She abruptly rose to her feet and declared loudly, "Your Majesty, how much do you despise your daughter-in-law? If you find me an eyesore, obstructing your plan to exterminate the Xiliang Li family, you can simply bestow poisoned wine—I will surely thank you for your grace. There's no need to force your own son to wear the cuckold's horns. After all, he is a son of the Xiao family, a prince enfeoffed by Your Majesty. Does Your Majesty truly wish to see him unable to hold his head high?"
Facing the enraged expression of the Youning Emperor, Li Yanyan showed no fear. She met his gaze, chin slightly raised. "Who would dare to marry after becoming Your Majesty's son? The second sister-in-law didn't live many years; the fourth sister-in-law accompanied the fourth prince to the imperial mausoleum; the fifth sister-in-law and I share the same misfortune—our entire families were executed. Pitifully, the fifth prince even served as the supervising executioner... Hah!
Now it's A Tian's turn, is it? Just because he refuses to believe his wife committed adultery, he becomes unacceptable to Your Majesty?"
Liu Sanzhi deeply bowed his head. Sometimes he actually wished the Emperor were a cold and ruthless man who tolerated no defiance. If that were the case, how would the Princess Consort of Dai dare to utter such treasonous words?
"You are insolent!" the Youning Emperor roared.
"Insolent then, insolent! At any rate, Your Majesty has no intention of letting me live. Since I'm about to die, can't I speak my mind? Your Majesty, don't think I'm like the fifth sister-in-law, preserving Your Majesty's dignity at all costs!"
"Guards!" the Youning Emperor sharply called out. "Take this shrew and imprison her in the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs."
"Your Majesty, Yanyan spoke recklessly. Your Majesty..."
"Take her away!" The Youning Emperor gave Xiao Changtian no chance to plead for mercy. At his command, the guards seized Li Yanyan.
"Release me. I'll walk myself." Li Yanyan avoided the guards' touch, straightened her collar and silk shawl, held her head high, and strode steadily ahead on her own.
Upon hearing the news from the Hall of Bright Governance, Xiao Huayong smiled with an inscrutable expression. "The Li woman has also escaped."
Xiao Changtai's escape, just as Li Yanyan had said, lacked eyewitness evidence of adultery. Although someone reported a homicide to the Metropolitan Governor and bloodstains were found, without a corpse, it couldn't constitute solid evidence. As long as Li Yanyan denied everything, she couldn't be convicted.
"Your Highness, the men arranged at the imperial mausoleum have arrived at the palace gates. The Fourth Prince won't escape the charge of privately fleeing the imperial mausoleum," Tianyuan reported.
Xiao Huayong slightly shook his head. "Unless we catch the Fourth Prince red-handed, he still has backup plans."
Since Xiao Changtai dared to come, he must have made thorough preparations.
When the news of Xiao Changtai's private escape from the imperial mausoleum reached the Emperor, the Youning Emperor looked at the Prince of Dai kneeling before him, pleading for leniency. "The Fourth Prince is not at the imperial mausoleum."
Xiao Changtian bowed his head in silence.
"Raise your head," the Youning Emperor commanded. "Look at me."
Xiao Changtian lifted his head and met the Emperor's gaze but remained silent.
The Youning Emperor asked in a deep voice, "Tell me you firmly believe that the person Lady Li met was not the Fourth Prince!"
Locked by the Emperor's authoritative gaze, Xiao Changtian moved his lips and finally said, "Your Majesty, the Fourth Sister-in-law went missing after meeting Yanyan. The Fourth Prince and his wife were deeply devoted to each other. It's only natural that he, worried about his wife, came to the capital to question Yanyan."
"Natural?" The Youning Emperor laughed in anger. "Have you forgotten the gatekeeper's testimony? This wasn't the first secret meeting between her and the Fourth Prince!"
"Your Majesty, Yanyan would not betray me. Perhaps the owner of the residence happened to be acquainted with the Fourth Prince, who then borrowed the place to meet Yanyan. As for Yanyan's previous visits to the Qian residence, she likely intended to purchase property. Yanyan has mentioned to me several times that she wanted to buy a house."The Youning Emperor looked down at his son, who grew more spirited the more he spoke, as if he himself believed his own words, and felt only pity in his heart.
He naturally knew that Lady Li's secret meetings with the Fourth Prince were certainly not for an affair. The Fourth Prince still coveted the Ye family's power—how would he dare to act improperly with his sister-in-law? Since it wasn't an affair, yet they met frequently, it could only be a conspiracy.
"Do you still remember the tomb robbery case?" the Youning Emperor reminded him in a flat tone.
By now, Xiao Changtian understood everything: his wife had conspired with Xiao Changtai, and the tomb robbery case had been masterminded by Xiao Changtai. The two of them had secretly amassed untold wealth through this scheme.
"Your Majesty, I only believe in evidence," Xiao Changtian said, lowering his gaze.
"Liu Sanzhi, go personally. Seal the city gates and arrest Xiao Changtai," the Youning Emperor ordered.
"Acknowledged," Liu Sanzhi bowed and withdrew.
Xiao Changtian grew anxious. If Xiao Changtai were truly captured, the evidence would be irrefutable.
"Your Majesty, I—"
"Kneel outside and wait for the evidence you demand," the Youning Emperor commanded.
Xiao Changtian had no choice but to kneel outside the palace gates.
Events within the palace could not be concealed from the capital. The ministers were bewildered, as they had not yet learned of Xiao Changtai's disappearance from the imperial mausoleum. They sensed the gravity of the situation but dared not inquire recklessly.
Xiao Changqing, piecing together the clues, had roughly guessed the truth: "The Fourth Prince has fallen into the Crown Prince's trap this time. Even if he doesn't die, he'll be skinned alive."
"So the tomb robbery was masterminded by Fourth Brother, with Third Sister-in-law covering it up," Xiao Changying now understood.
"His Majesty will not spare the Fourth Prince this time." The tomb robbery case was an unforgivable transgression that had stirred public outrage. Moreover, someone who would even profit from the dead had crossed the Emperor's moral line. The earlier explosion at the imperial mausoleum would also be attributed to the Fourth Prince, which conveniently saved Xiao Changqing much trouble.
"But why would the Crown Prince suddenly move against Fourth Brother?" Xiao Changying wondered aloud.
Xiao Changtai, confined to the imperial mausoleum, could cause little trouble even with minor schemes. If the Crown Prince wanted to make an example, Xiao Changtai shouldn't have been the target.
"Our Crown Prince... has never regarded us as worthy of his attention," Xiao Changqing chuckled softly. "As long as we behave, he disdains to act against us. His sudden move against the Fourth Prince must mean the Fourth Prince provoked him first, and the Crown Prince has decided he must die."
Direct assassination was impractical—the imperial mausoleum was heavily guarded, and such an action would cause an uproar and cost troops.
Instead, exposing Xiao Changtai as the mastermind behind the tomb robbery would ensure the Emperor would not let him live.
As he spoke, Xiao Changqing glanced at Xiao Changying: "Some days ago, the Crown Prince and Zhaoning County Princess encountered a tiger attack during their outing. Three tigers."
Xiao Changying hadn't known about this. Now assigned official duties, he spent half his time in the military camp and lacked the network of informants that Xiao Changqing and others had cultivated. This was his first time hearing of it: "Fourth Brother lured the tigers to attack her!"
Xiao Changqing was not disappointed by where Xiao Changying's focus landed...
Three tigers appearing together was no accident—it had to be deliberate. He was pleased that Xiao Changying had grasped this point, though his brother's impulsive rise and storming out were exactly as Xiao Changqing had anticipated.
"I wonder if you are more fortunate or less fortunate than I," Xiao Changqing murmured as he watched the fiery figure disappear. "Nor do I know whether what I have done is right or wrong."He deliberately informed Xiao Changying, knowing that Xiao Changying would inevitably go and deal with Xiao Changtai upon learning of it.
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