"Cut off a wrist to save a life?"
Consort Ye crossed over Lu Qingwan to look at Feng Xiwu, "Regent, Lu Qingwan is your fiancée, what do you say?"
"This king must investigate this matter thoroughly. Otherwise, won't the people of the world say that this king cannot even protect his own fiancée, let alone protect the myriad citizens of Da Qian?"
"Good."
Consort Ye was also straightforward, "Since that is the case, this palace will entrust this matter entirely to the Regent.
From now on, in Chonghua Palace, no one is allowed to leave the palace until the Regent has thoroughly investigated the matter.
This palace will wait here, and once the truth is revealed, this palace will personally report the truth to His Majesty. If anyone acts recklessly in the palace, they will not be tolerated!"
...
With the Consort's decree and Feng Xiwu's personal investigation, there was no possibility for anyone else to make any underhanded moves.
Lu Siwan finally panicked, standing there on the verge of collapse with her face and hair covered in black dog blood.
Lu Qingwan, seeing this, maliciously raised her voice and reminded her, "Sister, you must not faint!
If you faint, won't you seem even more like you're possessed by an evil spirit than I do?"
Lu Siwan gritted her teeth in anger. She had indeed intended to feign a faint and escape, but after Lu Qingwan's words, fainting now would seem too fake.
She could only continue to act like a victim, "Eldest Sister misunderstands. I am just a little sad that you have such a deep misunderstanding of me and the Prince.
Don't worry, I will hold on until the truth of the matter is revealed."
"That's good."
Lu Qingwan smiled with satisfaction.
Seeing Lu Siwan hate her to the bone yet have to endure it, Lu Qingwan felt her knees didn't hurt anymore.
As long as she could disgust Lu Siwan and Feng Qingheng, that pair of scumbag and bitch, she could kneel for another hour!
Just one hour, no more, not that she couldn't kneel, but it wasn't worth it to let the scumbag and bitch make her kneel for even a second longer!
Feng Xiwu watched her kneel there without any sign of grievance and suddenly felt that his previous anger was completely inexplicable.
Just as Lu Siwan was tearfully begging Feng Qingheng to let her go wash, finding it unbearable to have black dog blood all over her hair and face.
Feng Xiwu decisively shifted his anger to the two of them, "Wash what? If the evidence is washed away, how can we investigate the truth?"
"But Imperial Uncle, Lu Qingwan's has already been washed off, hasn't it?"
Feng Qingheng gritted his teeth. It was his father's favoritism that made Feng Xiwu the Regent, leaving him so wronged.
He was only two years younger than him, yet he had to call him Imperial Uncle and be inferior to him in everything. Even outsiders were always comparing him to Feng Xiwu.
He finally thought he had made it when Feng Xiwu was crippled, but when people praised him, they would still add, "It's a pity about the Regent. If he hadn't been injured, how could Prince Chen have had the nerve to be so arrogant? Truly, heaven is jealous of talented people!"
The more Feng Qingheng thought about it, the angrier he became, and he suddenly wanted to confront Feng Xiwu head-on.
"She can prove she wasn't possessed by an evil spirit. Can you prove you didn't frame her?"
Feng Xiwu's words left him speechless.
Feng Qingheng and Lu Siwan could only stand there with black dog blood all over them.
It was the season of the "seven moon fire," and the ink mixed with black dog blood soon emitted a strong, fishy odor. The young noble ladies and gentlemen around could not help but show their disgust.
They all kept their distance. Seeing this, Lu Qingwan silently gave Feng Xiwu a thumbs-up.
Feng Xiwu pretended not to see it and coughed lightly, "Someone, fetch a seat for Miss Lu."
Liyang quickly brought a chair and placed it beside Feng Xiwu. Although Lu Qingwan had mentally set a small goal to be able to kneel for another hour, she had no masochistic tendencies. If she didn't have to kneel, she naturally wouldn't.
Supported by Yue'er, she limped to Feng Xiwu's side. Chi Yaoyao was conveniently positioned below her. Seeing this, she said with concern, "Are you foolish? You kowtowed so heavily, are your knees borrowed?"
Lu Qingwan smiled at her, "It's nothing. Compared to the injuries I sustained before, it's merely a drop in the bucket."
She was referring to the injuries sustained as a spy in her previous life, but Feng Xiwu and Chi Yaoyao thought she meant the injuries from the Zhaolie Marquis's manor, and their hearts ached even more.
Feng Xiwu urged them on. In less than half an hour, Liyang, who had been sent to investigate, returned.
Everyone held their breath in anticipation. Feng Xiwu said loudly, "How is it?"
"Reporting to Your Highness, the palace maid who prepared the ink confessed that it was the maid of the Second Miss Lu, Chun Xing, who gave her fifty taels of silver to mix something from this water pouch into the ink."
As Liyang spoke, he took out a purse and a palm-sized water pouch, presenting them to Feng Xiwu.
Feng Xiwu took the items, tilted his chin slightly, and said, "Continue."
Liyang clasped his hands in acknowledgement, "Master Yu's attendant claims that last night, on his way home, Master Yu received an anonymous letter. This morning, Master Yu rushed into the palace with a peach wood sword.
What the letter said, this subordinate does not know, but it can be confirmed that Master Yu's accusation in the palace that Miss Lu was possessed by an evil spirit is closely related to that letter."
Feng Xiwu returned the water pouch and the purse containing a gold ingot to Liyang, his eyes chilling, "Yu Hualong, do you want this king to search you personally, or will you hand over the letter yourself?"
Yu Hualong remained silent, reached into his robes, and took out the letter, holding it above his head with both hands.
Liyang took it and presented it to Feng Xiwu, "Your Highness."
Feng Xiwu handed it to Lu Qingwan, "Take a look, do you recognize this handwriting?"
Lu Qingwan took it and saw that it was evidence of Yu Hualong and the head palace maid of Consort Hui's private affair.
Weighing the pros and cons, Lu Qingwan did not reveal the contents of the letter. Instead, she brought the paper to her nose to sniff it.
"The handwriting is unfamiliar, but this paper has been scented with a special incense. Prolonged exposure to this scent can make people feel agitated and act impulsively."
As she spoke, she suddenly said to Yu Hualong, "Master Yu, if you were to charge at the Regent with a peach wood sword again right now, would you still dare?"
Yu Hualong shook his head like a rattle drum, "Your Highness the Regent, this subordinate certainly did not intend to offend Your Highness, please forgive me!"
At this moment, Lu Qingwan's gaze casually swept over the exquisite golden hairpin on Lu Siwan's head.
The flames appeared at that very instant.
"It's on fire, it's really on fire!"
The young noble ladies and gentlemen around Lu Siwan screamed and dodged, seeing Lu Siwan engulfed in flames.
Lu Siwan screamed as she was burned, "Save me, someone save me quickly!"
She screamed while running around in panic, terrifying those around her.
Feng Qingheng was also on fire. Feng Xiwu, seeing this, calmly said, "Bring water!"
A young noble from a prominent family, who was closer to Lu Siwan, saw this and grabbed his teacup, splashing it onto Lu Siwan.
However, the flames not only did not weaken but became even more terrifying.
The strange fire could not be extinguished even with water. Everyone was terrified, and someone stammered, "They, they couldn't possibly have been possessed by evil spirits, could they?"
This statement was quickly agreed to by everyone present. Yu Hualong heard this and quickly said, "Quick, use grains to extinguish the fire! Evil spirits' fire can only be extinguished with grains, not with water!"
The palace lacked everything but people. With Yu Hualong's suggestion, the palace servants brought grains and threw them onto the two of them.
After much effort, they finally managed to extinguish the fire.
Everyone was thoroughly frightened. Consort Ye no longer dared to make arbitrary decisions and said anxiously, "Quick, summon an imperial physician to treat the Third Prince and the Second Miss Lu."
After speaking, she added in panic, "Regent, let today's matter end here?
Later, you and I will go to the Imperial Study together to report the situation to His Majesty, and let His Majesty decide."
With the reigning Prince Feng Qingheng being injured by fire, this was no longer a matter that a mere Consort could decide.
Feng Xiwu glanced thoughtfully at Lu Qingwan and agreed, "As the Consort says."