The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 1247 - 1247 608 couple (2 watches)_5

Chapter 1247: 608 couple (2 watches)_5 Chapter 1247: 608 couple (2 watches)_5 “Xuan,” said the Emperor.

The former Consort of Duke Liang hadn’t returned to Pingcheng Prefecture City because upon hearing of Duke Liang’s death, she fainted on the spot and remained unconscious for several days and nights, only now regaining consciousness.

“Your Majesty!”

Stumbling, the former Consort of Duke Liang lunged toward the Emperor’s desk and knelt down.

The Emperor quickly stood up and walked around the desk to help her up: “Aunt of the Ninth Uncle, please get up!”

Clinging tightly to the Emperor’s arm, the former Consort wept bitterly: “Your Majesty… Your Majesty, you must seek justice for your Ninth Uncle!”

The Emperor said gravely, “Aunt of the Ninth Uncle claims to know who the murderer is. May I ask who the murderer is?”

The former Consort of Duke Liang gritted her teeth and steeled her heart: “Princess Xinyang!”

The Emperor paused, then said, “Aunt of the Ninth Uncle must be jesting. How could the murderer be Xinyang? She wouldn’t kill, especially not the Ninth Uncle.”

He was well aware of Xinyang’s temperament, that she wouldn’t commit murder or arson, let alone have any motive to kill Duke Liang.

As if she had used up all her strength, the former Consort of Duke Liang trembled violently: “Your Majesty, believe me! The murderer is her! It really is her!”

How could the Emperor possibly believe that Xinyang was the murderer?

The Emperor spoke earnestly and compassionately, “Aunt of the Ninth Uncle, you are tired. I will have Eunuch Wei escort you back to your residence to rest.”

The former Consort of Duke Liang refused to leave. With Duke Liang dead, the Duke’s mansion would soon be in decline, all caused by Xinyang, that wretched woman!

She wouldn’t let them have peace, so she wouldn’t let Xinyang have peace either!

Better to die together!

Both perish in the end!

The former Consort of Duke Liang raised three fingers solemnly and proclaimed, “Your Majesty! You must believe me! I swear to heaven, if the murderer is not Princess Xinyang, may I be struck by lightning and meet a terrible end!”

No sooner had her words ended than the sky crackled with lightning; a bolt struck directly into the Imperial Study Room, hitting the former Consort of Duke Liang.

The former Consort of Duke Liang: “…”

Minister Xing: “…”

The Emperor: “…”

By the time the Emperor summoned Gu Jiao to the Imperial Palace, the former Consort of Duke Liang had already breathed her last.

The Empress Xiao had also arrived.

Looking at the former Consort of Duke Liang inside the Imperial Study Room, she covered her nose with a handkerchief and disdainfully said, “Inauspicious, to actually die in the Emperor’s study room!”

The Emperor also felt it was ominous and thus did not refute Empress Xiao’s words.

However, he still summoned Princess Xinyang to the palace.

“The Aunt of the Ninth Uncle named you as the murderer. I find this very strange. Did you perhaps do something that she misunderstood?”

“No, she might have been distressed and delirious.”

The Emperor thought about it and indeed did not rule out the possibility.

Yet somehow, he mysteriously felt that something was amiss.

He looked intently at Princess Xinyang: “Where were you on the day of the incident? I heard you left the Capital City.”

Without batting an eyelash, Princess Xinyang said, “I went to visit the Ninth Uncle. The Aunt of the Ninth Uncle came to me that day, saying that the Ninth Uncle’s health was failing and he wanted to see me before he passed. I hurried there, but who knew that halfway there, I would be stopped by a natural disaster. I was blocked at the post station. If you do not believe me, Your Majesty, you may send people to inquire.”

Princess Xinyang stayed at the post station for one night and didn’t return to Capital City until the next day; the people at the station could testify to that.

“What about Lord Xuanping?” the Emperor asked with a piercing gaze.

It must be said that the events involving Lady Jing and Qin Fengyang had made the Emperor grow up. In the past, he would never have doubted Xinyang, but now, he was much more cautious.

But Princess Xinyang was no pushover; she spoke flawlessly: “I was unaware of the torrential rain. Ahen heard that I had left the city and, worried about the possibility of landslides and debris flows, hurried after me. His father, concerned for him, followed as well. Ahen, worried about the villagers, wanted to check if everyone had evacuated and discovered a baby who had fallen into a dry well. He risked his life to save the child, and both of them were seriously injured as a result.”

The fact that Lord Xuanping left the post station in the middle of the night was only known to Gu Jiao and her party. Gu Chengfeng, disguised as Lord Xuanping, returned to the Capital City, where he even spoke a few words to the guards at the city gate.

This was a matter that could be verified.

Lord Xuanping also had a perfect alibi.

Princess Xinyang continued: “Afterward, the two of them have been recuperating in Bishui Alley and have never left.”

In the past few days, it was Gu Chengfeng who was recuperating, but with bandages wrapped around his face, who could recognize him?

As they called him ‘my lord,’ everyone in the neighborhood knew that he was the lord.

The Emperor could check it out; the whole alley would say that Lord Xuanping had been there for several consecutive days.

The Emperor nodded: “Ahen returned to the palace the day after he arrived back in the city. I saw him in Renshou Palace, but before we could speak much, he was so tired that he fell asleep.”

This was also to create an alibi for Lord Xuanping in advance.

As long as both of them were recuperating in Bishui Alley, and as long as Xiao Hen was genuine, no one would suspect that the Lord Xuanping everyone talked about was an impostor.

Upon leaving the palace, Princess Xinyang headed for Bishui Alley.

Lord Xuanping was alone in the courtyard, sunbathing. He looked meaningfully at Princess Xinyang, who seemed to appear more than eight times a day: “Qin Fengwan, you’ve been visiting quite frequently lately. Don’t tell me you’ve taken a fancy to me? You’d better give up on that notion. I protect you because you are my wife in name and the mother of my son, not because I have any marital feelings for you.”

Princess Xinyang snapped back, “I came to see my son!”

Lord Xuanping stared at her hard for several moments, rolling his eyeballs as a form of shaking his head: “I don’t believe you.”

Princess Xinyang: “…!!”

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