Reborn as the Crippled King's Beloved
Chapter 365: Consort Duan’s Father Sentenced to Death

Chapter 365: Chapter 365: Consort Duan’s Father Sentenced to Death

Ya Fu said she wanted to leave, so Murong Jiu first checked up on her eldest brother to see how his recovery was going.

Eldest brother was getting better by the day, his vital energy abundant. He believed he would be able to resume his duties before long.

When that time came, there would be far less opportunity to spend time with Ya Fu.

Murong Jiu understood her eldest brother’s thoughts.

He feared that once he got busy, he would have no time to see Ya Fu, worried someone else might take her away.

The siblings exchanged a glance, understanding each other without words.

Murong Jiu mischievously refrained from telling her eldest brother that Senior Brother Chen actually already had a woman he fancied; it was only proper for the elder brother to feel a sense of urgency.

However, she felt that with Ya Fu’s simple mind, for her eldest brother to win Ya Fu’s true heart was really a matter of time.

Look, it had not even been a few days since her arrival at the Prince Mansion, and she was already willing to be lured back to the General’s Mansion.

If she didn’t care about him, why would she possibly follow him back?

After seeing off the two, Jun Yuyan went with Murong Jiu to dine at an inn through the back door; he was still under house arrest and could not leave the house openly.

The inn had already arranged a private dining room, and all the dishes were Murong Jiu’s favorites. As soon as the two of them entered the room, the dishes were presented one after another.

Murong Jiu felt touched once more by Jun Yuyan’s thoughtfulness.

For a man to hold you in his heart versus not, that was a completely different matter.

And she was fortunate, for this man had consistently loved her in both lifetimes.

The unhappiness brought by the Second Prince and Murong Man was completely dispelled under Jun Yuyan’s attentive care.

She had already cast the two of them out of her mind.

A couple of days later, good news came from Luzhou as well.

The evidence of the Fourth Prince’s distant relatives holding illegal salt wells had been found, and several leaders were covertly taken control of.

Upon acquiring the evidence, Jun Yuyan had it secretly delivered to the palace in the name of the Governor of Luzhou.

The seal stamped upon it was that of the Governor of Luozhou.

Of course, the Governor of Luozhou was no good person, just like the Fourth Prince, both corrupt and incompetent.

The "secret accusation" against the Fourth Prince by the Governor of Luzhou naturally had no relation to Prince Ling’s Mansion.

Upon hearing this, the Emperor was enraged and immediately sent people to investigate thoroughly in Luzhou.

The Fourth Prince thought it was the abandoned iron mines on Lixin Mountain, a decoy he had deliberately leaked to mislead others, but unexpectedly, it was the matter of the illegal salt wells.

His first thought was of Murong Jiu.

But he couldn’t figure out how Murong Jiu had come to know of it.

After all, this matter had not been exposed before Murong Jiu’s death in his previous lifetime.

Could it be that Murong Jiu knew more than he had imagined?

This thought spread in the Fourth Prince’s heart, making him feel a profound loss of control.

However, before he had time to act, a portrait was presented before him.

Upon unfolding it, his face grew incredibly grim, and he furiously smashed a teacup to the ground.

The person in the portrait was none other than the son he had found in his previous life.

"Was it sent by someone from Prince Ling’s Mansion?"

His icy voice slithered like a venomous snake in the shadows.

"Your Highness, it was the Second Prince’s people!"

The Fourth Prince’s brows furrowed deeply, listening as his servant said, "Last night, a spy stationed outside the Second Prince’s Mansion saw a burly strongman enter the Second Prince’s Mansion, and the Second Prince sent out many people. By Chen Hour today, they had found the little boy in the portrait."

"Zhou Haisheng!"

He gritted his teeth in anger.

In my previous life, I was tortured to death by Zhou Haisheng, and even now, my resentment is not appeased.

His son looks so much like him, he should have been sent to him early to be raised, yet Zhou Haisheng always had the boy consider him his real father, without even taking a look at what his own status was.

I didn’t expect such a huge deviation in this life, with Zhou Haisheng actually turning to the Second Prince’s Mansion for support.

"Could it be that because I sent someone ahead of time to kill Zhou Haisheng and he realized it, he sought out another backer?"

This is not impossible.

I’ve only been reborn for half a year, and by this time, my son had already been abducted by traffickers. After waking up and confirming many things, I remembered this son, and immediately sent people to look for him and to find and kill Zhou Haisheng to eliminate future troubles.

This hunter has some skills too, managing to stay well hidden due to his keen observational abilities.

It’s possible that my attempt to kill him alarmed him, prompting Zhou Haisheng to seek refuge with the Second Prince.

Of all people to choose, he chose a cripple!

The Fourth Prince sneered coldly, "It’s just as well that I have found my son; I should thank my Second Imperial Eldest Brother. Someone, go to the Second Prince’s Mansion!"

Of course, I couldn’t leave my mansion so openly.

I had to travel in secret.

But just as I was halfway there, a servant from my residence hurriedly caught up.

"Your Highness! The Emperor summons you to the palace!"

The Fourth Prince’s face darkened with an ominous look, but he had no choice but to head to the palace to see the Emperor.

He was very aware that the Emperor called him for the matter of the private salt wells.

But as he had delegated this task to his subordinates, at most, it could only be associated with a distant relative from his maternal grandfather’s side—he couldn’t be more innocent.

Indeed, atop the Golden Throne Hall, the Emperor was irrepressibly furious.

"Kneel down before me! Old Four, I’ve truly underestimated you. You even dare to engage in private salt trading. Third Brother, what do you think his crime should be?"

The Third Prince respectfully said to the Emperor, "Father, the private mining of salt wells is a serious offense. According to Great Yan’s laws, the whole nine clans should be executed!"

The Fourth Prince’s face was filled with panic and disbelief as he knelt and said, "Your Majesty, what private salt wells? Your son is clueless about all of this! What exactly has happened, why has no one ever mentioned a word of this to your son?"

"You’re clueless? Do you think I’d believe such lies?"

"Exactly, Laosi, confess honestly, and perhaps in consideration of the father-son relationship, Your Majesty might let you off the hook. But if you remain stubborn, then don’t blame the law for being merciless!"

The Third Prince spoke aloud.

"Third elder imperial brother, I truly know nothing, what has happened? Even if I am to die, please allow me to understand the reason, Your Majesty!"

The Emperor tossed a secret letter sent by the Governor of Luzhou onto the ground: "Fine, I will let you die knowing. Read for yourself!"

After reading it, the Fourth Prince said in disbelief, "Your Majesty, this must be a frame-up. I have always been the most honest, how could I possibly do such a thing!"

Evidence dictates all, and even the Emperor can’t punish a prince arbitrarily.

Ministers pleaded on behalf of the Fourth Prince as well.

In Luzhou, the Governor was poisoned on his way to the capital and died a terrible death, leaving only a few leaders in charge of the private salt wells, who happened to be distant relatives of Consort Duan.

These few people even tried to commit suicide out of fear of punishment on the way, but they failed and ended up in Sky Prison. Extreme torture could not make them change their testimony.

They insisted that the matter had nothing to do with the Fourth Prince, claiming they invoked the Emperor’s name to contact the Governor of Luzhou and collude with him.

With the death of the Governor, there was no one left to testify.

The Emperor, having no choice, could only deal with those people, with the Fourth Prince at most facing a charge of negligence.

If he truly pursued an investigation into the nine clans, even the Emperor himself would be somewhat implicated.

However, the Fourth Prince’s maternal grandfather, the father of Consort Duan, could not escape his guilt and was sentenced to beheading by the Emperor, to be executed along with the other leaders.

The Fourth Prince knew all too well that his father, the Emperor, did not harbor the slightest father-son affection for him and intended to have him completely disgraced.

Upon hearing the news, Consort Duan had fallen ill.