Crowned by the Treacherous Big Shot

The Southwest is hotter than the Great Zhou, and the nights at the end of April already carry traces of summer heat.

Meng Qianqian went to the Cold Palace openly.

Now bearing the face of Lu Fengyin, under the guise of investigating a case, no one dared to stop her.

Leading the way for her was the Chief Steward of the Cold Palace, Pang Zhong.

Pang Zhong respectfully holding a lantern said, "That day, this old servant was in the front teaching a few servants who made mistakes, when I suddenly heard sounds of fighting from the back garden. By the time the servants hurried over, they only saw Your Majesty and the Miao King fall down the dry well one after the other. Not long after... Miss Zhaozhao also inadvertently..."

Thinking of Zhaozhao, Meng Qianqian felt a pain in her chest.

The little one had been away from her for so long, she wondered if it would come looking for her.

Was it hungry?

Was it afraid?

While they talked, the two had already arrived at the crime scene.

"It's right here."

Pang Zhong pointed to the dry well that was cordoned off, "Prince Jin ordered this place to be sealed off."

"Has anyone else been here?"

Meng Qianqian collected her emotions and asked.

Pang Zhong thought for a moment, "Prince Jin, the State Preceptor, the Great General, several consorts, and... the princes all came."

When he mentioned the princes, he seemed to recall the recently murdered Prince Rui and hesitated slightly.

"I understand, you may withdraw now."

"This..."

Meng Qianqian's eyes flashed sharply, "What? My words no longer matter? Or do you, a mere Chief Steward of the Cold Palace, dare to monitor my every move?!"

Pang Zhong was so frightened that he knelt with a thud, "This servant dares not! This servant deserves to die!"

Meng Qianqian said coldly, "Then hurry up and leave!"

"Yes, yes! This servant takes his leave!"

Pang Zhong put down the lantern and staggered away in a hurry.

Meng Qianqian looked down at the dry well and asked, "Have you found anything?"

A familiar voice came from the bottom of the well, "Not yet, it's too dark down here."

Just as Meng Qianqian was about to jump into the dry well with the lantern, Lu Yuan climbed up before her.

"What are you doing?"

Lu Yuan frowned.

Meng Qianqian said, "I'm bringing you the lantern."

Lu Yuan carried her down from the well's edge, gave her a helpless glance, and said, "Meng Xiaojiu, can you stop risking your life every time?"

Meng Qianqian blinked innocently at him.

Here we go again...

Lu Yuan took a deep breath, admitting defeat, "I suspect there are mechanisms below. If we fall down, we'll trigger traps upon touching the ground, and never get out."

Meng Qianqian sniffed hard.

Lu Yuan asked strangely, "What are you doing now?"

Meng Qianqian stuck her head into the dry well, sniffing left and right like a little cat, "I'm smelling for the scent of death."

Lu Yuan: "..."

He looked at someone's little upturned behind, finding it somewhat cute.

Meng Qianqian raised her head from the dry well, "I'm dizzy, I'm dizzy."

Lu Yuan held her, exasperated yet amused, sitting her down at the well's edge.

Meng Qianqian steadied herself and seriously said, "I didn't smell anything; Your Majesty and Grandfather shouldn't have died in there."

Lu Yuan: "... Thank you for that."

Meng Qianqian asked, "Is there a hidden secret?"

Lu Yuan hummed in agreement, "I suspect there's a secret passage below, but it only allows entrance, not exit."

Meng Qianqian realized, "That's why you stopped me from going down."

Lu Yuan said, "If even two old men can't return the same way, falling into it ourselves would just waste two valuable generals."

If others heard this, they'd surely comment on how rare it is to praise oneself.

However, Meng Qianqian nodded in complete agreement.

The little couple were two who daringly gilded the lily and dared to set it with diamonds.

Lu Yuan rubbed his chin and looked meaningfully at the dry well, "Instead of fumbling around ourselves, it's better to let them deliver the clues to us."

-

Lu Fengyin had a magnificent residence in the Imperial City.

Her new concubine resided there upon entering the city.

To ensure the mission's success, Hu Lie dispatched his three most skilled Hidden Guards, successfully avoiding the guards' patrols, and kidnapped the new concubine just about to retire for the night.

The new concubine was brought to Hu Lie's courtyard.

Hu Lie was a Military General.

He disliked meeting guests in the study.

Moreover, the new concubine was not a guest.

In the simple tea room, besides the table, chairs, and tea sets, the only things left were the weapons on the wall: a Yanyue Blade, a Heaven-splitting Battleaxe, and an empty rack.

Originally, the Houyi Bow was displayed on the rack.

However, Hu Lie's carelessness led to the Houyi Bow falling into Lu Yuan's hands.

The new concubine was thrown to the ground by the Hidden Guards.

Hu Lie looked sharply at him, "You are Zhu Huan?"

Luo Shan smiled and said, "Indeed, it's me."

With a murderous aura, few did not fear Hu Lie at a glance, "A pretty boy, yet with some courage. Tell me, who sent you to approach the Princess?"

Luo Shan lazily shrugged, gesturing for the Hidden Guard to remove the dirty hand from his shoulder.

The Hidden Guard looked at Hu Lie.

Hu Lie gestured.

The Hidden Guards withdrew, standing guard at the doorway with fierce gazes.

Luo Shan stood up smiling, dusted off his clothes.

He was using his real face.

After all, he had always shown a fake face in the Great Zhou, so few had ever seen his real face.

Hu Lie, being a big, manly man, couldn't stand the effeminate air of a man, but he had to admit, this pretty boy was much more handsome than his own son.

Luo Shan calmly and unhurriedly found a chair to sit on, "Great General, even if I say who instructed me, would you believe it?"

Hu Lie said, "You say first, this general will decide!"

Luo Shan smiled faintly, "What good would it do for me to say?"

Hu Lie said in a deep voice, "You've desecrated a national princess, a crime deserving death. If you contribute by merit, this general can decide on behalf of Prince Jin to spare your life! Not only that, this general promises to let you and your younger sister leave the Imperial City safely, ensuring your safety and wellbeing for the rest of your lives!"

Luo Shan said disdainfully, "If the Princess becomes Empress, it will be you who deserve death."

"Bold!"

Hu Lie slapped the table.

Luo Shan just smiled lightly, "Great General, it's you who should find the right path, and what Prince Jin has done, you know well. The one guilty of treason is him; you've simply been deceived. If you turn your back on him and support the Princess, Zhu Huan is willing to put in a good word for you to the Princess."

Hu Lie felt greatly humiliated.

How could he, a dignified, seven-foot man, crawl at the feet of a woman?!

Hu Lie, enraged, said, "Zhu Huan, don't refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit! This general has killed ten thousand if not eight thousand; you don't really think this general is merciful, do you?"

Luo Shan spread his hands, "Great General, kill as you wish. It's my bad luck falling into your hands, but to betray the Princess, that's impossible."

Hu Lie sneered, "Kill you? That'd be too easy. Someone! Bring the torture devices!"

The Hidden Guards outside brought in a table of torture devices already prepared, each one stained with mottled blood and rust, shocking the eyes.

Hu Lie paced to the table of torture devices, casually picked up a pair of thumb screws, compared them, cast a glance at Luo Shan, then put them down, opting to pick up an iron hook instead

"This is no ordinary hook, it's for piercing the shoulder blade. That kind of pain, a pretty boy like you probably can't endure for even half the time of an incense stick!"