Chongfei Manual [II]

Chapter 154.1

Wei Luo had originally thought that Zhao Liuli and Yang Zhen's matter would be thus settled. However, there was an unforeseen event two days later.

Emperor Chong Zhen was in a very good mood because Yang Zhen had ended the revolt and captured the rebel army's leader alive. He summoned Yang Zhen and personally asked what he wanted as his reward. Yang Zhen audaciously said he wanted to marry sixth princess Zhao Liuli in front of the emperor and the entire imperial court. Although this request went against everyone's expectations, it wasn't too outrageous. If the emperor agreed, this matter might even become a great, praiseworthy conversational topic.

However, the emperor surprisingly not only didn't agree, he also suddenly flew into a terrible rage and ordered for Yang Zhen to beaten by a military rod thirty times!

When a group of people brought Yang Zhen into Prince Jing's residences through a corner gate, Wei Luo was currently eating an orange dessert that Jin Lu had just finished preparing. Hearing Yang Zhen's news, her first reaction was shock. Soon after, she left the orange desert behind to go over there to look.

Yang Zhen's face had become deathly pale and his mind wasn't clear. Those thirty strikes wasn't much to him, but his chest wound had been reopened during the beating and a lot of blood had bled out. Steward Wang hurriedly ordered a servant to bring a doctor over to examine Yang Zhen's wounds.

Wei Luo pulled Zhao Jie's sleeve. Confused, she asked, "Why did you bring Yang Zhen to our home?"

Zhao Jie used his thumb to wipe away the orange dessert from the corner of her mouth and said, "Yang Zhen doesn't have a home, so Liuli asked me to bring him here. It'll be more convenient for him to recuperate from his injury staying here."

Wei Luo understood.

On the southwest part of Prince Jing's residence, there was a courtyard called Zheng Rong Courtyard. It was a quiet and secluded place with a good environment and would be a suitable place for recuperating, so Wei Luo arranged for Yang Zhen to stay in that courtyard.

The doctor soon arrived and went inside the room to treat Yang Zhen's injuries.

Wei Luo and Zhao Jie were standing in the outside courtyard. Wei Luo asked, "Why did His Majesty become angry?"

Zhao Jie leaned against the veranda's pillar with his arms crossed and thoughtfully said, "Someone must have said something to him."

Wei Luo couldn't stop herself from pondering after hearing his answer. Very few people knew about Yang Zhen and Zhao Liuli's relationship. Who could have told Emperor Chong Zhen?

*****

On the next day, Zhao Jie got to the bottom of this matter.

As it turns out, an imperial doctor had seen Zhao Liuli went she went to look for Yang Zhen at the barracks a few days ago. The doctor's name was Zhou Hang and worked for the Ministry of Appointments. Zhou Hang had seen Zhao Liuli at palace banquets, so he was able to recognize her identity. When he returned home, he had mentioned this matter to his wife. He said Princess Tianji seemed to know a man from the barracks. That madam wasn't an easy person to deal with. When she went to the palace, she spoke of this matter in front of everyone. The people there didn't believe her words. After all, Empress Chen treated Zhao Liuli like a precious treasure. Princess Tianji wasn't even allowed to the leave the palace, how could she have met a man from the outside?

Zhao Lin Lang was the only one that kept these words at the back of her mind.

Her brother, Zhao Zhang, had been confined and her mother, Noble Consort Ning, had died. Zhao Lin Lang hated Empress Chen to the core of her bones. But, she was only a princess and she didn't have the power to change anything. Seeing this tiny opportunity, she had to seize it and not let it go. She was very lucky. She was able to find out that when Yang Zhen was Zhao Liuli's guard, they had a secret relationship. Zhao Lin Lang wrote letters to Zhao Zhang to discuss the matter and decided to tell Emperor Chong Zhen this information to gain the initiative by striking first.