The guards strode into the inner chamber, expressionless, and grabbed the Fifth Prince and Consort Li's arms, intending to drag them out. A panicked female voice rang out: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, have mercy..."
The curtain was lifted, revealing a beautiful young woman in her thirties. Her golden palace dress was embroidered with a beautiful phoenix, and a nine-tailed phoenix hairpin swayed and shone on her black hair. Her well-maintained face was full of worry and anxiety. She was none other than the Empress who had rushed over upon hearing the news.
At this moment, the Fifth Prince was being held tightly by the guards. His clothes were haphazardly put on, revealing most of his chest. The footprint on his chest was becoming increasingly clear. His jade crown was nowhere to be seen, and his hair was disheveled and hanging down his back. He looked extremely disheveled and no longer had his usual wisdom and decisiveness.
The Empress was heartbroken, her beautiful eyes filled with tears, and she knelt down before the Emperor: "Your Majesty, Che'er was confused for a moment. I beg you to have mercy and spare his life."
"Mother...Mother..." The Fifth Prince looked at the Empress who was pleading for him, his eyes slightly moist. He had always thought that the Empress's heart was with the Crown Prince and that she didn't care about him at all. He never expected that when he was in trouble, the first person to plead for him would be the Empress.
"You've come at the perfect time." The Emperor glared at the Empress, roaring furiously, "How have you raised your son all these years? Do you even know what he's done?"
"Your Majesty, Che'er is still a child. Whatever he has done wrong, it is my fault as his mother for not teaching him well. If you must punish him, punish me. I beg you to spare his life." The Empress pleaded in a low voice, her tone sincere.
The Fifth Prince's lips moved slightly, his nose stung with tears, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart.
"He cheated on me with my concubines, such a heinous act will be ridiculed by the whole world, how can you expect me to forgive him?" The Qingyan royal family has lost all face, beheading and drowning in a pig cage are not enough to vent their hatred.
The Empress looked at the Fifth Prince. He was thin, his face still showing signs of childhood innocence, and his clear eyes were filled with a deathly gray, which was heartbreaking. He was her own flesh and blood, only sixteen years old, with a bright future ahead of him. How could she just watch him die?
"Your Majesty, I am willing to take the blame for him." The prince and the concubine's affair is a heinous crime. If the fifth prince is not punished, the Qingyan royal family, especially the emperor, will surely become the laughing stock of the people.
The Fifth Prince was the son born to the Empress after ten months of pregnancy. He was beheaded, and she could not stand idly by. As a mother, she was willing to accept any punishment in place of her son.
"Mother!" The Fifth Prince's eyes welled up with tears, and his voice choked with emotion.
The emperor's sharp gaze, like a sword blade, suddenly shot towards the empress: "What? Do you think I'm a foolish ruler? Incapable of distinguishing right from wrong, black from white? To let the guilty go free while punishing his innocent mother?"
"That's not what I meant. As Empress Qingyan, I am just an ordinary woman and a mother. I cannot stand by and watch my own son be executed by his own father..."
"No one is perfect, everyone makes mistakes. Che'er is still a child, he doesn't understand human relationships and is bound to make mistakes... You are the Emperor of Qingyan, and also his biological father. You should give him a chance to reform, instead of beheading him and leaving him with no chance to atone for his sins..."
The Empress looked at the Emperor and spoke slowly and deliberately. When she got to the emotional part, tears streamed down her face. Everyone who heard her was deeply moved and sighed inwardly.
The emperor was also somewhat moved, and his tyrannical aura dissipated considerably. He looked up at Dongfang Che, whose thin figure and youthful handsome face were both similar to and different from the one he remembered.
"Your Majesty, even tigers don't eat their cubs. No matter what he did wrong, he is still your own son. I beg you to spare his life for the sake of his filial piety over the years..." the Empress said softly, bowing deeply to the Emperor.
The emperor sighed heavily. For many years, his attention had been focused on the crown prince and Prince Zhan, and he had indeed neglected this child. If a child is not taught, it is the father's fault. Dongfang Che made a mistake, and he, as the father, should also bear some responsibility.
"I can spare the Fifth Prince and Consort Li, but while they may be spared the death penalty, they will not escape punishment. Imprison the Fifth Prince and Consort Li for twenty years."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." A hint of joy flashed in the Empress's bright eyes. Whether she was imprisoned for twenty or thirty years, she had at least saved her life. As long as she was alive, there was hope!
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Consort Li, still shaken, knelt down to express her gratitude. Her heart, which had been pounding in her chest, gradually calmed down. For a moment, she thought she was going to die. Fortunately, the Empress arrived in time to save the Fifth Prince and herself.
It doesn't matter if she's locked up in jail; she'll find a way to get out as soon as possible.
"Thank you, Father!" The Fifth Prince knelt and bowed, his eyelids slightly lowered, making it impossible to see the expression in his eyes.
A large group of curious young people surrounded Yonghua Palace, including Li Youlan and the Crown Princess. When they saw Consort Li and the Fifth Prince being escorted out by the guards, they were first stunned, but then they understood what was going on. Their beautiful eyes widened in disbelief.
The Fifth Prince and Consort Li, this is too outrageous.
With her arms tied behind her back and her head slightly lowered, Consort Li walked slowly forward. As she passed Li Youlan, she secretly gave her a wink. In the instant Li Youlan was stunned, Consort Li had already passed her and continued walking slowly forward.
Shen Lixue stood at a distance, watching the disheveled couple being watched by onlookers, and shook her head and sighed: "Old foxes are indeed shrewder!"
Dongfang Heng wrapped his strong arms around Shen Lixue's shoulders and said teasingly, "What do you mean by that?"
"The interruption of the religious ceremony and the Emperor's arrival at Yonghua Palace to catch the adulterer are definitely not accidental, but deliberately arranged by someone!" Shen Lixue looked at Dongfang Zhan in the distance. He stood there quietly, elegant and noble, extraordinary, with a faint smile on his lips, which was unsettling, as if his scheme had succeeded: "If I'm not mistaken, he is the mastermind behind it all, and Yu Xin is his man!"
The prophecy of natural disasters led to the establishment of a new altar for rituals, but it was explicitly stated that princes were not allowed to ascend the high platform. Therefore, the Crown Prince, Prince Zhan, and the Fifth Prince would inevitably be watching the rituals from below the high platform.
The ritual would last for more than half an hour, and they would be confused if they couldn't see it clearly. Prince Zhan took the initiative and went to Yongning Palace, partly to visit the Empress Dowager and show his filial piety, and partly to try to get some information about the Emperor from her. The Crown Prince followed his example and went to Kunning Palace to find the Empress.
The Fifth Prince's relationship with the Empress was not as close as that with the Crown Prince, so he naturally wouldn't go to Kunning Palace. With his intelligence, he wouldn't be foolish enough to stand there waiting for the religious ceremony to end. Therefore, he would go to Yonghua Palace to find Consort Li and inquire about the Emperor's recent affairs from her.
After receiving Dongfang Zhan's signal, Yu Xin deliberately interrupted the ritual, claiming that it was interrupted by something filthy in the southwest. The emperor, furious, rushed to Yonghua Palace and caught Consort Li and the Fifth Prince in the act of adultery.
It was a perfect plan, with each step linked to the next, and the design was flawless. Dongfang Zhan was not only meticulous, but also had a very thorough understanding of Dongfang Che, and could clearly calculate every step he took. However, how did Dongfang Zhan know that the Fifth Prince and Consort Li were having an affair?
She didn't notice anyone else nearby when she secretly saw the two having an affair. Later, she only told Dongfang Heng about it and didn't tell anyone else. How did Dongfang Zhan find out?
"A newly emerging elite is no match for a deeply entrenched old power." Dongfang Heng's calm voice carried a hint of mockery.
"Of course, even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake." The Fifth Prince, a newly emerging noble, had only been in power for a short time before being defeated by Dongfang Zhan. This clearly shows that an inexperienced newcomer is no match for a powerful force. Dongfang Zhan's strongest opponent in ascending the throne is still the Crown Prince. The Fifth Prince has too little experience, too few people, and too few things to go through. He cannot become Dongfang Zhan's opponent.
"The Fifth Prince is an ambitious man who always puts the big picture first. The ceremony was only half an hour long, and he wasted a little half of that time at the foot of the platform. When he arrived at Yonghua Palace, there was still half left. Why didn't he just ask about the matter directly? Instead, he wanted to have an affair with Consort Li. Didn't he consider that the ceremony might end early and that they might be caught by the Emperor?"
"It must be something Dongfang Zhan did that made them so reluctant to part." Dongfang Heng looked at Dongfang Zhan calmly. His methods were quick, ruthless, and accurate. Once he made a move, someone would inevitably suffer. Right now, he was vying for the throne and showed no mercy to his half-brothers. One day, when he ascended the throne, he would definitely deal with him, and his methods would be even more cruel and vicious than they were now.
"Dongfang Zhan is indeed impressive, eliminating a formidable enemy without making a sound." Such a person is a born talent. If they didn't have so many conflicts, they should be very good friends.
"His even more formidable methods are yet to come," Dongfang Heng said suddenly, looking at the bustling crowd, his dark eyes unfathomable.
Shen Lixue pondered for a moment, then lowered her voice and asked, "You mean Consort Li?" Shen Lixue had noticed the little interaction between Consort Li and Li Youlan, though others hadn't seen it.
The secret guards of the Holy King's Mansion also discovered that the two women had cooperated before. Given their personalities, if one of them got into trouble and went to jail, the other would not be able to escape unscathed either.
“That’s right!” Dongfang Heng’s dark eyes flashed with a cold, ethereal light. Dongfang Zhan was decisive and efficient in his actions, and the matter of Consort Li would soon be resolved.
At midnight, an uninvited guest arrived at the prison where Consort Li was held. Her light blue skirt was embroidered with beautiful orchids, and her delicate cloud-shaped hair was adorned with glass hairpins. She was beautiful, elegant, and dignified. It was Li Youlan.
Smelling the dampness and stench emanating from the prison, she frowned slightly, surveying her filthy surroundings. A look of disgust flashed in her eyes. It was truly filthy and chaotic; no one could live in such a place.
Consort Li glanced at her, slowly stood up, brushed off the hay from her body, smoothed the wrinkles on the hem of her skirt, and said arrogantly, "You've finally come. Quickly find a way to get me out of here."
"Consort Li, look carefully, this is the Ministry of Justice prison, not a guest room in Prince Zhan's residence. How can I get you out of here?" Li Youlan sneered disdainfully. A prisoner sentenced by the Emperor himself, does she still think she is the high and mighty Consort Li?