Chapter 381: No Retreat (Third Update)

Si Yezhi listened from the side, completely bewildered.

Rong Zhen hadn't gone missing; she had been hidden away by the Empress?

But based on how she had acted before, she didn't look like that at all!

Moreover, if she truly wanted to do such a thing, then how could Si Meng have died so inexplicably?

Enduring his pain and not even bothering to wipe the blood from his face, he pleaded hurriedly

"Your Majesty, although your servant does not know who told you these things, they must all be false! Previously, the Fourth Princess and Si Meng went missing together, and Si Meng died shortly thereafter. Her Majesty the Empress was worried about the Fourth Princess's safety, which is why she sought out your servant. Your servant... your servant secretly sent people to search the entire Imperial Capital, but no trace of the Fourth Princess was found—"

"Rong Zhen said all of this herself. Could it be that she is lying?"

A single cold sentence from Emperor Jiawen blocked the rest of Si Yezhi's words.

His eyes widened in shock, and he was unable to recover his senses for a long time.

Rong Zhen said it herself!?

Could it be—Rong Zhen has already been found?

Looking at the expression on Si Yezhi's face, Emperor Jiawen pondered inwardly. He truly seemed not to know about these matters... otherwise, his acting would be far too good.

Si Yezhi had followed him for many years; he understood him to some extent.

If Si Yezhi were truly involved in this matter, his reaction certainly wouldn't be like this.

Emperor Jiawen's mood finally eased slightly.

As the head of the Si family—the foremost of the four great families—Si Yezhi's status was of paramount importance.

Unless it reached a critical moment, Emperor Jiawen was unwilling to truly move against him.

Otherwise, it would likely cause a shockwave throughout the entire Imperial Capital!

This was also why, despite such a massive incident occurring, he had chosen to handle it so discreetly.

"Si Yezhi, the Empress has already admitted that she killed Si Meng, sent Rong Zhen to Seven-Corner Alley, and attempted to frame others. Regarding these matters, do you have anything else to say?"

Si Yezhi was stunned.

The Empress killed Si Meng?

How was that possible!?

For all these years, the Empress had placed extreme trust and reliance on Si Meng; what benefit was there in killing him?

Furthermore—why would she send Rong Zhen to Seven-Corner Alley?

Hadn't that place been abandoned for many years?

Facing Emperor Jiawen's majestic interrogation, Si Yezhi's heart began to drum with anxiety, and he couldn't help but look toward the Empress beside him.

"...Your Majesty, is everything the Empress said true?"

There was not a trace of emotion on the Empress's face; she merely nodded stiffly.

She only hoped that the Si family would not be implicated. Therefore, even if she hadn't done these things, she had to admit to them!

Besides, with that bronze vat in Seven-Corner Alley, what did these matters even matter?

She feared that in Emperor Jiawen's heart, he already wanted to cut her into a thousand pieces.

Si Yezhi's spirit was shaken!

He asked almost instinctively, "Why?"

The Empress lowered her eyes, seemingly unwilling to continue speaking.

Emperor Jiawen rebuked her

"Why aren't you speaking? You were capable of doing it, so why can't you speak of it now? Tell Si Yezhi what 'good deeds' you performed in that Seven-Corner Alley!"

Si Yezhi had never seen Emperor Jiawen so enraged; he couldn't help but feel a secret terror in his heart.

When Si Meng and Rong Zhen were mentioned earlier, Emperor Jiawen had been enduring it, so why was his reaction suddenly so intense when Seven-Corner Alley was brought up?

It seemed that the matters regarding Seven-Corner Alley were even more intolerable to Emperor Jiawen than Si Meng's existence and the hiding of Rong Zhen?

The Empress's pale, cracked lips began to tremble.

"...Your Majesty, these matters were done by this servant alone. They have nothing to do with my brother, nor the entire Si family. If this matter continues to escalate like this, it will only become more troublesome. Please, just give me a quick end and let this be settled!"

Emperor Jiawen, however, let out a sneer.

"Now you know it's troublesome? When you were doing it back then, did you ever think of today? It's not impossible to settle this. As long as you make it clear: was that bronze vat truly prepared for Rong Jin! And exactly why did you do this!"

Si Yezhi was completely lost.

What bronze vat?

How did Rong Jin get involved in this too?

The Empress bit her lip hard.

In truth, Emperor Jiawen had asked her this question many times.

However, she had never admitted it.

She knew better than anyone how much Emperor Jiawen loathed that bronze vat!

Therefore, once she admitted it, Rong Jin would never have a chance to rise again!

At this thought, her heart was finally completely submerged in despair.

In the next moment, she suddenly lunged toward the wall beside her!

Emperor Jiawen rose in anger

"Stop her!"

Si Yezhi had already rushed forward the moment the Empress moved, blocking her path!

The Empress slammed her head violently into Si Yezhi's chest!

*Thud!*

Si Yezhi let out a muffled groan, a metallic, sweet scent of blood rising between his teeth.

The Empress actually truly intended to die!

She had used her full strength!

"Jing'er! What are you doing!?"

Si Yezhi was both angry and anxious, actually calling the Empress by her name.

The Empress grabbed his hand, pleading desperately and anxiously

"Brother! Kill me! Kill me quickly!"

As long as she died, everything would be over!

However, how could Si Yezhi bring himself to do it?

"What is wrong with you!?"

Emperor Jiawen watched coldly

"Empress, do you think that because you won't speak, I have no way to deal with you?"

After saying this, he suddenly raised his voice and shouted

"Someone! Bring ink and brush!"

The items on the desk earlier had been mostly smashed by him and were unusable.

But in the Imperial Study, such things were never in short supply.

Eunuch Min hurried in from outside the door. Seemingly completely ignoring the disheveled Si Yezhi and the Empress on the floor, he walked silently to the other side, took new ink and brushes, presented them before Emperor Jiawen, and very conscientiously began to grind the ink.

Emperor Jiawen picked up the brush and gave the Empress a cold glance.

"I see that your position as Empress is no longer tenable. As for Rong Jin... with a mother like you, what kind of son could you possibly raise? Unfit for great responsibility! I should have deposed him long ago!"

The Empress suddenly realized that Emperor Jiawen didn't just want to depose the Empress, he actually wanted to depose the Crown Prince as well!

In her panic, she couldn't help but scream shrilly

"Your Majesty, you absolutely must not! Rong Jin has just become engaged to Situ Xingchen. If you depose the Crown Prince now, how will you answer to the Xingluo Kingdom?"

Emperor Jiawen's movements paused, and then he let out a cold laugh.

"So that's how it is... so that's how it is!"

No wonder they were so fearless; they had planned how to escape culpability from the very beginning!

The reason Rong Jin had so smoothly secured the engagement with Situ Xingchen was actually for this very day!

Emperor Jiawen only hated that he had been blind for so many years, allowing such a venomous mother and son to deceive him for so long!

"Fine! I would like to see if the Xingluo Kingdom will still maintain the engagement between Situ Xingchen and Rong Jin once they know about these matters!"

***

Xingluo Kingdom.

Situ Xingchen returned to the palace at the fastest possible speed and recounted everything that had happened in detail.

However, Emperor Xiankang of Xingluo, Situ Yan, remained silent for a long time before shaking his head.

"Xingchen, this engagement cannot be broken."