The chaos within the Prince of Pingnan’s estate was isolated behind the vermilion lacquered gates.

Grand Governor Luo went personally to see the Prince of Pingnan.

At that moment, the Prince of Pingnan lay upon his sickbed. Seeing Grand Governor Luo burst in, his eyelids trembled continuously, yet he could not speak.

“My apologies, Prince, but I’m afraid you’ll have to change locations today.” Grand Governor Luo approached the sickbed, his expression revealing neither joy nor anger. “His Majesty intends to thoroughly investigate the Prince of Pingnan’s estate’s false accusation of the Prince of Zhennan’s estate.”

The Prince of Pingnan’s clouded eyes suddenly widened as he stared fixedly at Grand Governor Luo.

Grand Governor Luo leaned in slightly and lowered his voice to ask: “Does the Prince still remember thirteen years ago? Isn’t it quite similar to today? Back then, the one leading the team was also this Luo, who personally witnessed the bluestone slabs before the Prince of Zhennan’s estate gates being stained dark red with blood—they still cannot be washed clean to this day…”

“You—” The Prince of Pingnan laboriously uttered a single word, his face flushing increasingly red, his head straining upward with all his might.

After a bout of urgent gasping, the half-risen Prince of Pingnan suddenly fell back onto the bed and stopped breathing.

Grand Governor Luo looked down at the already deceased Prince of Pingnan, curved the corners of his lips, turned, and strode out.

After Wei Feng heard the reason why the Prince of Pingnan’s estate had been surrounded, he charged toward the Princess Consort of Pingnan like a madman.

Two Jinlin Guards pressed down hard on his shoulders, saying coldly: “Heir Apparent, stop making trouble and come with us.”

Wei Feng, separated from the Princess Consort of Pingnan by multiple Jinlin Guards, was beside himself with rage: “Mother Consort, what exactly were you thinking? Cursing His Majesty just because elder brother was deposed—do you think our Prince of Pingnan’s estate isn’t dying fast enough? Is it that besides Wei Qiang, everyone else in the entire estate combined counts for nothing in your heart?”

He truly hated this.

He had already resigned himself to a lifetime of mediocrity, asking only for enough to eat and drink.

Yet even such a thought had become an extravagant hope.

Whom to blame?

Wei Feng turned his head, eyes red as he looked toward Wei Qiang standing not far away.

It was all Wei Qiang’s fault, this calamity!

If Wei Qiang hadn’t become Crown Prince back then, how would the Prince of Pingnan’s estate have come to this day?

The stench of alcohol assaulted him.

Wei Feng could bear it no longer and roared at Wei Qiang: “Wei Qiang, you truly are a harbinger of doom who only knows how to escape! You escaped from Princess Qingyang’s death back then, became Crown Prince and righteously distanced yourself from the Prince of Pingnan’s estate, and now you’re escaping from being deposed as heir apparent, knowing only to spend your days in drunken stupor. If you’re so devoted to Princess Qingyang, why didn’t you die with her back then?”

Wei Qiang’s drunken eyes were hazy, but hearing Wei Feng mention Princess Qingyang, he instantly regained some clarity and raged: “Luo’er is not for you to comment on!”

Grand Governor Luo, who had walked over, had long since tired of listening and said coldly: “Take them away!”

Luo’er this, Luo’er that—how annoying.

He still remembered that young woman who died before his eyes thirteen years ago.

She had fallen from her horse but didn’t cry out in pain even once, looking toward him with despair and fury.

Those bright eyes quickly lost their luster.

The night could not conceal that crimson wedding gown and blood everywhere, nor could it conceal the cold arrow embedded in her back.

At that time he had thought, how could this young lady be so foolish? Didn’t she know her parents’ greatest hope was for her to survive?

His most beloved daughter was only three years old—if she suffered any harm, it would devastate him.

Grand Governor Luo withdrew his thoughts, his expression growing increasingly cold as he looked at the scene before him.

The Princess Consort of Pingnan had long since lost strength to struggle, explaining feebly: “I didn’t curse His Majesty, I didn’t curse His Majesty…”

She didn’t know how many times she had said these words, but whenever Princess Changle was mentioned, someone would cover her mouth and nose.

She understood.

When one wishes to condemn, there is no shortage of pretexts. His Majesty simply wanted to punish the Prince of Pingnan’s estate—even without her cursing Princess Changle with the doll, other charges would have been pinned on them.

The half-drunk, half-sober Wei Qiang understood even better.

He remained motionless, allowing the Jinlin Guards to push him outward.

Having spent eight years with His Majesty under the name of father and son, no one knew better than he the ruthlessness of that emperor.

When he saw the maid buried as his sister, he knew the Prince of Pingnan’s estate was finished.

He, this deposed Crown Prince, was already viewed as a hidden threat by His Majesty, let alone with his sister’s death connected to Princess Changle.

To resolve these troubles, what could be more devastatingly thorough than eliminating the Prince of Pingnan’s estate?

He had anticipated this day long ago.

If the Prince of Pingnan’s estate were still far away in the south, they might have had some fighting chance. But they were trapped in the capital, right under His Majesty’s nose. Besides waiting for this day to arrive, what else could they do?

The moment he was led out of the Prince of Pingnan’s estate, Wei Qiang looked back at the gilded door plaque and was overwhelmed by regret.

The year he was to marry Luo’er, if he had resisted temptation and firmly opposed it, would everything have been completely different?

Luo’er wouldn’t have died, and the Prince of Pingnan’s estate wouldn’t have followed in the Prince of Zhennan’s estate’s footsteps.

He still remembered that night thirteen years ago, the last words Luo’er said to him when she pushed him away and burst out of the Prince of Pingnan’s estate.

She said: “Wei Qiang, your family will have retribution. From the azure heavens to the yellow springs, I will watch with wide-open eyes, waiting for the day retribution comes.”

Her tone was so cold, her gaze so cold, just like—Wei Qiang suddenly stopped, staring straight in a certain direction within the crowd.

In the crowd, a plain-clothed young woman looked at him expressionlessly, her eyes icy cold.

The instant their eyes met, Wei Qiang blurted out: “Luo’er—”

He instinctively rushed in that direction but was held immobile by the Jinlin Guards.

Coming back to his senses, where was Luo’er standing in the sea of people? It was clearly Miss Luo.

It was that Miss Luo whom he encountered misfortune every time he saw.

Wei Qiang stared unblinkingly at Luo Sheng, until he was pushed far away, still turning his head to look.

Grand Governor Luo, seeing this, was furious.

Even if his daughter couldn’t get married, she couldn’t have this kind of rotten peach blossom about to suffer family ruin and death appearing!

This was simply insulting!

Grand Governor Luo gave a look, and two Jinlin Guards dragging Wei Qiang quickened their pace.

Under the gaze of countless eyes, everyone in the Prince of Pingnan’s estate was escorted by soldiers toward the imperial prison, even the Prince of Pingnan’s corpse was carried out.

The early winter evening was cold. The people watching all this felt both excited and desolate.

How many lives—too many to count.

Emperor Yong’an’s judgment on the Prince of Pingnan’s estate came down swiftly: The Prince of Pingnan’s estate falsely accused the Prince of Zhennan’s estate first, then cursed His Majesty—their crimes were unpardonable. The Prince of Pingnan’s title was to be stripped immediately. The Prince of Pingnan’s eldest son Wei Qiang and second son Wei Feng were granted poisoned wine. The Princess Consort of Pingnan, Wei Qiang’s wife Qiao Shi, and Wei Feng’s wife Wang Shi were granted three feet of white silk. Wei Qiang’s daughter Wan’er was to be sent to Shuying Nunnery. The remaining servants were either to be executed, exiled, or consigned to the Office of Music.

On the day the edict was delivered, Luo Sheng went to the Jinlin Guard’s imperial prison.

Grand Governor Luo was rather helpless: “Sheng’er, what are you running here for?”

“Your daughter wishes to see Wei Qiang once.”

Upon hearing this, Grand Governor Luo was alarmed, his voice changing pitch: “Sheng’er, why do you want to see him?”

Luo Sheng smiled slightly: “He still owes a wine debt. I want to tell him personally that death cancels all debts, lest he worry about it in the underworld—how inauspicious that would be.”

Grand Governor Luo secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Good, good.