The Queen Mother of Chu flew into a rage. Thinking that everything that had happened today was caused by this woman, she stepped forward and slapped Bai Sheng across the face, shouting sharply, "What a noble young lady of the Bai family! How dare you endanger a court official, harm the wife of a marquis, and frame the crown prince! What punishment do you deserve?"
Caught off guard, Bai Sheng was slapped to the ground. A trickle of blood oozed from the corner of her mouth. The bright red fingerprint marks on her face showed the Queen Mother of Chu's towering anger.
Feng Linche narrowed his eyes. His heart was also filled with boundless fury. "Bold Bai Sheng, do you admit your guilt!"
But Bai Sheng started to laugh.
No one stepped forward to help her up. She had to struggle to her feet by herself. She dusted off the non-existent dust on her clothes, raised her chin, and confronted Feng Linche directly.
"I set the fire, but I only wanted to kill that bitch Bai Zheng. Who would have known that the Third Prince would be so unlucky to run into the fireworks room next door? It can't be blamed on me, right? If the Crown Prince hadn't sent spies to his own brother, how would the Third Prince have been burned to death? What does this matter have to do with me?"
Saying this, she turned to walk towards Bai Zheng. "Bai Zheng, Bai Zheng! The person I've wanted to kill from the beginning to the end is you! I just wanted to avenge my younger sister, my poor child, and the entire General's Mansion! But why did God let a vicious woman like you off!"
Her eyes were filled with venom. Bai Zheng looked at her coldly. Then she saw Bai Sheng suddenly pull out the hairpin from her head and stab at her. "Bitch, die!"
All this happened so suddenly that no one had time to react.
Bai Yinan's eyes were bloodshot. He hissed, "Zheng'er—"
Feng Linyuan had already leaped forward to protect Bai Zheng behind him. He kicked Bai Sheng, who was attempting to assassinate, flying. Bai Sheng fell to the ground and vomited a large mouthful of blood.
The guards beside them finally reacted. They panicked and shouted, "Protect the emperor! Protect the emperor!"
Bai Sheng was immediately pressed to the ground. Her cheek was tightly pressed against the ground, looking like an ant.
Feng Linche was instantly enraged. "The young lady of the Bai family set the fire and killed the Third Prince, framed the crown prince, and slandered the Marquis of Dingyuan's Mansion. Drag her out and beat her to death with a stick! And those who gave false testimony will all be executed by slow slicing!"
Bai Sheng was quickly dragged away.
The Queen Mother of Chu, Feng Jingye, and Feng Linyuan and his wife quickly thanked the emperor. "Your Majesty is wise!"
Feng Linche was exhausted. He waved his hand and planned to return to the palace to rest.
"Your Majesty!" It was Princess Yunxi kneeling on the ground. "The young lady of the Bai family is right. If the Crown Prince hadn't sent spies, how would the Third Prince have entered that secret room and been burned to death!"
Feng Linche had a splitting headache. He knew that if he didn't give an explanation today, Princess Yunxi wouldn't let Feng Jingye go. Thinking of this, he had no choice but to order, "The Crown Prince privately sent people to sneak into the Third Prince's Mansion. His behavior is immoral. He will be confined to the Eastern Palace for half a year!"
"Your Majesty!" The Queen Mother of Chu and Feng Jingye were shocked.
In contrast, Princess Yunxi was filled with anger and unwillingness. "Your Majesty! Just being confined? What is this! The Third Prince died a horrible death!"
Feng Linche knew what she was thinking. He immediately interrupted her and said coldly, "That's enough! Have you forgotten who set the fire? I know you have deep feelings for the Third Prince, but now the real murderer has been punished, and the Crown Prince has been confined. I've said that this is the end of it, and it will be the end of it!"
His meaning was too obvious. Zhuo Lingxiao felt a chill in his heart.
He knew that now he also had a handle on him. It was impossible to only punish Feng Jingye and let him go.
The current situation was already a compromise from Feng Linche to the Western Liang.
Princess Yunxi still refused to give way. Zhuo Lingxiao pulled her aside. "Your Majesty is wise. Thank you, Your Majesty, for giving our Liang Dynasty this explanation."
Feng Linche was really in no mood to deal with it. He waved his hand and left.
Feng Jingye was filled with resentment. Clearly, it was Zhuo Lingxiao who set the fire. He had only sent a spy. Now Zhuo Lingxiao was fine, but he had to be confined for half a year!
Princess Yunxi was also extremely angry. Her gaze at Feng Jingye was like that of a poisonous snake.
Zhuo Lingxiao beside her patted her on the shoulder and said softly, "Let's go."
Princess Yunxi turned her head. Her gaze was still cold.
Zhuo Lingxiao felt a chill down his back under her stare. He couldn't help but take a step back.
"Let's go." She said emotionlessly.
The truth about the murder of Feng Jingxuan was finally revealed. Everyone in the General's Mansion was implicated by Bai Sheng. They were demoted to commoners and exiled to the border.
The ban on the Third Prince's Mansion was lifted. Feng Jingxuan's funeral was carried out step by step.
Feng Jingye was confined to the Eastern Palace, so he couldn't communicate with Feng Linyuan about the troops that Feng Jingxuan had raised.
Feng Linyuan only sent people to secretly keep an eye on them and didn't take any further actions.
There was an atmosphere of unease in Yongding City.
After this incident, Cihui could tell who was really determined to avenge Feng Jingxuan. Before the funeral, he secretly met with Princess Yunxi.
No one knew what he gave Princess Yunxi. They only knew that he disappeared after that day.
Zhuo Lingxiao didn't dare to show up at the Third Prince's Mansion because of his guilt. Now he was just waiting for the funeral to end so that he could take Princess Yunxi back to the Western Liang.
Everyone was waiting nervously for the day of Feng Jingxuan's funeral.
Eight tall horses pulled the hearse slowly forward. On the hearse was a black coffin made of high-quality nanmu. White flowers made of white paper were scattered around the coffin. In the long procession, the white mourning lanterns swayed. One could still clearly see the big character written on them—
Xuan.
Concubine Yi had fainted. She looked like a dying person. She didn't come out to see her son off for the last time.
As the legitimate wife, Princess Yunxi was dressed in plain white. She led Su Mulin and wept in the procession.
"Dingling—" The guide at the front held a mourning bell in his hand. He shook the bell heavily. In the procession, several servants picked up a handful of paper money and threw it high into the sky. Then it fluttered down quickly.
The common people sighed regretfully for this young and promising prince. Their eyes were filled with sympathy.
Zhuo Lingxiao followed behind the crowd. His mood was complex.
He didn't have to come, but for some reason, since Cihui said that he had knocked someone out at the scene of the fire, Princess Yunxi's attitude towards him had changed. This time, it was also Princess Yunxi who ordered him in a cold tone that he must attend the funeral, so he had no choice but to come.
The mourning lantern was blown around by the wind. The character "Xuan" swayed back and forth, stabbing Zhuo Lingxiao's eyes.
Zhuo Lingxiao closed his eyes and turned his head away.
Suddenly, for some reason, a woman's shrill scream rang out in the bustling crowd. The scream was so sharp that it made people's hearts tremble. "Oh my god—"
Before everyone could react, they saw several huge fireballs rolling rapidly towards them from the rooftops on both sides of the street.
"Ah—Fire! Fire!"
Screams came one after another. The common people were extremely frightened and didn't know where to hide. The fireballs jumped everywhere. Once they touched the thatch and paper money, they caught fire. The street immediately became a sea of fire.
The women in the funeral procession all screamed. The guards were also panicked. They drew their weapons and rushed towards the fireballs with their knives.