Chapter 174 - What Kind of Rubbish Was Your Son!

When Xiao Huanxi returned home, she looked as if she had become a fool. She stayed in her room without eating or drinking. No matter how hard Xiao Jingran knocked on the door, she did not open it.

Xiao Fengjue came in from outside and said to Xiao Jingran, “Father, it’s time for you to go to court.”

Only then did Xiao Jingran realize that it was getting late. “Huanxi, I will go to court first. Don’t worry. I will definitely get justice for you!”

Chu Junyi had actually left his younger sister outside for a day and night for another woman. How dared he!

Xiao Fengjue felt that something was wrong and quickly pulled Xiao Jingran back. “Father, how are you going to get justice?”

“Shen Ninghua relied on the His Majesty’s favor to act recklessly in the capital. Did she think that there was no law that could control her? Also, Chu Junyi, he simply forgot who had raised him up and nurtured him!”

“Father! Don’t forget what you told me back then. There are some things that must never be disclosed!”

“That’s none of your business. I know what to do. Stay at home and accompany your sister!” After he finished speaking, he didn’t wait for Xiao Fengjue to say anything else and directly strode away.

Xiao Fengjue clenched his fists tightly. He felt very powerless. Whenever he faced Xiao Jingran and Xiao Huanxi, he always felt that there was no place for him to apply his strength. None of them ceased to cause trouble. Were they crazy? Not to mention the fact that Shen Ninghua was now deeply favored by His Majesty, even Chu Junyi was not an easy target. If his true identity was revealed, the Xiao family would truly die without a burial ground!

Xiao Huanxi sat on the bed. Hearing the commotion outside the door, she faintly curled her lips and said, “Shen Ninghua, be ready for my father’s anger. I don’t believe that such a noble clan as our Xiao family can’t bring you, a wretched princess, under control!”

Xiao Fengjue suddenly raised his leg and kicked the door open! He exerted so much force that the door slammed to the ground.

Before Xiao Huanxi could put away the smile on her lips, she saw Xiao Fengjue walking in with a dark face. “Xiao Huanxi, you won’t stop until you drag the Xiao family to death, will you?”

“Eldest Brother, what are you talking about? I don’t understand!” Xiao Huanxi was furious. Eldest brother actually scolded her the moment he came in!

“You don’t understand? I suspect whether you are the daughter of the Xiao family or not. If you don’t have any deep hatred for the Xiao family, why did you ignore my advice time and time again! Didn’t I tell you not to use dirty tricks and I will help you get Junyi back?”

“Eldest Brother,” Xiao Huanxi’s expression turned cold. “You spoke of the method you told me, but did it work? You wanted me to calm down and then play up to win Brother Junyi’s heart bit by bit. But he and Shen Ninghua are going to get married in a few months. How can I wait?”

Xiao Fengjue pursed his lips. He took a step forward and slapped her in the face. “You don’t want to use the method I told you, so you shamelessly used aphrodisiac?”

“So what? As long as it works!”

“It works? What’s the use of your method other than making yourself despicable?”

Xiao Huanxi choked. “I…I just didn’t plan well, but Eldest Brother, why do you always vent your anger on me? I now kind of suspect whether you are helping me or helping Shen Ninghua…Wait, Eldest Brother, don’t tell me you have an improper desire for Shen Ninghua?”

Xiao Huanxi’s gaze was like a knife. She looked as if she wanted to cut open his chest and see if Shen Ninghua had drugged him.

“No wonder you always blamed me and didn’t allow me to plot against Shen Ninghua. You like that bitch!”

“Don’t talk nonsense!” Xiao Fengjue was so angry that his entire body trembled. “I helped you again and again. It’s fine if you don’t believe me. But you actually suspect your own brother. Alright, then I’ll tell you why I stopped you. Because Chu Junyi’s identity is special!”

“Special? Isn’t he my Xiao family’s adopted son? What’s so special about him?”

“Because he is a prince! He is the son of the Great Yue Kingdom’s Princess Bu Liulan who escaped out of the Palace twenty years ago!”

“The princess of the Great Yue Kingdom…” Thinking back to the incident twenty years ago, Xiao Huanxi’s face suddenly turned pale with fear.

“You only wanted to fight for Chu Junyi, but apart from causing him trouble, what else did you do? Now, because of you, our father became so angry that he lost his mind. If he disclosed Chu Junyi’s identity, then we would all be buried with you for your foolishness!”

Xiao Fengjue fiercely clenched his fists and punched the bedpost, leaving behind a deep fist mark. “Our Xiao family is truly doomed!”

Xiao Huanxi was stunned for a while. The panic in her heart almost made her collapse. She loved Chu Junyi very much. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be pestering him shamelessly. No matter what, she didn’t want anything bad to happen to him.

“What should I do? What should I do? I have to stop father first, then…and then find Brother Junyi. This secret…” Suddenly, Xiao Huanxi stopped. She stared blankly, and an extremely bold idea suddenly arose in her heart. “If I used this matter to threaten Brother Junyi, he definitely wouldn’t refuse…”

While Xiao Jingran angrily went to attend the court meeting, Shen Ninghua, who was at home, had received the news. She got dressed up and went to the Palace in the carriage.

The Imperial Court had been in a mess like a pot of porridge. The Assistant Minister of Rites knelt on the ground. Tears drenched his official uniform. Beside him was his son Wang Wei, who was still unconscious while spitting white foam.

“Your Majesty, you must do justice to my son. He didn’t do anything wrong. But he was thrown into a brothel after he was fed with aphrodisiac. He was even cruelly thrown into the pigsty. The person who did such an act was utterly devoid of conscience and disregarded the laws of Da’an.”

“Your Majesty, since the culprit dared to do such a cruel thing to my son, he might poke a big hole in the sky tomorrow. As long as such a person is alive, the heart of the people will be uneasy, and the country will become restless!”

“Yes, Your Majesty, this culprit did not take the laws seriously. Moreover, the method is extremely despicable and shameless. Such a shameless person is rare.”

Several censors spoke with righteousness as if the heavens would collapse if the so-called culprit was not punished.

Xiao Jingran lowered his head and stood at the side. He did not speak. Because the matter concerned Xiao Huanxi’s reputation, he could not say anything. However, even if he did not speak, he was confident that Shen Ninghua would die without a burial ground.

Baili Qingcang sat expressionlessly on the throne. His gaze coldly swept across the officials in the hall, only to find that their noises were giving him a headache!

“You are all of one mind today. For all you said, you wanted me to punish the culprit severely. But who is the culprit?”

The officials paused and looked at the Assistant Minister of Rites obscurely.

“Your Majesty, the culprit is…Princess Zhaohua …”

Baili Qingcang suddenly raised his head and swept his sharp gaze across the officials below like a cold wind. “Princess Zhaohua…Princess Zhaohua again?”

The officials were all silent and did not dare to speak again. The other officials who had been looking on coldly from the side now sneered. For such a long time, the only person His Majesty had exceptionally doted on was Princess Zhaohua. However, these people were blind and dashed towards the guillotine carrying their heads in their hands!

The Assistant Minister of Rites kowtowed. “Your Majesty, I’m not deliberately looking for trouble with Princess Zhaohua, but she really committed the crime. I dare to confront her!”

Baili Qingcang frowned. The eunuch at the side stepped forward and reported softly, “Your Majesty, Princess Zhaohua is outside the hall.”

Baili Qingcang’s eyes relaxed. “Summon her in.”

Shen Ninghua was dressed in the princess attire. She looked like a piece of cold jade taken from an icy pond. She was bright, noble, and cold. “Greetings, Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty!”

“As you were. Ninghua, you seldom enter the Palace. Why are you waiting outside at such an early time?”

Shen Ninghua stood up and looked up at Baili Qingcang with a warm smile on her face. “Your Majesty, I’m here today to present a treasure to you. I had planned to come to see you after the court meeting, but I didn’t expect you to directly summon me to Chengqian Palace.”

The Assistant Minister of Rites glared at Shen Ninghua and gritted his teeth. “Didn’t Your Highness see that there’s someone lying in the hall?”

Shen Ninghua turned to look at the Assistant Minister of Rites and Wang Wei on the ground. “You are the Assistant Minister of Rites, right? The one lying there must be your son. I heard that something happened to him and the people are very happy. Did you bring him here to make an apology?”

“Nonsense! My son was set up. I want to claim justice to him!”

“Justice? Lord Wang, you really dared to say that.”

“Princess Zhaohua, His Majesty ignored your status and personally bestowed the title of princess to you. You should be grateful instead of acting recklessly because of His Majesty’s favor for you!”

Shen Ninghua turned around slightly and the smile on her face turned cold. “Lord Wang, please teach me. How did I act recklessly because of His Majesty’s favor?”

“My son, Wang Wei, was fed aphrodisiac and thrown into a brothel. You should know about this, right?”

Shen Ninghua sneered. “That’s right, I do know the inside story, and I know it clearly.”

The Assistant Minister of Rites was excited. Shen Ninghua was about to admit. “So you confessed to your offence?”

“That’s right. I ordered someone to feed Wang Wei aphrodisiac, and I also ordered someone to throw him to the brothel.” Shen Ninghua directly admitted.

At this moment, the officials were all excited. Their faces blushed with anger as they shouted.

“Your Majesty, you also heard that Princess Zhaohua has no respect for the law. She is simply lawless.”

“As a princess, you should behave yourself and set an example for all women in the country, instead of doing such shameless things.”

“Your Majesty, please punish Princess Zhaohua severely so as to comfort the people and return peace to our country.”

Xiao Jingran looked at Shen Ninghua in surprise. She actually admitted it so easily?

Baili Qingcang abruptly pounded on the table. “Quiet down! Too noisy!”

The hall instantly quieted down.

“Ninghua, are you telling the truth?”

Shen Ninghua nodded. “Your Majesty, what I just said is indeed true. But I’m curious. I just punished a playboy. Why are all of you criticizing me in unison? Lord Wang and the lord who just spoke, aren’t you afraid of breaking your tongues with such exaggeration? Wang Wei is just a descendant of an ordinary official, but you sounded as if he had great impacts on the heart of the people and the peace of the country. How much does he weigh with his bones so that you dare to link him to the heart of the people and the peace of the country?”

He didn’t even see what kind of rubbish Wang Wei was!

“You…” The Assistant Minister of Rites was so angry that his face turned purple and he almost fainted.

Shen Ninghua ignored him and directly said, “Besides, Lord Xiao should know why I fed him aphrodisiac.”

Xiao Jingran raised his head and frowned. “What are you saying? Why don’t I understand?”

Shen Ninghua tilted her head. “What? Xiao Huanxi didn’t tell you after she went back?”