but this matter is not for you to act recklessly. To undress in front of so many people, and even embrace a man—if you like that man, you can tell your mother. To do something so unbecoming and impolite in front of everyone, do you think you can hide this? Your Majesty, so this person is Hong Yicheng? Although Hong Yicheng hasn't yet passed the imperial examinations, as the eldest son of the Crown Prince's tutor, his learning is not bad; otherwise, he wouldn't be called a great scholar." "One of the three great talents of the Three Kingdoms, although this marriage is not entirely satisfactory, I believe that Hong Yicheng still has room for growth and should be carefully nurtured. In this way, our royal family will gain another talented individual, which is a wonderful thing." The Empress smiled faintly and spoke eloquently, "I think this marriage should be done sooner rather than later, and it will also let the whole world know that as long as a young man is truly talented, our royal princess can marry him. This will also promote competition among the people, which is not a bad thing either." The Empress looked at Emperor Mingxian with great anticipation.
Emperor Mingxian glanced at the Empress and sensed that her expression seemed genuine, so he couldn't help but say, "The Empress doesn't know yet, does she?"
The Empress said, "Does Your Majesty already have a decision in mind? I am naturally all ears."
Baili Le couldn't help but exclaim, "Hong Yicheng is already dead! Do you expect me, the princess, to marry a dead man?!"
"What! Hong Yicheng is dead? How is that possible? Wasn't he still in the Prince Chen's residence? How could he be dead like this?" the Empress exclaimed in shock. Upon hearing this, Baili Le's eyes darted around as she said, "That's right, how could Hong Yicheng suddenly die? It's clearly something that my seventh brother and sister-in-law did. They're trying to pin the blame on me. Father and Mother, you must stand up for Le'er!"
The Empress was extremely surprised: "What exactly happened here? How did it all get involved with Chen'er again? Your Majesty, this..."
Emperor Mingxian said, "Hong Wantang and Hong Yicheng were preparing to enter the palace, but on their way there, they were suddenly attacked by a group of men in black. They and their guards were all killed, leaving no survivors."
The Empress was shocked: "This is outrageous! How could such a thing happen in the capital? This must be investigated! They must be severely punished! These people cannot be allowed to escape justice!" But then she thought again, "These people were on their way to the palace. What motive did Chen'er and the others have to kill them? Could it be..." The Empress looked at Baili Le and suddenly roared, "Le'er, was it you? From the moment I entered Mingxiang Palace, you resisted marrying Hong Yicheng. Is that why you killed them? Hong Wantang is a high-ranking official in the court, and also your Crown Prince..." "You confidante of the Empress, who are you doing this for!" The Empress was extremely angry, and these words revealed her true feelings. The biggest beneficiary after Hong Yicheng's death was Baili Le. There are no secrets in the palace. The fact that Baili Le wanted Xuan Yuan Chaohua to take the initiative to propose marriage has spread. Who knew that she would suddenly do something unbecoming of her status at the Prince Chen's residence, and even have physical contact with a man? This is an extremely despicable act. Of course, although Baili Le is innocent, it is a fact that she has lost her chastity. Even if Xuan Yuan Chaohua is just a subject, he is not an ordinary subject.
Leaving aside the fact that he commands a large army, even Emperor Mingxian is quite wary of him. As for Princess Shuangxia, Emperor Mingxian wouldn't do anything to chill her heart, or even the hearts of the people. Therefore, Xuanyuan Chaohua wouldn't marry Baili Le. But Hong Yicheng's death changes everything. Baili Le didn't actually lose her virginity to him. Although her innocence is ruined, as long as the emperor wants to suppress the matter, there's still a high possibility that her marriage to Xuanyuan Chaohua will proceed. If Baili Le holds such thoughts, then wouldn't Hong Yicheng be her biggest enemy in marrying Xuanyuan Chaohua? It's entirely possible that he would take such drastic measures to kill her and silence her.
Consort Sun narrowed her phoenix eyes, a hint of malice in them, but spoke softly, "Your Majesty, you're mistaken. Le'er was just humiliated; she's only a child, terrified and unsure what to do. She ran away from Prince Chen's residence in such a short time. How could she have had time to order someone to do such a thing? I believe someone deliberately framed Le'er. If we believe it was Le'er's doing, we'll fall into that person's trap." As she spoke, she looked at the Empress with a chilling expression. Why did the Empress arrive just as the Emperor was beginning to have doubts, and at such a convenient time? Although the Empress hadn't initially known about Hong Yicheng and Hong Wantang's deaths, nor had she mentioned it, couldn't this be part of her act? She knew this vicious woman very well.
The Empress sighed, "Consort Sun, I understand your deep love for your daughter, but the most suspicious person in this matter is Le'er. Not only does she have a motive to kill, but she also has the excuse of not having time, as you said. Le'er is also very clever and quick-witted since she was little, and everyone likes her very much. The Emperor even sent a team of secret guards to protect her. Didn't Le'er take a few people with her when she left the palace this time? With just one order, these secret guards are experts at assassination. Le'er, you came back alone. Where are those secret guards? This matter must be clarified, otherwise it will chill the hearts of all the civil and military officials. The dignified Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince died on his way to the palace. How can people think of you?" "Even if your mother believes you are innocent, who outsiders would believe it? You...you are so impulsive! Do you think that because your father loves you, he can forgive all your mistakes? Don't you think about it? Which of those who bring disaster to the country and its people has ever benefited? Which dynasty throughout history didn't rise up in rebellion and overthrow the dynasty because of its pursuit of pleasure and disregard for its ministers and the people? Le'er, your father has been diligent and conscientious in serving the court and the people all these years, never daring to be negligent in the slightest. Do you want to destroy all of this because of your one act of willfulness? Is this the filial piety that children should have? You are simply too reckless! You have no sense of propriety at all!"
The empress's words at first seemed plausible, but by the end she seemed to have already decided that Baili Le was the murderer. Baili Le hurriedly retorted in alarm, "No, I didn't do it, I absolutely didn't! Father, I'm innocent, I'm wronged! Someone wanted to harm me, just like Mother said, I didn't have time at all!"
The Empress said, “Consort Sun is your birth mother, so it’s normal for her to consider your feelings in this matter. However, it would be great if you could admit your mistake and make amends. If you confess, the Emperor might be lenient because of your honesty. But if you insist on not confessing, I’m afraid the Emperor won’t be able to protect you.”
Emperor Mingxian's brows furrowed immediately: "Guards, lock the Fifth Princess in jail. We'll decide what to do after we've investigated the matter!"
"No, Father, I am innocent! Someone is trying to frame me! Empress, how could you hate me so much? How could you do this to me? You deserve to die a horrible death!" Baili Le was furious. Ever since she was in the Prince Chen's residence, she had been manipulated and humiliated, which had already filled her with hatred. This Empress was actually using this opportunity to pressure her and try to harm her. Baili Le had lived in the palace for many years. Even if she acted recklessly, she wasn't stupid. Couldn't she see that the Empress was forcing her?
"Shut up! You made a mistake and still tried to slander others. How dare you call me Empress? You have no sense of propriety and respect for others. Consort Sun, you are truly cunning. You have raised your daughter to be so arrogant and unruly. Well, are you resenting me now?" Emperor Mingxian shouted.
Baili Le was so frightened that she shut her mouth, but both she and Consort Sun changed their expressions at the same time. Consort Sun was about to answer when Emperor Mingxian said impatiently, "Guards, take the Fifth Princess away. I will make a decision later. Return to the Imperial Study." After giving the order, Emperor Mingxian turned and left without saying a word to Empress Consort Sun. Several guards came to take Baili Le away at the same time.
Baili Le was terrified: "Father, Father, I was wrong, I was wrong, Father, please don't arrest me, Father!" Baili Le struggled as she was pulled away, craning her neck and pleading, "Mother, save me! You must save me!"
Baili Le was known for her ruthlessness, but Emperor Mingxian always suppressed these matters out of favor. Baili Le never cared about others, and she didn't think that even if Hong Wantang and Hong Yicheng died, it would mean nothing to her. But now it seemed she was wrong. If her father were to take drastic action, wouldn't she be unjustly killed? Baili Le was terrified and kept screaming her innocence, but wherever she went, everyone lowered their heads and pretended to be deaf and dumb. This time, it was Emperor Mingxian who wanted to arrest Baili Le, and he personally gave the order. By screaming her innocence, wasn't Baili Le attacking Emperor Mingxian? Was she telling everyone that Emperor Mingxian was not a wise ruler and that he only did things that wronged people? After Baili Le's outburst, even if Emperor Mingxian had some doubts or even sympathy for her, it was probably gone.
"Quickly, stop the Fifth Princess from calling!" Upon hearing this, Consort Sun immediately ordered her maids to go and stop her, but the Empress's people were a few steps faster and blocked her way, with the Empress herself standing in front of Consort Sun.
"Empress, what are you doing? Get out of the way!" Consort Sun said urgently.
The Empress sneered, "Consort Sun, I'm doing this for your own good. Stepping forward at a time like this will only make the Emperor dislike you more. It hasn't been easy for you to enjoy such favor all these years. Now that you're getting old and can't keep up, you keep sending young women into the palace. Are you going to let the Fifth Princess ruin everything just to secure your favor?" Seeing Consort Sun's expression change, the Empress's eyes grew even colder. "I've been quite evenly matched with Consort Sun over the years, and I have to say something this time. Consort Sun, you still have the Fifth Prince, whom you should be cultivating with all your might. Over the years, you've had the Fifth Princess shield you from many troubles. Although the Fifth Princess is still very useful, this time she dared to make such a grave mistake. I think you should think of someone else to replace her."
Consort Sun's beautiful eyes blazed with fury: "Empress, you did this, didn't you? You deliberately framed Le'er!"
The Empress sneered, "Consort Sun, you need evidence to support your claims. Even if the Emperor favors you greatly, I have the right to punish you for maliciously framing me. Consort Sun, you are such a clever woman, how can you not understand this principle? Your anger and baseless accusations will only further damage your image in the Emperor's eyes. Once you lose his favor, what will you have left to compete with me?" The Empress then said calmly, "Consort Sun, that's all you have to say. You'd better watch yourself. The Fifth Princess dared to commit such a heinous act against loyal officials; she will pay the price! Return to the palace!"
Watching the Empress leave with her entourage, Consort Sun was furious. Now she understood everything. Even if the Empress wasn't the mastermind, she was definitely involved in this matter. It must have been her evil scheme. How hateful!
At Prince Chen's residence, the banquet wasn't very lively because of Baili Le's incident and Hong Yicheng's downfall. However, in order not to spoil the fun for Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue, no one left.
Ouyang Yue and Li Rushuang sat in the pavilion of the Chen Prince's Mansion. Li Rushuang didn't come to the Chen Prince's Mansion often, and even when she did, she didn't dare to wander around. Now, admiring the beautiful scenery of the Chen Prince's Mansion, she smiled slightly. Her fair face was flushed with a healthy, alluring pink, her eyes were pure and clear, and the pink lotus on her forehead was charming and holy. Li Rushuang was now completely different from the dark-skinned girl she used to be. Apart from her eyes still being as innocent as before and her personality still being straightforward, her temperament was constantly changing.
Ouyang Yue looked at her for a while, then couldn't help but ask, "Ru Shuang, what do you think of my brother?"
Li Rushuang was taken aback: "General Xuanyuan, what happened to him?" Ouyang Yue smiled and said, "I mean, what do you think of my brother as a man?"
Li Rushuang thought for a moment and said, "General Xuanyuan is both a scholar and a warrior. He received strict education from Princess Shuangxia since childhood. Everything he did was in accordance with the etiquette of the royal palace. He has an extraordinary and proud temperament, and he is also outstanding in appearance. He dotes on you and protects you very much. He is a rare good man."
"Yes, so what do you think of him as a woman's future partner?"
Li Rushuang was truly stunned this time, and it took her a while to react: "You mean..." Li Rushuang carefully examined Ouyang Yue's expression, her expression stiffening slightly. After thinking for a long time, she said, "General Xuanyuan is the perfect husband that all women in the world yearn for, but... he is too perfect, so perfect that it makes one feel uneasy. I have always admired General Xuanyuan, but it's not love, just admiration. I know my own limitations and won't have any unrealistic thoughts. The woman who marries him in the future will be very happy, but I have never thought about it."
Ouyang Yue's heart skipped a beat: "I never thought about it before. Now that an opportunity is in front of you, don't you want to take it?"
Li Rushuang shook her head: "No, I don't want to."
Ouyang Yue fell silent. "Yes, everyone has their own ambitions, and no one can force them." Then she smiled faintly. "Leaving aside my brother, Ru Shuang, you're not young anymore. Do you have someone you like?"
Li Rushuang shook her head, but halfway through, she paused, a blank, wooden image flashing through her mind, making her stiffen: "I think we should let things take their course. That ugly girl back then, she thought she might never get married, but now she's completely changed, and matchmakers come to our mansion every day to propose marriage. I'm not in a hurry. If possible, I only want to find a man like Prince Chen and you, someone with whom I can have mutual affection and a loving relationship. Even if he's a commoner, I don't care."
She herself possessed the soul of a modern person, while Li Rushuang was a true ancient woman. However, Li Rushuang was different from typical young ladies of high society; having grown up in a military camp, she was naturally forthright and straightforward, and her thoughts were naturally different from those of other wealthy young ladies. Ouyang Yue liked Li Rushuang very much, but unfortunately, she refused to become her sister-in-law.
The surname Xuanyuan holds a unique significance in the Great Zhou Dynasty, coveted by countless people, yet also carrying immense troubles. If Li Rushuang were to marry Xuanyuan Chaohua, she might very well meet a violent end at any moment. Without a strong heart, she couldn't bear the responsibility of being Xuanyuan Chaohua's wife—a point Ouyang Yue understood. Perhaps Li Rushuang harbored a slight affection, but it wasn't to the point where she would risk everything. She was a rare and discerning woman, and besides, matters of the heart couldn't be forced. One was her brother, the other her friend; she didn't want things to escalate to the point of pleasing neither side. In such matters, she had to respect the parties involved.
That very day, Emperor Mingxian dispatched men to search for the missing guards, but to no avail. Although Baili Le was imprisoned, her treatment was far superior to that of others. That night, two guards suddenly entered the palace. Upon questioning, the emperor, as his personal guards, immediately confessed that Baili Le had indeed ordered the murder of Hong Wantang, Hong Yicheng and his son, along with their entourage. Their reasoning was that Baili Le didn't want to marry Hong Yicheng, and their deaths would ensure no one would investigate. If Baili Le had been lucid, she probably wouldn't have given such an order, or would have been more discreet. However, she was furious and terrified, rushing to the palace to seek help from Consort Sun. She couldn't think of anything else and impulsively gave the order.
When these secret guards were assigned to Baili Le, Emperor Mingxian said that they should obey Baili Le's orders in everything. Naturally, the secret guards dared not say anything and did as he said, killing Hong Wantang and his son and others on the way.
Emperor Mingxian was furious and immediately ordered his men to poison Baili Le, rendering him mute. As the saying goes, "loose lips sink ships," but because Emperor Mingxian deeply loved Baili Le, he simply sent him out of the palace to a nunnery to live out his days, never to return. To the outside world, he only claimed that Baili Le had been poisoned, thus speaking on behalf of Hong Wantang and his son. At this point, no one questioned the truth; everyone praised Emperor Mingxian for his fair dealings and considered him a wise and benevolent ruler.
Upon hearing this news, Consort Sun fainted in Mingxiang Palace.
Inside the carriage leaving the city, Baili Le was bound, blood dripping from her mouth, her face contorted in pain and agony. Emperor Mingxian had poisoned Baili Le to silence her, fearing she would speak out of turn. Since he publicly declared her dead, he naturally wouldn't allow another Baili Le to reappear; poisoning her to silence her was a shrewd solution. However, Baili Le, a princess by birth, was to be confined to a life of quiet contemplation. How could she endure such suffering? Her hatred for Emperor Mingxian and the Empress intensified, and she even resented Consort Sun for not doing her best to save her, leaving her to face such a tragic fate.
However, just as the carriage secretly left the city gate, a series of loud bangs suddenly rang out outside. Baili Le couldn't help but strain her ears, trying to hear what was happening outside. However, the sounds outside grew louder and louder, seemingly the sounds of weapons clashing. Baili Le was immediately overjoyed; it must be her mother coming to rescue her. She quickly stuck her head out and saw that the people who had escorted her out of the city were all lying on the ground. To avoid attracting attention, Emperor Mingxian had sent many men, all of them skilled fighters, yet they had all been beaten up.
"Yiyi..." Baili Le called out, but only a broken single syllable came out.
The men in black knelt down one after another: "Your servants are acting on the orders of Consort Sun to save the princess."
Baili Le nodded hurriedly and gestured continuously. The men in black, not understanding what was going on, bowed their heads and said, "Fifth Princess, Consort Sun has instructed that the Fifth Princess cannot return to the palace for the time being. This is to protect the princess's safety. Therefore, this servant will escort the princess to a safe place next."
Upon hearing this, Baili Le nodded hurriedly. One of the men draped Baili Le over himself and used his lightness skill to fly a distance with a few light touches of the ground. The men in black behind him destroyed all the carriages. Emperor Mingxian sent people to protect Baili Le, but these people did not need to go back. As long as they did a good job, Emperor Mingxian, who was preparing to abandon Baili Le, would naturally not ask any questions.
Baili Le felt dizzy and lightheaded, but after a long while, she was awakened by the pungent smell. She frowned, finding something extremely offensive. "My mother is really something," she thought, "not even choosing a better place! And the maids here are so incompetent, using such cheap perfumes. Once I recover, I'll definitely punish them." However, when she looked around, she frowned again. The room was a riot of red and green, with plenty of layers of gauze, but the jade and antiques were cheap and vulgar, completely incomparable to her princess palace. Baili Le also noticed that she was alone in the room. Just as she was mentally listing all the bad things about the room, the door opened.
Baili Le's face immediately darkened. A figure slowly approached, but the closer the figure got, the more Baili Le felt something was wrong.
With a "whoosh!", when the curtain was lifted, Baili Le saw a lewd face, with a pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks, both ugly and unsettling. However, the man rubbed his hands together, constantly looking Baili Le up and down, and then walked out again. Just as Baili Le was wondering what was going on, he heard voices.
"Look carefully, and from now on you must take good care of her. You absolutely cannot let anything happen to her." Baili Le recognized the voice as belonging to Hongyu, the personal maid of her mother. Then a male voice rang out: "Please rest assured, young lady, I will definitely take good care of her."
"You can go out now," Hongyu said directly, and the man had already turned and left.
Then Hongyu came over, but didn't come in. Instead, she stood outside the gauze curtain and said, "Princess, please stay here in peace. The Imperial Concubine doesn't have a better solution right now. The Imperial Concubine and the Empress are fighting fiercely. If we just hide you away, the Empress might find out, and then the Princess would be in great danger. That's why Imperial Concubine Sun thought of bringing you here. As long as you wait a few more days, the Princess will be fine." After saying that, Hongyu quickly left.
Although Baili Le was very dissatisfied with the place and was furious, he knew there was nothing he could do now. However, after Hongyu left, the lewd man actually went back into the room, went directly into the gauze curtain, and stared at Baili Le with his lecherous eyes. This royal family was full of handsome men and beautiful women. Even Baili Zhi, who was the least good-looking, was only said to be average among this group. Outside, he would be considered above average handsome. One could imagine how good-looking Baili Le must be.
The way the man looked at her made Baili Le want to vomit. In a fit of rage, she grabbed the porcelain pillow from the bed and smashed it over the man's head. In her eyes, he was just a servant hired by her mother, so what difference would it make if she beat him to death?
The man was stunned by Baili Le's actions and was hit squarely on the head, bleeding profusely. He roared in fury, "You bitch, how dare you hit me!"
Baili Le stood tall, her chest puffed out. As a princess of the Great Zhou Dynasty, what could he do even if she beat him to death? Although Baili Le couldn't speak, her expression and actions were very vivid. The man immediately gritted his teeth: "Damn it, you slut, do you know where you are? You still dare to act tough with me. Men, pin this slut to the bed!"
The man's angry and ferocious expression made him look even uglier. Baili Le was shocked and angrily pointed her finger, accusing him in a furious tone. How could she, a princess, be bullied by a dog when she was down on her luck?!
A dozen or so men rushed into the room shortly afterward: "Master, what should we do with this woman?" one of them asked.
"What are you doing? I was just taking a second look, and this bitch dared to hit me. Humph, I'm going to use her to vent my anger right now!" The group immediately understood, and one of them said, "But didn't the woman who threw away so much money say that she was going to be taken good care of? What if something happens to her? Won't we be in trouble?"
"Trouble? What trouble? Have you forgotten where this is? This is a den of iniquity for men. No matter how chaste and virtuous a woman is, she'll have to obey me here. She's got a stubborn streak, isn't she? I'll make her obey. Then I'll throw her out to serve customers until she submits. I'm not afraid of those men coming; I have ways to make this slut obey." Upon hearing this, Baili Le immediately understood. This was clearly a brothel. Her mother had actually thrown her here, and this man dared to treat her like this! Her mother was incredibly stupid. What was she going to do?!
"Ah!" Baili Le was so frightened that she jumped off the bed and tried to escape. However, with so many strong men in the room, it would be a miracle if she got away. She had barely jumped off the bed when she was forced back onto it.
The man with the pointed lip sneered: "Stripped! I had my fun today, and you'll all get a taste!"
"Aaaaah!" Baili Le screamed angrily, but only broken monosyllables came out. With her limbs held down, all she could see were the men's disgusting laughter pressing down on her.
The princess of the mighty Zhou Dynasty was actually defiled by a group of pimps from a brothel. Baili Le was so angry that she trembled all over, but gradually her voice changed and her dazed mind became increasingly unclear.
Next door to this room, a woman dressed in rich blue silk was sitting and drinking tea. Hearing the groans coming from next door, she revealed a cold smile: "Baili Le, haven't you always been fighting with this princess? Let's see who wins now!" The woman's voice was also cold. Upon closer inspection, it was none other than the Second Princess, Baili Jing.
Several women stood beside her, one of whom suddenly laughed and said, "The princess's schemes are truly brilliant. The empress has really wasted her talents by entrusting this matter to the princess."
Immediately, another maidservant chimed in, "Huang Cui, you can't even switch back from Hong Yu's voice? It makes me uncomfortable."
Huang Cuihuan, who had spoken earlier, laughed: "Oh dear, I just thought it was funny. The Fifth Princess is still foolish enough to think that this was arranged by Consort Sun, haha, let her continue like this in a daze. Not only was she defiled, but she also ended up hating the wrong person. The princess's scheme is truly brilliant."
Baili Jing sneered: "She's just a stupid brain. If it weren't for the Emperor's favor towards her, do you think she would have lived this long? This time, Your Majesty was furious and sent her out of the palace. She'll never be able to come back. Do you think the Emperor will care about a princess who has fallen out of favor? How to deal with her is up to me."
“Your Highness is wise. In the past, this Fifth Princess always flaunted her power in front of Your Highness, which made me uncomfortable. Now that she has said something disgusting, I feel very relieved,” Huang Cui continued.
Another maid, Huang Lian, laughed and said, "Yes, that's not all. The Fifth Princess is going to have to do something like being ridden by a thousand men and having ten thousand men as pillows. It's disgusting to death every day. After that, I went to the person in charge and told them to destroy any chance she could have to escape. The Fifth Princess has beautiful handwriting. What if the news gets leaked?"
Baili Jing laughed: "You two are both very capable, so you can handle this matter. By the way, don't kill her, she might be of great use in the future."
Huang Cui and Huang Lian quickly agreed with smiles. Baili Jing finished her tea in one gulp, waved her hand, and someone immediately put a veil on her face as she mysteriously left the unknown brothel. Meanwhile, Baili Le, a princess of the Great Zhou Dynasty and the most favored princess of Emperor Mingxian, found her tragic life far from over. The men tormented her daily in various ways, forcing her to suppress even her usual arrogance. Could she not? These men were inhuman; what kind of lecherous customers would make her serve clients for a few copper coins? She felt nauseous looking at them; how could she not compromise to avoid such torment?
But in her heart, she harbored deep resentment towards Consort Sun. If her mother hadn't made such poor arrangements, allowing these people to succeed, would she, the dignified Fifth Princess, have been subjected to such humiliation by these lowly women? She hated it! But as she thought about it, a thought gradually rose in her mind: Could it be that her mother was doing this on purpose? Now that she was no longer of any use, her mother wanted to torture her to death in this way? Was this to shut her up and prevent her and her Fifth Brother from being implicated? Although this matter didn't make sense, how could Hongyu explain it? Hongyu had simply abandoned her here without even leaving anyone to serve her. If not for that, would these people have dared to be so bold?