After entering the book, the cold prince begs for favor

Chapter 374 The Name After Death

The first person to receive the news was the current emperor.

The flame on the gilded dragon candlestick flickered slightly, casting a half-light and half-shadow on the emperor's face.

He tapped the dragon throne lightly with his knuckles, producing a dull sound in the silent hall.

"died?"

The emperor's voice revealed no emotion.

"Your Majesty, Liang Yusong committed suicide by striking his head against a pillar in a dilapidated temple."

The man in black knelt on the ground, his forehead pressed tightly against the gold brick. "The Yuan family has sent someone to the government office to report the case."

A cold smile appeared on the emperor's lips.

The vermilion annotation on the memorial on the desk, bearing the character "Liang," was not yet dry, its color as deep as blood.

"Step back and continue to keep an eye on the Eastern Palace."

Lu Jiangnian guessed correctly; the Emperor had deliberately sent him away.

Tang Bo confessed to many things from back then while in his hands. The emperor didn't believe him completely, but he needed to know if someone had been deceiving him all along.

The Emperor once intentionally told the Crown Prince that Tang Bo's words might not be entirely false.

These days, the Crown Prince has been secretly investigating, and his every move has been observed by the Emperor.

After the guards withdrew, the emperor's gaze fell on the palace lanterns outside the hall.

Consort Liang, the Second Prince, the Liang family, the Gao family... these names lingered in his mind like venomous snakes.

The emperor stroked the jade thumb ring on his thumb. The grief of losing his wife years ago had long since turned into a raging fire of anger. How dare these people manipulate the emperor like this?

But now, he's more interested in knowing the Crown Prince's choice.

As expected, the Crown Prince secretly investigated, with every step monitored by his secret guards. The Second Prince's foolish act of kidnapping Sun Haining, on the contrary, became an excellent opportunity to test the various forces.

During the day and night that Sun Haining was kidnapped, secret reports from the guards flew into the palace like snowflakes. To his surprise, the Crown Prince and the Sun family's forces were strictly regulated, and Lu Jiangnian did not have many people.

Even more surprisingly—

"Yuan Wanru."

When the emperor read out the name, a hint of interest flashed in his eyes.

A frail woman single-handedly stormed the dragon's den, not only escaping unscathed but also forcing Murong Xiao to abandon his armor and weapons. The emperor couldn't help but sneer at the thought of the Second Prince's pathetic escape, where he couldn't even care about his cousin.

How did she manage to do that?

Regardless, Yuan Wanru's courage impressed him.

In comparison, Murong Xiao is utterly useless.

He crushed a stain of ink on the table, as if crushing a good-for-nothing son.

How dare such a mediocre person covet a high position?

Soon, he will show them what true thunderous wrath is.

-

Just as dawn was breaking, the constables from the Jingzhao government office hurriedly knocked on the gate of the Liang residence.

Liang Shangjiong hadn't slept a wink last night, and his eyes were dark with bruises. When he heard the news, he smashed the teacup in his hand on the ground with a "thud," not even noticing the scalding tea splashing onto his clothes.

"What did you say? Identify the body?" His voice sounded like it was being forced out of his throat, each word trembling.

Ever since Liang Zhong was abducted by Yuan Wanru, he had felt a vague unease in his heart.

Later, an urgent message arrived from the Second Prince, saying that Yusong had fallen into Yuan Wanru's hands, which made him even more uneasy.

Last night, the Liang family sent out all their men, turning the capital upside down—how ironic, just the day before they were watching the Sun family search everywhere, and today it was their turn to suffer this heart-wrenching pain.

The cold room reeked of decay. Liang Shangjiong's boots echoed hollowly on the bluestone slabs. When the bailiff lifted the yellowed straw mat, he stumbled back two steps, nearly knocking over the lamp stand behind him.

The corpse lay there quietly, its face covered with festering sores. Its once exquisite clothes were torn to shreds, and even its embroidered shoes were nowhere to be found.

“Rain... Rain pine?” Liang Shangjiong’s voice suddenly sounded unlike his own.

He reached out tremblingly, but pulled back abruptly just before touching his daughter's cheek, instead clutching his own clothes tightly. The pain was excruciating, as if someone had ripped his heart out.

Murong Xiao stood to the side, his face ashen.

He never imagined that Yuan Wanru would actually dare to commit such a heinous act.

His cousin, who always smiled gently in front of him, is now a cold corpse, and in such a wretched state!

He's the one who killed my cousin!

Murong Xiao staggered back a few steps, not daring to look at Liang Yusong's face again. When his cousin died, would she resent him?

He couldn't bear to look at her face.

No, it wasn't him, it was Yuan Wanru who killed her, it was Yuan Wanru!

"Guards!" the Second Prince suddenly roared, startling the sparrows on the rooftops into flight. "Where is the Prefect of the Capital? Who is the murderer? Is this how you handle cases?"

"Your Highness," the Prefect of the Capital interrupted, forcing a smile, "the coroner has confirmed that Miss Liang indeed committed suicide by hitting her head against a pillar. At the time, more than a dozen beggars in the dilapidated temple witnessed it all clearly..."

"Bullshit!" Liang Shangjiong suddenly sprang to his feet, grabbing the Prefect of the Capital's collar. "How could my daughter commit suicide? It must have been that poisonous woman who killed her!"

His eyes bulged, bloodshot and menacing. "Where are the beggars? Bring them all here! I'm going to kill them!"

The constables looked at each other in bewilderment.

When they collected the body last night, the beggars' story was indeed very detailed and convincing—

"That girl rushed in and started banging her head against a pillar!"

"We couldn't stop them even if we wanted to..."

"After we saw she was dead, we searched her body for valuables. We really didn't kill her."

The second prince clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into the flesh of his palms.

Why did my cousin commit suicide?

What exactly did Yuan Wanru do to her?

Murong Xiao wished he could tear Yuan Wanru to pieces, but he couldn't produce any evidence that Yuan Wanru had committed murder.

When Liang Yusong's body was carried back to the Liang residence, the gate was already surrounded by onlookers who stood on tiptoe, craning their necks, whispering and laughing hysterically.

"Have you heard? When Miss Liang died, her face was completely rotten, like a demon!"

"Oh dear, that's more than that! His clothes are disheveled; who knows what suffering he endured before he died?"

"Weren't you usually so arrogant? Dressed in gold and silver, but now you've been stripped naked, haven't you?"

Those words, as they reached Liang Shangjiong's ears, made him tremble all over.

He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into the flesh of his palms, but he felt no pain. The foul language in his ears was like knives cutting into his heart.

"Get out! All of you, get out!" He whirled around, his eyes bloodshot, his voice hoarse like a wild beast's, "Anyone who dares to utter another word, I, Liang Shangjiong, will have their entire family executed!"

The crowd fell silent instantly, but those mocking glances and meaningful snickers lingered in Liang Shangjiong's heart like venomous snakes.

The Lu family members slowly disappeared into the crowd.

-

Zhongyong Hou Mansion.

Yuan Wanru sat calmly in her chair, listening to Xuan Ying's report, and a cold smile finally appeared on her lips.

"What was the Liang family's reaction? Liang Shangjiong lost control on the spot, and Murong Xiao was furious, but the Jingzhao Prefecture... has already confirmed the suicide claim."

What right does Murong Xiao have to be furious? When he left Liang Yusong behind, did he not foresee her fate?

Yuan Wanru's eyes sharpened. "The Liang family will never let this go."

Consort Liang was released from confinement, the Liang family lost their beloved daughter, and the Second Prince lost all face... Everyone wanted to tear her to pieces.

"Pass down the order," Yuan Wanru turned around, her voice as cold as a knife, "All entrances and exits of the manor must be strictly guarded, and patrols must be conducted continuously for twelve hours a day."

Xuan Ying: "Please rest assured, Your Highness, my men have been deployed to infiltrate key locations throughout the manor. If the Liang family dares to attack, they will be sure to never return!"

“And also,” she suddenly looked up, a glint of something unsettling in her eyes, “have people keep a close eye on things in the palace. The Emperor… should be making a move soon.”

Xuan Ying's expression hardened, and he solemnly agreed.