Let’s Squander A Billion First!

Chapter 881: Chapter 881: Phoenix Dominates the Rivers and Mountains (23)

Chuzheng took a deep breath, exhaled, took a deep breath, exhaled...

Then she squatted down.

”I’m sorry, Your Highness...” Yann Ge apologized softly.

”Lost is lost, as long as you’re okay.” I want to beat you to death for this! I was so good to you! Ungrateful wolf!

Yann Ge’s heart trembled slightly: ”Your Highness, you’re not blaming me?”

”Should I blame you?” Don’t bother with the little thing’s blackout phase, just consider his brain short-circuited! Be a magnanimous person, work hard to be a good person every day!

Yann Ge pressed his lips: ”Will losing the Palace Plaque cause you any trouble?”

Chuzheng replied blandly: ”It’s fine.”

Yann Ge pressed on: ”Really, no problem?”

”Mm.”

”I heard the Palace Plaque is very important...”

”You seem to know quite a lot.” Chuzheng’s words carried subtle implications.

Yann Ge fell silent, his palms slightly sweaty.

He always felt Chuzheng’s mood was off.

But her expression remained blank, leaving Yann Ge uncertain if it was his guilt making her seem odd, or if there really was something amiss.

-

Chuzheng helped him up; after kneeling for two hours, Yann Ge’s legs were numb and he couldn’t stand steadily.

Chuzheng carried him into the room, placing him on a rocking chair, lowered her gaze, and started massaging his knees.

The only sound left in the room was of their breathing.

Yann Ge tensed up, with an indescribable feeling in his heart.

Suddenly, Chuzheng asked: ”Did I ever offend you before?”

Yann Ge looked up at her abruptly, then quickly lowered his head: ”Your Highness has not.”

No need for you to mess with me like this!!

You’re lying!

Chuzheng suppressed the urge to hit Yann Ge, lifted him onto the bed: ”Get some good rest.”

I can’t, I need to calm down.

Or else I’ll really hit him.

Rewinding won’t stop me!!

So angry!

Yann Ge was somewhat nervous: ”Your Highness, this is your room...”

”Mm.”

Chuzheng pressed him down, covered him with a blanket, and walked straight out of the room.

Outside the door, Chuzheng put her hands on her hips and let out a breath.

”Mu Mian.”

Mu Mian and He Zhi came over together.

Chuzheng left Yann Ge to He Zhi, and she left with Mu Mian.

”Did I offend Yann Ge before?” Chuzheng asked Mu Mian.

Mu Mian shook her head: ”Your Highness never interacted with this young lord Yann of the Yann family, how could you have offended him?”

”Any other matters? Anything that might relate to him or the Yann family, think carefully.”

Mu Mian scratched her head.

She couldn’t recall anything useful for a long time.

Chuzheng paced back and forth, in a foul mood.

Chuzheng instructed Mu Mian: ”Investigate everything around him, make sure everything is checked thoroughly.”

”...Yes.”

-

The next day.

Dark clouds gathered, heavy rain poured down.

The entire Imperial City seemed to be engulfed in a tense atmosphere.

Chuzheng received a summons from the Empress to enter the palace.

Chuzheng walked out of the palace gate, with Mu Mian holding an umbrella for her.

”Your Highness!”

Yann Ge came out from the palace, without an umbrella, rushed directly and hugged Chuzheng.

”Your Highness.”

”Be careful not to catch a cold, why run so fast?”

Yann Ge held her tight, his voice fragmented by the rain: ”Your Highness, return early, I want to have lunch with you.”

Chuzheng’s hand, hanging by her side, embraced him: ”Okay.”

Yann Ge held her for a while and then let go, kissed her on the cheek, then ran back to the palace with his head down.

Chuzheng watched his figure disappear into the rain, her expression cold as frost.

Her clothes were grazed wet.

”Take good care of him, don’t let him catch a cold.” Chuzheng instructed the nearby Palace Attendant.

”Yes.”

-

In the Golden Luan Hall.

The Empress sat with a stern face on the dragon throne, Wen Wu dressed in the formal attire of the Phoenix Lord, sat slightly below the Empress.

Ning Yao and the Fifth Princess stood on either side.

The Fifth Princess seemed to be there to make up numbers, looking bewildered.

Ning Yao had her head down, her expression unclear.

A woman knelt in the middle, her body drenched by the rain, blood dripping from her.

Beside her were two officials.

One was Prime Minister Lin, who had previously failed to make accusations.

The other was the Minister of Justice.

No one else was in the hall.

Chuzheng came in, glanced around, and finally chose to stand by the Fifth Princess.

The Fifth Princess smiled at her amiably.

”I’ve called you today regarding the incident where Xiao Zheng was injured in an assassination attempt.” The Empress began solemnly: ”If not for Xiao Zheng shielding me then, it would have been me who was hurt. This matter needs an explanation for Xiao Zheng.”

Chuzheng: ”...”

You probably want me to account for it here.

The original host could shield the Empress from a knife, seems it was true love.

Unfortunately, the person doesn’t love you back, even wanting to harm you.

The Minister of Justice stepped forward: ”Your Majesty, this is the assassin who attempted the assassination that day.”

Chuzheng: ”...” Nonsense, that assassin was dealt with by me, this one is definitely fake!

”An explanation?”

”Your Majesty, after interrogation, the assassin has confessed.” The Minister of Justice raised his hand, a tray was held out: ”Here is the confession, and evidence the ministers found.”

Empress: ”Bring it here.”

The Palace Attendant immediately presented the items.

The hall suddenly fell silent.

Wen Wu could see Her Majesty’s dragon desk.

He couldn’t see the confession, but he could see the so-called evidence.

It was half an arrow.

Wen Wu felt a bit uneasy inside, not knowing why. He glanced toward his daughter.

Chuzheng looked at the Minister of Justice with an indifferent expression, showing no more emotion.

”This is...”

The Empress, after reading the confession, picked up the token, stained with blood.

”Your Majesty, though somewhat blurred, one can still make out a mark, this mark...” The Minister of Justice hesitated, unsure whether to speak.

”Minister Yang, what is there that you cannot say?” Prime Minister Lin spoke.

”This mark, unless my memory fails me, belongs... to the Wen family.” The Minister of Justice finished speaking and knelt down.

The Phoenix Lord was right above him, how could the Minister of Justice be unafraid?

Everyone knows, whether male or female, the Wen family are skilled archers—the exception being Her Royal Highness the Grand Imperial Princess, who is just a wastrel.

Once, the Wen family used archery to kill the enemy leader on the battlefield, turning the tide of defeat, and gaining great fame.

There are rumors—the Wen family can shoot an arrow through the center of a willow leaf from a hundred paces.

Arrows from the Wen family all bear a unique mark belonging to the Wen family.

The arrow presented by the Minister of Justice was already broken, soaked with blood, the mark half-destroyed, but if compared with the Wen family’s arrows, one would find the remaining half identical.

Wen Wu’s face lost half its color.

The bad feeling in his heart came true.

His fingers clutched the armrest, eyes scanning the Empress.

Bang!

The Empress slapped the dragon desk sharply, her gaze fierce: ”Minister Yang, do you know what you are saying?”

”...” The Minister of Justice trembled but bore the heavy pressure: ”Your Majesty, I dare not speak recklessly, this arrow was being destroyed when we caught the assassin, I had people seize it.”

Outside, the sound of rain persisted.

Inside, the atmosphere was oppressive.