NFBE Chapter 245 His Evidence
Chapter 245 His Evidence
Xu Haifu raised his eyes and glanced at her quickly, then bowed respectfully. "It is Your Highness, the Princess Consort. The Emperor has decreed that you be summoned to the palace."
Wang nodded gently.
A barely perceptible hint of relief flashed in those calm and composed eyes.
"In that case, let's go."
Xu Haifu glanced into the Prince Xiang's residence, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Won't the Princess give the young prince a few more words of advice?"
Princess Xiang paused slightly, then slowly turned around, her movements as heavy as if they weighed a ton.
Then, inside the threshold of the Prince Xiang's residence, a little boy of about five or six years old was holding his wet nurse's hand tightly. His big, watery eyes were full of reluctance and longing for his mother as he gazed at her expectantly.
Princess Xiang's eyes immediately reddened.
She turned around abruptly, her voice sounding perfectly normal, "Thank you for your kindness, Father-in-law, but it's not necessary."
She had already given all the necessary instructions.
On the way to the palace, Princess Xiang sat elegantly, gazing calmly out of the carriage curtain, but her fingers resting on her knees trembled slightly.
She had known this day would come, and had been waiting for it all along.
Upon entering the imperial study, Princess Xiang saw Prince Xiang kneeling on the ground. A fleeting, almost imperceptible, surge of hatred flashed in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.
She moved gracefully, knelt down slowly, her back straight, and said with neither humility nor arrogance, "Greetings, Father Emperor."
Emperor Wenjing looked at her.
Princess Xiang, born into the Wang family, was exceptionally talented and beautiful, and was famous throughout the capital. Several princes of marriageable age were interested in her.
In the end, she and King Xiang fell in love and she became his wife.
Lady Wang was a low-key person who disliked showing off. Even though she attended the annual banquet in the palace every year, Emperor Wenjing almost never paid special attention to her.
Now, Emperor Wenjing looked her over closely and was greatly shocked, realizing that this woman was completely different from the one he had seen five years ago.
It's like a pearl covered in dust, or a rose with a broken stem.
Emperor Wenjing gazed at Princess Xiang for a long time before slowly speaking: "Princess Xiang, do you know why I summoned you here today?"
Princess Xiang raised her head slightly, her gaze calm, "Your Majesty, I understand."
Emperor Wenjing and Prince Xiang both looked at Princess Xiang and noticed that she was acting strangely today.
Looking at Lady Wang, King Xiang suddenly felt a sense of foreboding.
The next moment, the Princess Consort of Xiang slowly spoke:
"In the years since I married into the Prince's mansion, I have witnessed that in addition to accepting Wang Xunzhen's 'tribute,' the Prince has also received huge sums of 'tribute' from six prefectures, including Langya."
"In addition, the owner behind the Jinglu Teahouse in Shengjing City is the Prince."
"Your Majesty, I can testify that what Granny Sheng said when she struck the grievance drum some time ago is all true."
"The women who died at the hands of the prince were far more than just one girl from the Sheng family. Over the years, the number of women who died with resentment in the prince's mansion has long since piled up into piles of white bones."
Upon hearing this, King Xiang's eyes widened in fury, as if he were a wild beast that had been provoked.
He suddenly stood up and rammed into Princess Xiang, yelling, "Wang! Are you insane?! You madwoman!"
Princess Xiang did not dodge or flinch, but calmly watched Prince Xiang rush towards her, her eyes filled with a sense of relief after liberation.
Just as the King of Xiang was about to collide with her, the guards beside him quickly stepped in and stopped him.
King Xiang struggled and roared, "Why are you spouting nonsense and framing me! You poisonous woman!"
King Xiang remained calm, as if he had lost all emotional fluctuations and could not stir up the slightest ripple.
She glanced at the Prince of Xiang, who was acting like a mad dog, and continued, "Father, everything I have said is true. This is the secret account of the Prince's mansion over the years. I remember it contains all the gold and silver treasures that have been sent into the mansion over the years..."
As she spoke, she took out an account book from her wide sleeve.
When King Xiang saw the account book, he was first stunned, then burst into wild laughter.
"Hahaha, Wang, do you think you can convict me with such a nonsensical account book?"
"Father! Lady Wang is talking nonsense. Your son has never done such a thing!"
"This wicked woman has framed me so falsely; she may have been conspiring with Wang Xunzhen all along. Her heart is wicked!"
He struggled to break free from the guards' restraints while glaring fiercely at the Princess Consort of Xiang, veins bulging on his forehead and his face contorted in a ferocious expression.
However, Princess Xiang paid no attention to his madness and respectfully presented the account books to Emperor Wenjing.
“Father, this account book is detailed and accurate. Every income and expenditure has its source and destination, and is verified by the seals or signatures of the relevant persons. There is absolutely no possibility of forgery. If Father does not believe it, you may send someone to check it immediately.”
Xu Haifu received a look from Emperor Wenjing, took the account books, and presented them to the emperor.
Emperor Wenjing flipped through the account books page by page, his eyes growing colder and colder.
With a sharp "smack," he slammed the account book heavily onto the King of Xiang's face.
"Prince Xiang, how dare you!"
King Xiang was momentarily stunned by the force of the impact.
He hurriedly picked up the ledger and quickly flipped through it.
The arrogance on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a deathly pale expression.
These are the account books he kept in a secret room. How did Wang get them?
If Madam Wang knew the location of the secret room, wouldn't she also know about those women...?
His body began to tremble uncontrollably.
Just then, Princess Consort Xiang said, word by word, "Father, there is a secret room in the basement of the Prince Xiang's mansion. Every time, the Prince would take the women who were drugged at Jinglu Teahouse to that secret room to torture them."
"After Granny Sheng sued the Prince, he may have cleaned up the traces inside, but some old bloodstains have already seeped deep into the bricks and stones, and cannot be washed away no matter what. If Father does not believe it, he can send someone to investigate."
Emperor Wenjing's face was so dark it seemed like it could drip water, and his eyes looked like they were about to spew out raging fire. "Xu Haifu!"
Xu Haifu immediately understood, "This servant will send someone to investigate right away."
King Xiang never expected that Lady Wang would know so many secrets, and he never expected that she would betray him so ruthlessly at this moment!
He wanted nothing more than to strangle Wang on the spot, but his remaining rationality told him that there was nothing he could do right now.
With red-rimmed eyes, he crawled forward on his knees. "Father! Father! This is all slander! Your son has been wronged. This must be a deliberate frame-up. Your son swears to Heaven that this is absolutely not true!"
Princess Xiang smiled softly, but her laughter was filled with sorrow.
She looked at the King of Xiang, a deep hatred hidden in her eyes.
"Slander? Your Highness, the evidence is irrefutable. Do you still want to deny it?"
“During my years in the Prince’s mansion, I have witnessed all your evil deeds. I have long wanted to expose your true colors, but if I do, what will happen to Rui’er? He is still so young…”
"Since I learned your true colors, I haven't slept a full night. Every time I close my eyes, every time I dream, I see those tormented and struggling wronged souls. No one stands up for them, and they will never find peace!"
King Xiang stared intently at Lady Wang, his gaze seeming to want to tear her to pieces.
If looks could be transformed into tangible blades, Wang would have been riddled with holes and died a hundred times over by now.
He wanted to question Wang Shi, who kept saying she had endured it for Rui'er's sake, so why, why did she have to expose him at this moment?!
Was she trying to kill him?!