lcionline Chapter 299 The Wei Family is Finished
Chapter 299 The Wei Family is Finished
A gleaming knife was raised high.
"Crack!"
The knife fell, and the head rolled to the ground, blood gushing out and staining the bluestone pavement red.
The onlookers gasped in surprise, and some of the more timid ones turned away, unable to bear the sight.
"The son of the Duke of Wei died just like that?"
"Serves him right! He committed numerous evils, and murderers should pay with their lives. It's truly gratifying!"
"I heard something big happened in the palace too, the empress has been deposed!"
"The Wei family is doomed!"
Whispers spread through the crowd and quickly swept across the entire capital.
Not far away, Chu Ruohan leaned against a vermilion pillar, her fingertips unconsciously stroking it.
Sunlight shone on her slightly raised chin and the joy that burst forth in her eyes.
"Young Madam." Yu Ling gripped her sleeve tightly; she couldn't bear to look at the scene of the severed head falling to the ground.
Chu Ruohan suddenly burst out laughing, her clear laughter startling the sparrows perched on the eaves.
Now I can drink the blood of my enemy.
It was all thanks to the scheme orchestrated by Prince Su, which she readily accepted; otherwise, the constables wouldn't have appeared so quickly.
The timing of the news reaching the palace was also perfect...
Yu Ling: "Young Madam, let's go back. You're not feeling well, so please don't overwork yourself."
Chu Ruohan nodded and turned to leave.
The Duke's Mansion of the State of Wei.
The Duke of Wei had just received the news of the Empress's deposition. He was struck dumb, slumped into his chair, and his face turned ashen.
"Master!" The steward rushed in, flustered. "It's terrible! The young master... he's been executed!"
"What?!" The Duke of Wei stood up abruptly, his eyes bulging out of their sockets. "What did you say?!"
The butler knelt on the ground, his voice trembling.
"After escaping the mine, the young master was framed and killed in the street. The Emperor has ordered his immediate execution..."
"Bang!" Duke Wei fell heavily to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood that stained his front.
"Master!" The butler exclaimed in alarm and rushed forward to help him up.
Duke Wei waved his hand, struggled to his feet, his face ashen.
He staggered toward the inner room, as if he had aged ten years in an instant.
"Madame, madam..."
Hearing the commotion, Madam Wei came out to greet them.
Seeing her husband's expression, her heart sank. "Master, what happened?"
When the Duke of Wei told her the news of Wei Qiming's execution, Lady Wei was stunned at first, and then burst into an extremely shrill cry.
"My son! My son!" she cried, pounding her chest, tears streaming down her face. "Gone just like that?"
"This is retribution," the Duke of Wei muttered to himself, his eyes vacant. "It's retribution..."
Madam Wei's crying stopped abruptly, and she stared blankly at her husband. "What did you say?"
The Duke of Wei chuckled self-deprecatingly, “Back then, we did so many heinous things for the Empress. Today, Heaven is finally punishing us.”
Madam Wei's expression changed, and she said in a low voice, "Don't talk nonsense! There's no evidence for those things!"
"Evidence?" The Duke of Wei smiled bitterly. "We've already silenced everyone with the evidence, but Heaven knows, Earth knows, you know, and I know!"
His gaze suddenly sharpened. "Where is Biyu? The palace maid who carried the prince away, is she still alive?"
Madam Wei's eyes flickered. "I...I don't know."
"Heh, you don't know?" The Duke of Wei laughed even more bitterly. "Our daughter has already been deposed. Our son has already been beheaded."
"The Wei family's century-old legacy, just like that, is gone?"
Just then, a commotion arose outside the mansion.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" A rapid knocking sound rang out, followed by a deafening shout.
"Duke of Wei, the Emperor has decreed! Open the gates immediately!"
Madam Wei's face changed drastically, and she looked at her husband in a panic. "Master, what should we do?"
The Duke of Wei sighed deeply and slowly stood up. "My lady, you have suffered with me all these years."
Madam Wei wept uncontrollably, clutching her husband's hand tightly. "My lord, I've never felt bitter. It's just our children..."
"There's no turning back now." Duke Wei gave a bitter smile. "Since the Emperor has sent people, he's here to confiscate our property."
A resolute glint flashed in his eyes, "My lady, we've been husband and wife for so long, I'm afraid today..."
Madam Wei understood her husband's meaning. She wiped away her tears and nodded.
"We will share the same bed in life and the same grave in death. My lord, I will stay with you."
The banging outside the door grew louder and louder, as if they were about to break down the door at any moment.
Duke Wei took his wife's hand and led her deeper into the inner chamber.
The gates of the Duke of Wei's mansion were finally forced open, and a group of guards filed in, coldly reading out the imperial edict.
"The Duke of Wei has plotted rebellion, a crime deserving of death. His family and clan shall be exterminated!"
The guards quickly dispersed and began searching every corner of the mansion.
The servants of the Wei family were gathered in the courtyard, trembling with fear at the sudden turn of events.
"Where are they? Where are the Duke of Wei and his wife?" the head guard shouted sternly.
The servants looked at each other, unsure how to answer.
"Your Excellency, the master and mistress were just in the inner room," the steward replied, trembling.
The guards rushed into the inner room, only to find it empty.
"Search! We must find them!"
The guards searched the mansion thoroughly, looking for any trace of the Duke of Wei and his wife.
Suddenly, a guard noticed something amiss in the backyard.
"Sir, there's smoke here!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw wisps of smoke rising from a secluded little pavilion in the backyard.
"Oh no! Go check it out quickly!"
The guards rushed toward the pavilion, but were blocked by a thick cloud of smoke.
The doors and windows were tightly shut, and smoke seeped out from the cracks, growing thicker and thicker.
"Break the door!"
Several guards worked together to break open the door, and a wave of heat rushed in; flames had already engulfed most of the room.
In the firelight, two figures could be vaguely seen embracing tightly, sitting there quietly, letting the flames lick their bodies.
"The Duke of Wei is about to set himself on fire! Put out the fire!"
The guards rushed to find water, but the fire had spread too quickly and it was too late.
By the time the fire was extinguished, the attic had become a charred ruin.
In the ruins, two charred corpses were tightly embracing each other, their original appearances unrecognizable.
"The Duke of Wei and his wife have committed suicide by self-immolation."
The news quickly spread throughout the capital, and the people were discussing it extensively.
"He truly died a worthy death!"
"The Wei family has done so many evil deeds, they deserve this long ago!"
"I heard that the Duke of Wei left a will before his death, revealing the truth about the Empress taking his place!"
"Tsk tsk, things in the royal family are getting more and more chaotic."
Inside the palace, the emperor's hand trembled slightly as he looked at the suicide note that had been salvaged from the fire.