tallest building

Chapter 321 Public Outrage

In fact, the Empress and Consort Hui were somewhat naive.

Within just two days and nights, the scandalous affair of Dong Gang's sexual harassment of Consort Lan had spread throughout the entire capital.

The crowd was in an uproar, and everyone was talking about it.

One stone stirs up a thousand waves; this time, it has truly caused a huge uproar.

Not only did the censors and ministers repeatedly kneel and petition, but even the students of the Imperial Academy jointly submitted a petition demanding that Dong Gang be severely punished.

"These people seem to have conspired together in unison!" the Empress said angrily. "They didn't say they wouldn't be punished, so why are they pressing us like this?"

What she didn't know was that the world had long suffered under the Dong family's rule, and with so many witnesses to this incident, the Dong family could no longer cover it up.

How could we let such a golden opportunity slip by?
"Where did Yu Lu go? I sent him out to find out what was going on, why hasn't he come back yet?" The Empress was extremely irritable, and at this moment she was even more agitated.

Her brother now avoids court appearances to avoid suspicion, leaving her with no one to consult.

"Your Majesty, Steward Yu has returned." With this announcement, Yu Lu hurriedly entered.

He was soaked in sweat. The weather was so hot that it made you dizzy. You would be covered in sweat even if you did nothing, let alone him running back and forth like this.

"Your Majesty, the situation outside is not good." Yu Lu clenched her fists and forced herself to speak. "Moreover, three families have filed complaints with the Tiandu Prefecture, all of them accusing the Prince Consort."

"Sue him for what?" the Empress asked, frowning.

"It's...it's said that the prince consort forcibly took a woman, and one of them committed suicide. Her family carried her body to the gate of Tiandu Prefecture, and the stench of her corpse wafted for miles, causing everyone on the street to turn away and cover their noses." Yu Lu knew that no matter how unpleasant the words were, he had to say them; this matter could not be kept secret after all.

But there were some things he didn't say. The streets were filled with people cursing the Dong family. Eggs rot easily in May, and when people threw rotten eggs out, they said they were throwing Dong Gang's eggs.

After all, no matter how autocratic the Dong family is, there are always those who are not afraid of power, and besides, the law does not punish the masses.

"Could this be a deliberate frame-up?" The Empress couldn't deny what she had witnessed, but she suspected that what she hadn't seen was fake.

"In short, the situation is in an uproar, and it's hard to tell what's true and what's false. The common people are naturally quick to believe anything they hear, and the rumors have already spread before the trial is even over." Yu Lu had already sensed the boiling resentment among the people after just one walk through the streets, and he was secretly alarmed.

The feeling is like standing on the shore, watching the angry waves surge and swell, not knowing when they will engulf you.

"Alright, you've worked hard too, go and rest!" A headache struck, and the Empress raised her hand to touch her temples. "Go and check on Consort Hui later. She sent someone to ask if you had returned yet, so she must be worried."

After Yu Lu went downstairs, he first took a cold shower, then drank two large bowls of tea before finally letting out a long sigh of relief, feeling as if he had come back to life.

Then he went to Consort Hui to give a reply.

Consort Hui had just finished acupuncture, and she was also very troubled by this matter.

After listening to Yu Lu's words, he remained silent for a long time before Yu Lu withdrew.

"Your Highness, it's time for lunch. Please eat a little. The Imperial Kitchen has specially prepared rose snow drink and silver thread rolls, accompanied by refreshing side dishes," Hu Mama urged Consort Hui to eat. "Has the Empress's been sent yet? She always likes to eat cold things in this weather," Consort Hui said. "Wen Mingqian must be up to something. I need to find a way to catch him."

Consort Hui was convinced that Wen Mingqian was the culprit, but she lacked evidence.

Hearing what Yu Lu said, Dong Gang had already aroused public anger.

At this point, she absolutely could not reveal what she had done that night, or she would be like a clay bodhisattva crossing the river in distress.

But we can't just sit here and wait to die, otherwise Wen Mingqian and his gang will definitely try to kill us again.

“Your Highness is right, but we are in the open while she is in the shadows,” said Granny Xia. “Princess Duanmin and the others are in cahoots, but we can’t easily touch the princess!”

“The important thing is that the Empress has no suspicion of them at all,” Consort Hui was most worried about this. “You know that the Empress has a very stubborn personality and cannot be swayed by a few words from me.”

"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!" Steward Hu said as he entered, wiping the sweat from his brow. "The eldest princess is back!"

"What?! Yingpei is back?! Who told her to come back?!" Consort Hui was alarmed upon hearing this.

"This servant doesn't know either," said Eunuch Hu.

The eldest princess did indeed return from the Jade True Temple, but she didn't even have time to finish the Buddhist rituals.

"Mother!" She walked in, her face flushed and her eyes red, clearly she had been crying. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"Not wanting you to know won't help, and it's only made you anxious," Consort Hui said. "Who was it that couldn't keep their mouth shut and told you? I'll beat them to a pulp!"

"Is there anyone in the capital who doesn't know? Although Mount Bowang is high, it's not a place where news can't get through." The eldest princess didn't say who told her, "Dong Gang is my husband. How can I be kept in the dark about something like this happening to him?"

"Please sit down and have a bowl of tea. Be careful not to get heatstroke while traveling in this heat." Consort Hui was naturally more concerned about her daughter, and Dong Gang was, after all, a distant relative.

"Oh my god! How can I possibly drink anymore?" The eldest princess was truly anxious. "Is what happened to Mother Consort true? He actually... he actually did that to Consort Lan..."

“I’m telling you, you must remain calm. I suspect that the Prince Consort has been wronged,” Consort Hui said. “But there is no evidence to prove it.”

"Who framed him?" Upon hearing this, the eldest princess immediately forgot half of her hatred for Dong Gang.

“Alan must know something, but she’s been threatening suicide, and Princess Duanmin won’t let her out of her sight, so we can’t interrogate her. We can only hope that the Prince Consort will stick to his story and that the people investigating will be smart enough to find clues to overturn the case.” Consort Hui has no right to interfere in this matter, and even the Empress has to avoid suspicion.

“If he is truly innocent, then I will do everything I can to clear his name.” The eldest princess stopped crying. “I know Princess Duanmin dislikes the Dong family, but we are now in a relationship based on mutual interests, so why should she do this?”

"Perhaps they have ulterior motives! If not the Dong family, then there's the Wang and Li families." Consort Hui shook her head and sighed. "The important thing is that besides this case, I heard that three other families have filed complaints with the Tiandu Prefecture. This is a bad thing, especially when things pile up and all come at once, making it hard to tell what's true and what's false."

The eldest princess felt a chill run down her spine when she heard her mother mention this, though she suspected it was probably true.

"Mother, let's go and plead with Father!" the eldest princess said. "Otherwise... otherwise, not only will he lose his official position, but he might even lose his life..."

Dong Gang treated her badly, but they were husband and wife after all. Even though she was a princess, she still had to respect her husband.