Chapter 33: The Prince of Jin Slanders Wuhuan’s Chastity in Public, Claiming They Have Already Consummated

Although she had already exposed him to the Emperor in the garden earlier, making him realize she now stood on the opposing side, hearing her once again, with her own mouth, swear on her head to have him confined still made him feel the pain of betrayal!

This woman who once swore eternal vows with him had betrayed him!

Damn it!

Zhu Wuhuan sensed the Prince of Jin’s gaze, but she remained unmoved.

She straightened her back, kowtowed to Feng Changye, then looked to the dozen or so ministers around them.

“Today I, Zhu Wuhuan, formally accuse the Prince of Jin. I ask you, my lords, to lend me your strength and join me in petitioning His Majesty to confine the Prince of Jin for the time being. When the truth comes to light, either I, Zhu Wuhuan, or he, the Prince of Jin, Feng Changjin—one of us must die!”

The ministers were moved to see the noble Empress willing to stake her head to accuse the Prince of Jin.

This was the iron-boned integrity of the Zhu family…

Thinking of the Old General Zhu, with whom they had served for many years, the ministers’ eyes reddened.

From beginning to end, they had never believed the Old General would betray the nation. It was the Emperor who had acted willfully, determined to behead the entire Zhu clan in public!

He had even said that anyone who pleaded for the Zhu family would be put to death together with them!

They had not dared to anger the Emperor in open court; but now that the Empress herself accused the Prince of Jin, how could they not step forward?

They were willing to gamble on the Old General’s character!

Moreover, the Emperor had summoned them today precisely because he hoped they would declare their stance together with the Empress and press to confine the Prince of Jin!

If His Majesty truly believed in the Prince’s innocence, would he have bothered to summon them here for this?

These shrewd men understood as much. Exchanging glances, they rose to their feet.

“We are willing to bear witness!”

“We also petition Your Majesty to confine the Prince of Jin for now!”

“If, when all is revealed, the Prince is unconnected to the harm done to the forty thousand soldiers at the border, we are willing to go to the Prince’s manor and present rods to beg forgiveness for wronging him today!”

With that, they turned to the Prince of Jin and bowed deeply.

“Your Highness, forgive our offense.”

“…” The Prince of Jin looked at the ministers coldly.

They had already joined Zhu Wuhuan in requesting his confinement, and they still spoke of “offense” or not!

If you think it an offense, then stop stirring things up with Zhu Wuhuan!

“Very good.”

Feng Changye was quite satisfied with how sensible these ministers were.

If he alone demanded the Prince’s confinement, it would look like he feared his younger brother and would be easily criticized.

But with the Empress as accuser and the ministers jointly requesting temporary confinement, it all became perfectly justified!

Thus, with a domineering sweep of his sleeve, he said icily, “Since the Empress herself has brought this accusation, confine the Prince of Jin at once in the penal wing of the Heavenly Prison. Without my decree, no one may visit!”

He then looked to Ji Yunzhang.

Ji Yunzhang immediately cupped his hands in acknowledgment and went out to summon the Imperial Guards.

Hearing the Emperor’s words, the Prince of Jin knew he would not escape today.

Perhaps from the very moment Zhu Wuhuan knelt beside him, he had already known…

He glanced sideways at Zhu Wuhuan, his eyes complicated.

He had not expected that, wanting to use her death to achieve his rebellion, he would in turn be harmed by Feng Changye using her to have him confined!

Heh… So much for “deep love without regret”… so much for “vows by the seas and mountains”…

None of it could compare to the five years she had been husband and wife with Feng Changye!

Were these two not colluding to harm him? Were these two not the loving Emperor and Empress envied by all?

Since he would be confined anyway, why not take the chance to sow discord between them before that?

He, Feng Changjin, would not go to hell alone!

Even in death he would drag this woman who had harmed him down with him!

“Wuhuan—”

He looked at Zhu Wuhuan with tenderness on his face, but what came out of his mouth were words that stabbed straight at the heart.

“Is it that whoever takes your body, you will help? Once I had your body, so you did so much for me… Now that Royal Brother has your body, you do his bidding instead…”

His eyes filled with loathing, and he enunciated each word: “I thought you were pure as ice and jade, but you are utterly base!”

“!” On hearing this, the ministers wished their ears had gone deaf!

The Prince of Jin had actually, before so many people, claimed that he and the Empress had already done that sort of thing…

He meant to doom the Empress!

With thuds, the ministers dropped to their knees, heads pressed to the floor, not daring to look at the Emperor’s or Empress’s faces!

Surely His Majesty would be enraged enough to kill!

The ministers were terrified, and Zhu Wuhuan was also stunned by the Prince’s shamelessness!

She turned her head to look at this man who seemed open and bright but was in truth full of vile schemes, so angry she wanted to curse his ancestors!

To be dying and still drag others down with him—and to use such a vicious method to ruin a woman—how could he be so despicable?

Both hateful and panicked, she lifted her eyes to Feng Changye, afraid he would, in a rage, draw his sword and behead this pair of “adulterers.”

But she was truly innocent!

She had to think of a way—she needed to prove her innocence!

Who would have thought that when she looked up, she would see an expression on Feng Changye’s face that was half smile, half not.

She froze.

Are you stupid with anger, big guy?

The Prince of Jin just said he slept with your woman, and you’re still smiling there?

At this moment Feng Changye was extraordinarily calm and composed, not at all like a cuckolded husband exposed in public.

He extended a hand toward Zhu Wuhuan. “Empress, come here.”

Seeing the hand held out to her, Zhu Wuhuan felt as if facing a great enemy!

What was he going to do!

Was he going to twist her neck the moment she came over?

She refused!

She would not die so disgracefully!

Seeing her dawdle and not extend her hand, Feng Changye strode to her.

He bent down, took her wrist, pulled her into his arms, then held her arm and rolled up her sleeve.

“Where is your shougongsha?”

He asked in a low voice as he rolled the sleeve.

Zhu Wuhuan blinked. Shougongsha?

So this really existed in ancient times?

Although she had inherited the Empress’s memories, she hadn’t paid attention to such trivial matters.

She rummaged through the Empress’s memories, then pointed an inch below the inside of her elbow. “Here.”

No sooner had she indicated the shougongsha than she froze again.

That’s not right!

The Empress Zhu had been married to the Emperor for five years and she was still a maiden—the shougongsha was still there?

No way?

She suddenly lifted her eyes to stare at Feng Changye!

When she had received the memories earlier, she had deliberately skipped over the Empress being favored by the Emperor, afraid that seeing any eye-searing scenes would make her too embarrassed to continue living in this body…

Who would have thought that the two of them had done nothing in all five years?

After the shock, remembering that in history Feng Changye was a cut-sleeve, she suddenly felt calm.

Right, what am I shocked about? He’s a cut-sleeve. Of course he never touched the Empress Zhu!

She complained to the system, And here I was thinking that, to cover up being a cut-sleeve, he had already forced himself to consummate with the Empress, so I didn’t dare look at any scenes of him with her, hehe…

Catching her inner voice unawares, Feng Changye was so angered he nearly spat blood on the spot!