Mu Yunhe was terrified. He was afraid that he would lose Luo Zhiheng because of this. The moment the scene appeared before his eyes, he had a feeling that he was about to lose Luo Zhiheng. But he couldn't lose her. Why was she looking at him like that? He just wanted to protect Aheng.
"How ridiculous! Luo Zhiheng, what are you pretending to be so innocent for? Don't you even recognize yourself? What have you done that you still want Mu Yunhe to cover for you? Have you become so despicable and shameless?" A cold voice, full of sarcasm and gloating, rang out from behind.
Luo Zhiheng felt a wave of dizziness. Mu Yunhe had already rushed up behind her, his face full of gloom as he roared at the painter, "How dare you insult and slander my wife like this! You can't even sever your wicked roots with one arm? Very well! Since you're courting death, then I don't mind annihilating your Zhuge family!"
Mu Yunhe's words revealed the identity of the painter, shocking everyone!
Luo Zhiheng was equally shocked: "You really are Zhuge Hualuan?"
"Who else but her would be here playing tricks on you? You're too kind. Even when you were seriously injured by Zhuge Hualuan, you still pleaded for her and begged me to spare her life. But look at you now, this vicious viper has turned around and repaid kindness with enmity by slandering you like this. Today, I will destroy her, and you are not allowed to stop me!" Mu Yunhe's powerful composure returned, and all his words brought people back to the grudges and affections between the two of them on the day of the competition.
The accusations against Luo Zhiheng subsided instantly, replaced by suspicion directed at Zhuge Hualuan. After all, they knew of the feud between Zhuge Hualuan and Luo Zhiheng; Zhuge Hualuan had nearly killed Luo Zhiheng and crippled her arm for life, while Mu Yunhe had severed one of Zhuge Hualuan's arms. Could it be that those paintings were actually Zhuge Hualuan's attempt to slander and defame Luo Zhiheng?
But the question is, is the woman in front of me Zhuge Hualuan?
"That's right, I am Zhuge Hualuan!" The woman suddenly pulled off her veil, revealing a face so gaunt that it was unrecognizable as her former beauty. Her eyes, filled with gloom, glared at Luo Zhiheng and shouted, "But everything depicted in the scrolls today is true! She, Luo Zhiheng, was raped before coming to the Southern Dynasty! And these scrolls depict Luo Zhiheng's return to the Mu Prince's mansion after being raped!"
One sentence caused a huge uproar!
The entire audience was so shocked that their expressions changed drastically!
"Nonsense! I'll kill you!" Mu Yunhe roared in fury, swiftly drawing the steel sword from the guard in front of the palace and slashing at Zhuge Hualuan.
"Yun He, stop! You're aiding and abetting evil! If Luo Zhiheng is innocent, why are you afraid of her saying it? Are you trying to cover up Luo Zhiheng's shame out of anger?" Mu Qingya suddenly stood up and shouted!
The entire scene was in chaos. Mu Yunhe was like a demon, and no one could control him.
Luo Zhiheng's face turned deathly pale. A mocking smile suddenly appeared on her face, and gradually, she burst into laughter. The clear, loud laughter sounded eerily strange at that moment, leaving everyone staring at her in disbelief. Mu Qingya disdainfully questioned, "What are you laughing at?"
Luo Zhiheng laughed until tears welled up in her eyes. Suddenly, she took a few quick steps and slammed all the flowers onto Zhuge Hualuan's face with a loud thud, saying emphatically, "I laugh at your clumsy methods! I laugh at your exposed scheme! I laugh at you pretending to be noble while wearing a treacherous hat! Idiot, listen up, the person in this painting is not me!"
244 The Princess has arrived! Favorable accusations! Condemned by all!
Updated: 2013-08-10 11:39:19 Word Count: 7608
As soon as Luo Zhiheng finished speaking, the entire audience was shocked!
"Hmph! Just because you say it's not you doesn't mean it isn't you! Luo Zhiheng, do you think everyone is a fool? Do you think I'd be so stupid as to use some things I imagined to slander you? You're ridiculous, and you underestimate me, Zhuge Hualuan. Let me tell you, everything in this scroll is true! Absolutely true! Do you think Mu Yunhe can cover up what has already happened? Let me tell you, someone saw it!" Zhuge Hualuan shouted with a sinister look in her eyes.
"If you're going to frame me, at least be a little more clever. Do you think that painting an obscene picture on my face makes me who I am? That only makes it easier to see how despicable you are!" Luo Zhiheng suddenly bent down and picked up one of the paintings on the ground. It was the most obscene one. The woman in the painting had bloodstains and ambiguous bruises on her body. She was barely clothed, and coincidentally, her chest was also exposed.
Luo Zhiheng pointed at the woman's chest in the painting and sneered, "Look carefully, this woman's chest is completely bare. How do you know my chest is bare? Did you draw it wrong, or did the person you said saw it with their own eyes make a mistake? Or have you forgotten? Zhuge Hualuan, you deliberately fabricated this to frame me. Is this the kind of family tradition your Zhuge family has? It's utterly shameful!"
Luo Zhiheng's correction caused Zhuge Hualuan's pupils to shrink. Luo Zhiheng was right; she had no idea what was on Luo Zhiheng's chest. The tattered clothes were deliberately painted on by her, and she had intentionally added those suggestive and suggestive marks to Luo Zhiheng's body. She deliberately slandered and humiliated Luo Zhiheng in her artwork; she wished the whole world would know that Luo Zhiheng had been raped!
So when she received this news, she went crazy and tried every means to sneak into the palace, just so that she could destroy Luo Zhiheng in front of all the officials and their families today!
With a fierce glint in his eyes, Zhuge Hualuan said in a sinister tone, "But you can't prove that the person in this painting isn't you. Who knows what's on your chest? Maybe this is just an excuse you're making to absolve yourself. You're just trying to confuse the public. Who do you think will believe you? If you don't want people to know, don't do it in the first place! Luo Zhiheng, you've lost your virginity, you're no longer pure, you're a used woman now! What face do you have to stand here arrogantly and swagger around in front of me? What right do you have to stand here?"
"I have the evidence to back up my claim. Just tell me, how dare you say that the person in here is me? Your slander today is beyond saving, even your family can't save you. Zhuge Hualuan, you also need to produce evidence to prove that this person is me, otherwise I will kill you on the spot, for the reason that you slandered me!" Luo Zhiheng wouldn't easily reveal what she relied on. She was determined to be the person Zhuge Hualuan claimed to be who witnessed all of this. But who exactly was she?
Zhuge Hualuan's face was pale, a flicker of panic crossing her eyes. She had no evidence! She only learned of this matter after receiving an anonymous letter detailing the time, place, and sequence of events surrounding Luo Zhiheng. She saw this as an opportunity to completely eliminate Luo Zhiheng, and fueled by resentment, she recklessly drew it all out. But her only evidence was the letter. 16605582
"If these events occurred in front of the Mu Dynasty's Prince Mu's Mansion, then the other woman in that painting must be my mother, right?" Mu Qingya suddenly asked casually. 17.
As soon as she spoke, Mu Yunhe turned around abruptly, looking at the Imperial Concubine who had just been affectionately calling him "sister" with a mixture of shock and fear in his eyes.
Mu Qingya seemed not to notice Mu Yunhe's expression and said with a serious face, "If the other woman inside is indeed my mother, then she is also one of the parties involved. As for whether this matter is true or not, I think only those who were present at the time have the right to speak."
"What do you mean?" Luo Zhiheng turned around and looked coldly at the aloof Mu Qingya.
"What do you mean? It means that I will stand up for my only younger brother. I will not allow my younger brother to have a slut who is no longer chaste and pure by his side! It means that I must find out the truth and give Mu Yunhe justice! So whether you have really been raped or not, I will find the most powerful witness to prove it." Mu Qingya said with a fierce look in her eyes.
"Sister!!" Mu Yunhe hissed in dissatisfaction.
"Yunhe! Don't worry about it. You're just too kind and naive. For so many years, I haven't fulfilled my responsibilities as an older sister, causing you so much suffering. I've already wronged you so much. Do you know how much I miss you? I really can't bear to see you suffer even the slightest bit. Your body is already in such a state, and I'm powerless to help you. Are you going to let me just stand by and watch this despicable person deceive you and toy with your feelings? I can't do that! I absolutely won't allow anyone to use such a filthy and lowly body to humiliate the Mu Royal Mansion and hurt you!" Mu Qingya spoke righteously, her gaze filled with sorrow, a madness flickering in her eyes, and deep within were unbearable memories of the past.
The emperor's face stiffened sharply! His cold gaze swept over Mu Qingya. Others might not have noticed, but he could hear the intense hatred and lingering resentment in her words. She was indeed still harboring resentment over what happened back then! But, who was truly to blame for what happened back then?
"Sister, you don't know the whole story at all! Aheng hasn't disgraced the family, nor has she disgraced me! I don't need any fairness, because Aheng has never done anything to wrong me. Sister, you love me, but Aheng cares about me just as much. She has done many things for me that ordinary people cannot do. Her sacrifices for me are unimaginable to any of you! So I won't allow her to be hurt! Sister, please stop using such vile words to humiliate Aheng, because you don't understand the whole story!" Mu Yunhe's eyes were almost filled with frost, and his violently heaving chest made his words broken and intermittent, yet they sounded so cold, sharp, and piercing!
Zhuge Hualuan's expression changed, and she was just as shocked as everyone else! When these secrets were revealed and the ugly truth was torn apart, Mu Yunhe still protected Luo Zhiheng like this? Was this man truly foolish, or just too infatuated?
“Yes! I don’t understand the truth, the truth, and the whole story! That’s why I’m asking someone to uncover this secret you’ve been trying so hard to hide. Do you know that I’m doing this all for your own good? I won’t hurt you. Let’s have the other woman in the painting explain it. Coincidentally, she arrived today!” Mu Qingya said to Mu Yunhe with a strange smile, “And I think Yunhe must miss her very much.”
Before Mu Yunhe could stop her, Mu Qingya clapped her hands twice, and as soon as the sound faded, someone walked in. The slow footsteps drew everyone's attention, and they began to whisper among themselves about who it was.
Mu Yunhe and Luo Zhiheng looked against the light, and were both shocked when they saw the person's face! However, while Luo Zhiheng was shocked, she was also worried, while Mu Yunhe's shock was filled with uncontrollable anger and fear!
"Mother?" Luo Zhiheng exclaimed first. In that instant, she rushed over and, seeing the travel-worn Princess and Mama Hu, naturally took the Princess's arm and said with concern, "Why did you come? The journey is so long, how can your body withstand it?"
The moment Luo Zhiheng took her arm, the princess froze, her face turned pale, and she avoided looking at Luo Zhiheng with a slightly evasive gaze, stiffly saying, "I'm not tired."
"Are you afraid? Because if you've done something wrong, she'll expose you completely today! So you don't want her to come?" Mu Qingya said sarcastically from her high and mighty position. Her clear eyes turned cold and ferocious the moment she saw the princess slowly entering! If the light in her eyes could be turned into sharp arrows, the princess would probably already be riddled with holes and bleeding to death.
You've finally arrived! We've been waiting for you. Now it's time to deliver the second surprise!
The princess's accusations against Luo Zhiheng will not only damage their dry cleaning relationship but also cause Mu Yunhe to harbor resentment towards the princess, putting her in a difficult position. This is a triple win; she can eliminate three enemies without lifting a finger, plunging them into eternal sorrow!
Mu Wangfu, Mother, Mu Yunhe, Luo Zhiheng, today you will all suffer a fate worse than death, and be doomed forever. Come and taste the pain and despair I felt back then!
"Qingya..." Upon hearing Mu Qingya's voice, the princess suddenly raised her head to look at the woman dressed in dark red. She felt a piercing pain as she looked at Mu Qingya's mocking and sarcastic face and her cold attitude. The princess's heart sank heavily. Suddenly remembering something, she trembled violently as if struck by lightning.
"Mother? What's wrong?" Luo Zhiheng anxiously supported the princess. Seeing the princess's pale face, she couldn't help but angrily say to Mu Qingya, "That's enough! This is a matter between us juniors. Why are you dragging Mother into this? Did you bring Mother here? Are you trying to hurt me because of what happened today? If you have a problem, come at me. Why bother Mother?"
Mu Qingya burst into laughter, saying in a strange and sarcastic tone, "How filial! What a good daughter-in-law! But Luo Zhiheng, you think too highly of yourself, don't you? What does this have to do with me? My mother's presence was merely a coincidence. Today, I've chosen a son to adopt. I finally have a son! As my biological mother, shouldn't she come to see and congratulate me? Wouldn't that make her seem too heartless? I have a son; shouldn't my mother be the happiest? Don't believe me? Ask her if she's happy that I'm finally a mother again!"
Luo Zhiheng sensed a hidden meaning in Mu Qingya's words, but couldn't quite put her finger on it. She looked at the princess anxiously and said, "Please go back and rest. You don't look well."
"No need, I'm fine." The princess's tired voice was tinged with detachment and indifference. She slowly withdrew her arm, which was being supported by Luo Zhiheng, and walked forward with the help of Mama Hu.
Luo Zhiheng stood there, stunned, staring at her hand that had been pulled away, her expression momentarily surprised. Then, her hand was tightly grasped by a large, cold, thin hand, offering her the only fragile warmth amidst the coldness of the world.
She looked up, her face pale, and smiled, her eyes dim: "I seem to be quite unlikable."
Mu Yunhe pulled her into his arms and whispered, "Don't overthink it. Aheng, you still have me. Just the two of us, we don't need anyone else's understanding or support."
"Hmph! Since we've met by such a coincidence, then Mother, please tell me, did the things depicted in these paintings really happen? Please look carefully, lest you misread them because of your failing eyesight or forgetfulness, or your son might be wearing a green hat for the rest of his life." Mu Qingya showed no joy at seeing her mother for the first time after so many years, only coldly reminding her.
The princess looked at Mu Qingya with deep longing, guilt, and fear in her eyes, lost in a brief recollection.
Not long ago, she had just arrived at the Southern Dynasty's palace and was received by the Imperial Concubine! A daughter receiving her mother was done according to the etiquette for visiting guests. She, as Mu Qingya's mother, knelt before her daughter!
Mu Qingya remained seated in the main seat, watching with a faint smile as she knelt, kowtowed, and paid her respects. She made no attempt to stop her. Only after the ceremony was over did Mu Qingya have someone help her up. Her conversation with Mu Qingya was distant and cold, before she cut to the chase: "Before Mu Yunhe and the others arrived in the Southern Dynasty, did something very unpleasant happen?"
The princess was taken aback, but seeing Mu Qingya's unusually gentle expression, her heart warmed, and she quickly smiled and asked, "Which one is Qingya referring to?" She spoke to her daughter with utmost care, barely daring to breathe. She also desperately suppressed her longing for her daughter, afraid that Mu Qingya would show any disgust or rejection.
Mu Qingya raised an eyebrow and smiled, saying casually, "It's just... the story of Luo Zhiheng being raped."
The princess's blood froze instantly, her face turning deathly pale. Zhi Man came to Luanli.
The look of embarrassment, shock, and disgust on her face thoroughly amused Mu Qingya. Mu Qingya laughed loudly, "That's exactly the kind of expression you have! It's so rare! I thought I'd never see an expression like that on your face again in my life. Seeing it now makes me so happy! What? Luo Zhiheng, your daughter-in-law was raped, and you feel ashamed too? Are you going to tell me or not? Do you want to kick her out of the Mu Manor to avoid bringing shame to the Mu Manor?"
"Qingya!" The princess's voice became sharp and broken. She looked at her unfamiliar daughter in horror. At that moment, she knew that the hatred between her and her daughter had always existed and could never be resolved. Her kind and gentle daughter was covered with sharp edges and thorns. The past was too painful to recall and had become the most painful wound. Mu Qingya wrapped and hid it under the thorns. If she touched it, Mu Qingya would use the past as the sharpest weapon to attack her!
Mu Qingya was in pain, and so was she. But did the hatred between mother and daughter really have to continue like this forever? Besides, she didn't want Mu Qingya to mention Luo Zhiheng; it was a family scandal that shouldn't be aired in public!
Most importantly, how did Qingya find out about this?!
"You're curious how I know, aren't you? I won't tell you. But don't worry, I know your nature too well. How could you allow a woman who has already been defiled to stay in a noble mansion like the Mu Prince's residence? I, as your daughter, am your sweet little cotton-padded jacket, so how about I help you get rid of Luo Zhiheng? You just need to tell me everything when I ask you to, okay? Am I considerate? Are you willing?" Mu Qingya said with a very bloodthirsty and seductive tone.
The princess's face was deathly pale! She almost didn't recognize her daughter. Where had her gentle, kind, and obedient Qingya gone? Why did she feel that this woman was a female demon?
“That’s your own brother! Do you want me to undermine your brother in front of others? Even if you want to get rid of Luo Zhiheng, you can’t sacrifice your brother’s reputation. There must be a better way; there’s absolutely no need to say it in such a public setting.” The princess still cared about Mu Yunhe, so she hesitated.
"You really are biased! For Mu Yunhe, you can actually tolerate this kind of filthy thing that you absolutely cannot stand. Mother, you really break my heart," Mu Qingya said coldly.
The princess's expression changed drastically, and she hurriedly said, "Qingya, don't be like this. It's not that your mother doesn't love you, but what happened back then can't be compared to what Yunhe is going through now. Yunhe is the young prince of the Mu family; he is the face and backbone of the Mu family. Your mother can't let him be tainted by such unclean sins. It's not that your mother doesn't want to drive Luo Zhiheng away, but now she is related to your brother's life and death. Your mother can't act rashly."
"Hahaha! Listen to this, I really have to applaud you! What powerful, selfish, and ruthless reasons! Am I really like you? So heartless and cold-blooded? You even schemed against and used Mu Yunhe's savior, and after using her, you want to exile Luo Zhiheng to the frontier, right? Let me think about what methods my mother would use to scheme against Luo Zhiheng, who has no use to her? Assassination? Poisoning? Or just imprisoning her to death? You're capable of all of these, aren't you?" Mu Qingya sneered with a mocking and eerie tone.
The princess pressed her lips together, her heart aching, and she was speechless.
Mu Qingya said coldly and ruthlessly, "Enough! I don't care about your methods. Just remember this: if you want me to forgive the harm you caused me back then, then you have to listen to me today. I will definitely get rid of Luo Zhiheng today. If you help me, you will still be my mother. If you don't help me, from this day forward, we will be completely estranged. We will no longer be mother and daughter, but only hatred! Don't blame me for being heartless then!"
"Qingya! It's not that I don't want to help you, but your brother will be ruined!" the princess said hesitantly. Mu Qingya's words were so resolute, how could she, as a mother, want her daughter to sever ties with her? But today, by accusing Luo Zhiheng, she was putting Mu Yunhe in the eye of the storm, and she absolutely could not bear it.
"Please be fair to me, okay? We were both raped, but how did you treat me back then? You wished I would marry someone else immediately, you didn't want me to stay at home for even a day longer, you wouldn't even look at me, you were ashamed of me! You looked down on me and loathed me, you even hated me back then, right? So why did you tolerate Luo Zhiheng being raped? I'm afraid it's because of Mu Yunhe, isn't it? I've seen enough of your favoritism! But I'm so merciful, I can tolerate your favoritism and even help you get rid of Luo Zhiheng, so stop talking nonsense. If you don't help me today, I will make sure Mu Yunhe never leaves the Southern Dynasty!" Mu Qingya said, almost touching the princess's face, each word uttered with extreme malice.
The princess almost collapsed to the ground, while Mu Qingya resolutely left.
With that final decision, she was powerless to resist any longer!
I thought my daughter had finally come to her senses and missed me, which is why I brought her here. But I never expected that this would be the result.
"Mother? Why don't you take a look at those paintings? You must look at them carefully!" Mu Qingya woke the princess from her reverie with a serious expression.
The princess stared blankly at Mu Qingya. Her expression was tense and solemn, as if she were truly concerned about her younger brother. However, the princess felt a chill in her heart because she had recently experienced Mu Qingya's ruthlessness and coldness firsthand!
Did she ruin her daughter with her own hands? If so, this situation is her retribution!
On one hand, there's her daughter whom she has neglected so much, and on the other hand, there's her son, whom she cherishes dearly. Hurting either side would cause the princess pain.
“Mother! You know perfectly well what Aheng has done for her son. I cannot lose Aheng, and I hope you understand that!” Mu Yunhe said coldly.
He wouldn't waste any more words with his mother. He had already made it clear that if his mother truly couldn't accept Luo Zhiheng's loss of virginity, then he would take Aheng away from the Mu Prince's Mansion without her having to drive Aheng away! Even if he didn't have many days left, even if he couldn't give Aheng a stable place to live, at least while he was still alive, he wouldn't let Aheng live a life of misery and helplessness.
She deserves freedom and happiness. Since he is destined not to give her freedom, he will do everything in his power to make her happy! This will never change, even unto death!
"Yunhe, are you threatening Mother?" Mu Qingya immediately seized the opportunity, feigning a look of shock and anger.
The princess was clearly moved by Mu Yunhe's words. If Luo Zhiheng already wields such influence over Mu Yunhe, what will it be like in the future? It's likely that Mu Yunhe will listen to whatever Luo Zhiheng says. And what about her mother? If Luo Zhiheng were pure, it would be fine, but since Luo Zhiheng is no longer pure, she can't accept it.
Mu Yunhe also realized that her sister was targeting Luo Zhiheng, and her heart gradually cooled down. How could this ephemeral family affection, as fleeting as clouds and smoke, shake the bond of love and hardship between husband and wife?
Mu Yunhe's cold gaze fell upon Mu Qingya, and he said resolutely, "Sister, you would never understand how important Aheng is to me. No one can compare to Aheng!"
The princess looked up in shock, her pupils contracting sharply. Mu Yunhe's words were undoubtedly the fuse, shattering the last vestige of her resolve!
She couldn't let Luo Zhiheng ruin Mu Yunhe! Therefore, she had to destroy Luo Zhiheng before that happened!
The princess picked up the undamaged paintings, and a look of shock and bewilderment flashed in her eyes as she read the last one. She knew these paintings depicted real events, but not everything in them was true. At the very least, Luo Zhiheng had been completely covered by Mu Yunhe's clothes when she appeared in public that day. However, the princess did not defend Luo Zhiheng. Instead, she sadly threw down the paintings and, under the tense gazes of the crowd, slowly said, "Everything depicted here… truly did happen!"
With a deafening roar, the last glimmer of hope in people's hearts crumbled and shattered instantly!
What evidence could be more solid and convincing than the testimony of Mu Yunhe's biological mother? No mother would use such a thing to smear her own son! So, it must be true?!