Luo Zhiheng pushed Mu Yunhe's hand away and said sarcastically, "It's really ridiculous! Did we come to the Li family to watch a good show? A princess's concubine is acting like a shrew, disregarding all manners and shame, and fighting with her own maid? It's really an eye-opener for us."
Luo Zhiheng spoke bluntly, her tone suggesting she was about to accuse someone. The Li family was startled; if Luo Zhiheng were to interfere at this crucial moment, it would only add fuel to the fire. The Li family had to be careful, or disaster would surely follow.
Mr. Li quickly said, "Please forgive my daughter, Your Highness. She has been spoiled since she was little and has no manners. She is so old and still doesn't understand etiquette. Please forgive her. I hereby order them to separate immediately."
"Spoiled? Hmph, what does a whore from a brothel need to be spoiled for? She's probably just a piece of trash that men have had their fill of!" Hua Kai's sharp, somewhat ferocious voice suddenly rang out, interrupting Mr. Li's explanation and disrupting everyone's train of thought.
In that instant, everyone's eyes were drawn to Hua Kai's face. Even though her appearance was so ugly and terrifying, her words were so shocking.
"What did you say?" Luo Zhiheng couldn't help but take a step forward, her gaze sweeping over the faces of the Li family patriarch and Master Li, trying to glean any clues from their expressions.
Consort Li was startled and then flew into a rage, saying, "You filthy hussy, how dare you insult and slander me! I'll tear your mouth apart!"
"Stop her! I need to know what we don't know! Consort Li, you'd better go easy on her. If you dare harm that flower in bloom, I might have to report you to the Emperor and have you impeached for murder! Then not only you, Consort Li, but your entire Li family will be implicated!" Luo Zhiheng shouted fiercely, her voice full of imposing force, holding on tightly and appearing selfless.
The hearts of the two heads of the two families sank instantly, their faces becoming increasingly grim and their gazes increasingly dark.
Luo Zhiheng and Mu Yunhe exchanged a glance, and naturally understood what was going on.
It seems there's something fishy about what Hua Kai just said. If Consort Li really has some connection to brothels, then it could really be used to make a big fuss about dealing with her, potentially putting the Li family in trouble as well. It would also solve their big problem of not being able to easily take action against the Li family because they lack evidence.
"Young Prince and Young Princess, don't listen to this lowly servant's nonsense. She's framing Consort Li. She knows she's committed grave sins and that offending Consort Li will bring her no good end, so she's spouting such nonsense and slander. What can you believe in the words of such a lowly servant? It's nothing more than an attempt to harm Consort Li, a desperate last-ditch effort," said Master Li, feigning composure.
"Whether it's nonsense or a death throes, we'll only know after interrogation. I never speak unilaterally, nor do I listen to only one side of the story. Tell them all to stop. I will personally interrogate that Hua Kai." A cold voice flowed from Mu Yunhe's mouth, resolute and leaving no room for doubt.
"But..." 17129799
Mu Yunhe interrupted Mr. Li: "If there really is nothing wrong, if you are truly innocent, why are you hesitating and obstructing us like this? If she has truly wronged Consort Li, then why don't we just clear her name? It's better than forcing things like this without any clear explanation, isn't it?"
Seeing that Mr. Li was still hesitating, Luo Zhiheng coldly laughed and said, "What is Mr. Li doing? We were already very surprised to see that woman having an affair with Mu Yunjin. Now this woman is saying that Consort Li lied to her. Are we just going to sit idly by? Is this the kind of cold-blooded family law of the Li family? Letting a woman have her innocence taken away for no reason and then killing her alive?"
"Or is your Li family trying to tell us that this guy and this girl are mutually in love? That's why they couldn't control themselves and did such a scandalous thing in the room your Li family arranged for the young prince and me? But I'm curious, why didn't they do this in some other secluded place, or in Mu Yunjin's own room? Why did they have to do it in the place where Mu Yunhe and I are resting? Li family, can anyone explain this to us?"
Luo Zhiheng's words were laced with accusation, sarcasm, and accusation. The situation had escalated to such a ridiculous, absurd, and suspicious degree that even if hundreds of members of the Li family spoke up, they couldn't explain it clearly. If a conviction were to be handed down, the Li family would be undeniably culpable and unable to escape blame.
The Li family patriarch immediately knelt on the ground, and everyone in the Li family followed suit, their faces grim and embarrassed. The patriarch said in a tense voice, "Please forgive me, Princess Consort. This was truly a mishap by the Li family. I will give you an explanation as soon as possible regarding the rights and wrongs of this matter, and I will certainly not allow the reputation of the young prince and princess to be damaged."
"But Mu Yunjin is, after all, the Prince's own son and the young prince's own brother. If this matter gets out, I'm afraid it will ruin Mu Yunjin. I urge the young prince to think it over carefully. This matter must not be allowed to spread outside. Otherwise, ruining the Li family is a small matter. If the Prince's wisdom and the young prince's reputation are also implicated, then this old minister deserves to die."
The Li family patriarch spoke with great emotion, seemingly genuinely worried about Mu Yunjin, his grandson. But weren't his words implying that the Li family would never reveal this matter, since Mu Yunjin was their grandson? So, if anyone outside were to spread even a single negative comment about Mu Yunjin, would it be Mu Yunhe and his group who spoke of it?
Moreover, the Li family might even have come up with an excuse. If this matter gets out, it will definitely be attributed to Mu Yunhe. Because this matter could completely bring down Mu Yunjin, making Mu Yunhe's succession to the throne effortless.
This was a blatant act of striking first, giving Mu Yunhe and his group a head start.
The Li family knew perfectly well that this matter could not be kept secret; such a big thing would inevitably spread sooner or later, and Mu Yunjin's reputation would be ruined.
The Li family patriarch was incredibly bold and clever; he immediately made things difficult for Mu Yunhe. This was a bargaining chip, used as a gamble, betting that Mu Yunhe would spare the Li family for the sake of his reputation.
The Li family is really something. They can seize any opportunity immediately.
But they've chosen the wrong person. If Mu Yunhe were someone who could be easily threatened, then he wouldn't be a diviner. Moreover, how could Mu Yunhe's reputation be threatened by the Li family alone?
“It is true that Mu Yunjin is the young prince’s half-brother, but they are not from the same mother. The young prince must be heartbroken and worried about this matter, so he will definitely investigate it thoroughly. Mr. Li, there is no need to worry. We will absolutely not reveal this matter on our own initiative. Unless we are forced to, we will keep this matter to ourselves today. Otherwise, may all of us present here today die a horrible death and have our entire families wiped out.” Luo Zhiheng stepped forward and said loudly and solemnly.
As soon as she finished speaking, everyone was stunned.
This is a solemn oath! And Luo Zhiheng brought everyone here with her. She's not showing favoritism; she'll include everyone. If this secret were to leak out, wouldn't everyone here be torn to pieces? No, no, no, that's not what Luo Zhiheng meant.
What she meant was that if she were forced to reveal the truth, she would still do so, but saying it then wouldn't be a problem. However, if she revealed it at other times, everyone here would be torn to pieces. But she didn't say that if someone else revealed it, she would also be torn to pieces. In other words, if she spoke up, everyone would die; if someone else spoke up, she would be fine.
This oath was quite ingenious and deeply meaningful.
The Li family patriarch, being such a perceptive person, naturally understood the meaning behind her words immediately. He was so angry that he almost bit off the few teeth he had left and swallowed them whole.
How infuriating! That brat is practically a demon reincarnated! How could she be so cunning? But there's nothing we can do; people in ancient times simply believed in oaths. Even if someone else swore one, they would still be extremely wary of it.
The Li family members were speechless. Luo Zhiheng said coldly, "Consort Li, you had better stop immediately! Don't let my lover drag you down, or you'll look bad too."
"Shut up! When did it become your place, a mere third-class noble's maid, to boss me around? You've never shown me any respect, you ill-mannered thing. How dare you be so presumptuous in someone else's home? Today I'm going to teach you some manners and show you what manners are!" Consort Li, filled with anger and humiliation, vented all her anger and resentment on Luo Zhiheng.
At this moment, she finally understood! Why was everything going so smoothly today? Why did everything seem to be unfolding rapidly according to her plans? Why did Luo Zhiheng appear so amiable yet clumsy today?
At that moment, she finally realized!
If Luo Zhiheng hadn't already discovered her scheme, if Luo Zhiheng hadn't turned the tables on her, if Luo Zhiheng hadn't been pushing things along behind the scenes, everything wouldn't have gone so smoothly today. But that damned Luo Zhiheng, after discovering everything, actually cooperated with her in her act! Wasn't Luo Zhiheng's purpose too obvious? She wanted revenge, and even wanted to use this incident to get rid of her!
Look, her son immediately became the target of Luo Zhiheng's revenge. She wanted Hai Muyunhe, so Luo Zhiheng made Mu Yunjin the scapegoat. Only a despicable person like Luo Zhiheng could come up with such a vicious scheme.
Consort Li now believes she understands everything, and naturally, she is filled with resentment. She doesn't hate herself, nor does she feel she has done anything wrong. Therefore, someone must bear the blame, and that person is naturally Luo Zhiheng, and Mu Yunhe!
"Rules? Let me teach you what rules are!" Luo Zhiheng sneered, drawing her cane from her waist and swinging it at Consort Li's knee as she charged forward. A clear cracking sound echoed in the darkness. Accompanied by Consort Li's piercing screams, which rose and lingered in the cold wind.
"Little Princess!" Mr. Li, being protective of his daughter, couldn't help but glare angrily.
Luo Zhiheng completely disregarded Mr. Li, raising her head slightly and condescendingly rebuking him: "Didn't you want to teach me manners? Do you know our status? Let me tell you, even though my family's status is lowly, once we enter your Mu Prince's Mansion, we are part of the Mu Prince's Mansion. I married Mu Yunhe, the young prince of the Mu Prince's Mansion. His position in the Mu Prince's Mansion is second only to the prince!"
“You, Li Fangfei, what are you? Don’t you have any sense of propriety? Do you dare say that your status in the Mu Prince’s Mansion is higher than Mu Yunhe’s? Do you dare say that you are second only to the king in the Mu Prince’s Mansion? You don’t dare, do you? You can’t! You don’t have that right! No matter what your status or identity is in Li Family Mountain, in the Mu Prince’s Mansion, you are just a concubine, nothing more.”
"Logically speaking, according to the rules, you should bow to Mu Yunhe. Naturally, you should also bow to me. But when have you ever bowed to us? Even when you see the Princess, the one you should kneel to the most, you are always arrogant and proud. Tell me, where are your manners and etiquette?" Luo Zhiheng shouted angrily. In the silent courtyard, people could hear each other's heartbeats and panting.
It possessed immense power and an overwhelming aura, intimidating all the officials.
"Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you! Aren't you a nobleman from the previous dynasty? Aren't you of royal blood? Shouldn't you be studying literature and poetry? Don't you understand the meaning of this saying? Why impose on others what you yourself don't like? What right do you have to demand that others do what you yourself haven't done? And what gives you the right to criticize others?"
"Let me tell you again, you and everyone in your Li family, today your heads will be in my hands, Luo Zhiheng. Do you want to know why?" Luo Zhiheng's sinister words made the Li family members gasp.
"What do you mean by that, Princess Consort?" The Li family patriarch's tone was unsteady, and he tried to appear calm, but his words were all bark and no bite.
"In other words, your Li family has angered me. Because of this incident, I want to know two things: First, why did they end up having an affair in the room your Li family prepared for us? What exactly is your Li family trying to do? Are you trying to ruin our reputation? Or are you trying to frame us? Or do you have some other conspiracy?"
Interrupting Mr. Li's hasty explanation, Luo Zhiheng sneered, "Don't try to explain anything else to me. Does your Li family think we're fools? If I, Luo Zhiheng, were a fool, I wouldn't be alive today. Being played is no fun. Anyone who dares to play me, I'll stab them to death! One isn't enough, I'll take their whole family!"
The sharp words, coupled with the cold and invincible edge of the blade, appeared exceptionally solemn in the candlelight.
"Mu Yunjin's room is supposedly in the outer courtyard of the Li family. How did he end up in the inner courtyard while he was seriously injured? Do you want to explain? I'll give you a chance to explain, but if you can't explain it well, you'll have to deal with it yourselves."
"And as for Hua Kai, we need to interrogate her carefully. If you dare to obstruct us again, we'll take the Prince's invitation and imprison the entire Li family! Remember, today's world belongs to the Mu family, not the Li family. What kind of noble family is your Li family? You're nothing but slaves of a conquered nation, yet you still put on airs of being noble in front of your master!" Luo Zhiheng said loudly, feigning sarcasm.
The faces of the Li family members were contorted with rage, forming ferocious expressions.
Luo Zhiheng glanced at Mu Yunhe casually. Seeing Mu Yunhe nod, she knew that Mu Yunhe wanted her to continue speaking in this way. Feeling slightly relieved, she continued, "The second thing is that you cannot stop Hua Kai from talking about Consort Li and the brothel. The Li family had better cooperate fully. Otherwise, you should know that today's young prince is not the sickly child that your Li family could manipulate at will yesterday."
"We dare not!" The Li family patriarch's eyelids twitched, and he led everyone in kowtowing hastily.
"You've done it all, whether you dared or not, so what's there to hide? Besides being hypocritical, pretentious, and cowardly, do you Li family members also have the habit of burying your heads in the sand?" Luo Zhiheng's words were another insult to their dignity, further fueling the Li family's anger.
At that very moment, Mu Yunhe's sharp eyes caught a glimpse of the Li family patriarch's gloomy face and his lips twitching slightly. Meanwhile, Luo Erduo, who was guarding Luo Zhiheng's side, seemed to sense something and tensed up completely, tightly holding Luo Zhiheng's hand in a protective posture.
Luo Zhiheng knew that something was about to happen. She became secretly on guard.
First update! The story of eliminating Consort Li is starting. Please write about the painting of the silk robe quickly, and get rid of this vile woman as soon as possible. I'm disgusted just looking at Consort Li. Hope Brother Mu Yunjin can hold on. One more update today. Love you all! Still asking for recommendation votes, comments, and monthly tickets! Group kisses! Monthly tickets can get extra chapters, so shower them on, my darlings! 840 monthly tickets will get an extra chapter!
360 Destroying Concubine Li (Part 2) - Bonus Chapter for 840 Monthly Tickets
Updated: 2013-09-30 19:28:10 Word Count: 3369
"Have someone dress Mu Yunjin and turn on all the lights. We'll interrogate her right here," Mu Yunhe said coldly, standing subtly in front of Luo Zhiheng.
The clothes were arranged as is. The Li family seemed to have nothing more to say. Someone dressed Mu Yunjin, turned on all the lights, and placed two chairs in the courtyard. Mu Yunhe and Luo Zhiheng sat down, and the others stood on both sides. This time, Mu Yunhe did not open the vault, and even the Li family patriarch had to stand aside and wait.
The flower bloomed ugly as it rushed up to Mu Yunhe, staring blankly at his face, drool dripping down its back...
Luo Zhiheng frowned in disgust, as if a toad was eyeing her possessions. She was so disgusted that she wanted to kick the flower out and make it bloom.
"Speak, what exactly is going on between you and Consort Li? And what about you and Mu Yunjin? Why are you two together?" Mu Yunhe's icy voice and chilling gaze truly intimidated Hua Kai, making her dare not look at him with those eyes again.
Consort Li was terrified. By now, she had fully realized that if Hua Kai revealed everything, she would surely suffer a terrible fate. Although her family could retain her position, they would also lose face. If she were to be implicated by the Prince, she would gain nothing.
"Flower! If you dare to spout nonsense, be careful..."
"How are you?" Luo Zhiheng interrupted Consort Li, her eyes flashing with a mixture of joy and anger. She leaned back lazily in her chair and said, "If she dared to tell the truth, would you kill her?"
"Nonsense! She's a madwoman, what truth could she possibly tell? She's just trying to frame me, just like the two of you!" Consort Li angrily rebuked Luo Zhiheng.
"Oh? Just like the two of us? Do you mean we're colluding with that Hua Kai? Or do you think we're framing you?" Compared to Consort Li's tense and sharp tone, Luo Zhiheng's attitude was calm and composed.
"I didn't say that, but you should have been in this room, yet Mu Yunhe suddenly disappeared, and Yun Jin appeared instead. How do you explain that? Do you dare say you didn't do something sneaky? Your schemes are all to frame my son and me, aren't they? You and Mu Yunhe are afraid that my son and I will take away everything you have now, so you've tried every means to frame us. You've made Yun Jin end up like this. How cruel you are!"
Consort Li spoke with righteous indignation, even roaring with rage. She actually shifted all the blame onto the villainous Luo Zhiheng, as if she were innocent and had the audacity to condemn Luo Zhiheng and her companion as a righteous person.
With her slender fingers lightly brushing her delicate brows, Luo Zhiheng smiled mischievously and sarcastically: "Li Fangfei, did you even have a conscience when you said that? Did you even consider your son's feelings? Don't you know why your son is here? How dare you accuse us? Why am I not in the room, but Mu Yunhe is? Why did you immediately recognize Mu Yunhe and your maid the moment you opened the door?"
"Couldn't you at least come up with a more sophisticated lie? It's one thing to treat us all like idiots, but to fool your family like fools is a bit much, isn't it? Or do you think you're the only one with a brain, and everyone else has a block of wood on their necks?"
Suddenly, Luo Zhiheng slammed her hand on the table and stood up, angrily pointing at Consort Li, saying, "I'll ask you again, what was in the tea you gave me? Why did my stomach hurt after drinking it? And what was in the tea you gave Mu Yunhe? Why did Mu Yunhe feel chest tightness and shortness of breath after drinking it? Are you trying to get rid of me and then kill Mu Yunhe?"
This is a grave offense. Consort Li is Prince Mu's concubine, and Mu Yunhe is Prince Mu's legitimate son. According to the principle of a concubine poisoning her son, Consort Li is the most unforgivable; execution would be entirely justified! (17130126)
A huge accusation was firmly placed on Consort Li's head, and Consort Li's heart trembled three times.
"I didn't!" Consort Li stubbornly resisted and argued.
"Li Fangfei, what exactly did you do? If you did nothing wrong, why would the young princess say such things? If you really did something wrong, then quickly tell me and beg the young prince and princess for forgiveness. Your father can still plead for you. But if you really don't even care about the family anymore, then don't blame your father for not showing any fatherly affection and expelling you from the family!" Mr. Li shouted, actually throwing out such cruel words.
The Li family has no kinship! This is indeed true. Look at the selfish faces of each member of the Li family. When trouble comes and disaster strikes, all they think about is self-preservation, scapegoating, and black sheep. They push out as many as they can, never trying to help anyone.
"Father? How could you treat your daughter like this?" Consort Li was stunned, and after a long while, she screamed in shock and anger.
“It’s not that your father wants to treat you this way, it’s that you’re confused. You’d better confess honestly what you’ve done, and what’s going on between Mu Yunjin and the maid?” Mr. Li said angrily, exasperated.
Consort Li choked back her tears and replied defiantly, "I don't know! But I'm convinced that these two were responsible. They did it on purpose; they wanted to harm Yun Jin and use it to get revenge on me. So vicious at such a young age. Even if their scheme succeeds now, the throne will not belong to them. Your Highness is not a fool."
Ha, so Consort Li actually knows the saying that wicked people can't get the best? How come this saying applies to others, but not to Consort Li herself?
"You keep accusing us of framing you, but who invited us to the Li family's territory? We're on the Li family's turf now, and your Li family is to blame for what happened. If it really was Mu Yunhe who got into trouble today, your Li family couldn't afford to pay for it even if you wiped out the entire family! Bai Lifangfei, where does your confidence come from? Before you start baring your teeth and claws, please understand the situation. You, today, what right do you have to stand on the same level as us? Even your ancestors have to kneel before Mu Yunhe, so what gives you the right to be so arrogant?"
Luo Zhiheng sneered, then said, "You keep saying this is our conspiracy. But we didn't come uninvited. You invited us. We're not familiar with the Li family. We're not prophets, and we can't know in advance that such a disgusting thing would happen. We also don't know where your Li family will arrange for us to rest. The Li family is completely unknown to us. Tell me, in this kind of environment, what can we do? Nothing is of any benefit to us."
"And then there were the two cups of tea you personally served me. After drinking them, I had a stomachache and went to the outhouse. Your maid followed me, and I almost died in your Li family's outhouse. How could I have had the opportunity or strength to do anything? Mu Yunhe felt unwell after drinking your tea, and he kicked you out, saying he needed to rest for a while. Is that right?"
Consort Li was speechless when she saw the question asked, and it was true. She immediately said, "That's right, he wouldn't let me close the door. So I went to find you."
"Then that settles it, doesn't it? If you can come to me, why can't he?" Luo Zhiheng said with a smile.
"Impossible!" Consort Li retorted reflexively.