The three people in the room were all stunned.
Mrs. Zhang suddenly let out a sharp laugh: "Now this is good! Now it’s not me who refuses to give in, it’s others who have cut off your retreat completely!"
She glared at Yongping: "You’ve brought this upon yourself, even the heavens won’t help you! You’re blinded by greed, attacking without discernment whenever someone displeases you!
"Family? Who’s family with you? You’re now part of the Xu family!
"You call me family when you need something from me, but when there’s nothing to gain, you recognize no kin!
"We’ve become sisters-in-law, and in attacking the Ning Family, you’ve aimed the blade at my head, hoping to pit the Zhang Family against the Ning Family, making me too busy to handle things while you sit back and watch the show! And now you want me to let you off from your high position?
"Now it’s good, your good show is here, watch it! You deserve to die!"
After speaking, she flung the curtain aside and strode out.
Yongping felt dizzy and collapsed to the ground, grabbing onto Princess Rong’s robe: "Mother Consort, save me..."
The words from Mrs. Zhang just now also indirectly rebuked Princess Rong, causing her own anger to rise. She rushed out: "Come back here!" Updates are released by novel⦿fire.net
But who could stop Mrs. Zhang’s steps at this moment?
The news of the imperial emissary arriving reached the Xu family’s front hall not long after Fu Zhen had seen the guests off. Upon hearing the news, he couldn’t help but be surprised.
The emperor’s envoy was He Qu, the chief eunuch of the Qianqing Palace. As he entered, everyone present stood up.
Although Liang Ning had once followed He Qu around the palace trying to catch imperial kittens, knowing that he was someone skilled at reading faces and always courteous to the generals’ mansions, he was ultimately the emperor’s confidant. Given that his own status had changed, Fu Zhen would rather offend the King of Hell than a little demon, so she stepped forward to greet him.
He Qu smiled and cupped his hands to her: "No wonder the General’s wife commands such respect from General Pei and the Great General’s family—such a heroic demeanor indeed marks her as coming from the General’s Mansion!"
Fu Zhen modestly replied with some pleasantries he liked to hear, then, as he went to converse with Prince Rong and others, she approached Xie Zhang: "Mr. Xie, how did you arrive so quickly? Have you met with our General Pei?!"
Xie Zhang nodded: "Indeed!"
He continued: "I already know about the incident at Wanbin Building, but without a formal complaint, I had no grounds to get involved.
"As it happened, after the General’s wife and the Zhang family arrived at the Xu family, General Pei filed a complaint with the Imperial Censorate against Lou Zhao, allowing me to legitimately submit an impeachment memorial to the court.
"General Pei later entered the palace in person and happened to encounter the emperor reviewing my memorial. He spoke a few truths, after which the emperor commanded Mr. He and me to bring people over."
Just as he finished speaking, Mrs. Zhang stepped over the threshold, halting the conversation.
Princess Rong caught up, trying hard to suppress her anger, and spoke to He Qu: "Mr. He, why have you come?"
All conversations in the room ceased.
He Qu bowed: "Commander Lou Zhao of the Five Cities Military Department knowingly violated the law and harmed lives. The emperor was furious upon learning of this and specially sent me out of the palace to co-investigate the case with Imperial Censor Xie."
Princess Rong’s face twitched: "The emperor is resting, how could this matter even alarm the emperor? Who is so audacious!"
"Princess, mind your words." He Qu straightened his back. "The emperor has always loved his people like his own children. How could matters of life and death not warrant the emperor’s attention?"
He Qu was usually adept at diplomacy, never causing people embarrassment face-to-face. Princess Rong, as a noble royal member, had never been treated disrespectfully by him before. When was she ever reprimanded by him?
He Qu’s attitude directly represented the emperor’s stance. If the emperor were not exceedingly angry and already aware of the reasons behind this case, how could He Qu dare speak to them this way?
Princess Rong’s heart kept sinking, and Yongping staggered behind her!
Yet, after all, Yongping was a Commandery Princess of Prince Rong’s Mansion; how could Princess Rong stand by and watch her daughter face charges? If the truth were to come out, what kind of fate would await Yongping?
Princess Rong looked towards Prince Rong.
Prince Rong had deeply inhaled countless times, still unable to completely suppress his rising anger. He looked at Mrs. Zhang: "It would be settled if Lou Zhao confesses to his crime. You should persuade your father."
How could Mrs. Zhang not see that Prince Rong still intended to shield Yongping?
Just in time, her people, sent back to the Prince Manor to gather evidence, had returned for quite some time.
Mrs. Zhang took the box from her maid: "Once the case enters the Three Judicial Offices, it’s no longer an ordinary investigation. I have some items here; it wouldn’t hurt for Father Prince to review them before making any decisions."