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Ning Wang continued questioning Wen Yang, "What did you threaten the Crown Princess with? You better tell the truth, otherwise, even if you are the Crown Princess's elder brother, this prince won't spare you!"
Although Wen Yang was the Crown Prince's brother-in-law, Wen Linlang was the most important person in the Crown Prince's heart. Anyone who harmed her would be his enemy.
The Crown Prince looked at Wen Yang with a cold gaze, "What did you say to Linlang? How did you threaten her?"
Wen Yang lowered his head and stammered, "I... I... I just... just needed some money, so I asked her for some. But she refused to give me any, so I threatened her... I said I would cause a scene in the capital, and let everyone know how heartless she is to her own elder brother, how disloyal and unfilial, and how ungrateful she is!"
Ning Wang frowned, "Is that all? Why did she hit you then?"
Wen Yang mumbled, "I only said one thing to her."
The Crown Prince's face turned dark, "What did you say to Linlang?"
With a forced bravado, Wen Yang cleared his throat and said, "I... I told her heart is so cold, no wonder she can't bear a child..."
This statement was truly hurtful!
Not to mention Wen Linlang slapping him, even the Crown Prince himself couldn’t wait to give him a few big slaps in the face!
Seeing the Crown Prince's face turning colder, Wen Yang's body trembled. Suddenly, he mustered some strength and broke free from Ning Wang's men, rushing over to hug the Crown Prince's leg, "I... I... I was just confused by alcohol that day... I had a bit too much to drink... I didn't think before I spoke... Crown Prince brother-in-law, please forgive me this time! I won't dare to do it again! I am Linlang's elder brother! Please forgive me! Give me a chance to change!"
Rui Wangfei suddenly spoke up, "Then why did you knock out Chunying? What was the point of that?"
Women's intuition was often accurate. The only inconsistency in the whole story was him knocking out Chunying. Chunying was a servant brought from the Wen Family, and she wouldn't have done anything to harm Wen Yang. Was it necessary for him to knock her out before talking to the Crown Princess?
Wen Yang's expression froze.
Ning Wang toyed with the jade ring on his thumb.
Wen Yang released his hold on the Crown Prince's leg, feeling ashamed as he said, "I... I was too drunk, and I got a bit too forward with Chunying... She didn't listen to me... so I hit her... I didn't expect her to faint..."
The Crown Prince was furious, "You dare to touch even the court ladies of the East Palace. I think you're asking for death!"
Wen Yang knelt on the ground and slapped himself hard, "I'm an idiot! I deserve to die! Crown Prince brother-in-law, you can scold me! Or even beat me up! I won't dare to do it again!"
Everyone was familiar with Wen Yang's character. They had hoped that the Wen Family would become more restrained after the collapse of the hanging bridge last time, but it seemed they were expecting too much.
"Boring." Rui Wangfei curled her lips. She thought she had caught evidence of Wen Linlang's infidelity, but it turned out to be just a sibling quarrel.
Admittedly, it did have some impact on Wen Linlang, but it was trivial, as the whole capital knew her maternal family was unreliable.
Ning Wang noticed Rui Wangfei's expression in the corner of his eyes and picked up a teacup from the table, calmly taking a sip.
Since this matter had the involvement of both Ning Wang and Rui Wang, the Crown Prince dispatched someone to the East Palace to bring Chunying over to confirm Wen Yang's statements.
Chunying's testimony matched Wen Yang's.
In fact, Wen Yang's testimony was already convincing enough. After all, Ning Wang and the East Palace were in opposing camps, and Ning Wang couldn't possibly bribe Wen Yang. Chunying's testimony simply solidified Wen Yang's guilt.
It was impossible for Ning Wang to bribe Wen Yang, let alone Chunying. At least that was what the Crown Prince and Rui Wang believed.
However, after returning to the East Palace, the Crown Prince still spoke to the Crown Princess about Wen Yang, "He came to see you, why didn't you tell me?"
The Crown Princess was still resting on the bed, her black hair flowing over her shoulders, accentuating her pale and weak face as she lowered her eyes.
"Your Highness." The Crown Princess said softly, "How can I bring up such a matter? Having a brother like him already brings shame upon me. Do you want me to make you feel embarrassed too?"
The Crown Prince felt awkward, "I didn't mean it like that..."
……
Meanwhile, in a certain restaurant in the capital.
Wen Yang poured a cup of wine for Ning Wang with a smile, "Your Highness, did I perform well today?"
Ning Wang's two trusted guards stood behind him, and next to them was the tense-looking Chunying.
Ning Wang smiled and looked at Wen Yang, beckoning his two guards with a finger. They brought a small box from another room and placed it on the table. When opened, it was filled with gold.
Wen Yang's eyes widened in surprise, "Is this... is this for me?"
Ning Wang smiled, "Young Master Wen seemed to be in need of some money. Consider this my gratitude to you."
"No, no need to be so polite..." Wen Yang said with a smile as he hugged the box into his arms. He picked up a gold bar and bit it.
Real gold!
Wen Yang's smile became even brighter, "Your Highness, you're really kind! Much better than my stingy brother-in-law, that Crown Prince! If my sister had married you back then..."
He paused mid-sentence, remembering that Wen Linlang couldn't marry Ning Wang either. Since childhood, her sister had been betrothed to the Little Marquis, and before the Little Marquis passed away, Ning Wang had already married the daughter of the Chu Family.
With her good appearance, becoming a concubine was absolutely not an option.
Moreover, the Crown Princess’s position was also quite good.
Wen Yang continued, "When my sister becomes Empress in the future, I will be an imperial relative. When that time comes, I will definitely repay you well, Your Highness!"
Ning Wang looked at him with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, "Don't you want to ask why I asked you to act in this play?"
Wen Yang didn't pay much attention, "Isn't it to help my sister out of trouble?"
Ning Wang nodded with a smile, "Yes, to help Linlang out of trouble."
Wen Yang didn't bother asking what kind of trouble it was. He wasn't interested and didn't care, waving his hand. However, the next moment, he sat up straight, looking sharply at Ning Wang.
"Lin… Linlang?" He stuttered.
Ning Wang smiled, "Yes, Linlang."
Wen Yang's smile gradually froze, "Your Highness, how do you feel about my sister..."
Ning Wang glanced at the box in his arms, his smile gentle, "Is the gold enough? If not, I have more."
Wen Yang fell silent.
……
Leaving the restaurant, Wen Yang patted Ning Wang's shoulder while inebriated, "Y-Your Highness... rest assured... I... I will never speak of this... I'm a man... of loyalty... from today onwards... you're my friend!"
Ning Wang smiled warmly, "Alright."
Wen Yang stumbled away into the alley, where his carriage was parked.
Chunying watched her young master, Wen Yang, who was heavily drunk, with a worried expression on her face.
Ning Wang took out a handkerchief and wiped his hands, retracting his smile, "Do it cleanly."
His subordinates quickly responded, "Yes!"
Chunying’s face turned pale...
……
The next day, a major incident occurred in the capital—— Wen Yang died.
His carriage broke down on the way back home and overturned into a small pond. By the time they pulled him out, Wen Yang had drowned.
The Jingzhao Government Office conducted an investigation into the matter, and the investigation results showed that it was an accident. The coachman of the carriage carrying Wenyang did not see the stone on the road, which caused the carriage's wheel to be damaged, leading both of them to fall into the water.
The coachman managed to swim to the surface, but Wen Yang, who was drunk, wasn't as fortunate.
However, some people suspected it wasn't an accident.
In the teahouse, many people were discussing the matter.
"I heard it was the Crown Prince who killed him." A young man said.
References
1. — The Jingzhao Government Office was responsible for various administrative and bureaucratic functions within the capital area, including governance, taxation, law enforcement, and more. It played a crucial role in maintaining order and managing affairs in and around the capital city. The specific functions and structures of government offices could vary across dynasties and time periods in Chinese history.
Raz P.'s Thoughts
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