Chapter 105

Chapter 105: Light as a Feather

Zhang Da Hu roared, “Bullshit! You venomous woman!”

Jiang Mang went blank for a moment, then spoke bitterly. “It’s true. In the letter Miss Meng asked me to deliver, she didn’t clearly say Da Hu should rob the Princess, but…”

“But that bitch counted on me being stupid!” Zhang Da Hu cut him off. Every word sounded like it was ground out between his teeth. “I, Zhang Da Hu, am a rough man. My benefactor was wronged. To repay that kindness, what did dying matter?”

“If my head fell off, it’d just be a bowl-sized scar. Eighteen years later I’d be a Hero again!” The more Zhang Da Hu spoke, the more hatred spilled from Zhang Da Hu’s eyes. “I only knew she saved me and gathered up Er Hu’s remains. For a benefactor like her, of course I’d do anything! Ha. Hahaha. She had already calculated that!”

Jiang Mang listened in silence. Only the trembling of Jiang Mang’s fingers betrayed his feelings.

Meng Yang’s eyes flickered as Meng Yang looked at Qi Shu Xian with a fragile, sorrowful expression. “Heir Apparent! This concubine didn’t. This concubine truly only complained a few words in passing. This concubine never had even the slightest intention of harming the Princess!”

Qi Shu Xian lowered his eyes. After a long while, Qi Shu Xian finally looked at Sheng Zhi Wan, who had stayed cold and distant from the start. Qi Shu Xian began, “Zhi Wan, in the end you weren’t harmed, and she wasn’t doing it on purpose-”

Before Qi Shu Xian could finish, a sharp, thin voice cut him off.

“Imperial Edict has arrived-!”

A pale, beardless eunuch dressed in palace attire strode quickly into the hall. When the Da Li Court Minister recognized him, the Da Li Court Minister rose at once to salute. “Eunuch Su.”

Sheng Zhi Wan frowned. Eunuch Su was the Emperor’s favored attendant. The Emperor had learned of this matter so quickly?

Qi Shu Xian’s heart sank.

“Eunuch Su, what does His Majesty command?” the Da Li Court Minister asked.

Eunuch Su smiled. “Qi Shi Zi, Princess Qing Ning. His Majesty summons you both to enter the palace at once. No delay.”

Eunuch Su’s gaze slid to Meng Yang. “And this Miss Meng must come as well.”

The Da Li Court Minister quietly breathed out in relief.

They prepared to leave at once, but Eunuch Su turned back to look at the Da Li Court Minister again.

“Court Minister Lord, His Majesty said that the Mountain Bandit called Zhang Da Hu committed an unforgivable crime by robbing the Princess. Execute him immediately!”

With that, Eunuch Su turned and left.

Jiang Mang shuddered all over. Jiang Mang’s eyes went wide, as if Jiang Mang wanted to say something, but Jiang Mang’s voice carried no weight. Jiang Mang could change nothing.

When they walked out of the Da Li Court, the commoner gathered outside had completely changed their attitude. Many people cursed aloud.

“What Lady Meng? She’s nothing but vicious and greedy!”

“She killed so many Soldiers. Does she ever sleep in peace when she wakes at midnight?”

“Why isn’t this poisonous woman executed on the spot? She even dared to harm a Princess. What else wouldn’t she dare to do…”

Su Qi Nian stood there in a daze. His mind was a mess.

Just moments ago he had sworn up and down to defend Meng Yang. Now Su Qi Nian wished he could crawl into a crack in the ground. The looks people gave him were like needles in his back.

Meng Yang could not bear the vicious curses either. Meng Yang covered her face, lowered her head, and hurried into the carriage.

A rotten egg smacked into the carriage frame with a loud slap. The shell cracked, and sticky egg liquid splattered everywhere.

Meng Yang curled up in the corner, listening to the shouting outside and the sounds of rotten vegetables and eggs hitting the carriage walls. Unease and resentment filled Meng Yang’s chest.

She only wanted to save people. She didn’t know Qian Ji Powder had an antidote.

The ignorant were not guilty. These foolish ancient people were truly rigid to the extreme.

“Heir Apparent…” Meng Yang looked at Qi Shu Xian as Qi Shu Xian climbed in with a black face. A rotten leaf clung to Qi Shu Xian’s clothes. Meng Yang felt unbearably wronged.

Qi Shu Xian tore the leaf off and stared at her with gloomy eyes. “Colluding with Mountain Bandits to rob an Imperial House Princess… Meng Yang, who gave you the guts?”

Meng Yang refused to admit it to the death. Tears fell the instant she willed them. “Heir Apparent, this concubine didn’t…”

“Still saying you didn’t!” Qi Shu Xian grabbed her by the throat, not caring in the slightest that she carried a child. Qi Shu Xian yanked her close. “Bitch, do you think I’m stupid? Your little tricks only work on idiots like Zhang Da Hu!”

“Kh… khk…” Meng Yang couldn’t breathe.

Only when Meng Yang’s face turned red and swollen did Qi Shu Xian snort and finally release her, throwing her aside.

Meng Yang gulped air, trembling inside the carriage as tears streamed down.

[Sheng Zhi Wan! It was all because of this woman! If not for Sheng Zhi Wan, I would have long since been living sweetly with Heir Apparent, happy and in love! Zhang Da Hu was someone Sheng Zhi Wan dragged out. This was all Sheng Zhi Wan’s scheme! No. I would never lose! I still had a belly full of modern knowledge. I would make Third Prince value me more and more. Then Heir Apparent would realize I was the woman most suited to him!]

Soon the carriage stopped outside the palace gates. Under Eunuch Su’s guidance, they entered the palace.

Emperor Chong Sheng had already been waiting inside the hall.

The moment Emperor Chong Sheng saw them enter, Emperor Chong Sheng’s face darkened. Without a word, Emperor Chong Sheng hurled a teacup straight at Qi Shu Xian.

Qi Shu Xian did not dare dodge. The teacup grazed Qi Shu Xian’s ear, smashed onto the floor, and shattered into pieces. Tea spilled everywhere.

The hall fell so silent that even a pin drop seemed loud.

“Qi Shu Xian, do you know your crime?” Emperor Chong Sheng asked coldly.

Qi Shu Xian’s heart jolted. Qi Shu Xian dropped to his knees at once. “This subject knows his guilt.”

“Oh?” Emperor Chong Sheng narrowed his eyes and studied him. “Then tell me. Where were you wrong?”

Qi Shu Xian answered slowly, each word careful. “This subject failed in discipline and caused the Military Physician to be transferred away. The Military Physician did not return to the Military Camp in time. Meng Yang then interfered in treating the wounded without permission. This was all due to this subject’s lax control of those under his command.”

“You do have some self-awareness.” Emperor Chong Sheng sneered. “Hundreds of Soldiers died because of you. I now demote you to Assistant Sixth Rank and sentence you to thirty strokes of the court rod. Do you have anything to say?”

“His Majesty is wise. This subject willingly accepts punishment,” Qi Shu Xian replied.

Qi Shu Xian felt bitter inside, but dared not show it. The rewards Qi Shu Xian had earned through blood and merit on the battlefield had been ruined in an instant. Qi Shu Xian’s heart bled.

Sheng Zhi Wan lowered her eyes. Compared to the lives of hundreds of Soldiers, this punishment was not heavy. It seemed Imperial Father intended to let Qi Shu Xian off lightly.

After finishing with Qi Shu Xian, Emperor Chong Sheng’s gaze shifted to Meng Yang. “You are Meng Yang?”

Meng Yang’s kneeling body stiffened. Emperor Chong Sheng’s oppressive aura pinned her so hard she did not dare lift her head. “Yes.”

“Was it you who deceived the Soldiers by claiming Qian Ji Powder had no cure, causing many innocent Soldiers to die?” Emperor Chong Sheng looked down at her like she was an ant.

“Commoner girl… commoner girl had no such intention.” Cold sweat beaded on Meng Yang’s forehead. Meng Yang stammered, “Commoner girl only wanted to save people. Who knew that good intentions would cause harm.”

“Ignorant, stupid woman!” Emperor Chong Sheng’s voice carried fury.

Meng Yang’s heart shook with fear. She was terrified the next words would be to drag her out and execute her.

“Imperial Father, please calm your anger!” At that moment, a clear, confident voice came from outside, breaking the stifling tension in the hall.

A young man in brocade robes strode in. It was Third Prince Sheng Yuan Hao.

Sheng Yuan Hao seemed not to feel Emperor Chong Sheng’s crushing mood at all. Sheng Yuan Hao spoke gently, as if soothing. “It’s only a small matter. Why must Imperial Father be so angry?”

Sheng Zhi Wan’s lashes trembled.

Only a small matter?

To Sheng Yuan Hao and Imperial Father, hundreds of human lives were truly as light as a feather.