The Demon Concubine of God

Chapter 238: The Princess of Baocheng County is Imprisoned

Before Xue Wenwu got the news and was about to enter the palace, he was drinking tea with Lord Chu Yanqiu in a teahouse.

Lord Chu Yanqiu specially invited him to drink tea, how could it be a coincidence as he said on the surface? The two sat down and talked for a few words, and Chu Yanqiu revealed to him that the emperor wanted to summon him. Chu Yanqiu knew more than that. He knew everything about Shen Ping'er's background and purpose, the people behind her, her grudges with Qian Zuocun, and Lang Ji's affair.

Xue Wenwu's heart was filled with turmoil. He kept repeating, "I don't believe it, I don't believe it..."

Chu Yanqiu drank tea leisurely, just waiting for Xue Wenwu to slowly calm down, think things through, and fully digest the whole story.

Chu Yanqiu wanted to wait a little longer. After all, he had found out a small part of what he said, and heard most of it from Shen Wen. He didn't know how Shen Wen knew the whole story. But when he thought of the old Marquis Shen secretly sending Shen Wen to the palace to present him to the emperor, Chu Yanqiu felt very uncomfortable. Now that Shen Shuyi was arrested and Shen Ping'er's incident was exposed, he felt that he had to help with this matter anyway, so he immediately sent a message and invited Xue Wenwu to meet him.

Chu Yanqiu waited for Xue Wenwu to calm down, then he invited him to sit down again, poured him tea and said, "In fact, Miss Shen Ping'er was kind to you, Master Xue. She took advantage of all the men around her and did a lot of shady things, but she didn't get involved too deeply with you, Master Xue, right? Master Xue is a man who values ​​love and integrity. Ping'er saw it very clearly, but... it's a pity that she died so tragically and had a very bitter life. I have handled cases in the Ministry of Justice for many years, and when I think about it carefully, there is really no one who is more miserable than Shen Ping'er."

He shook his head and the pity and sorrow in his expression were genuine and not fake.

Xue Wenwu had always been devoted to Shen Ping'er, otherwise he would have rushed to save her without hesitation when he learned that Shen Ping was in prison. Now, after hearing what Chu Yanqiu said, he made up his mind to expose the Shen Ping'er incident on the way to the palace when he was summoned.

Xue Wenwu's accusation that Qian Zuocun and Lang Ji murdered Shen Ping'er was already abnormal enough for the emperor. But Qian Zuocun was also crazy. He knelt down and not only admitted to killing Shen Ping'er, but also pleaded guilty: "I have failed your majesty's grace. Shen Ping'er was a seductive woman who seduced officials into corruption and lust. I was careless and fell into her trap. This is why I fell into the abyss again and again. I beg the emperor to grant me death."

There is true emotion in his words and his moving expression is sympathetic.

The little emperor walked back and forth behind the imperial desk several times. He said, "Is that all? I heard that the woman is not ordinary. Do you know who is behind Shen Ping'er?"

Qian Zuocun kowtowed heavily and said, "I know her surname is Shen, and she is a maid from Lord Shen's mansion."

The little emperor smiled faintly and said, "Come here, go and invite Lord Shen to come to the palace to see the emperor."

Someone outside the hall responded and went to do it.

Lang Ji, who had been waiting to be questioned, spoke up at this moment: "Your Majesty, what Lord Qian said is true. I am guilty. I was also seduced by that woman, and... a single misstep will lead to eternal regret."

The little emperor sneered, "You all said that you were seduced by that woman. In the end, isn't it because you have weak wills? Decades of reading of sages and saints have all gone to waste. Now that you have confessed, I will grant your wish. All of you, get into jail and wait for your punishment."

Just as the little emperor finished asking questions, his aunt Princess Shanjin entered the palace. As soon as she came in, she said to her nephew in fear, "Your Majesty... I was scared to death at the city gate just now. There were so many swarms of rats and moths rushing into the imperial city... Did this anger some god?"

The young emperor usually loves and respects his aunt. After all, the royal family is small in number nowadays. He wonders if in a few years, he, the emperor, will really become a lonely man.

The little emperor hurriedly ran down from behind the imperial desk, ran to Princess Shanjin, and grabbed the weak and frightened Princess Shanjin.

The little emperor said, "Don't be afraid, auntie. What's the point of talking about ghosts and gods? I am the Son of Heaven. Even if there are any gods, they dare not come to me and cause trouble."

With the little emperor's comfort, Princess Shanjin finally felt relieved. She looked at the Princess of Baocheng County and the beautiful concubine Qingliang behind her and said to the emperor, "Then why did His Majesty call us here?"

The little emperor said, "When the guards came to report the incident at the city gate just now, they only said that a maidservant beside you was acting suspiciously. I didn't expect that it would alarm my aunt and make her come here in person."

Shanjin pointed at Qingliang's beautiful concubine and said, "Your Majesty, are you talking about her? I think your Majesty has misunderstood. This beautiful concubine is your cousin, the concubine given to me and my husband by the Princess of Baocheng County. Your Majesty, take a look! Isn't she prettier than me? She is a wonderful person."

When the little emperor heard his aunt say these words, the smile on his face gradually lost its sincerity, and finally he drooped his face, looked at the Baocheng County Princess and said: "Aunt, is what you said true? Did you give it to aunt? Beautiful concubine!"

The originally nervous heart of Baocheng County Lady was immediately lifted up. She was so frightened that her face turned pale and she stammered, "Your Majesty, please have mercy... Your Majesty knows... This... The prince consort has no children..."

"presumptuous!"

"Bastard thing!"

The little emperor shouted repeatedly.

The frightened Princess Baocheng immediately knelt down and apologized.

The beautiful concubine beside her was so frightened that her face turned pale and she also knelt down and kowtowed.

Because the concubine's skin-transparent gauze dress was too revealing, except for the parts that could be covered, the rest of her body was vaguely visible. When she knelt like this, the snake bone pattern tattoo on her waist was seen by the sharp-eyed Ruan Qingxia standing nearby.

Ruan Qingxia immediately stepped forward and reported to the emperor: "Your Majesty, please look at this woman!"

The little emperor looked at the woman in the direction he pointed, and he also saw the tattoo on her body.

The little emperor asked Ruan Qingxia: "Ruan Qingxia, can you identify it clearly?"

Ruan Qingxia said with great certainty: "Your Majesty, I am not wrong. This woman is definitely a suspect."

The little emperor immediately gave the order: "Come! Imprison this woman in the Heavenly Prison."

The woman knew what it was like to be in the Heavenly Prison, and she cried out in fear, "Your Majesty, please spare my life. Your Majesty, I am innocent."

When the woman saw the guards coming to pull her, she quickly grabbed the trouser leg of the Baocheng County Lady and said, "County Lady, save me...County Lady, save me."

The little emperor then remembered the Princess of Baocheng County, and he said, "And you, someone, drag the Princess of Baocheng away and lock her up as well."

Princess Baocheng reacted as if she had been bitten suddenly, and blurted out: "Your Majesty, why did you lock me up? My cousin did nothing wrong!"

The young emperor was really surprised by her boldness. He said, "You don't have to let me lock you up. I'll ask you questions and you have to tell the truth. I want to ask you, where did you get this woman next to you? You'd better tell me clearly where she came from."

The Princess of Baocheng County said, "I'm telling the truth! This girl was given by Prince Rui... to my husband. I don't like Prince Rui's disposition of spending his days in debauchery... Ah... No... It's really because of her beauty. My dull husband doesn't deserve this beautiful concubine... Hmm..."

Princess Baocheng felt that she was offending Prince Rui if she told a lie on the left, and she felt that she was offending Princess Shanjin if she told a lie on the right. It felt like her tongue and teeth were fighting in her mouth, and she didn't know what to say.

At this time, a voice came from the palace gate and said, "Isn't it just a beautiful woman? I just can't stand you bullying the county magistrate, Baocheng! Aren't you also a dissolute person with women on your left and right?"

Princess Baocheng immediately turned around and looked behind her. When she saw that it was Prince Rui, she was startled and thought that she had offended Prince Rui badly this time.

Prince Rui looked strange, and staggered to the emperor. The little emperor smelled the alcohol on him, put his fingers under his nose, took two steps back and said, "How did the emperor uncle come here at such a coincidence? Did you hear about what happened here?"

Prince Rui was drunk and seemed to be slow to react. He was confused for a long time before he said, "The emperor's business? The emperor's business doesn't matter any day. Your Majesty, do you want to try to favor a beauty for one night today? The beauties I picked for you are all in the Xiu Nu Palace. When they become old maids, please pity them."

The little emperor's ears were callused from listening to these ministers say this, and he looked impatient.

He then recalled that his uncle was living a life of drunkenness and debauchery with women all day, and he became furious. He pointed at Prince Rui and ordered his personal eunuch Guo Sheren, "Get a basin of cold water and pour it on his head to sober him up."

Guo Sheren did not dare to disobey, and immediately turned around to tell someone to do it.

At this time, Prince Rui said: "Your Majesty! I am guilty!"

As he said this, he knelt on the ground with a plop, touched his head to the ground, and stood up in a daze and said, "Your Majesty! Today someone came to report to me that the old ladies who were waiting for you seemed to have died, Your Majesty! Now you have to continue to select new beauties to enter the palace."

This foolish prince, is this the point? The point is what to do with the dead women?

The little emperor was so angry that he laughed. He gritted his teeth and said, "So the emperor's uncle also knew that those women were dead. Then, how are we going to explain this to their families?"

Prince Rui seemed to have just been reminded of the point. He scratched his head in annoyance and said, "This disease kills people, and those who are killed also die. Why do you need to explain it so clearly to their families? Just say that they are dead. Do you think those people dare to investigate it on your majesty? This matter must be suppressed and kept secret."

The little emperor clenched his fists and wanted to hit someone.

Prince Rui is going to put a huge pot on his head.

The little emperor took two steps towards Prince Rui, ready to kick him.

Fortunately, Ruan Qingxia, who was standing by, stopped him and said, "Your Majesty, your health is more important, please calm down."

The young emperor saw that Ruan Qingxia had finally regained his normal state of mind. He immediately ordered, "Ruan Qingxia, accept my order. This case is handed over to Lord Ruan for full trial. Lord Ruan, do whatever you want to do and arrest whoever you want. Just follow my order and find out the truth as soon as possible."