"The teahouse is not mine. I admit what I did, and I won't take the blame for what I didn't do. I'm not the only one in this mansion who wants to kill you." Princess Nanzhao said.
This statement may seem obscure, but it is actually obvious. There are only a few masters in the Nanzhao Palace. Apart from her and Song Zhan, the prince cannot harm Song Huai, Madam Ning cannot harm Song Huai, and Song Huai is even less likely to harm himself. The only ones left are Madam Wu and Song Ze.
Madam Wu was just chanting Buddha's name, but she was suddenly pointed at herself and her son. She was immediately frightened and knelt down, saying in a trembling voice: "Your Majesty, please understand. Ze'er and I have always been content with our duties and have never fought with the world. We only want to live a peaceful life. We have never had any evil thoughts over the years. You know this, Your Majesty!"
"What do you know? People's hearts are hidden in their stomachs. Who in this mansion doesn't live with a mask on? You said you are indifferent to the world, but are you really indifferent to the world?" Princess Nanzhao sneered, "If you are really indifferent to the world, how did you get pregnant? What means did you use? Don't look at me. I don't know. Song Huai fell into the water when he was three years old, and almost fell into the brazier and was disfigured when he was six years old. He was almost trampled to death by a horse when he was eight years old. Do you dare to say that you have no contribution in this?"
Oh my god!
Everyone covered their mouths in surprise and looked at Madam Wu in disbelief. They didn't expect that she, who had always been low-key, introverted and law-abiding, would have the intention to harm others, and wanted to kill the Third Prince more than once.
Poor Third Prince, I really don’t know how he managed to survive to this day.
"Your Highness!" Madam Ning called out in sorrow, kneeling at the feet of Prince Nanzhao and weeping. "Your Highness, you have heard how Huai'er has lived since she was a child. You have to decide for the child!"
Prince Nanzhao had never expected that Madam Wu would be involved, let alone that the lady who seemed the most gentle and considerate to him could actually be such a vicious person behind his back.
King Nanzhao couldn't help but shudder. He looked at the beautiful Madam Wu again, and deep disgust was revealed in his eyes: "Mrs. Wu, you are such a person. You have disappointed me so much."
Mrs. Wu never expected that the princess knew everything she did in secret, and the prince didn't even think it was unnecessary to confirm it and directly agreed with the princess' words.
Although she was not wronged, King Nanzhao's actions still hurt her heart deeply. It turned out that she had been just a tool to warm the bed all these years and did not deserve any of his care and trust.
Well, since that’s the case, let’s just break up and no one can get away with it.
Madam Wu gritted her teeth and made up her mind. She pointed at Princess Nanzhao and said, "You dragged me into this, just to get your son out. I tell you, no way! Your son is the most hypocritical person in the whole palace. On the surface, he loves Song Huai very much, but secretly he used all kinds of shady tricks to kill Song Huai. You said that you instructed Manager Liu to do what happened last summer. With your protection of your son, how could you use his people instead of your own? Don't you think that it will bring him trouble once the truth comes out? No, it's not that you can't think of it, you just don't know it at all. You just want to take the blame for him. Do you think everyone else is a fool?"
Crazy, this woman is crazy!
Seeing Madam Wu screaming at Princess Nanzhao desperately, everyone thought she was crazy. By doing this, she was simply trying to die together with the princess!
Princess Nanzhao was also obviously shocked by Madam Wu's sudden outburst. She took several deep breaths but couldn't calm herself down. She raised her hand and slapped Madam Wu: "You are talking nonsense. You are desperate and you want to take someone with you before you die."
Mrs. Wu could no longer feel the pain. She looked at Song Zhan with her red and swollen face, her eyes as fierce as a hungry wolf: "Whether I have wronged you or not, you know it in your heart. If you are a man, don't let your own mother take the blame for you. Your mother's life is in your hands. If you have the guts, just say in front of everyone that it wasn't you. If you have the nerve to say it, I will kill myself on the spot!"
"..." All the noise stopped as Mrs. Wu spoke, and the whole place fell into dead silence.
Song Zhan was like a lamb being roasted on the fire, everyone's eyes were on him, waiting to see how he would answer.
Xie Nanjia was also stunned by the continuous reversals. She only contributed a thread. The biting between Princess Nanzhao and Madam Wu was like two hands constantly pulling, pulling out a big ball of thread, and if the situation continued to develop in this way, perhaps even bigger balls of thread would be pulled out later.
At first she thought it might just be a coincidence. She helped Song Huai and accidentally triggered the subsequent situation. However, as the situation progressed, she suddenly felt that the whole thing was more like a carefully designed trap. She, Zhao Jingyu and even Song Huai might have been used by someone.
As for what purpose the person who set up the trap wanted to use them to achieve, she couldn't figure it out for the time being.
She turned to look at Zhao Jingyu and wanted to ask him how he felt, but before she could say anything, she was interrupted by Princess Nanzhao.
"Son, don't listen to this bitch's nonsense. She is trying to provoke you and wants you to take the blame for me. As soon as you confess, your position will belong to her son. This is her conspiracy. Don't be fooled!"
Princess Nanzhao's face was filled with fear. She stared at Song Zhan's face and shouted at the top of her lungs, fearing that Song Zhan could not understand what she said.
She knew very well that as long as Song Zhan was fine, even if she was banished to the cold palace, she would see the light of day again in the future. If Song Zhan pleaded guilty, then both she and her son would be finished.
Song Zhan looked at his mother's anxiously distorted face, and his heart was desolate.
During this period of time, he figured out a lot of things. Today's situation must have been carefully planned by someone for a long time, but he was waiting for a good opportunity with the right time and place to implement it.
Song Huai had indeed experienced many dangerous situations since he was a child, but the real murderer had never been caught. Every time, he would punish a few guards and kill a few maids. His mother even took this opportunity to clean up all the people around him, so that he now has few real confidants.
This is how he has been living for so many years, and even his father, who loved him the most, has never seriously upheld justice for him.
So why did it cause such a big fuss this time
There is only one reason, because Zhao Jingyu is here.
He knew in his heart that Zhao Jingyu came to Nanzhao to represent the emperor, and his father would not dare to fool him.
Therefore, the person who planned it realized this and implemented his plan while Zhao Jingyu was around. His purpose was to settle things with everyone.
As for what kind of ending it would be... Song Zhan's gaze swept across Madam Ning and Song Huai's faces. What that man wanted was probably a life-and-death ending!
"The assassin in the teahouse was arranged by my second brother." He completely regained his former calmness and composure, and released a powerful move as soon as he opened his mouth.
Everyone's eyes suddenly shifted to Song Ze.
Zhao Jingyu and Xie Nanjia looked at each other and whispered, "Well, the last one was also dragged into the water."
Xie Nanjia's premonition became stronger and stronger.
When everyone is dragged into the water, who is the one who benefits
Song Ze blushed and questioned Song Zhan, "Brother, I trust you so much, why do you wrongly accuse me?"
"Do you trust me?" Song Zhan sneered, "If you trusted me, why did you secretly destroy the evidence when we were investigating in the teahouse?"
"I..." Song Ze choked, and Princess Nanzhao immediately took over the conversation, "You are the mastermind. I have long seen that you are ambitious. You are just like your mother, good at putting on airs. You are just doing it for others to see!"
"I didn't!" Song Ze was only panicked for a moment, but he quickly reacted, "Are you determined to drag me and my mother into this? If so, please show me the evidence. If you don't have any evidence, you can just slander me. Then I can say that Big Brother destroyed the evidence behind my back."
"You want evidence? Fine, I'll satisfy you!" Song Zhan said, "I might as well tell you that it's not just the evidence from the teahouse. I have all the evidence of your repeated attempts to frame my third brother. The reason I didn't expose you is because of our brotherly relationship..."
"Big brother has a brotherly relationship with him, but not with me?" Song Huai interjected quietly, with a smile of despair on his face, "What did I do wrong that you can't tolerate me? Could it be that the brotherly love and filial piety in the past were all fake, and I was the only one who foolishly took it seriously?"
Good-looking people are naturally pitiable, especially a kind and simple handsome man like Song Huai, who makes people feel even more distressed. When he frowned and pursed his lips, tears rolled around in his eye sockets. Everyone's heart was wrenched, and they wished they could hold him in their arms and comfort him.
King Nanzhao had been silent for a long time. Seeing him like this, he sighed and waved, "Come, come to your father."
Song Huai had not cried yet, but as soon as King Nanzhao called him, his tears suddenly fell.
"Father!" He walked over, tugged at Prince Nanzhao's sleeve and said, "Let's stop here. I don't want to continue. I once complained to you privately before, asking you why you didn't seek justice for me. Now I understand that it's not that you don't want to, but that you can't. You are all flesh and blood, and you will feel bad if anyone is missing. Anyway, I've always been lucky enough to survive, so don't make it difficult for me. Just pretend that what happened today never happened, and we'll still be a family in the future."
If he hadn't said this, King Nanzhao would have been a little hesitant. But after he said this, King Nanzhao made up his mind to give him justice.
"Although the palms and backs of the hands are all made of flesh, some of the flesh has rotted and needs to be cut off." King Nanzhao said, "I have turned a blind eye to this for many years. If you hadn't bitten each other today and brought up all these old scores, I still wouldn't have made up my mind to deal with you. Now that it has come to this, I can't protect you. You must bear the consequences of your actions. Also, I emphasize again that although I am a vassal king stationed in a certain area, I am still a citizen of the Great Zhou and I am guarding the border for the emperor. Only people with both moral integrity and talent are worthy of taking over my job. People with bad intentions will not get it even if they kill all their brothers!"
Zhao Jingyu curled the corners of his lips almost imperceptibly when he heard this. The emphasis that King Nanzhao said later was obviously meant for him to hear, to show him his loyalty to the court.
Xie Nanjia obviously heard it as well and turned to smile at him.
"What do you mean, Your Highness? Are you going to deprive Zhan'er of his inheritance rights?" Princess Nanzhao shouted.
"Do you think a person who harms his brothers is worthy of this position?" King Nanzhao asked back, raising his hand and ordering the guards to take the two pairs of mother and son away to await punishment.
Everyone held their breath and stepped aside, watching the four masters being carried out by the guards.
Madam Ning let out a long sigh and finally straightened her back which had been bent for more than ten years.
At this moment, Princess Nanzhao suddenly turned around and looked at her, struggling and shouting: "Ning, don't be too proud too soon, don't think I don't know, you personally drugged Song Huai and Miss Xiu'er, and let my daughter be your scapegoat, do you think that your son can make it big by sleeping with the girl of phoenix destiny, you are dreaming!"
These words were undoubtedly like a bolt from the blue, making everyone dizzy. Madam Ning's face instantly lost all color, and under the shocked gaze of everyone, her back, which had just straightened up, quickly bent back again.
Xie Nanjia had been sitting for most of the day and finally couldn't sit still anymore, so he stood up with Zhao Jingyu.
"Your Highness, what are you talking about?" Zhao Jingyu asked with a cold face.
The King of Nanzhao was extremely embarrassed and said with a wry smile, "Perhaps the princess is upset and is talking nonsense."
"I'm not talking nonsense. If you don't believe me, you can go and search Ning's room. Also, she was the one who killed Alan!" Princess Nanzhao shouted.
Even Song Huai was stunned. He stared at Madam Ning with wide eyes: "Mom, is it really you?"
“It’s not me, it’s not me…” Mrs. Ning’s legs went limp and she knelt on the ground.
Princess Nanzhao broke free from the guard's hand and ran back to Madam Ning: "Ning, I really underestimated you all these years. Not only did you help your son with a small packet of medicine powder, but you also suppressed my daughter and niece. Fortunately, Miss Xiu'er was strong-willed, otherwise you would have succeeded. I only hate myself for not understanding the twists and turns at the time, causing Meiwei and Yingying to suffer a loss. You are so scheming!"
"I didn't, it wasn't me, you are slandering me!" Mrs. Ning said with a pale face.
"If it's not you, then do you dare to swear a solemn oath on your son? If you dare, I will immediately kneel down and apologize to you. Do you dare?" Princess Nanzhao pressed on.
Just this morning, she unexpectedly found an anonymous letter on her dressing table. The letter said that the poison that Song Huai and Miss Xiu'er were poisoned with had nothing to do with Lu Yingying. The real poisoner was Madam Ning, and Alan was also silenced by Madam Ning.
When she first saw the letter, she asked all the maids around her, but no one knew who put the letter there. The thought that someone could come and go freely in her territory made her scalp tingle. However, when she read the contents of the letter, fear was replaced by great shock.
Just as they were about to summon Madam Ning for questioning, a servant came to report that King Nanzhao wanted her to go to the council hall.
Because she couldn't be sure whether what was said in the letter was true or false, she thought about questioning Madam Ning after returning from the council hall. However, she never expected that the council hall would become a battlefield to attack her and her son.
Just now, when she was being taken away by the guards, she glanced back inadvertently and happened to see Madam Ning straightening her back and showing a smug smile.
At that moment, she suddenly believed what was said in the letter and blurted out that cry.
Anyway, she has already lost face, if we are to die, we should all die together, no one can think of anything good.
Now it seems that the letter was correct, because Madam Ning did not dare to respond to her words, nor did she dare to swear, but just repeated that sentence: "It's not me, it's not me..."
However, everyone has their own judgment and will not believe her just because she says no. This most humble and cowardly woman in the palace has really overturned everyone's impression of her.
What the princess said was indeed right. Everyone in this mansion was living with a mask on. Until the very end, no one could tell anyone else's true face.
Song Huai's face became more and more hopeless. He stared at his mother woodenly and murmured, "Why are you also plotting against me?"
Mrs. Ning's tears welled up in her eyes.
"Son, you have to believe me. Everything I do is for you."
Song Huai shook his head sadly: "If I want something, I will fight for it myself. You don't have to do anything for me. You know, I finally made two friends. Now, how can I face them?"
"Mom was wrong, I'm sorry..." Madam Ning lay on the ground and cried.
Faced with this messy family, King Nanzhao wanted to die. In order to give an explanation to Zhao Jingyu, he had to order the guards to take Madam Lian Ning away, and then dismissed everyone.
Everyone seemed to have watched a drama with twists and turns, and when they were dismissed by the prince, they all felt as if they had just woken up from a dream, and left the meeting hall in groups of three or four.
Song Meiying has been restraining herself and trying to reduce her presence to prevent her crazy stepmother from dragging her into the water.
It was not until everyone had left, and only Prince Nanzhao, Song Huai, Xie Nanjia, and Zhao Jingyu were left in the meeting hall, that she ran over crying, hugged Prince Nanzhao's legs, and begged him to spare her mother and brother.
Naturally, King Nanzhao could not promise her anything in front of Song Huai and the other two. He told her not to think too much and to go back to her own courtyard and stay well. As for how to punish Madam Wu and Song Ze, it was not her concern.
Song Meiying had no choice but to walk away sobbing.
King Nanzhao was extremely tired. He apologized to Zhao Jingyu and said that he had to go back and rest first. He would give Zhao Jingyu a satisfactory answer after he had rested.
Zhao Jingyu didn't force him and let him go.
Only Song Huai, Xie Nanjia and Zhao Jingyu were left in the meeting hall.
Song Huai's condition was not much better than that of Prince Nanzhao. He lowered his head dejectedly, not daring to look at Xie Nanjia and Zhao Jingyu.
Xie Nanjia had a lot of ideas in his mind waiting to be shared with Zhao Jingyu, so he advised Song Huai to go back and rest first.
Song Huai bowed to the two of them in shame, then staggered away with heavy steps.
The meeting hall fell silent. Xie Nanjia and Zhao Jingyu looked at each other and breathed a sigh of relief. "It seems that the princess has received the anonymous letter you sent her."
The reason why Zhao Jingyu did not show up in time when she and Song Huai returned home was that he went to deliver a letter to the princess.
The princess had never questioned Madam Ning before. She and Zhao Jingyu both thought that the princess had not seen the letter. Unexpectedly, the princess exploded at the last moment.
Mrs. Ning's reaction has fully proved their guesses. Now think about it, Song Huai, who was brutally plotted against by everyone, is really pitiful.
"Fortunately, his biological father did not plot against him, otherwise he would not be able to survive." Xie Nanjia said with emotion.
"Don't say it too early. Even your biological father may not be reliable." Zhao Jingyu said, "For example, my biological father is like that."
(End of this chapter)