It was true!
General Zhou couldn't hold back and kicked Chen Zuo, sending him sprawling on the ground, unable to get up.
"Beast! How dare you covet the Crown Princess!"
Chen Zuo's face turned beet red. He coughed a few times, struggled to his feet, and knelt properly again.
Wang Qingyao chuckled and asked, "The Crown Princess was unaware. Are you referring to your affection for the Crown Princess, or your act of silencing a witness?"
The color drained from Chen Zuo's flushed face.
He opened his mouth to speak.
Wang Qingyao interrupted him, "Deputy General Chen had best think carefully before answering. Consider this: which is more serious, an illicit affair with a subordinate, or ordering your men to silence a witness? Ha, both are quite serious, aren't they? In that case, we can only pick the lesser of two evils. Both are grave offenses. At least the latter would not tarnish the Crown Princess's reputation, right, Deputy General Chen?"
Chen Zuo looked pained.
If the Emperor pursued either of these charges seriously, it would be a death sentence.
But as the Princess of Ding'an had said, at least with the silencing of the witness, the Crown Princess's reputation would remain intact.
Although it was the Crown Princess who had contacted him, he didn't believe the Crown Prince was unaware.
As long as the Crown Princess's reputation was preserved, even if he was severely punished by the Emperor now, when the Crown Prince ascended the throne, the Crown Princess would still have a chance to become Empress.
But if the Crown Prince misunderstood...
Chen Zuo, after much deliberation, kowtowed and confessed, "It was indeed the Crown Princess who ordered me to kill that assassin..."
From the moment Wang Qingyao brought up the Crown Princess, everyone had been somewhat prepared. When Chen Zuo implicated Lu Peishan at this point, there was no longer much surprise.
General Zhou, as Lu Peishan's maternal uncle and Chen Zuo's superior, bore an undeniable responsibility. His face was ashen.
The Emperor's face darkened. "How much were you involved in the assassination attempt on Prince Yue?"
"This minister was unaware."
The Emperor snorted coldly, clearly disbelieving.
Wang Qingyao said calmly, "If you were unaware, why did you kill the assassin at the Crown Princess's command? You knew full well that the assassin was involved in the attempt on Prince Yue's life, and that only by apprehending him could the mastermind behind the plot be found. Yet, at the Crown Princess's word, you acted without hesitation. Whom do you truly serve? Do you have any regard for the Emperor?"
Chen Zuo hadn't expected that even after he confessed about the Crown Princess, the Princess of Ding'an would still relentlessly smear his relationship with her.
He shot Wang Qingyao a resentful glance and said, "The Crown Princess saved my life. I was merely repaying her kindness."
Wang Qingyao let out a "hehe."
Everyone knew the truth of the matter.
The Emperor sent for the Crown Princess to be brought for interrogation, and also summoned the Crown Prince.
Eastern Palace.
Chen Zuo's failure and capture had long since reached Lu Peishan.
However, she was not at all nervous, only regretting that Chen Zuo had failed to kill the assassin.
She knew of Chen Zuo's feelings for her.
He would rather die himself than let her be harmed.
Just as she was contemplating how to deal with the assassin, Shunfu, the Emperor's attendant, delivered an imperial decree.
Lu Peishan was stunned for a moment. She signaled a trusted confidante to quietly slip a piece of silver to Shunfu, but Shunfu waved his hand in refusal.
At this juncture, he dared not have any dealings with the Crown Princess.
Seeing Shunfu's attitude, Lu Peishan's heart sank.
As she exited the hall, she encountered the Crown Prince. They exchanged a look.
The Crown Prince, feigning nonchalance, asked Shunfu, "Eunuch Shunfu, may I know why His Majesty has summoned the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess?"
Shunfu replied respectfully, "Replying to Your Highness, Deputy General Chen was apprehended while attempting to murder and silence a witness at the Dali Temple. He has confessed that he was acting under the Crown Princess's orders."
The Crown Prince's pupils dilated in shock.
Lu Peishan's face turned deathly pale, and she swayed precariously.
Chen Zuo had actually implicated her!
The walk to the Emperor's presence felt like an eternity for Lu Peishan and the Crown Prince.
Upon arriving at Ninghui Hall, the Emperor slammed a memorial onto the table in front of the Crown Prince and sternly demanded, "Were you aware of the Crown Princess's plot to assassinate my seventh son in the Eastern Ling Kingdom? Or was this a conspiracy hatched by the two of you?"
The Crown Prince immediately knelt and pleaded, "This son is unaware."
On their way, the Crown Prince and Lu Peishan had already exchanged glances to determine their course of action.
Lu Peishan alone would have to bear the consequences.
Although she had already anticipated the answer, hearing the Crown Prince's immediate and decisive denial still chilled her to the bone.
Chen Zuo looked at her with heartache.
Lu Peishan cast him a look of disappointment and disgust.
Chen Zuo's face turned pale, his expression hurt.
He knew Lu Peishan was blaming him for implicating her.
But he had done it to protect her!
Lu Peishan offered no defense, kneeling numbly and confessing her guilt.
"It was this subject's momentary lapse in judgment that led me to send someone to assassinate my seventh brother. This subject knows her crime is unforgivable and implores Your Majesty to mete out punishment."
"Crown Princess, you are foolish!" General Zhou shouted at her, his voice filled with anguish.
She looked at General Zhou. "Uncle, Chan'er is unfilial and has failed the upbringing of Father, Mother, and you."
Tears streamed down her face.
The Emperor gnashed his teeth in anger.
Lu Peishan was the Crown Princess he had personally elevated. For her, he had debated in court, faced opposition from officials. Who would have thought that after she had barely been Crown Princess for a few days, he would be so thoroughly disgraced?
Indeed, a concubine elevated to the primary position was not fit for public display.
Even Ling Yun and Fang Zheng, who had supported her at the time, would now be subject to ridicule.