Noble First Daughter-in-law

Chapter 1203 One man and one woman, that's enough

Pei Xingyuan said: "I am guilty of my crime."

Hearing these four words, everyone in the hall opened their eyes wide in shock, especially Liang Youying, who grabbed his arm in disbelief, fearing that this man had gone crazy.

However, Yuwen Ye and Shang Ruyi looked at each other and said nothing, just looking at Pei Xingyuan.

If it were in the past, Shang Ruyi might have been frightened by this sentence and worried that Pei Xingyuan would get into trouble; but after all these years of getting along, she, like Yuwen Ye, has long been accustomed to this man's eccentricity and cleverness. Even if this sentence is enough to sentence him to death, she believes that Pei Xingyuan will be able to turn this deadlock around.

However, some people were not as calm as them. After a moment of shock, Su Changjing's face immediately showed a look of smug joy. He took another step forward and said to Yuwen Yuan: "Your Majesty, since Pei Xingyuan has confessed his crime, please punish him severely!"

However, Yuwen Yuan did not respond immediately.

His pair of bright, somewhat aged eyes were hidden behind the jade pendant, flashing a calm and wise light. When Su Changjing was about to say something else, he gently raised his hand to signal silence, and then asked: "What crime have you committed?"

Pei Xingyuan lowered his head, and this action made it impossible for anyone to see the slightly raised corners of his lips at this moment.

He said: "As a subject, I should be very thoughtful and loyal to the emperor. But I have a selfish desire for myself."

"Oh,"

Yuwen Yuan remained calm and asked, "Why are you selfish?"

Only then did Pei Xingyuan raise his head and look at Yuwen Yuan solemnly. At the same time, he stretched out his hand and pulled Liang Youying, who had been standing beside him and pretending to protect him: "For her."

"...!"

A low cry was heard in the hall, and everyone's eyes were focused on Liang Youying.

Someone whispered softly: "This... traitor?"

Jiang Wei, who was standing next to them, immediately looked at those people vigilantly. At this time, Liang Youying had completely lost her reaction. She stared at Pei Xingyuan blankly, her red lips slightly opened as if she wanted to say something, but she couldn't utter a word. She could only hear her heartbeat rumbling like thunder, even so violently that it seemed to burst her chest.

Pei Xingyuan, in the court, in front of all the civil and military officials, in front of the emperor...

He said, for himself... ?
Myself, did you hear it right?

She was a little dazed, and even subconsciously clenched her fists and dug her fingernails into her palms, trying to remind herself whether this was a dream or reality. Pei Xingyuan seemed to understand the confusion at this moment from her confused expression and smiled faintly at her.

That smile seemed to say: I said I would take you home.

Just as the two looked at each other, as if they had told each other a thousand words, a deep sigh came from the hall, and the two men's consciousness was immediately brought back, especially Pei Xingyuan, he did not forget that he had not yet stepped out of the gates of hell, so he took a deep breath, carefully and cautiously looked at the Supreme Being in the hall, the ruler of the world.

Yu Wenyuan was silent for a long time, quietly watching the reactions of everyone in the hall.

Then he asked, “Who is she?”

Pei Xingyuan said calmly: "Her name is Liang Youying. I believe the emperor and his colleagues already know that she was once the fifth leader of Wanggang Village."

After saying that, he continued, "It could also be my future wife."

Liang Youying had already been shocked the moment he pulled her to his side just now. But when she heard the words "future wife", she was so shocked that she became quiet. Even her heart, which was beating so hard that it hurt, calmed down.

Her cheeks, however, turned red uncontrollably.

The ministers in the hall looked at each other, some frowned, some were disdainful, and some continued to watch the show.

Only Shen Wuzheng shook his head helplessly.

Zhou Ying frowned and said, "Pei Xingyuan, this is the court, not a place for you to talk nonsense."

Pei Xingyuan said: "The emperor asked, I answered, and it was true. If Lord Zhou thinks my answer is nonsense, does it mean that you think the emperor should not ask such questions."

Zhou Ying was stunned for a moment, and immediately said: "Your Majesty, I have no such intention."

This kind of blatant deflection was a bit too blunt, Yuwen Yuan was too lazy to even pay attention, just gently waved his hand. He looked at Pei Xingyuan again, and when he was about to ask again, he stopped and looked at the two people in the civil officials' group.

The two people who were bearing his gaze were none other than the Dali Temple Minister Wang Zhen and the Ministry of Justice Minister Yan Shaoxuan. They were slightly startled, then subconsciously looked at each other, and immediately came to their senses.

At this time, the emperor cannot be allowed to come in person to interrogate the case.

Judging from Yu Wenyuan's attitude, he seems not to want to wait for another day to hear the case, and wants to settle the case right here in the court.

Yan Shaoxuan thought for a moment, then walked out and said to Pei Xingyuan, "Pei Xingyuan, since you know that Liang Youying is the fifth leader of Wanggang Village, why did you two meet in Feishuang Palace on the night when the emperor was assassinated in Tangquan Palace?"

Pei Xingyuan looked at him: "Do you know that she and I met that night?"

Yan Shaoxuan said, "That night, the guards of Tangquan Palace saw someone meeting you in Feishuang Palace, but that person ran away immediately. Afterwards, someone in Lou reported that they had discovered that you were very close to Liang Youying and another head of Wanggang Village, Jiang Wei, but after the incident in Tangquan Palace, the two of them disappeared."

"..."

"Let me ask you, if it's not her, then who is it?"

Pei Xingyuan was silent for a while, then he sighed: "So, you have found out everything."

"..."

"That's right, the person who met me in Feishuang Palace that night was Liang Youying." His deliberate repetition and certainty made Shang Ruyi look at him.

This time, Yuwen Yuan also spoke up. He said in a deep voice, "Pei Xingyuan, you must know that there is a traitor in Tangquan Palace who tried to assassinate me. This is a crime of treason. If it was Liang Youying who did it, and you two are accomplices, I will not let go of your future wife, even your relatives and nine clans!"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall became nervous, especially Shen Wuzheng. He frowned slightly and looked at Pei Xingyuan - although this man always looked careless, he also understood that Pei Xingyuan was not a fool and would not bet everything on it when he was not sure.

But at this moment...

Pei Xingyuan was not completely indifferent when he heard the words "Nine Clans". He lowered his eyes and thought for a moment, then took a deep breath and said, "This is my selfish desire."

"Oh?"

Yuwen Yuan said: "Explain clearly."

Pei Xingyuan said: "Your Majesty, the person who assassinated Your Majesty in Tangquan Palace was definitely not Liang Youying."

Yu Wenyuan narrowed his eyes slightly: "What evidence do you have?"

Pei Xingyuan said, "The people who captured me saw me meeting someone in Feishuang Palace. This person was Liang Youying. From the time the emperor entered the Hibiscus Pond, to the time the guards discovered the assassin and rang the gong to warn him, to the time they ran into me in Feishuang Palace while searching for the assassin, she was with me the whole time."

"..."

"How can one person be in two places?"

Hearing this, Shang Ruyi's heart skipped a beat.

Pei Xingyuan said this, it seems that they have already discussed and decided to conceal the fact that Yuwen Ye sent people to Tangquan Palace to meet with him in private.

However, this was reasonable. After all, Yuwen Ye sent people to Tangquan Palace in private. If this matter was involved, people would probably talk about the prince colluding with court officials in private, which would create more trouble. Moreover, he sent people there to tell Pei Xingyuan about Liang Youying's life experience. If he also revealed the fact that Liang Youying was Liang Shide's daughter, there would probably be another disturbance.

Judging from the current situation, the identity of the fifth in command of Wanggang Village is her best identity.

Some truths are best left buried forever.

Hearing this, Yuwen Yuan was silent for a moment, and someone in the crowd immediately sneered: "Pei Xingyuan, this is just one-sided talk from both of you."

The person who said this was none other than Yu Dingxing, who slowly walked out from behind Su Changjing.

He also felt that Su Changjing's words just now were a bit too aggressive, so he raised his hand to stop his son-in-law and said coldly: "If the two of you colluded to murder the emperor from the beginning, can this still count?"

When they heard him speak, everyone in the hall held their breath cautiously.

Everyone knows that ever since the battle of Longmen Ferry, when the Duke of Wushan lost one eye, he has been almost incompatible with the people in the Qin King's camp. Now that Pei Xingyuan has been caught with a crime that may involve the death penalty for all nine generations of his clan, he naturally cannot let the other party escape easily.

Besides, what he said makes sense.

If the two people really colluded to assassinate the emperor, then these words naturally cannot be used as testimony.

Facing him, Pei Xingyuan did not respond immediately.

Yu Dingxing slowly walked up to him, his only remaining eye filled with ferocity and sharpness as if he wanted to peel off a layer of skin from all of them.

He said: "Unless you have other witnesses."

Pei Xingyuan blinked his eyes, suddenly smiled, and said: "County Lord, a secret meeting, one man and one woman, is enough."

"..."

"One more person would be outrageous."

"..."

"Look, do I look like that kind of absurd person?"

Shen Wuzheng immediately turned his head away.

Although Pei Xingyuan said that he was not absurd, his words were absurd to the extreme. The people in the hall immediately showed disbelief. Some old scholars even turned pale with anger, stamped their feet and cursed in a low voice: "Asshole! Absolutely an asshole!"

Finally, Yuwen Yuan, who had been sitting firmly on the throne, slapped the throne vigorously: "Pei Xingyuan!"

This loud shout, like the roar of a dragon or a tiger, resounded throughout the hall.

Everyone was shocked and lowered their heads in fear. Pei Xingyuan immediately knelt on the ground and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me for my nonsense."

"..."

"But, every word of what I said is true."

"..."

"Lord Yan also said when he asked just now that it has been confirmed that the person who met me in Feishuang Palace was Liang Youying. Although Feishuang Palace is not far from Hibiscus Pond, it is not very close either. If it is true that she and I conspired to assassinate the emperor, why didn't we run away when the plan failed, but instead returned to Feishuang Palace and wait to be caught by the guards?"

"..."

"Isn't this a contradiction?"