He rushed outside, his eyes bloodshot and his face twisted into a terrifying expression, like a beast ready to devour its prey.
Cheng Lan stood frozen, her mind buzzing as everything went blank.
Only when she saw Murong Chen heading for the door did she come to her senses and hurry after him. “Second Prince, we need to go to the palace. We need to go to the palace and plead guilty.”
Murong Chen could not hear her.
His mind was overwhelmed by terror, and he had completely lost his reason. The only thought remaining in his consciousness was to capture those servants and stop them from exposing his secret. Thus, he kept running outside.
Frantic, Cheng Lan rushed forward, grabbed him by the collar, and slapped him twice.
“Second Prince, wake up!”
The pain restored a trace of clarity to Murong Chen’s muddled mind.
“Yes, we’ll go to the palace! Father will surely forgive me!”
His father doted on him so much. As long as he showed a sincere attitude toward admitting his guilt, surely the emperor would spare his life.
“Someone, prepare a carriage!”
Murong Chen shouted himself hoarse.
But all the servants in the manor had already fled, and no one answered him.
He dashed into the street, stopped an empty carriage, dragged the coachman down, and drove it away himself at full speed.
Cheng Lan was left behind, and he did not even look back at her.
A wave of sorrow rose in Cheng Lan’s heart.
She knew that, having participated in everything Murong Chen had done, she was considered an accomplice. As his wife, she would be held accountable as well.
Yet he did not care in the slightest whether she lived or died. He had simply left on his own.
All those promises that he would love her for the rest of his life and could not bear to see her suffer even the slightest grievance had been nothing but lies!
If she had married a man as upright, brave, and fearless as Zhan Haoting, he would never have abandoned a helpless woman like her. He would even have risked his life to protect her.
Perhaps she had been wrong. She should not have made Cheng Yao marry in her place. She should have married him herself…
Cheng Yao watched Murong Chen leave, a cold laugh rising in her heart.
He wanted to turn himself in first and win leniency? Not a chance!
She found a bookseller and had the scholar there write several letters reporting the crimes. She sent them to the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice, then slipped copies into the residences of the First Prince and the Third Prince.
Only after finishing all this did she wave her sleeves and leave, without a trace of dust clinging to her.
Murong Chen stood rigidly before the emperor, weeping bitterly as he confessed his crimes.
The emperor was furious. He slapped Murong Chen several times and kicked him repeatedly, beating him until his head bled. Yet this still did not appease his anger. He drew the saber from a guard’s waist and was about to cut off Murong Chen’s head.
Terrified out of his wits, Murong Chen clung to the emperor’s legs and wailed, “Father, I only made the dragon robes and weapons because I found it novel and amusing. Even if you gave me ten times the courage, I would never dare covet that position! Father, please spare me this once!”
Li Peiyun also tried to persuade the emperor, reaching for the saber. “Your Majesty, the Second Prince was merely confused for a moment. His crime does not warrant death. Please calm down. Do not damage your health over this.”
“You worthless wretch! You fool!”
The emperor threw the saber aside and kicked Murong Chen in the chest once more before returning to his seat.
Murong Chen clutched his chest and collapsed to the floor, his heart aching as though it were about to split apart.
The emperor’s gaze was so dark and frightening that it seemed he might devour someone.
He hated Murong Chen’s foolishness, but even more than that, he hated seeing his son fail to live up to his expectations.
He knew perfectly well that this son of his was ambitious, and he had been willing to indulge him because Murong Chen was born to the emperor and his most beloved consort.
He had hoped that Murong Chen would inherit the empire one day.
But he had never imagined that his son could be so stupid!
Secretly making dragon robes and weapons was bad enough if they were discovered. But he had even allowed everyone in the manor to flee into the streets and shout about it!
If word spread, not only would the imperial family lose all its dignity and prestige, but the entire Great Feng would become a laughingstock throughout the world!
After creating such an enormous mess, even he would have difficulty covering it up for this rebellious son.
The emperor rubbed his aching temples. After a moment of thought, he summoned the commander of the Imperial Guard, Shi Huai'an. “Issue an order. Say that thieves poisoned the Second Prince and planted forbidden items—including dragon robes, weapons, and a dragon throne—in his manor to frame him. The Second Prince is now gravely wounded and near death, while the people from his manor, unaware of the truth, have gone out to spread rumors. Seal off every road into the capital. Arrest every person from the Second Prince’s residence without exception.”
Shi Huai'an accepted the order. At that moment, however, a palace servant came to report:
“Your Majesty, Lord Yang of the Dali Temple requests an audience.”
“Lord Feng of the Ministry of Justice requests an audience.”
“The First Prince and the Third Prince are waiting outside. They say they have an urgent matter to discuss with Your Majesty.”
“…”
The palace servant recited one name after another, and the emperor’s expression grew darker with every word.
Murong Chen had only just entered the palace, yet these officials and princes had already followed like wild dogs that had caught the scent of blood. It was obvious how eagerly they were awaiting his downfall!
The emperor’s voice was cold and heavy. “I will see no one.”
However, more and more officials gathered outside to request an audience. Several outspoken censors even pushed past the palace servants and barged in, opening with, “Your Majesty, I beg to remonstrate with my life…”
The censors tore into the Second Prince, condemning him without mercy and demanding that the emperor punish him severely.
Furthermore, the gates of the Second Prince’s manor stood wide open. The Ministry of Justice had already seized the dragon robes, weapons, and other items, while everyone from the residence had been arrested and brought back.
The evidence and witnesses were all present. The emperor was so furious that his vision went black, and he kicked Murong Chen again.
He had run away the moment trouble arose, without even locking the gates. What a useless fool!
Clutching his painfully throbbing chest, Murong Chen said, “Father, Cheng Lan was the one who told me to run.”
The moment he finished speaking, someone from the Ministry of Justice came to report, “The Second Princess Consort Cheng has been brought here.”
Walking behind the palace servant, Cheng Lan heard every word he had said.
She lowered her eyes, hiding the pain and despair within them.
This was the man she had gone to such lengths to steal from Cheng Yao—the man she had loved.
Not only had he failed to protect her, but the moment trouble arose, he had thrown all the blame onto her.
The vows of eternal love and undying devotion they had once exchanged now seemed so utterly ridiculous.
Cheng Lan’s heart was torn apart in an instant. Her legs gave way, and she dropped straight to her knees with a resounding thud.
Murong Chen continued to ramble, heaping more blame upon her in an attempt to excuse himself. “Father, you know that I have always been law-abiding and kept to myself. Cheng Lan was the one who urged me to make those things. She’s the one who ruined me!”
The emperor’s expression darkened. “Lady Cheng, do you admit your guilt?”
Cheng Lan’s heart turned utterly cold, and a mocking curve rose at the corner of her lips.
One of them had falsely accused her, while the other condoned and protected him. The father and son were equally shameless.
It seemed Murong Chen was determined to send her to her death.
Very well. Since he was so heartless, he could not blame her for being ruthless in return!
“Father, I do not acknowledge this baseless accusation.” Cheng Lan’s eyes were filled with defiance. “I met the Second Prince two years ago, but he had already begun making preparations before that. If you do not believe me, you may summon Chen Qi for questioning.”
Chen Qi was his personal guard and the commander of his guards, his right-hand man who handled all the dirty and difficult work for him. He had always been fiercely loyal to Murong Chen.
However, Chen Qi’s greatest flaw was his greed.
He was insatiably greedy and never refused money, no matter where it came from.
After meeting Murong Chen, Cheng Lan had repeatedly given Chen Qi money, spending twenty to thirty thousand taels in total.
Chen Qi had not disappointed her. He had attributed everything Cheng Yao had done for Murong Chen to Cheng Lan instead.
He had also played no small part in framing and incriminating Cheng Yao.
In other words, Chen Qi belonged to her.
She also held evidence of Chen Qi’s wrongdoing in her hands, so she was not afraid that he would betray her.
However, the emperor saw through everything as clearly as a mirror. How could he fail to see through her little scheme?
