Chapter 102 – Taking the Fall for the Emperor

Ye Chutang had long suspected this imperial marriage decree.

And it was more or less as she had guessed.

Her scumbag father’s role was to tamper with her dowry, then pin the blame on Prince Chen for plotting rebellion.

The sharp blade slid from Prince An’s lips down to his neck.

Ye Chutang asked again, “Who were those experts hiding in Prince An’s residence? What was their goal?”

Prince An’s lips were cut, and blood flowed freely.

It felt like a giant hand was squeezing his throat, making it impossible to breathe.

Afraid to hide anything, he immediately spilled the entire plan for today.

Once he was done, he wished he could strangle his daughter to death.

If she hadn’t interfered, the marriage plan would’ve gone off without a hitch! None of this mess would’ve happened!

Ye Chutang saw right through Prince An’s thoughts and curled her lips in mockery.

Did they really think three nobodies could outwit Zhuge Liang?

An idiot is an idiot—ten of them added together are still just ten idiots.

After getting the information she wanted, Ye Chutang knocked Prince An unconscious and stripped off his clothes.

Then she used a dagger to carve four characters into his body: “Come x me.”

(x = 媱; character replaced due to censorship concerns)

She also took two thousand taels’ worth of silver notes and the jade hairpin from his head.

Ye Chutang then hung the naked Prince An beside the royal carriage, gave the horse a light pat on its rump—

The horse started walking slowly, instinctively heading back toward Prince An’s residence.

And so, it dragged the stark-naked Prince An through the crowded streets.

“W-Wait, isn’t that His Highness Prince An? He… why is he…”

“Quick, cover your eyes! So indecent!”

“Who carved those characters? That handwriting is awful—pfft hahahah!”

“Prince An’s into men? Ugh, with that size, of course he is!”

“Then what about the heir and the princess…”

Prince An woke up from the pain.

Though he wasn’t fat, he was tall and pampered—his dislocated wrist had been hanging for too long.

The sudden jolt of agony made him scream in misery and open his eyes.

All he saw were civilians pointing and whispering.

When he understood what they were saying, he looked down in horror—nearly fainting again from the shock.

“Guards! Someone come get this prince down immediately!”

The wound on his lips split open, and fresh blood stained his pale skin.

When the crowd saw Prince An wake up, they quickly shut up, looking away or turning around, no longer daring to laugh.

One bold onlooker, hoping to earn some favor, stepped forward to help.

He held a knife, trying to cut the rope suspending Prince An.

But the angle was wrong, and the gleam of the blade reflected into the horse’s eyes, startling it.

The horse bolted in panic, galloping wildly.

Prince An was dragged and flailed behind it, his head repeatedly smashing into the carriage. He quickly lost consciousness again.

---

By the time Prince An’s humiliation spread throughout the capital, the military police had delivered him back to his residence.

The fires at the manor had been extinguished, but everything was blackened and charred.

The air still stank of smoke, and whether servant or master, everyone was covered in soot.

Zhao Qingshu glanced at Prince An, who was being treated by the imperial physician, and said to the Princess Consort:

“Mother, the residence isn’t livable anymore. Let’s relocate to the secondary estate for now.”

Given what happened, it was better to lay low and avoid further ridicule.

The Princess Consort looked completely haggard, no longer resembling a noblewoman of the capital.

She nodded. “You handle it.”

Zhao Qingshu cleared his throat. “Mother, if we’re moving to the other estate, we’ll need to purchase some essentials.”

Thinking about how the entire manor had been looted clean, the Princess Consort’s chest tightened painfully.

“Take some silver from the shops for now.”

“Mother, that’s not ideal. We already took money from the shops a few days ago to prepare for your birthday banquet. What’s left is needed for operations.”

Hearing that, the Princess Consort removed a gold hairpin from her head.

She turned to the concubines and illegitimate daughters. “Each of you bring out a piece of jewelry to tide us over.”

Soon, Zhao Qingshu had collected a dozen hairpins. He never imagined Prince An’s household would one day rely on pawning off the women’s jewelry to survive.

“Mother, I plan to sell off some of the shops and farmland.”

The manor needed to be rebuilt—it would cost a fortune.

Although the land and property deeds had been stolen, they could be reissued at the government office.

The Princess Consort looked exhausted. “Do as you see fit.”

Just as Zhao Qingshu arranged for a carriage to send his family to the estate, someone from the Court of Judicial Review arrived.

“Young Master, we’ve found Prince Chen, Young Master Qin, and Miss Ye.”

“Where were they found? How are they?”

It was fine if Qin Muyun died, but if Qi Yanzhou and Ye Chutang were dead, the entire Prince An’s household would be in grave danger!

“They were all found at home. Miss Ye is unconscious, Young Master Qin is severely injured, and Prince Chen has internal wounds.”

Zhao Qingshu asked anxiously, “What happened in the guest courtyard?”

“Prince Chen and Young Master Qin are too injured to speak. Miss Ye, when she came to, said someone tried to kill her the moment she entered the guest wing.”

She described the iron cage, the guards’ clothing, and their weapons in great detail.

Everything matched what was found in the ruins—proving she wasn’t lying.

“Young Master, Miss Ye said she almost died and plans to file a complaint to the emperor, demanding an explanation from your household.”

Zhao Qingshu was so stressed his head throbbed.

After sending off the court officials, he pulled the Princess Consort aside.

“Mother, if you want to protect Prince An’s household, you need to tell me the truth about what really happened in the guest courtyard.”

Back then, he had noticed some of the bodies were clearly their own people.

The Princess Consort realized she couldn’t hide it and told him everything.

Zhao Qingshu was shocked to learn that the attempt on Ye Chutang and Qi Yanzhou was ordered by the emperor himself—his headache worsened.

If Ye Chutang really filed a complaint, the An household would end up taking the fall for the emperor!

“Mother, please handle the estate relocation. I have to visit the Minister’s manor.”

He needed to stop Ye Chutang before she brought the case to court.

The Princess Consort nodded. “Qingshu, Minister Ye was also involved. Talk to him first.”

After tidying himself up briefly, Zhao Qingshu headed to the Minister’s residence.

---

Ningchu Courtyard.

Ye Jingchuan was spitting as he spoke, furious at Ye Chutang’s refusal to listen.

“Chuer, even if Prince An had a death wish, he wouldn’t dare kill you in front of so many guests. It must be a misunderstanding. There’s no need to file a complaint and make a laughingstock of yourself.”

Ye Chutang popped a chilled grape soaked in well water and smiled lightly.

“Father, do you know why, even after you’ve served the emperor so diligently, you’re still just a minister?”

Ye Jingchuan immediately sensed her sarcasm.

He snapped, “Do you think it’s easy to get a higher rank? Many officials spend their entire careers and don’t rise past fifth rank.”

Those who had smooth careers either had powerful backers, made early contributions, or, like him, had made significant achievements.

He even boasted a little:

“I had no connections in the capital, yet within less than ten years I rose to Minister of Revenue. That’s rare, even in the entire Beichen Kingdom.”

Ye Chutang looked at his smug face and sneered. “What’s there to be proud of, sacrificing the Tang family who helped you?”

If it hadn’t been for her mother’s support, this man wouldn’t have even had the money to come to the capital for the imperial exam.

Even if he had passed on his own, without money to pave the way, a poor scholar couldn’t survive in the court.

Yet he repaid their kindness with betrayal—causing her mother and brother’s deaths and destroying the Tang family.

Scum.

Ye Jingchuan was struck where it hurt, and his voice rose.

“The Tang family wasn’t clean. If I hadn’t done it, someone else would have.”

“You know better than anyone whether your conscience is truly clear.”

Ye Chutang mocked him coldly and returned to the main topic.

“You rose to Minister in less than ten years because of your cunning. But after that, you haven’t moved an inch—because you’re truly stupid.”

Ye Jingchuan: “…”

Ye Chutang raised an eyebrow. “If I wanted to kill someone, I’d choose a moment no one would expect.”

“For example—if I wanted to kill you, I’d choose right now.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, the sharp blade slashed across Ye Jingchuan’s throat.