1342 There’s A Price To Pay For Defamation
Long Yang and Lu Liangwei did not leave right away but remained in the alley.
Soon, Peony Pavilion was sealed off and cleared of all irrelevant people.
Shortly after that, Chu Yi and his squad exited Peony Pavilion and walked over to the Emperor and Empress.
With a frown, he informed them, “The owner of Peony Pavilion said he met Cui Yi while he was traveling and brought her back to the imperial capital because of her striking looks. All he knows is that she came from Southern Xinjiang, nothing else.”
Cui Yi was the girl in red.
“Southern Xinjiang?” Lu Liangwei looked at Long Yang in surprise. “No wonder she knew how to use poison. But why did she try to assassinate you out of the blue? Or could it be that she was acting under someone else’s orders? But how did she know your identity? We left the palace tonight on a whim, and even visiting Peony Pavilion was a spontaneous decision.”
After pondering for a moment, Long Yang said, “There were a few court officials in Peony Pavilion just now; maybe Cui Yi noticed their strange reaction when they recognized me. I think Cui Yi’s sole purpose in coming to the imperial capital was to assassinate me.”
Lu Liangwei frowned. “Why’d she want to assassinate you?”
Long Yang paused, then squeezed her hand and replied, “This might have something to do with an incident that happened years ago. Back then, Southern Xinjiang tribes invaded our frontier, and I led an army to put them down. The political situation at that time was not too tense, and I was in a hurry to return to the imperial capital and didn’t have time to deal with the surrendered troops. In the end, I ordered for all of them to be buried alive to eradicate future trouble, and among them was Southern Xinjiang’s Prince of Sui.”
Lu Liangwei rarely heard him mention the past. As she started to piece things together, she asked, “So you suspect that Cui Yi was a descendant of the Prince and came to take revenge on you?”
“I fought the Prince before, and I noticed just now that Cui Yi’s combat style closely resembled his.” Long Yang then turned to Chu Yi and ordered, “Take the owner of Peony Pavilion into custody for now and investigate Cui Yi’s identity. Also, seal the city gates and do a thorough search for accomplices. The guests who were poisoned just now need to be treated properly as well.”
“Yes, Master.” After accepting the order obediently, Chu Yi and his men returned to Peony Pavilion.
Not wanting to stay a moment longer, Long Yang took Lu Liangwei back to the palace.
When they arrived at Hidden Dragon Palace, Lu Liangwei looked around in confusion. “I think you’ve gone the wrong way.”
Long Yang merely gave her a wordless glance before pushing the doors open, walking inside, and lighting the candles.
Lu Liangwei furrowed her brow and followed him.
Since their wedding, she had been staying in Grand Phoenix Palace. She seldom stayed here with Long Yang, and even the Emperor himself rarely came back here.
Even recently, when she had insisted on sleeping with their two children, he had been willing to squeeze into one bed with them instead of coming back here.
Therefore, when they landed in the courtyard of Hidden Dragon Palace, she thought he had gone to the wrong place.
Now, however, that did not seem to be the case.
Was Long Yang planning to stay the night here with her?
The candlelight dispelled the darkness, turning the room as bright as day.
“Are we going to sleep here tonight?” Lu Liangwei asked dubiously, glancing around at the brightly lit room.
Long Yang grunted in response. All of a sudden, he moved close to her and hugged her from behind.
Lu Liangwei was startled, and the next moment, she heard him whisper in her ear, “There’s a price to pay for defamation, you know.”
Lu Liangwei’s heart trembled as she abruptly recalled what she had said about him in Peony Pavilion.
Was the Emperor going to get even with her for that now?
Remembering his various ways of “torturing” her, she felt her legs go weak.
“I was just improvising…” she murmured diffidently.
Long Yang gazed at her silently with his deep, enigmatic eyes.
Fortunately, he soon released her.
Lu Liangwei had barely heaved a sigh of relief when he seized her hand and led her to the bathroom.
Although Long Yang hardly ever stayed here, Zhao Qian would still order the servants to clean the place every day.
The bathroom was no exception.
Therefore, when Lu Liangwei followed Long Yang into the bathroom, she was immediately enveloped in mist.
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