"Wu Yanji also said …"
"Pa!"
A heavy slap to the face caused the little attendant to spin twice on the spot. He was dumbfounded.
Zhang Changzong's face alternated between red and white as he angrily said, "Shut up! Don't say anymore! "
The young attendant covered his face and answered embarrassedly, "Yes! Yes, yes! "
Zhang Changzong's face was burning. He was still young. Even though he had served a seventy year old woman as a youth and knew that the world was secretly laughing at him, he still couldn't accept the fact that he was being ridiculed and humiliated by others. It was as if he had been slapped hard in the face. He even had the intention to kill.
"Li Zhongrun, Wu Yanji, Princess Yongtai …"
Zhang Changzong's handsome face was distorted. His eyes were filled with hatred. He wished he could smash these three people into pieces. He raised his head to look at the young attendant who was at a loss and shouted, "Scram!"
The young attendant originally wanted to snitch on his master, but he didn't expect Zhang Changzong to fly into a rage at him. He didn't dare to let out another fart and hurriedly slipped away. Zhang Changzong flicked his sleeves and walked toward the Lovely Spring Stage.
"Sixth Lang is back. We are a little tired and want to sleep for a while. Come and massage my head."
When Wu Zetian saw Zhang Changzong, she put down the memorial and leaned back on the soft couch with a smile. She slightly closed her eyes. In the end, she didn't wait for the gentle massage of ten fingers on her head. Instead, she waited for a low sob. Wu Zetian opened her eyes and saw Zhang Changzong kneeling on the ground with his forehead touching the ground and his shoulders shaking. She couldn't help but ask in surprise, "What happened to Sixth Lang?"
As Wu Zetian spoke, she quickly got up from the couch and walked over to help him up. As she did so, she saw Zhang Changzong's face covered in tears. Wu Zetian felt very distressed and hurriedly said, "Sixth Lang, why are you crying? Quickly get up. If you have any grievances, tell us. We will take care of it for you. "
Zhang Changzong choked with sobs and said tearfully, "Changzong can no longer serve the Saints. Please have mercy and let Shi Changzong leave the palace."
Wu Zetian panicked even more. She hugged him and said, "Zhen's little sweetheart, you were fine just a moment ago. What happened to you?" As she spoke, Wu Zetian swept her gaze across the hall, thinking that one of the palace maids and eunuchs in the hall had offended Zhang Changzong. Her gaze was very fierce, and the palace maids and eunuchs in the hall all knelt down in fright.
Zhang Changzong said with tears in his eyes, "Everywhere under the heavens, everywhere belongs to the King, everywhere belongs to the King. It is Changzong's great fortune to be doted on by the Saint, but now there are people making irresponsible remarks. Changzong can ignore these rumors, but I can't let the Saint's reputation be damaged, and I can't bear to let my late grandfather be shamed. "
Wu Zetian vaguely guessed something; she asked in a stern voice, "Just tell me, Liulang. Who humiliated you? Who slandered the monarch and offended his superiors? Speak! This Emperor will help you! "
Zhang Changzong told Wu Zetian about the matter of Wu Yanji, Li Zhongrun, and Princess Yongtai, adding oil and vinegar. Hearing this, Wu Zetian was enraged, and her cheeks glowed green. In recent years, she was getting on in years, and her temperament had become more benevolent, so she rarely had any murderous intent. Now, this long-lost cruelty had resurfaced.
"Come!"
Little Hai, who had been promoted to the Chief Steward of the Inner Attendants, quickly stepped forward and bowed to receive the order.
Wu Zetian gritted her teeth and said, "Go, arrest Li Zhongrun and Wu Yanji, and beat them to death in the palace!"
Of these two people, one was her own grandson, and the other was her grandnephew. Little Hai knew that these two people were going to have bad luck, but he didn't expect that the order was to beat them to death. He couldn't help but turn pale with fright, but the Emperor was in a rage, so he didn't dare to say another word. He quickly complied.
Wu Zetian added, "Take Yongtai to the Crown Prince's palace. Tell the Crown Prince that if he can't even raise a daughter, how can he be the heir apparent? We will now send his daughter over and have him properly discipline her. If We are not satisfied, We will personally teach his daughter for him! "
Little Hai obediently complied, then turned and left.
Li Zhongrun had lived in Fangzhou since he was a child. Although he knew that this grandmother of his was formidable, he had never seen her since he was a child. Everything he knew about his grandmother came from his parents and the soldiers who had imprisoned them. As a result, he was not as clear as the Prince of Xiang's sons, who had been imprisoned in the Crown Prince's palace since they were children, of his grandmother's personality. He had underestimated Zhang Changzong's position in the heart of an old woman who had never valued family.
When he was captured by the ruthless palace warriors, he still believed that he was still a prince, an imperial grandson, the grandson of the current emperor. At most, he would be detained and given a few words of reprimand. His grandmother would never heavily punish him just because of a few words of disdain for Zhang Changzong. It was only when he heard Little Hai say 'death by flogging' that he paled in fright.
Perhaps it was only now that he remembered that he, the imperial grandson, was worthless. Perhaps it was a rumor that his Fifth Uncle Li Hong and Sixth Uncle Li Xian had died at the hands of his imperial grandmother, but his Sixth Uncle's two sons had been whipped to death on his grandmother's orders. Why did he only think of this now?
… …
In the Eastern Palace, the heavily pregnant Princess Yongtai struggled to kneel on the ground. She did not understand why her imperial grandmother was so angry. Was it just because she had criticized her gigolo? When Princess Yongtai was escorted to the Eastern Palace, she still did not know what had happened to her husband and brother.
In the palace hall, Li Xian and Wei Fei stood side by side. In front of them stood a eunuch who had rushed over from Lovely Spring Terrace. In a completely calm tone, the eunuch repeated Wu Zetian's words. "The Emperor said, if the Crown Prince can't even teach his daughter well, how can he be the heir apparent of a country? Now that Princess Yongtai has been sent here, I ask His Highness the Crown Prince to discipline her well. If His Majesty is not satisfied, the Emperor will personally teach his daughter for the Crown Prince. "
After the eunuch finished speaking, he raised his horsetail whisk and turned to leave.
"Gong-gong, wait!"
Wei Fei suddenly came to her senses and hurriedly chased after him. With a smile, she asked, "Gong-gong, how did the Sage deal with Chongrun and Yanji?"
The eunuch glanced at her and faintly replied, "Death by flogging!"
Wei Fei staggered back two steps. She stared in a daze as the eunuch left the palace hall, her face ashen. Li Chongrun was her own son, and Princess Yongtai Li Xianhui was her own daughter, but now …
Li Xian stood in a daze for a while. Suddenly, he cried out involuntarily, "Chongrun! My son! "Tears gushed out like spring water.
Wei Fei grabbed Li Xian, who was about to run out of the palace hall, and asked in a trembling voice, "Langjun, where are you going?"
Li Xian sobbed, "I … I'm going to plead with the Empress, plead …"
Wei Fei said, "Didn't you hear that Chongrun … has already been flogged to death?" At this point, Wei Fei's face was also covered in tears.
Li Xian's face was gloomy as he replied, "I heard, but Xianhui is still alive. The Empress wants me to discipline her, but how can I discipline her? I'm going to plead with the Empress …"
Wei Fei gritted her teeth, her eyes blurred with tears. "Do you still not understand? Wu Yanji and Chongrun have both been flogged to death. Do you still not understand the Empress's intentions? "
Li Xian's body shook. He turned around in shock and looked at Wei Fei in disbelief. He roared, "That's your own daughter! She's a piece of flesh that fell from your body! She's pregnant, she's only seventeen years old, she … "
Wei Fei suddenly cried out as if she had gone crazy. "I know, I know. Of course, even a vicious tiger won't eat its cubs. Do you think I'm willing to give up my daughter's life? But even a vicious tiger won't eat its cubs. The human heart is even more vicious than the tiger! "
At this point, she suddenly realized something and hurriedly covered her mouth. The palace maids and eunuchs in the palace were all sent by the Emperor. Who knew how many eyes and ears there were among them?
Wei Fei lowered her voice and said to Li Xian with tears streaming down her face, "Langjun, do you think that if it was possible, I wouldn't want to save my own daughter? It's useless. The Empress's heart is as hard as iron. How could she allow others to change her decision? If you go, you won't be able to save your daughter. You'll only be sending yourself to your grave! "
Wei Fei hissed, "Langjun, qie isn't that ruthless. That's qie's own flesh and blood! But qie has no other choice! " As Wei Fei spoke, she collapsed to the ground. Hugging Li Xian's thigh, she began to cry bitterly. Li Xian stood in a daze for a while, then also collapsed to the ground like a pile of soft mud.
Not only was Princess Yongtai being punished, but her parents were also forced to personally give the order. How tragic was this? In the courtyard, Princess Yongtai was pressed to the ground. The eunuchs raised their large staffs and began to carry out the punishment. It wasn't until the staff landed heavily on her buttocks that Princess Yongtai came to her senses. This was real, this was actually real!
Princess Yongtai screamed, "Father, Mother, your daughter was wrong! Your daughter deserves to die! But your daughter already has a child in her stomach. Please, Father, Mother, help your daughter ask grandmother for mercy. As long as your daughter can give birth to the child, please let your daughter give birth to the child first. Father, Mother … "
Pa! Pa! Pa! The eunuchs raised their large staffs and struck Princess Yongtai's body again and again, causing her skin to split open. What made her even more frightened was that her abdomen was cramping with pain. Li Xianhui was both in pain and afraid and actually fainted.
In the main hall, Li Xian and his wife collapsed to the ground. Wei Fei tightly clenched her teeth, her fingers already digging into Li Xian's arm. A trickle of blood slowly seeped out of the corner of her mouth. Li Xian tightly held his head. He was in unbearable pain, his entire body trembling. However, the sound of the punishment outside the hall and his daughter's miserable cries still entered his ears like a demonic sound piercing through his brain.
When a palace maid who sympathized with Princess Yongtai brought the news that she had fainted, Li Xian jumped up as if he had gone mad. He screamed, "I want to see Mother Empress! If I have to die, then let me die! I want to see Mother Empress! "Li Xian crazily pushed aside Wei Fei, who was crying and trying to stop him, and ran for his life toward Lovely Spring Terrace.
When Wu Yanji and Li Zhongrun became two badly mutilated corpses, the hostility in Wu Zetian's chest slightly lessened. Li Xian rolled and crawled, crying loudly as he rushed into Lovely Spring Palace. Then, he kowtowed with each step he took until he crawled in front of Wu Zetian. With blood dripping from his forehead, he banged his head on the golden brick floor, wailing and begging for his daughter's life.
Only after Zhang Yizhi, who had just arrived, interceded on her behalf did Wu Zetian show mercy and pardon Li Xianhui's death sentence. Li Xian was wild with joy. From Lovely Spring Terrace to the Eastern Palace, the palace maids, eunuchs, guards, and warriors all saw this Crown Prince of the Great Zhou with disheveled hair and bloody forehead running back and forth like a madman.
Wu Yanji's bloody corpse was sent back to the Wei Prince's Mansion. Wu Chengsi, who had been bedridden with a serious illness, was shocked to hear the grievous news. He hurriedly called for someone to help him out. When he saw his son's corpse, his heart suddenly ached. With a loud cry, he spat out a mouthful of blood.
Li Xian ran back to the Eastern Palace, gasping for breath. Li Xianhui was unconscious on the ground, a pool of blood still flowing out from under her. Li Xian turned pale with fright. He staggered and threw himself forward, holding his unconscious daughter in his arms. He wailed miserably, "Someone come quickly! Save me! My son has a miscarriage! Someone come and save me … "
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