kvmb Chapter 935: Unhappy Retribution
Chapter 935: Unhappy Retribution
Princess Dongyue's face was so black it could drip water. Her chest heaved with anger. She forced down her breath and gritted her teeth, saying, "Guards, drag this little slut out here and strip her naked!"
He couldn't bear to direct his anger at his son, so he only directed it at Yulan.
Yu Lan timidly clutched Duan Ziming's clothes. Seeing her so delicate and dependent, Duan Ziming protected her even more tightly.
He spread his arms to block the people, and roared, "Let's see who among you dogs dares to touch my people! I'll chop off your paws!"
"Mother, if you continue to target Yulan, you are targeting your son. Unless you no longer want me as your son!"
Princess Dongyue clutched her chest, seemingly heartbroken.
"You, my son, are you going to threaten your mother for some slut from outside?"
With such a spectacle, how could the onlookers bear to leave?
"Tsk tsk tsk, that sounds familiar."
"Isn't this just like in our family, when the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law quarrel, and the son sides with his wife, the mother-in-law is unhappy?"
"As expected of a princess's residence, all the wives are men, male concubines. I've never seen anything like it."
"I heard that Princess Dongyue also frequents Nanfeng Pavilion. The mother and son going to the same place... could it be...?"
"Shh, keep your voice down."
The people were talking animatedly, their faces all rosy, not caring about the cold on the street even in the dead of winter, they just put their hands in their pockets and chatted away.
"Princess Dongyue was ordered to come to the capital to be investigated, yet she caused such a scene. I'm afraid she will be impeached by the censors."
Cui Shicheng frowned slightly.
For a princess and her son to do something like this is a disgrace to the royal family.
I'm afraid the emperor won't be very happy.
Just as Fang Nanzhi was about to say, "You brought this on yourself," Anmei suddenly appeared beside her, pressing tightly against her, her body tense.
She was startled and followed Anmei's gaze, seeing a flash of cold light in the crowd.
Before she could investigate, the cold light vanished.
"Young Master Duan, I am unworthy to serve you, nor would I dare to affect your relationship with the princess. I would rather die right now."
Outside the mansion gate, as soon as Princess Dongyue showed weakness, Yulan took off her hairpin and stabbed it into her own throat.
The beautiful woman's resolute expression, with tears in her eyes but refusing to let them fall, deeply moved Duan Ziming.
He grabbed Yu Lan's hand: "I won't allow it! I want to stay with you forever, and no one can stop me!"
Princess Dongyue could no longer tolerate it. With a cold face, she wanted to kill Yulan.
"Those who don't lift a finger, I'll sell them off one by one later!"
Faced with the princess's anger, the servants dared not hesitate any longer.
This time, everyone worked hard to pull Yulan away, and the scene became chaotic again.
Just then, a figure suddenly darted out from the crowd with a "whoosh".
That's the sound of a dagger piercing flesh.
A man stabbed Duan Ziming from behind, the dagger passing right through his chest, the tip of the dagger protruding.
Duan Ziming first looked down at his chest, then turned his head, wanting to see the person behind him clearly.
But with just a slight turn of his head, he collapsed to the ground with a "thud".
"My son!"
A shrill female voice rang out, and Princess Dongyue, her face pale, rushed forward.
She reached out to hold her son's body, but he became unresponsive, his eyes wide open, as if he had died unwillingly.
Everything happened too fast; Fang Nanzhi went to see the man who committed the murder.
The latter stood there, staring at Duan Ziming on the ground for a while, and actually revealed a smile.
That smile was full of sincerity, relief, and peace of mind.
Dark Plum had already silently returned to Fang Nanzhi's back.
She won't meddle in other people's business unless the danger is aimed at her.
"What are you all standing there for? Quickly go and fetch a doctor, young master!"
A nanny called out.
But everyone could see it; with a dagger piercing through the chest, even a celestial being couldn't save him.
Xie Lang turned his head to look at the little girl and lowered his voice: "Let's go."
He knew about the feud between Fang Nanzhi and Princess Dongyue; to be precise, it was the discord between Fang Nanzhi's biological mother and Princess Dongyue.
Fang Nanzhi was also a doctor, and she believed in the benevolence of a physician.
But he didn't think it was a good thing for Fang Nanzhi to show up at this time. She was already in critical condition and would only be blamed on others.
Add to that the grudges between elders, and there's a risk of other complications arising.
Before Fang Nanzhi could react, the man who committed the murder seemed to be reminded by the word "doctor." He suddenly squatted down, pulled out a dagger, and stabbed Duan Ziming three times.
"Ah! Ah! Ah!"
Princess Dongyue's eyes were bloodshot as she tried to stop the man's actions.
The servants seemed to realize what was happening and rushed forward to subdue the man.
It was all so sudden; they were all in a daze, forgetting to subdue the culprit.
Despite being stabbed several times, Duan Ziming remained completely still.
Fang Nanzhi, acting out of medical ethics, pulled her foot back.
There's really no need to watch this time.
"Hahahahahaha!" The man who was caught did not resist, but just kept laughing.
"Hahahaha, dead, dead, finally dead!"
"Father, did you see this from heaven? Father, I have avenged you!"
The man looked up at the sky, tears welling in his eyes, his whole being radiating ease and joy.
"This young man looks familiar; he seems to be the son of Old Man Ma, who sells fried cakes on West Street."
"Old Man Ma? The one from a few years ago, who bumped into a rich young man while setting up his stall and was killed in the street. Later, his wife and children filed a lawsuit with the emperor, and the rich young man was sentenced to exile?"
Not everyone knows what West Street fried dough cakes are, but many people are familiar with the name Old Man Ma.
When the case came out, it caused a sensation in the capital.
"I heard that the young nobleman is the princess's son. Wasn't he exiled? How come he's back in the capital?"
In the minds of ordinary people, exile meant being escorted all the way to a harsh, cold place, where they would spend the rest of their lives eating coarse food and wild vegetables.
Judging from Duan Ziming's performance today, he didn't seem to suffer at all.
Unbeknownst to them, after being sentenced to exile, Princess Dongyue wanted to use money to atone for her crime, but the emperor refused.
She could only make arrangements along the way. The journey to exile was completed, and once they arrived at their destination, Princess Dongyue brought them out.
For years, she has remained in her fiefdom and has not allowed her son to return to Beijing.
The emperor turned a blind eye.
Who knew that Duan Ziming would insist on coming back to Beijing this time? We agreed to keep a low profile and not show up after arriving in Beijing, but he went to Nanfeng Pavilion for several days at a time.
Wan Sheng's threatening letter forced Princess Dongyue to expose her son to the public.
Zhu Guanfeng arrived with his constables at this time; they were very quick to travel.
Upon arrival, they immediately cordoned off the area, preventing onlookers from leaving.
After all, the murderer rushed out from the crowd; who knows if he had accomplices?
Zhu Guanfeng glanced around the crowd and met Fang Nanzhi's innocent-looking eyes, and immediately felt a headache coming on.
Why is this little girl always getting involved in all sorts of fun?
Princess Dongyue, like a maddened mother beast, held her son's corpse and wouldn't allow anyone to touch it.
The doctor was still called in, but not to see Duan Ziming; instead, he used needles to knock Princess Dongyue unconscious.
Zhu Guanfeng breathed a sigh of relief, as he was about to take away Duan Ziming's body and the murderer.
But the old nanny wouldn't allow it.
"What are you doing in the capital, right under the Emperor's nose? You couldn't protect my young master beforehand, and now you're showing off your abilities?"
"The princess will never allow you to desecrate the young master's body."
"We haven't filed a police report, so it's none of your business in the capital!"
The old nanny was quite ruthless. She was Princess Dongyue's wet nurse, and her attitude reflected the princess's attitude.
Zhu Guanfeng wasn't annoyed even when insulted in person.
“If an exiled person returns to the capital without permission and is assassinated in the street, regardless of whether the victim reports it to the authorities, it falls under the jurisdiction of my Jingzhao Prefecture.”
"I am acting in accordance with the laws of the court. Anyone who dares to obstruct me will be taken away for the crime of obstructing official business."
Zhu Guanfeng's attitude was tough, so his yamen runners acted decisively.
The old nanny was furious and ordered the guards of the manor to protect the young master!
They looked ready to fight the yamen runners.
They were truly arrogant; even Xie Lang and the other young masters, including Cui Shicheng, were astonished.
Has this old woman lost her mind after being a local tyrant for so long?
Openly confronting the people of the Jingzhao Prefecture, are they plotting a rebellion?
Zhu Guanfeng glanced coldly at his subordinates.
The latter immediately drew his sword, and the constables stepped forward together, showing no intention of retreating.
At this moment, the gate of the princess's residence suddenly opened from the inside, and a tall, slender man, who was so thin that he was almost unrecognizable, came out.
"Stop it all!"
When the old woman saw the visitor, she seemed to have found her pillar of support, and her eyes reddened.
"Prince Consort, the young master is gone, and the princess has fainted. You must take over the princess's residence."
The man didn't even glance at her.
"Let's all go back."
"This case will require the assistance of the officials of the Jingzhao Prefecture."
In short, the guards all stepped back.
Zhu Guanfeng glanced at the prince consort with a complicated expression, then cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.
The old woman looked as if she had been struck by lightning; her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
"Consort!"
"Young Master is your own son!"
The son is dead, and the prince consort's attitude is heartbreaking.
When the princess finds out, she'll be heartbroken.
Duan Yunbei simply gave a faint "hmm".
It was his son, so he ordered the Jingzhao Prefecture to investigate the case.
The prince consort is the proper master; once he appears, the old nanny's words lose their power.
Zhu Guanfeng ordered the murderer and the body to be brought back to Jingzhao Prefecture.
All that's left is to censor the onlookers.
The people were somewhat panicked; they were just watching the spectacle and knew nothing about it.
They investigated all the way to Xie Lang and his group, asked them a few questions, and then sent them away.
Fang Nanzhi was with them, so naturally she could leave.
But the old nanny still remembered her.
The main reason is that she recognizes the name Fang Nanzhi.
I learned that Chen Zixi hadn't died back then, and had even married into a rural family and had a daughter.
Their princess was happy for days.
I feel that it's more satisfying to see a proud woman like Chen Zixi paired with an illiterate villager than to see her die.
What's more, they even had a child that would cost them money?
But later I learned that Fang Nanzhi was a close friend of the Crown Prince, and that she had been praised by the Emperor at a young age.
Princess Dongyue was in great distress.
She didn't want to see Chen Zixi's daughter doing well.
Unfortunately, she was not in the capital, so there were many things she couldn't do.
But they had truly taken Fang Nanzhi's name to heart.
As Fang Nanzhi boarded the carriage, she felt two pairs of eyes looking at her from behind.
One belongs to Duan Yunbei.
Years have passed, and she is gone, but her daughter has grown up.
The other was an old nanny, her eyes filled with hatred, wishing she could devour Fang Nanzhi alive.
Fang Nanzhi didn't look back and obediently walked away.
She was just watching the fun, and now she's being resented again. It's true, good-looking people attract a lot of trouble.
The case occurred in public, and the murderer was very cooperative. The Jingzhao Prefecture investigated and found out the truth in just half a day.
Back then, a fried cake vendor was murdered in the street, but Duan Ziming was not executed; he was only sentenced to exile.
The vendor's wife was devastated, and then a serious illness took her away.
The vendor's son lived a muddled life, only to learn that Duan Ziming had spent money throughout his exile, suffering no hardship and living a life of luxury.
He then became filled with hatred.
I've been using that dagger to stab winter melons for years, practicing.
Until this time, Duan Ziming returned to Beijing, and the commotion at the Princess's residence gave him an excellent opportunity.
The reason for taking action was revenge.
The murderer had his wish fulfilled and was extremely cooperative, answering all questions.
Zhu Guanfeng followed the clues and eventually found Wan Sheng.
From the very beginning, it was Wan Sheng's scheme, starting with the kidnapping letter.
Wan Sheng knew Duan Ziming's character well and hinted at Yu Lan, the top courtesan of Nanfeng Pavilion.
If you use all your skills to keep Duan Ziming for three days, you can redeem him.
Yu Lan did a great job.
The farce that unfolded in front of the princess's residence naturally followed.
As for the murderer, Wan Sheng didn't do anything; he just had someone leak some information to him.
All that was said was that Duan Ziming returned to Beijing.
There was no conspiracy to commit the crime, nor was there any instigation to do so.
Wan Sheng's hands were clean; he had only schemed against people's hearts.
He had not violated the law in any way, so the Jingzhao Prefecture could not arrest him.
Wan Sheng completed the first step of his revenge without shedding a drop of blood.
After Princess Dongyue confessed at the Ministry of Justice that she had sent someone to assassinate Chen Zixi, Wan Sheng wanted her to experience the pain of losing her beloved.
Anyone with common sense could see through his scheme, but he really didn't commit a crime.
Afterwards, Fang Nanzhi and Qin Yan even discussed privately how to learn from and adopt this method.
The murderer confessed and was sentenced to death six months later, but Princess Dongyue was not satisfied after waking up.
She first had an argument with the prince consort.
He then caused a great disturbance at the Jingzhao Prefecture, demanding that the murderer be taken away, torn to pieces, and that his entire family be exterminated.
Fang Nanzhi also believed that her appearance at the entrance of the princess's residence must mean she was the mastermind.
They're saying Fang Nanzhi and Wan Sheng have joined forces...
Without any basis, the Jingzhao Prefecture was ordered to arrest people and bring them to justice.
The Yue people didn't tolerate her at all; they directly arrested Princess Dongyue and imprisoned her.
Roaring in court is one crime, colluding with salt smugglers is another.
It has been confirmed that the leader of the Qinghua Gang was Princess Dongyue's lover, and there is even evidence that he profited from smuggling salt and presented it to the princess.
On the same day, the third princess was also imprisoned.
Coincidentally, she also has two charges.
One charge is murder, and the other is involvement in the illegal sale of salt.
The latter was proven by Prince Ning. He also wanted to distance himself from the matter, claiming that he only took over the Third Princess's smuggling salt business to investigate the case.
The former committed murder; Fang Jin died.
That's right. After Fang Jin was brought back to the capital, Qing Min didn't imprison him but released him.
He was Prince Ning's advisor, helping him investigate the salt smuggling case. Why arrest him?
No sooner had Fang Jin been released than he was captured and taken to the Third Princess's residence.
That night, the screams from the princess's residence continued until dawn.
The Third Princess was exhausted from the torture, but Fang Jin held on until dawn before finally passing away.
He held on, hoping that Prince Ning would come to rescue him.
But Prince Ning is in a coma, so how could anyone in the Prince Ning's mansion possibly remember him?