Princess, something terrible has happened! The prince consort has attempted suicide again!

"screw you!"

The Imperial Guard kicked Lu Wang to the ground. "Dare to shout at the gate of the Imperial Guard? You're courting death! Arrest him too!"

Luwang was pinned to the ground, but he kept shouting and cursing, "My brother-in-law is here, and you still dare to treat me like this? Just you wait!"

Before long, Wang Dongjian arrived at the door with his men.

He glanced at Lu Xiaolan and said bluntly, "Bring them in with you."

Seeing that Wang Dongjian was dressed plainly, Lu Wang assumed he was just a commoner and vented all his anger on him.

"Who do you think you are! How dare you give orders here? Do you even know who we are?"

"presumptuous!"

A member of the Imperial Guard raised his hand and slapped Lu Wang across the face. "He's our Deputy Commander! You dare insult him? You're asking for trouble!"

Lu Wang's expression changed drastically, and he said in disbelief, "How...how could he be the deputy commander?"

Lu Xiaolan had already sensed something was wrong, especially when she saw Liu Ru looking distraught, she felt a growing unease.

She quickly asked, "Master Liu, what's going on?"

Wang Dongjian, with a stern face, continued, "Madam Liu, the mistress of the Marquis of Yongwu's residence, hired Liu Wanfu to murder the heir apparent Zhang, and has now been arrested. You are suspected of framing the heir apparent Zhang and obstructing official business. The heir apparent Zhang has ordered that you be arrested as well."

Upon hearing this, Lu Xiaolan trembled with fear, her face turning deathly pale. Her voice trembled as she pressed, "Master Liu, this isn't true, is it?"

Liu Wanfu opened his mouth and cursed, "You bastard! If you hadn't insisted on the house, I wouldn't have embezzled the payment and hired a bunch of amateur hitmen. Now they haven't even killed the person, and I've been dragged down with them. You're a jinx, you've ruined my life!"

Upon receiving confirmation, Lu Xiaolan was struck dumb, frozen in place.

At the same time.

Inside a private room in a restaurant.

Several richly dressed young men were drinking and chatting happily.

Zhang Ling was among them.

He thought that Zhang Xiaomeng was finally dead, and the position of heir was no longer in doubt. He was in high spirits these past few days and specially invited people to share his joy.

"Brother Zhang, now that Zhang Xiaomeng has been expelled, the position of the Marquis's heir is surely yours. I congratulate you in advance."

"We'll still need to rely on Brother Zhang in the future, so don't forget about us brothers."

The group raised their glasses at the same time, all flattering Zhang Ling.

Zhang Ling thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of being the center of attention, and laughed heartily, "Of course, of course, I certainly won't treat you all unfairly."

Just as they were enjoying their drinks, a servant from the Marquis's residence suddenly rushed in.

Zhang Ling immediately showed displeasure. "What are you rushing around for? Can't you see I'm entertaining distinguished guests?"

The servant, sweating profusely and panting, cried out, "Young master, oh no! Madam has been taken away by the Imperial Guards!"

"What did you say?"

Zhang Ling's expression changed drastically. "Why are the Imperial Guards arresting my mother? Where is my father? Didn't he stop them?"

The servant reported, "Madam's hiring of a murderer has been exposed. Zhang Xiaomeng, leading the Imperial Guards, was ordered to arrest Madam, and Master publicly divorced her!"

Clang!

Zhang Ling's hand trembled, and the wine glass fell to the ground with a clatter.

Zhang Xiaomeng is still alive!

How is that possible!

The young men were also greatly shocked. After exchanging glances, they all stood up.

"I suddenly remembered I have important matters to attend to at home, so I must take my leave now."

"My wife is sick, and I have to go back to take care of her."

"My stomach hurts, I need to see a doctor."

They each made up an excuse and disappeared in a hurry.

"Hurry back to the manor!"

Zhang Ling rushed home immediately, wanting to see her father and get to the bottom of things.

However, Zhang Dongda stopped him, saying, "Second Young Master, the Marquis has ordered that no one is allowed to disturb him."

Zhang Ling wanted to force his way in, but Zhang Dongda wouldn't let him, leaving him with no choice.

Zhang Dongda sighed, "The Marquis said that if the Second Young Master wants to see your mother one last time, he can go to the Imperial Guard Prison. The Marquis has already made arrangements."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ling stopped arguing and immediately ran to the Imperial Guard prison.

It was dark and damp, and the air was filled with a nauseating smell.

The thought of my mother, who had always lived a life of luxury, being locked up in such a place filled me with unbearable pain.

Led by the jailer, he arrived at a cell and saw his mother, dressed in prison clothes, her hair disheveled, looking extremely haggard, curled up in a corner. His heart ached even more, his eyes instantly reddened, and he choked out, "Mother—"

Upon seeing her son, Liu Ru rushed over to him, reaching out to grab Zhang Ling's hand through the cell door, her eyes also welling up with tears.

"Ling'er, I'm so glad you're alright, I'm so glad you're alright."

Zhang Ling wiped away his tears and said, "Mother, I will definitely find a way to rescue you."

Liu Ru shook her head and said, "It's no use. There are witnesses and physical evidence. It's an imperial decree issued by the Emperor himself. Not to mention you, even your father can't do anything about it."

Zhang Ling, his face filled with hatred, gritted his teeth and said, "It's all Zhang Xiaomeng's fault! Why won't he die?!"

Liu Ru suddenly tensed up and quickly reminded him, "Ling'er, remember, he is now favored by the Emperor, you must never confront him directly."

Zhang Ling said indignantly, "Are we just going to let him occupy the Marquis's residence? I'm not willing to accept that!"

"Ling'er, don't worry, your mother has already thought of a way for you."

Liu Ru's face was filled with a sinister and resentful look. "This little beast is arrogant and domineering. If you want to deal with him, you can only ask your grandmother. She has always disliked this little beast, and the Marquis is a very filial son. As long as your grandmother is willing to stand on your side, you may not be without a chance of winning."

Zhang Ling hesitated, "But my grandmother has long since retired from worldly affairs and lives a life of quiet contemplation. How can I possibly persuade her?"

"Go to Zen Master Duming at Faye Temple, he will help you."

"Mother, Master Duming is a highly respected monk, sought after by countless officials and nobles who have yet to be granted his favor. Why would he help me?"

"Now that things have come to this, I won't hide it from you anymore."

Liu Ru first glanced around warily, and after confirming that there were no spies, she leaned close to Zhang Ling's ear and whispered, "You are not the son of the Marquis. Zen Master Duming is your biological father."

"you say……"

"Shh!"

Upon hearing this shocking secret, Zhang Ling was terrified and almost blurted it out.

Liu Ru quickly covered his mouth, making a shushing gesture.

Zhang Ling swallowed hard, lowered her voice, and asked incredulously, "Mother, are you telling the truth?"

A look of reminiscence flashed in Liu Ru's eyes, and she said sadly, "Back then, we were in love, but my father disliked his lowly status and forced me to marry the Marquis of Yongwu. He was heartbroken and became a monk. But unexpectedly, I became pregnant with his child, which is you."

Upon learning about his background, Zhang Ling froze, his mind going completely blank.

"I was originally prepared to take this secret to my grave, but now I am about to be exiled. Without me by your side, you will definitely not be a match for that little beast."

Liu Ru grasped Zhang Ling's hand and said solemnly, "To guard against any unforeseen circumstances, I wrote a letter beforehand and hid it in a secret compartment under the bed. Take this letter to him; once he learns your identity, he will definitely help you."