Chapter 296: Chapter 296: Touched the Reverse Scale
"These two young women just said that many other girls were imprisoned with them. In your servant’s opinion, we should rescue those girls as quickly as possible. And the villains who abducted them must be severely punished!" Lu Zhan took two steps forward and said with a bow.
He had just finished speaking when Commander Shen suddenly hurried over to report, "Your Majesty, the men this general sent to investigate have returned. Those villains are too cunning. They took advantage of their familiarity with the terrain and lost our men. However, on their way back, our men discovered a house in a mountain hollow, surrounded by numerous thugs. It appears that is where the abducted young women are being held captive."
Upon hearing this, the Emperor immediately commanded, "Duan Ling, take some men at once and rescue those young women. We shall see who dares to act with such audacity!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Duan Ling immediately stepped forward. After assembling his men, he departed.
The eunuch at his side glanced at the sky and said to the Emperor, "Rescuing those young women will likely take some time. Does Your Majesty wish to proceed to the hunting ground, or would you prefer to rest for a while at the nearby Puzhao Temple?"
Throughout his life, the Emperor had always despised those who abducted innocent women. He never imagined someone would dare to carry out such a scheme so close to the Capital City. If it was happening here, he couldn’t even begin to imagine what other places were like.
He had always believed that under his rule, the people of Great Chen lived in peace and contentment. While it might not be a time of such peace that no one would pick up valuables lost on the road, and doors could be left unlocked at night, he thought at least no one would dare to abduct people so brazenly.
And yet, someone had done just that. This proved that some were only paying him lip service, holding him in complete contempt.
This had crossed a line he would not tolerate. He was determined to deal with these people and make an example of them.
Seeing that it was still early, he decided to stay and wait for news.
He therefore selected a few ministers to accompany him and had the rest of the retinue rest where they were.
...
Although Puzhao Temple was located in the suburb of the capital, the ancient and revered Imperial Awakening Temple drew the majority of worshippers. Because of this, and since Puzhao Temple itself was quite small, very few people came to offer incense on a typical day.
As Lu Zhan and several other ministers arrived in the Emperor’s entourage, they suddenly heard a cry for help from within the temple.
Before anyone could react, a woman with disheveled hair burst out of the temple in a panic, a man in hot pursuit right behind her.
"My little beauty, you’ll never escape my grasp."
The woman shrieked as the man tackled her to the ground just outside the temple gates.
"Help—" The woman struggled relentlessly, but the man slapped her impatiently across the face. "Don’t be so difficult! Submit to me obediently, and I will surely make you a Concubine."
"Sir, this is hallowed ground. You cannot commit such debauchery here. I implore you, sir, to show mercy and release this young woman," the temple’s abbot pleaded, chanting "Amitabha" under his breath.
"Get lost, you old bald-headed fool!" the man cursed, then ordered his subordinate, "Drag this old monk away! Don’t ruin my fun."
Just as the subordinate moved to drag the monk away, he spotted the Emperor’s party standing in the distance. His face instantly turned pale, and he fell to his knees. "Your... Your Majesty."
The man snorted, displeased. "You worthless cur, what are you shouting about? Do you intend to defy me, too? How dare you invoke my Imperial Father to frighten me! Just wait until we get back. See if I don’t sort you out then!"
The man was none other than Xuanyuan Hongjun. After rebuking his subordinate, he ripped at the dress of the woman beneath him, which only made her scream louder. Her cries, however, only served to heighten Xuanyuan Hongjun’s excitement.
He buried his face in the crook of her neck and began kissing her wildly.
Not far away, the Emperor’s face was livid with rage. He could not believe what he was seeing.
’This was the Crown Prince to whom he had entrusted great responsibility?’
’This was the son in whom he had placed such high hopes.’
’To think he was so depraved in private.’
The Emperor squeezed his eyes shut and ordered through clenched teeth, "Someone, arrest the Crown Prince for me!"
In an instant, the Imperial Guard behind him charged forward to make the arrest.
Xuanyuan Hongjun was quickly restrained.
"How dare you! I am the Crown Prince! If you don’t unhand me this instant, I’ll have you all put to death!" Xuanyuan Hongjun still hadn’t seen the Emperor. He was stunned at first by the sudden capture, but once he came to his senses, he began to shout furiously.
The Emperor could bear it no longer. He strode forward in a single bound and slapped him across the face. "You wretched son!"
Only then did Xuanyuan Hongjun see him. He was completely dumbfounded. "Im-Imperial Father? What are you doing here?"
The Emperor said coldly, "If I were not here, I would not have been able to witness this depraved act of yours."
It was only then that Xuanyuan Hongjun understood the situation. He scrambled to his knees. "Your son was overcome by a moment of folly. I beg Imperial Father for his forgiveness."
The Emperor looked down at his son, his eyes filled with utter disappointment.
"Have I not given you enough chances?" the Emperor asked quietly after a long silence.
Hearing this, Xuanyuan Hongjun’s heart pounded with terror. He immediately grabbed the Emperor’s leg, crying his eyes out. "Imperial Father, please understand! Your son truly had a moment of folly to do something so foolish! Please give your son a chance to turn over a new leaf! Otherwise, my mother, the Empress, will never be able to rest in peace..."
Hearing him mention his first wife, the Emperor’s expression wavered for a moment. But as he looked down at his son, a snot-nosed, weeping mess at his feet, he was ultimately overcome with revulsion.
He kicked him away and walked straight into the temple.
Lu Zhan shot Xuanyuan Hongjun a cold look before following the Emperor into the temple.
Just then, the woman who had nearly been violated suddenly called out to Lu Zhan’s retreating back, her voice a choked sob. "Cousin..."
Upon hearing this, Xuanyuan Hongjun’s spirits revived. He suddenly shouted, "Imperial Father, your son was framed! It was Lu Zhan! Lu Zhan set me up!"
At these words, the Emperor paused and turned back to look at Lu Zhan.
Lu Zhan gave a wry smile. "If saying so will earn the Crown Prince Your Majesty’s forgiveness, then let it be said that I framed him." With that, he lifted his robes and knelt before the Emperor, pleading earnestly, "Though he is the Crown Prince, he is only human, and all humans err. I implore Your Majesty to give the Crown Prince a chance to change his ways."
Upon hearing this, the Emperor’s suspicions vanished. He personally helped Lu Zhan to his feet. "Mr. Lu, do you think I am not aware of your character?" he said, before turning a fierce glare on Xuanyuan Hongjun. "You animal! You have the audacity to act but not the courage to take responsibility! To absolve yourself of guilt, you drag others down with you. You are utterly beyond saving!"
Lu Zhan turned his head, his gaze falling coolly on Xuanyuan Hongjun.
Xuanyuan Hongjun was so furious his eyes threatened to pop from their sockets. "Lu Zhan, you despicable schemer! I swear I won’t let you get away with this!"
The Emperor roared, "Someone, lock the Crown Prince in one of the meditation rooms and await my decision!"
When had Xuanyuan Hongjun ever been treated this way? He roared with fury, "Imperial Father, your son is innocent! Someone set me up! You cannot be so foolish..."
The Emperor was beside himself with anger. "I saw it with my own eyes. How could you have been framed by someone else?"
In the end, the Crown Prince was taken away by the Imperial Guard and locked in a meditation room.
Once inside the temple, the Emperor suddenly recalled something. He looked at Lu Zhan and inquired, "That young woman from before... she called you cousin. Is she..."
"She is your servant’s younger cousin, Wei Jinyi," Lu Zhan replied.
"A girl from the Wei Family?" the Emperor asked, his gaze scrutinizing.
