novelraw Chapter 1921 A Dangerous Move
Chapter 1921 A Dangerous Move
Chapter 1921 A Dangerous Move
Fang Zilan raised her hand to signal the palace maid beside her. After the maid leaned closer, she asked, "What kind of song and dance is this?"
The palace maid whispered, "Replying to the Third Miss, this is a Miluo song and dance performance. The dancers who performed all came from Miluo with His Highness Prince Qi. It is said that they were specially presented to His Majesty."
Fang Zilan's expression hardened, and she slowly lowered her hand. The palace maid then stood back as if nothing had happened.
After several rounds of drinks and as the song and dance performance drew to a close, nothing seemed amiss. Fang Zilan's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.
However, as the dancers bowed and left, Mu Chuji stood up again amidst the polite cheers of the crowd. "While the songs and dances of Miluo are beautiful, they cannot compare to the captivating dance of Princess Dejia of your esteemed country. I wonder if I will have the honor of witnessing the princess's grace today?"
His words shocked everyone present. To compare a princess of a nation to a dancer was already disrespectful, not to mention that Princess Dejia was Emperor Ningshun's only legitimate daughter and the most noble woman in the entire capital. How could he be allowed to see her so casually?
Even Fang Zilan was taken aback upon hearing this. She knew that Mu Chuji was unrestrained and used to doing whatever he pleased, but after all, he had come on behalf of Miluo, and such an attitude made it hard not to be suspicious.
Was it King Mu Churui who sent him to deliberately provoke them, or did he have other plans and intend to sabotage the marriage alliance between Dajing and Miluo?
Immediately, tensions rose in Wanfu Palace. Except for Mu Chuji, the envoys from Miluo remained silent, fearing that their expressions had turned cold and that the fierce and menacing officials of Dajing would suddenly erupt and detain them.
At the critical moment, the woman's sharp shout drew everyone's attention, "Your Highness Prince Qi, how dare you! What kind of person do you take me for, Dejia?"
Fang Zilan looked over with the others and saw Princess Dejia, Li Qianning, lift the curtain from the side of the hall and walk straight to the center of the hall.
As the most beautiful woman in the capital, Li Qianning was already exceptionally beautiful. Now, dressed in a bright red palace gown, her domineering face was even more stunning.
"This is... Princess Dejia?" The moment Mu Chuji saw Li Qianning, his gaze was fixed on her. Even his speech was no longer as nonchalant as usual; he was more nervous and unconsciously started to stutter.
Seeing this, Fang Zilan inwardly cried out in alarm. Could it be that Mu Chuji had fallen in love with Li Qianning at first sight? After all, if this marriage were to take place, the two would be uncle and sister-in-law, but given the current situation…
However, Li Qianning herself seemed completely oblivious, gracefully bowing and greeting Li Shengxuan and Fang Ziqin without even sparing Mu Chuji a glance.
Mu Chuji didn't care at all. His gaze followed Li Qianning the whole time until Li Shengxuan reminded him. Only then did he restrain himself a little, but he still couldn't help but say, "I have heard before that Princess Dejia is the most beautiful woman in the capital. Seeing her today, I can confirm that she lives up to her reputation. If I could win the favor of such a beauty, I would have no regrets even if I died."
Fang Zilan pursed her lips, her facial features appearing even sharper in the flickering candlelight. "Madam Xu, the person who died today was Mo Han, not your son Xu Yi."
"So what?" Madam Xu said impatiently as she hurriedly untied Xu Yi's ropes. "Someone like Mo Han, he's dead, so be it..."
"Mo Han, son of Mo Bin, the garrison commander of Mushan Pass, and his brother also holds an official position." Fang Zilan said sternly, each word distinct. "In terms of background, he is no less than your son Xu Yi. In terms of human relationships, he is my only relative in this world, even more so than your son." She paused, her gaze sharp as a blade, capable of killing without a trace. "I lost Mo Han because of you, so naturally I will make you taste the bitterness of seeing your loved one die before your eyes."
After she finished speaking, she suddenly pulled Xu Yi over. The speed of her movement was so fast that Xu Youtong and his wife had no time to react. They could only watch helplessly as the dagger in her hand was pressed against Xu Yi's neck.
“Fang Zilan, you are already dead, why do you still commit murder?” Xu Youtong’s voice trembled almost imperceptibly, but he still forced a calm expression. “As long as you leave now, I can pretend that nothing happened today.”
"Lord Xu's ruthlessness is no less than mine," Fang Zilan sneered. "There are forty-nine corpses outside, and you can just casually say that nothing happened."
Xu Youtong's expression froze, and he said stiffly, "Fang Zilan, if anyone else knew you were still alive, would you still have a way out? Would the Fang family still have a way out?"
"Now that things have come to this, Lord Xu still dares to threaten me? Isn't that far too presumptuous?" Fang Zilan curled her lips into a mocking smile. "If no one from the Xu family survives tonight, who will know I'm still alive?"
"Fang Zilan, why are you so extreme?" Xu Youtong said angrily, "It's true that Mo Han performed in the New Year's opera for my son, and it's also true that he died because of it, but his death was not caused by my Xu family. The grievances have their perpetrators, and the debts have their debtors. If you want revenge, why don't you go find the real murderer?"
"Does Lord Xu think he can absolve the entire Xu family with such righteous words?" Fang Zilan's smile widened, but there was no smile in her eyes. "Let me ask you, Lord Xu, what crime is it to deceive the audience and have someone else perform in the New Year's opera?"
Xu Yi's forehead was covered in cold sweat. Fang Zilan snorted, "What, Lord Xu, you can't say anything?"
The room fell eerily quiet for a moment, broken only by heavy breathing, revealing the owner's unease. "Are you Fang Zilan?"
Xu Yi's voice, as if waking from a dream, broke the silence. Fang Zilan turned her head and glanced at him. "Young Master Xu, what have you remembered?"
"No..." Xu Yi was about to shake his head when the dagger on the side of his neck cut his skin, making him wince in pain.
Fang Zilan ignored Xu Yi and looked directly at Xu Youtong and his wife, who were sweating profusely but dared not approach them. She continued, "Lord Xu, Madam Xu, I don't expect you to be very good to Mo Han, but His Majesty trusts you. I think you should at least not mistreat him and treat him as a living person. That should be something you can do."
As she spoke, her gaze fell on the stack of papers in Xu Youtong's hand. "These are what I found in your son's room, but they are only a small part of them. There are two large boxes that I didn't bring. In addition, I also found a box in Mo Han's room."
"What do you mean?" Xu Youtong's hand tightened, almost crushing the paper.
"Mo Han has only been in your Xu family for a few months, yet she has written things that would normally take years to complete." Fang Zilan's voice was hoarse. "Have you ever considered whether Mo Han's body can handle this kind of burning the midnight oil? You never have. As long as Xu Yi can shine brightly in the Ministry of Justice and rise rapidly in his career, what does it matter if you drain Mo Han dry?"