The Emperor’s gaze flickered.

This Lu Hong — he had a measure of integrity after all. He had not denied anything in the Emperor’s presence, which caused the Emperor to regard him a shade more favorably.

But it was only that much and no more.

Princess Changping had committed the evil act of killing her husband, ruining her name, and been locked in Ciyun Convent. This Lu Hong, who had “bewitched” Princess Changping, naturally could not escape all blame.

While the Emperor had been gravely ill and confined to his bed, he had for a time been unable to attend to matters such as these. Now that his condition had improved slightly, he had dispatched men to investigate the affair in secret.

The dealings between Lu Hong and Princess Changping had originally been kept rather discreet. It was unclear who had been stirring things from behind and spreading the matter publicly. Yet because of this, the Emperor had learned the full account of events from beginning to end without any great difficulty. The anger in his heart was beyond words.

Any person, in the end, cannot entirely escape the instinct to protect what is their own.

In the Emperor’s view, had Lu Hong not taken the initiative to seduce her, Princess Changping would never have conceived of the thought of murdering her Prince Consort. Such a disgraceful affair had occurred, and he had already steeled himself to deal with Princess Changping — he naturally would not let Lu Hong off either.

“When did you and Changping first meet, and how did it come about?” The Emperor’s voice was cold. “Recount it for Us one by one, right now. If there is so much as half a word of falsehood, We will not treat you lightly.”

Confronted with the moment, Lu Hong actually grew considerably calmer.

This disaster was one he could no longer evade, no matter how hard he tried!

“In reply to His Majesty: after this student arrived in the capital last year, this student and younger brother encountered Her Highness the Princess out on the street. At that time, a carriage had nearly collided with and startled Her Highness, and this student immediately alighted from the carriage to offer apologies, and thus made Her Highness’s acquaintance…”

Lu Hong neither exaggerated nor concealed, recounting the events between himself and Princess Changping one by one.

When he reached the events of the night of Prince Yan’s wedding ceremony, Lu Hong altered his account slightly. “…On the evening of that day, this student had drunk too much and cannot account for how it happened, but when I came to my senses, I was inside the Princess’s manor. After drinking down a cup of sobering medicine, I felt an unbearable heat throughout my body — and then this student and the Princess had their one night together.”

The Emperor’s expression, as he listened, turned exceptionally unpleasant. He gave a cold laugh. “By your account, then, none of this is your fault. It was Changping who put something in your sobering medicine, and you, in a moment of impulse, made a mistake? And what of afterward? Do not tell Us that every visit you made to the Princess’s manor was under Changping’s compulsion?”

Lu Hong quietly gritted his teeth and lowered his head in reply. “It was this student who has an inconstant and pleasure-seeking nature, who was led astray by beauty. It is not the Princess’s fault.”

At a time like this, he absolutely could not drag his second uncle Lu Ping into this.

This debt of wayward indulgence was one he could only accept through gritted teeth.

Once Lu Hong had acknowledged his account, the Emperor’s expression still did not improve much. He asked coldly, “Did you know that Changping intended to kill her Prince Consort?”

Of course he had not known!

He had been coaxed and cajoled and pressured by Lu Ping into keeping Princess Changping company. His intention from beginning to end had been to get through it with as little real engagement as possible. From start to finish, he had never known that Princess Changping harbored the scheme of killing her husband and then taking him as her new Prince Consort.

But even if that was the truth of it — would the Emperor believe it if he said so?

His second uncle Lu Ping had clearly not been clean or innocent in all of this. If the Emperor flew into a fury, the entire Lu Family might not escape destruction.

Lu Hong’s mind worked at lightning speed, and he quickly reached a decision. He gritted his teeth and accepted the blame. “Although Her Highness the Princess never stated it directly, she had at certain moments made allusions to such an intent. This student was… dazzled by visions of wealth and high station, and therefore did not speak up to dissuade her.”

When he finished, he wore an expression of deep and unrelenting remorse and self-reproach, and remained in a long, prostrate kneel. “Every fault, every wrong is this student’s fault. It was this student’s poor character and missteps that damaged Her Highness the Princess’s reputation and brought about the Prince Consort’s death. This student is willing to offer this life as atonement — whether it be execution or some other punishment, I will bear it without complaint. However, all these matters were wrongs committed by this student alone. The guilt should not extend to my family. I beg His Majesty’s merciful consideration, and ask that the Lu Family be spared.”

He had already been unable to escape this calamity — he could not drag the Lu Family into these muddy waters as well.

Lu Hong remained prostrate in his kneeling position, unwilling to rise.

The Emperor looked coldly upon the handsome young man kneeling before him. His gaze flickered, unreadable — no one could discern what he was thinking at that moment.

Prince Yan, who had been standing aside in complete silence, finally opened his mouth. “Imperial Father, the matter is already quite clear. Had it not been for this Lu Hong, Elder Sister would never have committed such a terrible wrong. As for how to discipline and deal with him — this son asks that Imperial Father render his judgment.”

The contempt and loathing in his voice were utterly undisguised.

The Emperor glanced at Prince Yan and asked in an even tone, “Dealing with him alone and sparing the Lu Family — do you believe that such a judgment is fair?”

Prince Yan’s heart gave a sudden lurch.

He knew the Emperor’s temperament well.

This expression, unreadable, and that tone of voice, uncertain — it unmistakably signaled that the Emperor had other plans in mind.

Prince Yan maintained an unperturbed composure. “Imperial Father is all-knowing and wise, and has his own judgment. This son dares not speak rashly.”

The Emperor gave a slight tug at the corner of his lips, then sighed, as though speaking to himself. “We are truly old now — though not yet senile. Lu Hong cannot escape responsibility for the Prince Consort’s death — and Lu Ping played no small part in that affair either, did he?”

These words, the moment they were spoken, caused Lu Hong’s heart to seize. Without a moment’s hesitation, he kowtowed, pleading for mercy. “This student begs His Majesty’s clear discernment — all of this was my fault alone, and has no connection whatsoever to Second Uncle.”

The Emperor appeared not to have heard Lu Hong’s plea at all, and looked toward Prince Yan with a meaningful expression. “This Lu Ping moves quite regularly in the circles of Prince Yan’s manor. He also went to considerable lengths in his efforts to attach himself to Changping’s household.”

A chill settled into Prince Yan’s heart.

The Emperor might not ordinarily concern himself with such minor details, but that did not mean he was easily deceived. Once the Emperor grew suspicious and chose to investigate a matter thoroughly, the things Lu Ping had done behind the scenes would not be something he could conceal from the Emperor.

As far as Prince Yan’s own judgment was concerned, he was glad enough to see Lu Hong dealt with, but he had no wish for Lu Ping to be drawn in as well. The officials who depended on him were already in a state of wavering loyalty — Lu Ping himself was of little particular importance, but the situation would affect an already unstable morale.

However, now that the Emperor had spoken openly, there was no way he could still shield Lu Ping any further.

“To think that Lu Ping should be such a shameless and contemptible man!” In an instant Prince Yan reached his decision, his face filling with righteous indignation. “To have such a petty schemer serving in court is truly intolerable. This son respectfully asks Imperial Father to deal with him alongside!”

Watching Prince Yan’s performance, the Emperor let out an inward sigh.

Lu Ping was Prince Yan’s most loyal and devoted follower.

If he dealt with Lu Ping, the officials who had formerly attached themselves to Prince Yan would likely scatter like birds startled from a tree and fish fleeing from a net. With the Empress and Princess Changping suffering calamity in quick succession, Prince Yan’s situation was already extraordinarily precarious.

He was a tiger, but even a tiger does not devour its own cub. No matter how hardened his heart, he could not bear to sever every last one of his younger son’s supports and allies.

The Emperor said in an even tone, “Lu Ping failed to properly discipline his nephew and those under his charge. Let him be confined to his estate to reflect upon his failings for one month.” That manner of handling it was, in effect, raising one’s hand high and bringing it down lightly.

Both Lu Hong and Prince Yan simultaneously felt their hearts return to their proper place.

Prince Yan bowed respectfully. “Imperial Father is sagacious and wise!”

Lu Hong, even more so, kowtowed repeatedly in gratitude. “This student gives thanks for His Majesty’s gracious mercy.”

The Emperor then turned his gaze to Lu Hong and said coldly, “As for you — We will not have you killed. We intend to keep you alive. However, though the death penalty may be commuted, living punishment is unavoidable. Changping has entered Ciyun Convent and will never again have a Prince Consort in this lifetime. You shall accompany Changping — take your vows at Puti Monastery, shave your head, and every day copy out two scrolls of Buddhist scripture to pray for the soul of the deceased Prince Consort.”