If I were born again, I would marry a strong but short-lived husband.

Chapter 492 Fooled

The carriage returning from Hexi passed slowly along the mountain road. They encountered many pursuers along the way, so this time they did not take the official road to return to the royal capital, but chose the mountain road.

From time to time, the sounds of insects and birds chirping could be heard from the woods on both sides of the road, and the wind brought a rustling sound.

The two carriages were protected in the middle, and the guards looked around vigilantly.

"Mother, mother, is that you?" Suddenly, a young girl staggered towards the road ahead, her clothes were stained with mud, her eyes were filled with tears, and she looked at the carriage expectantly.

Gao Jian raised his hand: "Stop!"

He stared at the person who came in with a cold look, "Who are you? Do you know whose car you are stopping in public?"

"I, I am the legitimate daughter of the second branch of the Ruan family. The person in the carriage is my mother, and the regent is my cousin. Please... please let me see my mother." Ruan Zhaorong bit her lip and shouted in a trembling voice.

Gao Jian looked at her in surprise, "Are you General Ruan's daughter?"

Ruan Zhaorong nodded immediately, "That's right."

"Please wait a moment." Gao Jian walked to the first carriage at the back and bowed.

"Your Majesty..."

As soon as he finished speaking, countless men in black appeared around the woods and rushed towards the second carriage.

Ruan Zhaorong's expression changed, "What are you going to do?"

She turned her head in horror and looked at Prince Heng who was hiding behind her. "Prince, didn't you say you would help me save my mother?"

Prince Heng just curled his lips and smiled, his eyes meaningful.

"Your mother died in the land of exile a long time ago, how could she be here?" King Heng said.

"Yes...it was you who told me that my mother came back today." Ruan Zhaorong's voice rose a few degrees.

Prince Heng rode out slowly on his horse and stopped beside Ruan Zhaorong. He drew the sword from his waist and put it on Ruan Zhaorong's neck. "Tell me, does your mother want you to live, or does she want you to die?"

Ruan Zhaorong's pupils suddenly widened and she looked at King Heng in horror.

Fu Jinyuan was pulled out of the carriage by the men in black. His white brocade robe was covered in blood and his face was pale.

He had obviously just recovered from a serious illness, but he was also seriously injured. It seemed that he would not live long.

King Heng was very happy.

"Your Highness, Chen is dead." A man in black dragged a lifeless corpse out of another carriage.

As the distance was quite far, Prince Heng could not see the other person's face clearly, but judging from the figure it did look like Chen.

Fu Jinyuan looked up at him angrily, "King Heng, what do you want to do?"

"Prince Regent, you have already achieved success, so why do you have to ask for trouble?" Prince Heng sighed, "I originally wanted you to live a few more years."

"It's you!" Fu Jinyuan said coldly, "Five years ago, when the dam was built in Hexi, you embezzled 50,000 taels. In Hexi and Yongzhou, you monopolized the grain and salt prices. Over the years, you seemed to be at peace with the world in the capital, but you had already won over corrupt officials from all over the country to work for you."

"Chen confessed long ago!"

"So what?" King Heng laughed arrogantly, completely different from his usual gentle manner, "That stupid woman is dead too."

"Today, the Regent will also die because his carriage falls off a cliff, and all the evidence will be buried with you."

In the eyes of Prince Heng, Fu Jinyuan and Chen were already dead.

No evidence or testimony could be sent to the palace.

"Prince Heng, you have been harboring evil intentions and wanting to rebel for a long time. The late emperor was deceived by you for so many years." Fu Jinyuan's face seemed to be even paler.

Prince Heng sneered, "We are all descendants of the Fu family. Why can't I sit in that position? If it weren't for you, his two sons would have died long ago."

"However, it's not too late now. Let the little emperor be proud for a few days."

"You don't have any military power, how are you going to seize the throne?" Fu Jinyuan asked.

King Heng smiled and said, "It is true that I do not have military power, but I have private soldiers. He Zhiyuan has been scheming for many years and has raised so many private soldiers. Now they are all in my hands."

Fu Jinyuan smiled silently, "I see."

"No wonder you need to exchange the rice in the granary and control the grain merchants. You are preparing food for yourself."

King Heng: "Even if you know now, what does it matter?"

Fu Jinyuan stood up slowly. "It doesn't matter. This way, we can convict Uncle Heng, so that people won't think that the emperor and I can't tolerate people from the royal family."

"What do you mean?" King Heng's face changed.

"Kill him!" King Heng sensed something was wrong and sternly ordered the man in black beside Fu Jinyuan.

However, I didn’t expect that all the men in black remained motionless, just standing there with an expressionless face.

"I forgot to tell Uncle Heng that your assassins are still in the woods." Fu Jinyuan said lightly.

King Heng's face turned pale and blue, "You set up a trap to deceive me?"

"If not, how could you confess all your crimes?" Fu Jinyuan said.

"Oh, there is no evidence, who would believe you?" Prince Heng said stubbornly.

Fu Jinyuan pointed behind him and said, "How can there be no evidence? All the officials in the court heard it."

King Heng's body stiffened and he slowly turned his head.

Behind him, not only were all the court officials here, but even the Emperor and Queen Mother Ruan had arrived at some point in time.

They had already heard everything he had just said.

"Chen she..." King Heng suddenly looked at the corpse on the ground.

Qingli got up from the ground and bowed to Fu Jinyuan, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

"You are plotting against me for all this!" Prince Heng said angrily, "There is no confession from Chen. She can't possibly betray me."

"It is impossible for Chen to betray you. She is already dead." Fu Jinyi snorted coldly, "Prince Heng, why don't you surrender? The crime you committed is enough to make you die a hundred times."

He originally wanted to say that all nine clans should be exterminated, but when he remembered that he was also among King Heng’s nine clans, he quickly changed his words.

King Heng's eyes were red with anger. Seeing Ruan Zhaorong standing there blankly, he suddenly put a sword across her neck and said, "Don't come over, or I will kill her!"

Queen Mother Ruan spoke in a clear and cold voice, "Chen refused to betray you until her death, but now you want to kill her only bloodline in the world."

"She is so blind that she was deceived by your sweet words and ruined her life."

King Heng's hand holding the sword trembled a few times.

"Prince Heng, if you kill her, you will only commit an even greater crime. Your princess consort and prince will be implicated by you and will have no chance of survival." Queen Mother Ruan said calmly.

"Even if I let you escape from the capital, where can you hide? Think about your children in the palace."

King Heng's hand holding the sword was shaking.

He knew very well that he had no chance of survival.

He just wouldn't give in.

I always want to find someone to take the blame for me.

Prince Heng turned to look at Ruan Zhaorong. The little girl was completely frightened, her face was pale and her eyes were dazed. She didn't even realize that she was in danger.

From the moment she heard that Chen was dead, she was stunned.

Not to mention that she had been there for such a long time. When Ruan Zhaorong saw her uncle's pair of heavy and cold eyes and her aunt the Empress Dowager's cold eyes, she knew that she would definitely be disliked in the Ruan family.

It would be better to let her die.

King Heng slowly put down the sword in his hand.