Chapter 78 - Lost His Mind
The Empress could be seen in her resting room on a chaise. Wei Zhang Yong was standing a meter away from the Empress with a bowed head. "Why did you not kill that maidservant? And, how could you not see what the Crown Princess was planning? Did you see how Sheng Li was glaring at me? He has the same eyes as his mother!" Empress Wei was furious as she threw the cup in her hand, which broke into pieces.
"Your majesty, forgive me. I did not have any idea that the Crown Princess has a friend who knows the antidote," Wei Zhang Yong a.s.serted.
"I do not need your apologies. Do you even know how much risk I took to plan all this? I had given you only one simple task to punish the Crown Princess before Sheng Li would awake but you failed in that too. And, I even told you to kill the maidservant who mixed the poison in that bowl. But, you did the opposite," Empress Wei bellowed at the Prime Minister who got on his knees. "Please forgive me, your majesty. I thought if she was summoned and gave a statement against the Crown Princess then it would be easier to punish her," Wei Zhang Yong pleaded.
"Shut up! I ordered you to kill her for a reason. Now, kill all the witnesses. Sheng Li knows I am behind all this and I do not want him to get even a single clue regarding me," Empress Wei ordered the Prime Minister.
"Your majesty, they all were taken to the prison. His majesty has given permission to the Crown Prince to look into it. I have made sure that they would not open their mouths," Wei Zhang Yong a.s.sured Empress Wei.
"Poison them," Empress Wei stated. "I do not know how you will do this but poison them. The King of Juyan will definitely tell about us once Sheng Li will investigate him," Empress Wei proclaimed. Wei Zhang Yong bowed down as his forehead touched the ground. "Your majesty, I will do this work. The Crown Prince cannot find any evidence against us." the Prime Minister rea.s.sured Empress Wei.
"You may leave," Weng Wei stated. Wei Zhang Yong stood up from the floor mat and left from there.
"Bring the chrysanthemum tea for me," Weng Wei ordered the court lady who was standing beside the chaise.
"Prince Jian wants to meet the Empress," a maidservant came in and informed Weng Wei.
"Let the Prince come in," Weng Wei stated. The maidservant bowed and stepped back. After a minute, Jian Guozhi came inside with an infuriated expression that confused the Empress. "What happened to my son?" Weng Wei worriedly asked. Jian Guozhi greeted the Empress first. "Mother, why is Sheng Li still alive? That Prime Minister has lost his mind. He accused the Crown Princess. She was almost hanged to death," Jian Guozhi blurted out.
Weng Wei noticed her son was still attracted towards Ying Lili. "Son, the Crown Princess is on Sheng Li"s side. Do not be concerned about her. She is the one who saved the Crown Prince. You would have the Crown by now but thanks to the Crown Princess it has slipped from our hands again," Weng Wei explained to Jian Guozhi.
"Yingér saved Sheng Li? But how?" Jian Guozhi asked his mother.
"His majesty was told by Eunuch Xing-Fu that the Crown Princess knew about the antidote. She lied to everyone yesterday about the antidote so that no one could kill the person who brought the antidote for Sheng Li," Weng Wei told her son. Jian Guozhi clenched his fist tightly and without saying anything left in anger.
Weng Wei chuckled. "He has lost his mind for a mere woman! I have to do something before he acts on his own and gets trapped in this Prince position forever," Weng Wei muttered and clutched the cushion on which she had rested her one arm.
~~~~~
The soldiers were checking the resting rooms of the guests who were invited for the feast on the birthday of the Crown Prince. Lei Wanxi went specifically to the room of the woman whom he had suspected since the time he had seen her the other day.
Seeing the Prince there, the young woman stood up from the chair and bowed her head. She lifted her head and saw two soldiers were standing behind Lei Wanxi. "How may I help you, your highness?" the young woman politely spoke. Lei Wanxi smiled slightly and closed the fan in his hand.
He put his hands behind his back. "We are going to search your belongings, young miss. If you do not have any problem then can we start?" Lei Wanxi asked for permission. "Before that may I know the name of this young miss?" Lei Wanxi asked with a raised brow.
"I am Wu Qinyang, the daughter of the Governor of the East Province."
"Qinyang means "Sunshine of my heart"- You have a pleasant name, Miss Wu Qinyang," Lei Wanxi complimented Wu Qinyang and gestured to the soldiers to search.
"Wu province started a war against the Han Kingdom. Am I right, Miss Wu?" Lei Wanxi asked as he tried reading the facial expressions on her face.
Wu Qinyang peered at Lei Wanxi and spoke. "You are right, your highness. I lost my two brothers and many other people close to me." Wu Qinyang truthfully told Lei Wanxi who found out why she was angry earlier. "Can she be suspected?" Lei Wanxi thought.
"What are your views on Han now, Miss Wu?" Lei Wanxi looked for an answer. The checking was done by then. "Your highness, there is nothing suspicious here," one soldier informed Lei Wanxi who gave a nod. "Thank you for your cooperation, young miss," Lei Wanxi said as he walked out of the room followed by the two soldiers. He opened his fan and moved it below his chin.
"She has anger inside her for us. Brother Li has many enemies. At this rate, he will be in more danger. I have to do something," Lei Wanxi thought in his mind. He told the soldiers to follow him to the other rooms.
As he was walking through the corridor, something came to his mind. He halted at his place. "I am coming in a while," Lei Wanxi a.s.serted and turned back to the room where Wu Qinyang was staying.