bestfiction Chapter 367 Life for Life
Chapter 367 Life for Life
Looking at the submissive Su Qingchan before him, Prince Yong's face instantly revealed a sinister and twisted smile.
His voice was like a devil's whisper, "My dear Chan'er, it's not in vain that I've loved you so much..."
He pressed down on Su Qingchan, his hands landing on her body.
The sound of clothes tearing rang out as pieces of clothing were thrown to the ground...
The commotion inside Yilan Courtyard lasted all night, and the two maids serving outside the courtyard stood anxiously at the gate all night long.
At daybreak, the two maids saw Prince Yong stride out of Yilan Courtyard.
His face still had a lingering flush, and he wore a satisfied smile.
The two maids lowered their heads, not daring to look at them again.
Prince Yong walked out of Yilan Courtyard and said calmly, "Get her a doctor and treat her properly."
"Yes."
Once Prince Yong's figure had completely disappeared from sight, the two maids exchanged a glance and quickly walked into the courtyard.
The room was a mess, with pieces of clothing scattered all over the floor, and the air still smelled of a couple making love.
One of the maids quickly stepped forward and reached out to pull back the heavy bed curtains.
Startled by what he saw, he involuntarily took a few steps back.
Su Qingchan lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, her face devoid of color.
Her lips were chapped, her body was covered in bruises and wounds, and her eyes were fixed on the blue canopy above her.
Her hair was scattered messily on the pillow, and she looked like a flower ravaged by a storm, fragile and vulnerable.
"Miss Su..." the maid called softly, her voice trembling without her even realizing it.
Su Qingchan slowly turned her head, staring blankly at them, as if she didn't recognize them.
"Miss, are you...are you alright?" the maid couldn't help but ask.
Su Qingchan seemed to only then realize that there was someone else in the room. She reached out and used the last bit of strength in her body to cover her naked body with the quilt, her voice barely audible, "It's nothing."
"I'm very good."
She thought that if Yu Wan knew she had made this choice, she would definitely scold her for being stupid.
But she didn't want to live anymore.
Her father and brother died, and a few days ago, she saw her seriously ill mother for the last time.
She has no family left.
Living was too tiring for her.
If she could exchange her worthless life for the incomparably noble Prince Li Xuan, she felt it would be well worth it.
……
Yu Wan was unaware of what had happened at the Prince Yong's residence.
Firstly, since the last time Emperor Wenjing summoned Prince Yong to the palace overnight, he has become more cautious in his actions, and the Prince's mansion is heavily guarded, making it difficult for outsiders to find out news from the back of the mansion.
Secondly, a major event occurred in the imperial court.
Huizhou, a thousand miles away from Shengjing, experienced a once-in-a-century rainstorm.
Huizhou is an arid place, but now it has been experiencing a series of strange torrential rains, causing floods that have swept through the city and almost submerged the entire area.
The people were displaced and starved to death everywhere.
In such circumstances, not only does the disease proliferate, but so do rumors.
Rumors have already reached Beijing, claiming that Huizhou, a drought-stricken area, has been hit by a once-in-a-century rainstorm, which is a divine punishment sent down by heaven.
All this is because the current emperor is incompetent and foolish, and the officials in the court are occupying their positions without doing anything. Heaven could not bear to see this any longer, so it sent down punishment.
For a time, many rebel armies emerged in Huizhou and its surrounding neighboring prefectures, raising the banner of "eliminating treacherous officials and destroying the tyrannical emperor."
When this news reached the imperial court, it caused a major upheaval throughout the country.
Yun Shang's vacation had to be cut short halfway through.
Emperor Wenjing was furious and summoned his ministers to discuss the matter.
However, the court of Da Zhao was filled with too many incompetent people, and the emperor was inactive. Those who were truly capable had long since lost heart and chosen to remain silent.
When it comes to floods, the Ministry of Works must send officials to the affected areas to assist local officials in flood prevention and control. This task fell directly on Li Hai, the Vice Minister of Works.
In addition, the imperial court also needed to send imperial envoys to appease the people and local officials, as well as send troops to suppress the rebel armies.
Although those rebel armies seemed insignificant, the imperial court could not allow them to run rampant.
Li Hai was pushed forward, and he was extremely unwilling.
Huizhou is a thousand miles away from Shengjing and is a wild and undeveloped place. The court knows nothing about the specific situation in Huizhou. His fate on this trip is uncertain, and it is hard to say whether he can return safely.
Li Hai's first reaction was to refuse, but to his surprise, Emperor Wenjing, who was usually negligent in his duties and let his ministers pass the buck, spoke directly: "Minister Li has served as the Minister of Works for many years and must be very experienced. This time, you will take a few officials from the Ministry of Works to Huizhou and make sure to solve the flood problem in Huizhou."
Although Li Hai was unwilling, Emperor Wenjing had already issued his decree, and he dared not openly disobey. He could only bite the bullet and reply, "Your subject... obeys the decree."
This leaves the selection of the imperial envoy and the generals to suppress the uprising still undecided.
Perhaps sensing Emperor Wenjing's unusual behavior today, some officials who were unwilling to go to Huizhou made excuses to avoid it before the emperor could even ask.
Emperor Wenjing's face darkened considerably. "So, right now, there's no one else in my court to rely on?"
It's not that there's no one available.
Officials from the Cui clan of Huayang and the Xie clan of Taixi still cared about the people's livelihood. However, they had already served several princes, and this time the matter in Huizhou was a difficult and thankless task.
Moreover, Huizhou is too far from Shengjing, and no one can predict what might happen along the way.
The princes are currently engaged in open and covert struggles, maintaining a delicate balance. If any side loses this balance, the situation in the court will inevitably undergo even greater changes.
The King of Qi's men didn't want to go, and the other princes were equally unwilling.
As for Prince Chen, he was willing to go, but his health was extremely poor. If he went to Huizhou again, he might really be in mortal danger.
Emperor Wenjing would not send Prince Chen to his death.
Just as all the court officials remained silent, Yun Shang stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I am willing to share your burdens."
As soon as Yun Shang said this, almost everyone's eyes were focused on him instantly.
King Qi first glanced at King Chen before slowly turning his gaze to the person at the head of the table.
Emperor Wenjing's cold gaze seemed to soften considerably. "Minister Yun, this trip to Huizhou is a long journey with an uncertain future. Have you truly considered this carefully?"
Yun Shang remained calm and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I am from Huizhou. Now that my hometown is suffering, how can I stand idly by? Moreover, I have received Your Majesty's grace, so I should do my part for Your Majesty and for the people of Da Zhao."
Emperor Wenjing seemed to have just remembered that Yun Shang was from Huizhou. "I remember now, Minister Yun, you are from Huizhou, so you must know something about the situation there. As an imperial envoy, it is most appropriate for you to go to Huizhou to provide disaster relief."
"I hereby appoint you as the disaster relief envoy for this mission, and send you to Huizhou to provide disaster relief!"
However, while Yun Shang could serve as the imperial envoy, he could not command troops to suppress the rebel army.
Regardless of whether Yun Shang was a civil official or a military general, Emperor Wenjing was unwilling to easily delegate military power to any of his ministers.
Military power in the Great Zhao Dynasty is now entirely in the hands of the royal family.
Yun Shang raised his eyes, his expression calm. "Your subject obeys the decree."
But after saying that, he immediately added, "Your Majesty, I believe that in addition to me and Lord Li, His Highness Prince Yong can also be sent to Huizhou with us."
As the Inspector of the Ministry of Works, Prince Yong was quite familiar with all the official duties of the Ministry of Works. Moreover, he was a member of the royal family, which was exactly what Emperor Wenjing wanted to prevent his military power from falling into the hands of others.