Chapter 44 Treason and Collusion
Cui Li was still in a daze.
He couldn't understand why these ministers were looking at him as if they wanted to skin him alive.
The performance just now was flawless, how could this be...?
Just as he was racking his brains trying to figure it out, a figure stood up and came to him.
Luan Xue was trembling all over, her anger reaching its peak.
His face flushed red, his eyes blazing with fury, and he wished he could tear the man in front of him to pieces!
She raised her hand and slapped it hard across Cui Li's face!
This slap used all his strength, and Cui Li was knocked to the side, with five clear finger marks instantly appearing on his face again.
Everyone was stunned by the Second Princess's sudden outburst.
Cui Li covered his burning face and looked at Luan Xue in disbelief.
"You, you hit me?"
Luan Xue's chest heaved violently as she pointed at Cui Li's nose, her voice hoarse and shrill.
"Hit you? This princess would rather kill you, you despicable and shameless liar!"
"A life-saving grace? You dare to mention a life-saving grace?"
"Don't you know who saved me? Huh?"
Cui Li was completely dumbfounded.
A storm raged within him. What was going on? How could she know?! There couldn't possibly be a third person in the world who knew about this, besides himself and his mother!
He instinctively retorted.
"Princess! What nonsense are you spouting! If it weren't for me, you would have died at the hands of villains long ago! How dare you slander me like this!"
"slander?"
Luan Xue laughed in extreme anger, her laughter filled with endless sorrow and hatred.
"You dare to be so audacious as to claim credit for others just because I was blind and hard of hearing back then!"
"Cui Li! I haven't settled this score with you yet! How dare you use this to blackmail me? Who gave you the guts!"
Cui Li's heart sank to the bottom.
Oh no, she really found out!
But how could that be?!
He looked at Luan Xue's face, which was filled with hatred, and shook his head repeatedly, his eyes filled with panic.
"No! No! Luan Xue, let me explain! You must have listened to some slanderous words! I'm the one who saved you!"
Seeing Luan Xue's cold and unmoved expression, Cui Li made a snap decision, pulled a gleaming dagger from his boot, and pressed it against his own neck!
"Since you don't believe me, then I have no choice but to die to prove my innocence!"
He was moved to tears, and his performance was incredibly sincere and touching.
"I've given you my life! Now you should believe in my sincerity!"
This scene once again caused an uproar among the people.
"Good heavens! This is someone who would rather die than betray their principles!"
"Could it be that what the prince consort said is true? If he really is the princess's savior, then this matter is going to be very difficult!"
The young woman who had been standing with her hands on her hips earlier rolled her eyes wide with disdain.
Come on! Anyone can act.
She pursed her lips.
"That Mu Yu just came and banged on the petition drum, crying more pitifully than anyone else, looking more genuine than anyone else! But it was all a lie!"
"I think this prince consort is just like everyone else! He's just acting more convincingly!"
The old woman next to him, carrying a vegetable basket, nodded in deep agreement.
"That's right! I've lived this long, what kind of people haven't I seen? This young man surnamed Cui, with his slicked-back hair and shifty eyes, is clearly not the kind of person who would risk his life to save someone! He's just putting on an act!"
Inside the hall, amidst the murmurs of the crowd, Luan Xue did not glance at Cui Li again.
She slowly turned around and cast her gaze upon the high platform.
The young emperor on the dragon throne and the empress dowager on the phoenix throne both cast encouraging and supportive glances at her.
That look seemed to say something.
Don't be afraid, do what you want to do, we'll support you.
Luan Xue instantly felt a warm current flow through her body, and all her grievances and fears turned into boundless courage.
She took a deep breath, turned around, and looked coldly at Cui Li, who was pointing a dagger at her.
"If that's the case, then you should kill yourself."
"Didn't you want to prove it? If you really die here, this princess will believe you."
The tragic expression on Cui Li's face froze instantly.
The dagger in his hand felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, leaving him in a dilemma.
The color drained from his face, his lips trembled, and his eyes were filled with terror and resentment as he looked at Luan Xue.
"How could you be so vicious? You actually want to force me to die?!"
"If I really die, you will be repaying kindness with enmity! The whole world will despise you!"
"Treasonous retribution?"
Luan Xue scoffed as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world.
"Fine. Since you keep claiming to be my benefactor, then tell me, what medicinal herbs did you use to treat me when I was poisoned and had a persistent high fever?"
"Where did you find those herbs? And how did you prepare them? Tell me about them one by one!"
This question struck Cui Li like a bolt from the blue, leaving him completely stunned!
How could he know what medicinal herbs were used!
He only heard the news that the second princess had been rescued, so he went to pick peaches. He knew nothing about the specific details!
Large beads of sweat instantly appeared on Cui Li's forehead. He stammered, unable to utter a single word.
"I... I was in such a panic that I forgot..."
"Forgot?" Luan Xue pressed on, "You can forget a life-saving prescription? I doubt you can make that up!"
Seeing Cui Fuma's guilty look, the way the people outside the palace looked at him completely changed.
"Oh no, we've been exposed!"
"I told you he was faking it! True gold fears no fire. If he were genuine, how could he not even know the prescription?"
As for the entire court, they had long been looking at him with the eyes of someone who was already dead.
This idiot, even on the verge of death, is still putting on an act.
Luan Xue ignored him, turned around, and kowtowed heavily to her mother and emperor on the high platform.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty, Cui Li, is a wicked and malicious subject. You falsely claimed to have saved my life, deceived me, and tricked me into agreeing to a marriage! This is a crime of deceiving the emperor and cheating the entire Great Yu royal family!"
"After the marriage, the Cui family became even more audacious, seizing my dowry, indulging their concubines, and mistreating me! Now, this family has become even more audacious, colluding with outsiders to frame me and try to take my place as a princess!"
"Every single one of these crimes is unforgivable! I beg Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager to uphold justice for your son and punish him severely without leniency!"
Every word she spoke was powerful and resounding, filled with blood, tears, and accusations.
On the dragon throne, Xiao Zhaoning, who had been quietly watching the show, finally made a move.
She jumped up from the dragon throne, and because she was so short, she had to stand on tiptoe to reach the imperial desk.
Her small body was held upright, her little face was taut, and she looked puffed up like a little pufferfish.
[I'm so angry! How dare they bully my imperial aunt! Do they think I'm just a figurehead?!]
With her large, dark eyes, she surveyed the kneeling Cui family members below with an air of authority, and spoke as authoritatively as possible.
"Cui Li, you have deceived the emperor and falsely claimed imperial favor; your crime is doubled!"
"The Cui and Mu families colluded to humiliate the princess and plotted rebellion; their crimes are unforgivable!"
"I hereby declare! The entire Cui and Mu families are stripped of their official titles and ranks, and all their property is confiscated to compensate for the Second Princess's losses! All of them... are to be taken to the execution ground and beheaded!"
The little voice was swift and decisive, sentencing the entire Cui family to death.
Yuan Hua, sitting on the phoenix throne, looked at his granddaughter's precocious demeanor, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes, which was then replaced by murderous intent.
She spoke in a cold voice, adding.
"Mu Yu, you have spread heresies and attempted to overthrow the royal family. You shall be executed by slow slicing, immediately!"
"Furthermore, there must be accomplices in this matter! The Court of Judicial Review, the Ministry of Justice, and the Prefectural Government of Jingzhao must conduct a thorough investigation! Drag out every single rat hiding behind this! I want to see who gave them such audacity!"
"Yes, sir!"
The ministers responded in unison.
Xiao Zhaoning nodded in satisfaction, then plopped back down on the large dragon throne, picked up the small bowl beside her, and took a sip of water to calm her nerves.
As she drank, she habitually flipped through the system panel in her mind.
[Huh? Another update? Let me see!]
[Wow! Speak of the devil, and he arrives!]