Chapter 162 - Reorganized Truth (2/2)

{...I won't have those idiots called officials dragging my name in the mud...This foolish Chen You, if she dared to try to use me, she should have made sure it would work...How dare she bring this embarrassment to my face? How dare she make me look like a fool?!...}

”Guards!” The Empress dowager barked and Chen You and the three maids flinched and began pleading even louder as they apologized for their ”mistake”. But the Empress dowager was deaf to their pleas. The men who had been waiting outside filed in and the Empress dowager ordered, ”Drag these fools out and give them a hundred plank beatings! No, make it two hundred! Do it outside my palace, I want to hear them screaming...!” The Empress dowager finished with a fierce glare. The guards bowed their heads and then reached down for the four panicked girls on the ground.

Lei Xing watched wide-eyed feeling guilty, especially towards the maids who were probably only just doing their job. Lei Xing watched the girls clinging to the ground and pleading for mercy with tears streamed down their faces as the guards mercilessly hurled them to their feet. Lei Xing watched the scene transfixed, even forgetting to breathe.

{...This would have been me...Would I have pleaded like this or simply resigned myself?...This feels so wrong...}

A body suddenly covered her view and she looked up to see the Emperor with his hand outstretched to her, ”Let's go. You need more rest”

Lei Xing sat frozen and simply blinked up at him, with a mix of feelings coursing through her mind.

{...Rest?...I don't kn-...}

Chen You suddenly freed herself from the guards and ran over to Lei Xing knelt at her feet as she grabbed her arm, ”Jiejie, I-I only did this because I was worried. I never wanted for you to get into any trouble...Jiejie we grew up together, we're cousins! I would never wish you harm...Jiejie, you can't watch me die like this!” Chen You frantically pleaded, completely forgetting herself. All she could think about was her imminent death, she could not die like this, two hundred plank beatings will definitely kill her.

Lei Xing seemed frozen as she watched Chen You, so Chen You moved her pleading to the Emperor, she kowtowed repeatedly as she fervently pleaded, ”Your majesty, please forgive me...I-I did not mean to cause any trouble. It will never happen again, please forgive me! Please...”

Lei Xing blinked and finally regained her senses. She definitely did not believe Chen You's words but at the same time, to just sit back and watch her die was a bit...And most importantly, those maids who only told the truth. Lei Xing knit her brows as she wrestled with the heightening sense of guilt.

Frankly, she had been thinking that she behaved to cooly during this whole event. She should have shown some outrage at being ”falsely” accused. She wanted to say something but did not know what to say and honestly was not sure whether she really wanted to. She was sure Chen You had something to do with what happened to her and that anger was still surging in her. She wanted her to be punished but as for death...she did not know.

She had never thought to cause anyone's death but knowing someone would readily cause hers made her feel much less sympathy at the moment.

{...Chen You definitely would not have felt any if it was me...And I doubt those maids would have cared much either...So why do I have to? I did nothing wrong...so why...}

Lei Xing glanced at the Emperor's and then at Chen You on the ground, feeling deeply conflicted.

But before Lei Xing could resolve on whether to plead or not, the Emperor turned to the Empress dowager, and said, ”That is too much...” A smile formed on Chen You's face as she glanced up at the Emperor seeing hope and feeling relief.

{...It seems he felt something for me after all, he couldn't just sit back and watch me suffer...I knew it!...}

Lei Xing blinked at the Emperor in a bit of surprise, while the Empress dowager frowned at him in annoyance.

{...He said for me to handle this and now he is getting in my way...What is fool getting in my way for now?! He already saved his stupid love so why can't he let me kill who I want?!...}

The Emperor continued, ”I want them alive...make it thirty and then throw them in prison until I come to a decision...” The Emperor finished, pulled Lei Xing up, grabbed her hand and pulled her out with him.

Chen You watched them walk off in disbelief and anger as she bit her lip as fresh tears stung her eyes. Chen You was not the only one glaring, as Chun Hua was also glaring at their departing backs with eyes red with rage, she then turned her rage-filled gaze to Chen You.

{...This foolish impatient idiot ruined everything...But I will get what I want one way or another...}