FID – Chapter 992

Chapter 992: Cleansing the Crown Prince’s Impurities

To dare covet the King’s consort—even though Zhu Xian was already condemned to be beheaded, the King still did not spare him!

Such a ruthless, merciless method…The jailers instantly shrank back. Even after sitting for a long while, they still felt a chill running through their bodies.

The King must have held himself back from gouging out Zhu Xian’s eyes back when he was leering at his consort—just so he could watch with his own eyes as the Zhu family fell into ruin because of him.

Stepping out of the prison, a gentle spring drizzle was still falling outside. A woman stood before the carriage, holding an oiled-paper umbrella, smiling softly at him.

Feng Qingbai let out a small laugh, the darkness between his brows completely dissipating. He stepped forward, took the umbrella from her, and held her hand as they boarded the carriage together.

“What did you go to the prison for?”

“To cleanse the Prince of Cangzhou’s six desires.”

“…Just that?” Liu Yusheng looked doubtful. He was going to be beheaded anyway. Whether he became a eunuch or not hardly mattered now.

The man nodded calmly. “Just that.”

Then he gave an instruction toward the front: “Leave the city. Head to the docks.”

Their identities had been exposed, so no matter where they went in the city, crowds of citizens gathered to watch, making it quite inconvenient.

Fortunately, affairs here were already resolved; they only needed to wait for the imperial court to send people to take over. They had no need to linger.

But the moment the carriage began to move, someone blocked the way.

“This humble woman, Su Manyu, begs an audience with Your Highnesses! I have something to say, please grant me a moment of your time!”

Liu Yusheng lifted the carriage curtain with her hand and saw Miss Su,the same young woman they had met at noon. She was now kneeling in front of the carriage. She paid no mind to the muddy ground, letting the falling rain soak her entirely.

“Miss Su, the matters at the yamen have already been settled. Why are you kneeling here now?” Liu Yusheng frowned.

“I only wish to plead on my father’s behalf. Your Highnesses, please see clearly. Through all these years of crimes committed by the Prefect’s household, my father never took part in any of it, nor did he ever join hands with them!” Su Manyu’s eyes were swollen red as she shuffled forward on her knees. “Earlier, not knowing Your Highnesses’ true identities, I even went to my father to beg him to intercede. But before I could understand what was happening, matters in the yamen changed drastically, and in an instant my father was implicated and lost his post. Your Highnesses, my father is truly innocent. He does not deserve such punishment. Please, see his innocence!”

“How many years has your father served here?” Liu Yusheng asked.

“Your Highness, my father has been the Cangzhou magistrate for fourteen years.”

“For fourteen years in office, there is no way he knew nothing of the Zhu family’s actions, yet he chose to report none of it. Even if he did not collude with them, he allowed it to continue unchecked. Do you know how many women in Cangzhou have been humiliated or died unjustly over these years? How many citizens have been persecuted by the Prefect and the yamen?

For an official, standing by and doing nothing is itself a crime. Your father is not innocent. Miss Su, please step aside.”

Su Manyu’s eyes tightened. She turned desperately toward the carriage interior. “Your Highness, the King—!”

Even if the King doted on his consort, he could not allow a woman, any woman, to overstep and interfere in state matters. If he were displeased, perhaps there would be room for mercy.

But the clear, cool voice that drifted from within the carriage felt like a plunge into an icy abyss, extinguishing her last shred of hope.

“What the Consort has said is exactly what I think. Move out.” He didn’t even bother to tell her to move; he simply ordered the coachman to depart. If she didn’t get out of the way, she would be run over!

“Hyah!” The coachman flicked the reins, and the carriage started forward. Seeing this, Su Manyu scrambled to her feet and hurriedly stepped aside.

The wheels splashed muddy water all over her.

Watching the carriage disappear into the distance, Su Manyu’s face turned deathly pale. She swayed, on the verge of collapsing.

It was over. All of it.

Because of a single glance, just a small attempt to create a chance to get close, the consequences had spiraled completely out of control.

The Commandery Administrator had fallen, the Prefect had fallen, and her own father had been dismissed and sent back to his hometown. In the blink of an eye, it was as if the sky over Cangzhou had changed.

Everything that had been perfectly fine yesterday was overturned today.

In just one afternoon, she had gone from the lofty daughter of a magistrate to a commoner. Worse still, her father now carried a stain on his name. He would never again be able to enter the officialdom in this lifetime!

And she… she would no longer be the admired, envied daughter of an official family.

Everyone in Cangzhou knew she had kept company with Zhu Xian. Now that she had fallen into disgrace, those same people would never let her live it down.

It was over. Everything was over.

Through the misty drizzle, the luxurious carriage exited the city gates and headed straight toward the Cangzhou docks, leaving the ancient city behind.

Liu Yusheng, Feng Qingbai, and their party boarded the passenger ship bound for the northwest.

By the time the news from Cangzhou spread far and wide, the Empress Dowager arrived at Xinghua Village.

The escort squad she brought was too conspicuous, so in order not to attract attention, Qin Xiao ordered the guards to set up camp outside the village.

When entering the village, only he, the Empress Dowager, and the elderly matron attending her went in.

It was late February—already the season of warm spring and blooming flowers.

At the entrance of Xinghua Village, the Qing River flowed gently, its waters murmuring. Flowers and grasses along the banks bloomed vividly, swaying lightly in the spring breeze.

The air was filled with the fresh scent of damp earth and rising water vapor—a fragrance that instantly refreshed the spirit.

After crossing the Qing River, the large pagoda tree at the village entrance came into full view.

Even before approaching, they could already hear waves of rich and infectious laughter coming from beneath the tree.

The Empress Dowager lifted the carriage curtain and looked toward the tree. She immediately spotted Grandma Liu chatting happily with a group of women, holding little Hongdou in her arms.

As for Badou, he was nestled in Grandpa Liu’s lap, among a circle of elderly men.

Seeing a carriage enter the village, the villagers were already accustomed to the sight. “Looks like someone’s visiting Brother Liu’s home again.”

Whenever a carriage appeared, it was almost certainly headed for the Liu family’s courtyard.

Grandma Liu had sharp eyes, so she caught sight of a head of silvery hair and shot up in surprise. “Oh heavens! If this old lady was coming, couldn’t she have sent word ahead? How can she just show up like this!”

“Be careful, else you’ll drop Hongdou!” Watching her clutch the child in one arm while slapping her thigh with the other, the Empress Dowager grew so exasperated she lifted the carriage curtain all the way up.

“Don’t worry, she won’t fall. This old lady has plenty of experience holding children!” Seeing that it really was her, Grandma Liu smiled, her eyes crinkling. “I even invited you over during the New Year, and we had planned to go pick vegetables together, but you didn’t come. Now the year’s almost over, and here you are! What terrible timing—spring planting is about to start. Don’t tell me you still want to go down to the fields with me to plant rice seedlings?”

Chattering on, the old lady walked over and tapped the carriage.“Come on, let’s head home first.”

Grandpa Liu caught up behind her. “Is Brother Qin still sitting inside? I didn’t see wrong, did I? Ha! You’re here to drink with this old man, huh?”

Qin Xiao leaned out slightly and laughed heartily with him. “Brother Liu, remember before the New Year when you said you’d take me and the village elders to drink together? You haven’t forgotten, right?”

“Forgot? Not a chance! Don’t worry. As long as you’re here, we’ll definitely drink until we’re satisfied!”

The carriage carried the elderly couple along toward the Liu family courtyard. 

Beneath the large pagoda tree, the villagers patted their chests, still catching their breath. “Was that the Empress Dowager just now?”

“Yes! She came last year, too, for Zhiqiu’s wedding. We’ve all seen her. There’s no mistake about that white hair!”

“Whoa… have you noticed that the distinguished guests coming to Xinghua Village just keep getting more and more important?”

Thinking about it that way, everyone realized it was indeed true.