bayedsolid Chapter 549 Give us an explanation!
Chapter 549 Give us an explanation!
Old Master He was stunned for a long time!
Grandpa He stared at Liu Shi in a daze for a long time, letting her cry and swear oaths, but Guan Tian didn't say a word.
It wasn't until Liu grabbed his sleeve and cried, saying that someone had wronged her, that the eldest master of the He family came to his senses.
Upon seeing Liu Shi in this state, the eldest master of the He family softened his heart again. Perhaps, as she said, she had been framed.
Who is He Jiajun? Having been in officialdom for many years, he is naturally highly skilled at reading people's expressions and can tell at a glance that his good older brother is up to something again.
With a cold snort, He Jiajun mocked, "Liu, do you think what you're saying will be of any use? Don't you realize that you've impersonated the eldest wife of the He family and visited the Princess Consort multiple times? This is clearly deceiving her! If the Princess Consort becomes suspicious, she might think you're deliberately fooling her. This alone is enough for you to atone with your death!"
Liu trembled, a chill ran through her, and she quickly looked at her husband with extremely pitiful eyes.
"Master, I... I didn't know. I... I didn't mean to. It's just that my sister has always stayed in the Buddhist hall and refused to come out. I've been managing everything in this mansion for so many years. It was just my carelessness, but it's not a crime punishable by death, is it?"
Madam Xie shook her head, her face full of disdain, and said, "Madam Liu, why don't you go to the Prince of Chang Le's residence and say these things to the Princess Consort?"
Madam Liu's face turned deathly pale. She had indeed been far too presumptuous. She had assumed that because the servants had called her "Madam" for so many years, she was truly the lady of the house. She should know that there was indeed another legitimate lady residing in the Buddhist hall of the mansion.
“Liu, I gave you a chance, but you didn’t cherish it. You and He Ming deliberately spread those rumors. What were your intentions? Aren’t you angry that I publicly beat He Ming today? Let me tell you, if I hadn’t given him thirty strokes of the cane first, you would be collecting his corpse right now!”
It was only then that Old Master He realized something was wrong. His second son was the governor of Yanzhou. Who could possibly have driven him to such a point?
He Jiajun was utterly disappointed in his elder brother.
"Father, today He Ming offended the Princess Consort and even dared to speak disrespectfully to her. The Prince is known for doting on his wife. The Prince and Princess Consort were on the second floor at the time. If I hadn't publicly given him thirty strokes of the cane, He Ming would have been executed on the spot for the serious crime of insubordination! You must know that he is the Prince, the true master of Yanzhou. Even without a reason, if the Prince wanted to kill He Ming, it would be as easy as crushing an ant."
Upon hearing this, Old Master He immediately broke out in a cold sweat.
It turns out that the princess overheard it! No wonder the second son didn't dare to protect He Ming; this kid actually dared to disrespect the princess. He really has a death wish.
"Second brother, stop talking. You did nothing wrong today! If anyone is to blame, it's your eldest brother for not managing the household properly! Eldest brother, favoring a concubine over your wife, this is retribution!"
The eldest son of the He family felt a sudden jolt in his heart. The words "favoring the concubine over the wife" coming from his father's mouth made him feel extremely ashamed!
Especially now, in front of his younger brother and sister-in-law, he has truly lost all face.
Liu was still crying, looking quite aggrieved, but at this moment, Master He's mind suddenly cleared. They were right; he hadn't managed his subordinates properly! If he hadn't spoiled them for so many years, how could they have developed such unruly personalities? And how could they have caused this disaster today?
Old Master He sighed heavily and asked in a trembling voice, "What does Your Highness mean about the rumors?"
"The Prince would never personally concern himself with such matters. Anyone who harms the Princess will face one word: death!"
Upon hearing this, Liu's face turned even paler, her eyes rolled back, and she fainted.
Madam Xie shook her head. "Now you're scared? What were you doing before? If you had known this would happen, you shouldn't have joined forces with that Mu Xinyao. Now you've not only angered the Prince, but you've also dragged our entire He family into this mess."
He Jiajun looked at his elder brother and suddenly said, "Jin Hui is Ming Wang's man. I suppose you don't know that, brother?"
Old Master He was taken aback. Although he held a title, he only held a sinecure of the sixth rank and almost never went to the government office. Naturally, he had never cared about important matters of the court. Now, after being suddenly told this, he was stunned for a long time and couldn't react.
Old Master He, however, was shrewd. He narrowed his eyes, his face darkening slightly. "The Ming King's people?" he said, his gaze sweeping over Madam Xie a few times before he said with some regret, "I'm afraid we shouldn't trouble the second son's family with this matter."
Upon hearing that she had been mentioned again, Xie knew that the old man had grasped the crux of the matter, and quickly lowered her head. "Father, you are too kind. Since I have married into the He family, I am naturally a member of the He family. Now that things have come to this point, I should share the burden for the He family."
The old man nodded, quite satisfied with his daughter-in-law's understanding and reasonableness.
After listening to their exchange, Old Master He finally understood. Jin Hui was a man of the Ming Prince, so their choice to oppose the Prince of Chang Le was perfectly clear. Everyone knew that the Prince of Chang Le supported the Crown Prince. Their purpose this time was probably to first damage the reputation of the Prince and Princess before taking further action.
Thinking of this, Grandpa He broke out in a cold sweat.
If it weren't for the fact that the second sister-in-law is from the Xie family and is the Crown Princess's younger sister, I'm afraid that the Prince of Chang Le would have directly concluded that the He family had sided with the Prince of Ming. In that case, how could the He family still have a place in Yanzhou?
The old man's gaze towards Xie and his younger brother held a complex mix of emotions, including deep self-reproach. His momentary carelessness had nearly brought the entire He family to ruin!
"Brother, now you understand the gravity of the situation. How do you plan to handle it?"
The old man of the He family glanced at Liu Shi, who had fainted on the ground, swayed, and slumped into a chair. If it weren't for his excessive pampering, how could the mother and son have committed such a heinous crime?
Now that things have come to this, it's too late for regrets.
"Guards, take Liu away and put her in the woodshed. Tie her up carefully. Tomorrow, I will personally take her to apologize."
He Jiajun nodded in satisfaction. Fortunately, this older brother was not confused when it came to matters of principle.