Chapter 658: Chapter 658. Losing My Life....
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
When Xiao Zeyu heard that Su Qing had returned, he threw down the unfinished memorials and walked out. His hurried footsteps and his joyful expression showed his excitement.
Li Xiangxiang was tied to a long bench and beaten with a cane. She was in so much pain that she screamed at the top of her lungs. When she saw Xiao Zeyu coming out of Yangxin Palace Hall, her eyes lit up. She stretched out her hand towards Xiao Zeyu and called for help,
“Emperor, spare my life. This servant knows her sins!
Xiao Zeyu didn’t even look at her as he strode towards Cining Palace. His bright eyes flashed with impatience, and the corners of his lips curled up to express his joy.
Hearing Li Xiangxiang’s cry for help, he did not even look at her and directly ordered the guard,
“Drag her to the Punishment Division to execute her. Don’t make the Empress angry.”
“Emperor, please spare my life…”
Li Xiangxiang was in despair. She begged for mercy at the top of her lungs. She was knocked unconscious by the guards and dragged away like a dead dog.
“Find out who arranged for her to come in.”
Xiao Zeyu ordered the guard beside him with a dark expression. His life did not allow anyone to play tricks.
“Yes.”
The guard replied. The head eunuch at the side had sweat on his forehead. If he had known earlier, he would not have been greedy. He initially thought that he would have contributed if Li Xiangxiang could get the Emperor’s favor.
Helping the Emperor find a beautiful woman to accompany him when the Empress was not around, even if Li Xiangxiang did not get the Emperor’s favor, was not his business. He only arranged for a palace maid.
But he didn’t expect the Emperor to tell them to investigate. According to the Emperor’s character, if he found out about it, he would be taken down as the Chief Supervisor and might even lose his life.
For a moment, the head eunuch was like an ant on a hot pan, absent-mindedly serving Xiao Zeyu.
Xiao Zeyu was thinking about Su Qing as he strode towards Cining Palace.
He was a little jealous of his children. The first thing Su Qing did when she returned was visit them and forget about himself.
Salt Official Li Wei had been paying close attention to the situation in the palace. He was extremely anxious when he heard that the Empress had returned to the palace. He did not know if his daughter had succeeded. Why was there no news at all?
The Empress was a vicious woman. If his daughter did not receive the
Emperor’s favor, she would be doomed.
He was so anxious that he couldn’t eat. He paced around the room. Li Xiangxiang’s mother was Li Wei’s first wife. Seeing her husband pacing around like an ant in a hot pot, she also became worried. She pressed her right eyelid with a handkerchief and said to Li Wei uneasily,
“Sir, my eyelids are twitching. Will something happen to Xiang’er?”
“Pa!”
As soon as she finished speaking, Li Wei slapped her and pointed at her nose, cursing,
“Who told you to say such depressing words? Get out.”
Mrs. Li didn’t dare to make a sound. She covered her face and walked out with tears in her eyes.
Li Wei pressed down on his twitching right eyelid. The uneasiness in his heart became even more severe. He felt that something big was about to happen.
“Calm down, and don’t panic. The Empress has just returned and shouldn’t have found out about Xiang’er.”
Li Wei was comforting himself when he suddenly saw the housekeeper hurrying in.
“Milord, it’s bad. Young Lady is in the palace… she was beaten to death!” Li Wei only felt his vision go black. He pressed his hand on the table to prevent himself from falling. At this moment, his heartache for his daughter’s death was far less than his fear of the Emperor’s investigation.
It seemed that the rumors were true. The Emperor didn’t want women other than the Empress, no matter how beautiful they were. But if he didn’t want them, then so be it. Why did she get beaten to death?
Before Li Wei could recover from his shock, he heard another news that broke his heart.
“The eunuch in the palace also said that the emperor ordered to find out who arranged for the young miss to be by his side.”
Li Wei asked in a trembling voice,
“What do you mean?”
“The emperor wants to investigate.”
The steward of the Li Residence could only say it clearly. He knew that the old master understood. He just wanted to confirm it.
Li Wei was so frightened that he sat on the chair, his body trembling uncontrollably.
He hated himself for being so confident that his daughter could capture the Emperor’s heart. He hated himself for being ambitious and wanting to be the Emperor’s father-in-law.
He had heard how the Emperor punished those who sent women into the palace, so why did he not believe it?
Initially, he had only lost his position as a salt official. He still had money and could return to his hometown to be rich.
However, because of his greed, he could not keep his official position or even keep his family’s wealth. He might even lose his life.
No, I have to act quickly before the Emperor finds out.
Li Wei hurriedly called his three sons over and packed all the gold, silver, silver notes, jade, and other valuable things in the house into a truck so that they could run.
The Li family was in a mess. The house was in a mess. Over the years, they had been greedy for money as salt officials. They were so rich that they could rival a country. Gold, silver, jewelry, jade, and so on were loaded into more than ten carriages.
“Quick, let’s go. We’ll find the Zhenyuan Bodyguard Agency to escort them.” Li Wei gave orders in the courtyard, hoping the Emperor would investigate slowly and let him move away all his wealth.
With so many valuable things, he did not dare to leave by himself. He had to find an escort agency. Li Wei asked his son to find the Zhenyuan Escort Agency. It was the largest escort agency in the capital.
Li Wei’s sons didn’t know what had happened, but they were used to being obedient. They left whenever their father asked, and none dared to ask questions.
When Li Wei’s eldest son heard that his father wanted him to go to the bodyguard agency, he hurriedly walked out. As soon as he walked out of the door, he saw that the royal guards had surrounded his house. He was so scared that he hurriedly ran back to the courtyard to report to his father,
“Father, there are many royal guards outside.”
When Li Wei heard that the royal guards had surrounded his house, he was so frightened that he sat on the ground. His teeth chattered like the sound of hooves, and his body trembled like autumn leaves.
“Escort everyone to the courtyard.”
The leader of the royal guards waved his hand as soon as he entered the courtyard, and the murderous royal guards trotted into the courtyard. All the people in the rooms were escorted to the courtyard, and even those who went to the toilet did not escape.
The money that Li Wei had embezzled as a salt official did not need to be searched by the imperial guards. He had already packed the carriage and entered it clearly into the book.
Other than the gold, silver, and jewelry they wanted to take away, the remaining valuables were also confiscated. The jewelry worn by the ladies and the jade pendants and gold on the men’s bodies did not escape the search of the experienced imperial guards.
While Li Wei’s house was being raided, the Cining Palace was filled with laughter and joy. When Su Qing returned, the two children threw themselves into her arms and called out to their mother. Their sweet voices melted Su
Qing’s heart.
Su Qing picked up her children in each hand while Yun’er’s chubby hands wrapped around the mother’s neck. She pouted her pink lips and kissed her on the face.
“Royal Mother, Yun’er misses you.”
“Ziqi also misses Huangen Niang.”
Little Ziqi said to Su Qing steadily. His two chubby hands were obediently placed in front of his chest. His little adult appearance amused Su Qing. She smiled and teased Ziqi,
“Aren’t you going to kiss Mother?”
A clear voice came from the palace door.
“I taught him not to look at anything indecent and not to do anything indecent..”