RPAGF Chapter 80 Let him taste what it means to experience the "wife-chasing crematorium".
Chapter 80 Let him taste what it means to experience the "wife-chasing crematorium".
The palace was brightly lit on this autumn night. A palace maid entered the hall, knelt down respectfully, and said, "Your Majesty, the heir of the Duke of Wei has awakened."
Upon hearing this, everyone hurriedly rushed towards the side hall.
Lady Wei had already woken up. She sat by the bed, holding Wei Qiming's hand tightly, tears streaming down her face like broken beads. She murmured, "My son, you're finally awake. You scared your mother to death."
The imperial physician respectfully reported to the emperor: "Fortunately, the hairpin deviated and did not injure any vital organs. It was just a superficial wound, but due to excessive bleeding, he will need to rest for some time to recover."
The Emperor nodded slightly, his eyes deep and unfathomable, making it difficult to discern his emotions.
The Empress walked gracefully to the bedside, carefully examined Wei Qiming, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that he was alright.
At this moment, the Duchess of Wei suddenly knelt down with a thud, pleading through tears, "Your Majesty, I beg you to do justice for my son!"
"How could such a disaster have happened at this perfectly good Mid-Autumn Festival banquet? I only have this one son. If anything were to happen to him, I would not want to live anymore."
The emperor frowned, feeling extremely annoyed. This supposedly pleasant Mid-Autumn Festival banquet had turned into a dispute between two prefectures, and he, the emperor, was now forced to judge their case.
Wei Qiming lay on the bed, his face pale and bloodless. A sinister glint flashed in his eyes. That bitch actually wanted to kill her...
He said bitterly, "It was that bitch Chu Ruohan who hurt me. She looked down on Gu Junze because he was a cripple and took the initiative to seduce him. I refused, but she kept pestering me and even did this to me."
Chu Ruohan stood aside, her face flushed with anger, her chest heaving violently. How could they twist the truth like this?
"It was clearly you who had ulterior motives and tried to do something indecent to me; I was just defending myself."
Gu Junze sat in his wheelchair, his hands clasped together, a mocking smile curving his lips, and burst out laughing.
"Young Master Wei, if you say that Chu Ruohan seduced you, then why did she stab you? What kind of logic is there in this world where a woman would kill someone if she failed to seduce him?"
"This doesn't make sense from any perspective!"
Wei Qiming was taken aback by the question, his eyes darting around, before he shouted angrily, "How would I know? How could I understand this madwoman's thoughts? I only know that she wants to kill me today."
He would never let her go easily; he would make sure that this bitch suffered a terrible death and had no place to be buried.
Everyone present was discerning and could see that Wei Qiming was clearly trying to shift the blame.
Gu Junze's confrontation left him speechless. The Duke of Wei stood aside, his face turning pale and then red, feeling utterly humiliated.
The Empress Dowager sat above, her face so dark it seemed to drip water. She slammed her hand on the armrest and said angrily, "Your Majesty, look at this disgrace! You must do justice for Junze and Ruohan. We cannot allow them to suffer such humiliation for no reason."
Because of her love for the princess, the Empress Dowager was already deeply troubled by the death of Princess Anyang. She had lost her son, and Gu Junze was the only bloodline left in Anyang's world.
The Empress Dowager was heartbroken that Wei Qiming dared to humiliate him like that.
When the Duke of Wei and his wife saw that the Empress Dowager was angry, they trembled with fear and knelt down with the Empress to plead for mercy: "Your Majesty, please be lenient with Qiming because he is young and ignorant."
The Emperor's face turned ashen; this matter was utterly absurd.
After a moment of silence, he spoke: "Wei Qiming, as the heir of the Duke of Wei, you have done such an absurd thing. If I do not punish you severely, how can I convince the people?"
"Considering that you have suffered physical pain from this injury, which can be considered a form of punishment, it is far from enough to atone for your crimes. Effective immediately, you are stripped of your title as heir apparent and confined to your home to reflect on your actions."
The Emperor paused, his eyes sharp, then turned to the Duke of Wei, his gaze full of reprimand, "Duke of Wei, you also need to discipline your son properly. If he commits the same offense again, I will not let him off lightly."
Upon hearing this, the Duke and Duchess of Wei were struck dumb, but dared not say anything more and could only kowtow to express their gratitude.
The Empress Dowager snorted coldly. No one was dissatisfied with the Emperor's decision, but no one voiced their opposition.
Anyone with eyes can see that the emperor is showing favoritism.
The Duke and Duchess of Wei only had this one son. So what if they stripped him of his title as heir? After the Duke of Wei passed away, Wei Qiming would inherit the title anyway.
The Empress Dowager also knew that the Duke of Wei had rendered great service to the country and was a rare and loyal minister. Moreover, he was the maternal grandfather of the Crown Prince, so she could not easily touch him.
To prevent other princes from developing rebellious intentions.
The Empress Dowager sighed inwardly. This concerned the fate of the court and the nation, and it was a pity that the two children had to suffer.
Gu Junze's eyes flickered with tenderness as he slowly reached out and gently grasped Chu Ruohan's right hand.
Chu Ruohan keenly sensed this warmth and subconsciously turned her head, instantly meeting a pair of eyes filled with endless heartache.
Gentle and affectionate.
Chu Ruohan slightly raised the corners of her mouth, returning a relieved smile.
Chu Ruohan knew in her heart that it was no easy feat for her to escape unscathed and even have Wei Qiming punished...
Meanwhile, inside the Marquis of Anyang's residence, with all the masters having gone to the palace, the residence was unusually quiet. The servants, no longer busy as usual, gathered in twos and threes.
The servants responsible for guarding Suijin Pavilion were sitting together, their faces full of annoyance, muttering to themselves: "This is really bad luck. We were hoping to take a break and relax during the Mid-Autumn Festival, but who knew we'd be stuck with such a miserable job. We can't even get a good night's sleep, and there's no peace and quiet."
"Alright, alright, stop complaining. Look at this, what is it?"
One of the more astute servants pulled out a wine jug from his pocket and proudly shook it. "I just went to great lengths to get this from the kitchen. It's good wine. Come, come, have a couple of drinks. A little wine will make you feel better."
Everyone's eyes lit up immediately, and they all gathered around. In an instant, the aroma of wine filled the air, and the noise gradually grew louder, completely dispelling their previous wariness.
Du Ruoling heard everything clearly from inside the house. The corners of her mouth turned up slightly, revealing a determined smile.
Taking advantage of the servants' momentary lapse in attention, she carefully pushed open the door and tiptoed toward the gate of the mansion.
Her steps were light and agile, as if afraid of making the slightest noise and attracting the attention of others.
Du Ruoling thought to herself: Women of the new era should never depend on men. Since Gu Cheng'an no longer loves her, she will never hang herself on this crooked tree.
With her modern mindset and insight, how could she be confined to this secluded mansion and spend the rest of her life there?
She is determined to carve out her own niche in this ancient world, making Gu Cheng'an regret his actions and giving him a taste of what it means to be chased after a wife.