Chapter 257

Chapter 257: Imperial Order of Death The Emperor aspired to be a wise ruler. He had no biological sons; all he could leave behind was his legacy of achievements. Looking at the assembled crowd, though somewhat displeased by the pressure Cui Zeyu was applying, he still had to nod in agreement. "Zhongzhi's actions were indeed outrageous. Minister Lu is right—I cannot let the common people down. If we set this precedent, how can we command respect when other members of the imperial clan break the law in the future?" Prince Rong's heart skipped a beat. "But Brother Emperor—" "Prince Rong, you have failed to discipline your son, and I will hold you accountable as well!" The Emperor's words silenced Prince Rong instantly. "Forcibly seizing a woman is already a grave crime. Let alone Zhongzhi, who knowingly broke the law—his crime is compounded!" Ordinary citizens who committed such crimes would be sentenced to death by hanging, and for sons of noble families, the punishment would be even harsher, as it needed to serve as a deterrent. When the Emperor cut off Prince Rong's words, a foreboding feeling had already settled in Prince Rong's heart. It wasn't until the Emperor issued the decree—that Zhao Zhongzhi would be hanged at the vegetable market in three days, with his body displayed for three days as a warning to others—that Prince Rong's vision went black, and he fainted backward. Only then did Cui Zeyu appear satisfied, kowtowing respectfully. "The Emperor is wise and enlightened." Carrying the Emperor's decree, Cui Zeyu went to the palace gates, where by the carriage, he conveyed the imperial order to his sister. Only then did Cui Lingrong breathe a sigh of relief. "The Emperor is a wise ruler. But after this matter, we have thoroughly offended the Rong Prince Mansion. You must be extra careful in your official career—don't let yourself be schemed against." "Sister need not worry about me. I know what I'm doing," Cui Zeyu said. Cui Lingrong hummed in acknowledgment, then escorted Caiyue to the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, earnestly entrusting her to Wu Hui's care. When she returned to the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion, the gatekeeper relayed that the Marquis wanted to see her in the front hall. The moment Cui Lingrong entered the courtyard, County Princess Rongjia charged at her. Had Nanny Qiu not blocked the way, Cui Lingrong would have received a slap from County Princess Rongjia. "You lowly slave, how dare you block me?" County Princess Rongjia shoved Nanny Qiu aside forcefully, glaring at Cui Lingrong with bloodshot eyes. "You killed my second brother! How dare you?" "The County Mistress is mistaken. I didn't kill Zhao Zhongzhi—he brought it upon himself. If he hadn't harbored wicked intentions, why would the Emperor issue an Imperial Order of Death?" Cui Lingrong looked over at Nanny Qiu. Nanny Qiu said she was fine. County Princess Rongjia charged forward in a fury. "Caiyue is nothing but a maidservant! What is she worth? My second brother taking an interest in her was her honor!" Thinking of her second brother being hanged in three days, County Princess Rongjia trembled with rage, veins bulging on her neck, wishing she could strangle Cui Lingrong as well. Cui Lingrong turned to look around, then addressed the crowd, "You all heard that, didn't you? In County Princess Rongjia's eyes, servants aren't people—they can be trampled and persecuted at will. If you serve a mistress like this, who's to say you won't lose your lives one day too!" "Cui Lingrong, stop your fearmongering here! I'm talking to you about Caiyue—why are you dragging others into this?" County Princess Rongjia reached out to grab Cui Lingrong, but Cui Lingrong slapped her hand away. Just then, Old Madame Song arrived as well. "What a disgraceful scene! You are both mistresses of this marquis mansion, shouting and carrying on like fishwives in the market. Have you no sense of decorum befitting a great household?" "Old Madame, you must know by now—Cui Lingrong deliberately wants to ruin the relationship between our two families!" County Princess Rongjia struck first with her accusation. "This could have been smoothed over easily, but now she's gotten my second brother killed. How can the Rong Prince Mansion continue to support the Marquis after this?" At this mention, Song Shulan also harbored considerable resentment, gazing darkly at Cui Lingrong. Old Madame Song's eyes turned somber. "Lady Cui, why must you do this? Caiyue came to no real harm—couldn't you have just given her some money to settle it? You made such an ugly scene that all of Bianjing is buzzing with gossip. Have you no regard for this household's reputation at all?" "Old Madame, I find this truly absurd. It wasn't I who did something wrong, so why is everyone coming to blame me?" Cui Lingrong countered. "Wasn't it Zhao Zhongzhi who deserved to die?" "You're the one who deserves to die!" County Princess Rongjia shouted. Old Madame Song frowned and asked, "Zhao Zhongzhi did wrong, that's true. But Yu-jie is currently in the midst of marriage negotiations. Do you think this affair being stirred up won't have any repercussions?" Looking at the people present, Cui Lingrong had given up on defending herself. They had their own convictions of what was right, but she had a clear conscience. "In any case, Zhao Zhongzhi deserved to die. If Old Madame finds it shameful, by all means, stay indoors. As for the County Mistress—if I were you, I would be consumed with shame right now, for having a brother of such poor character. Yet here you are, interrogating me. Clearly, you and Zhao Zhongzhi are cut from the same cloth. Tell me, have you done similar things before, treating human life like mere grass?" Cui Lingrong stared directly at County Princess Rongjia. For a brief moment, County Princess Rongjia felt that Cui Lingrong was implying something more, but she quickly thought it impossible—Cui Lingrong couldn't possibly know. Cui Lingrong swept her gaze across the group, then turned and walked away. Among those remaining, County Princess Rongjia was consumed with fury, while Old Madame Song was incensed at Cui Lingrong's disrespect toward her. "You all saw that, didn't you? I hadn't even dismissed her, and she just walked off like that. Does she have any regard for me as her mother-in-law?" In recent days, Old Madame Song had accumulated more than enough grievances against Cui Lingrong. Whether it was about money or Cui Lingrong's attitude, it was utterly perfunctory. Old Madame Song and County Princess Rongjia both looked at Song Shulan. Old Madame Song asked, "If Cui Lingrong continues to be this arrogant, our marquis mansion cannot keep her! You're her husband—you can't let a woman lead you around by the nose. If you can't control her, then have the Cui family come take her back!" Old Madame Song was full of pent-up anger, but since she couldn't get any leverage over Cui Lingrong, she had to resort to bringing up the Cui family. County Princess Rongjia also said, "Indeed, Marquis. You and Old Madame are the most esteemed people in this mansion. That Cui Lingrong has no one in her eyes—we can't just let her run wild." At this moment, Song Shulan felt utterly exhausted. A person who used to be reserved was now covered in thorns, and Song Shulan couldn't accept this version of Cui Lingrong either. He rose and told them to leave. When he saw County Princess Rongjia following him, Song Shulan had no mood for it. Watching Song Shulan walk away like that, County Princess Rongjia felt uneasy. "Old Madame, do you think the Marquis is angry?" "County Mistress, when it comes down to it, this whole matter is your second brother's fault for not being able to control himself. There are countless women in this world—that Caiyue wasn't some stunning beauty. Why did he have to throw away his own life over her?" Old Madame Song couldn't understand. She didn't want to hear County Princess Rongjia's complaints. The Emperor had already issued the Imperial Order of Death—there was no room for reversal. Still, Old Madame Song didn't want to sour relations with the Rong Prince Mansion, so she changed tack. "Ah, but the Imperial Order of Death truly was too harsh a sentence. Your parents losing a child before their time must be heartbreaking. Let me gather some things, and we'll go visit your second brother." County Princess Rongjia could tell Old Madame wasn't visiting out of genuine concern and declined directly. She hadn't gotten anything good from the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion. When she returned to the Rong Prince Mansion, her second sister-in-law had fainted from crying several times. Her father, the Prince, refused to see her. It was her mother, the Princess Consort, who told her to go home first. But County Princess Rongjia insisted on seeing her mother and barged in. "What is this supposed to mean? Are you blaming me? I had no idea my second brother took Caiyue!" "Did I say that?" Princess Consort Rong was already grieving over her son, and hearing her daughter's shouting made her head ache even more. "Can you be quiet for a moment?" "You didn't say it, but why won't any of you see me? Isn't it because you blame me inside—thinking that if my second brother hadn't gone to the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion, he wouldn't have taken a liking to that wretch Caiyue, and wouldn't have acted so rashly today?" County Princess Rongjia started crying as she spoke. Princess Consort Rong said she didn't mean that, but being stirred up by her daughter only made her more agitated. "Rongjia, can you stop making a scene? Things have come to this point. Your father and I are grieving—all we want is a moment of peace. Can you be a little more sensible?" "I'm not sensible? So it's still my fault then!" County Princess Rongjia cried and tried to smash things, but the maids held her back. "Rongjia!" Princess Consort Rong had to shout, but she stood up too quickly and fainted on the spot, sending the maids into a panic as they called for a physician. By the time Prince Rong and the others arrived, the doctor had already applied acupuncture to Princess Consort Rong, but she still hadn't woken up. Prince Rong looked at his daughter in speechless disbelief, wondering how he had raised such a willful, thoughtless child.