lcionline Chapter 103 If I had laid a hand on him, he would already be dead.
Chapter 103 If I had laid a hand on him, he would already be dead.
On that winding, dusty escort route.
Wei Qiming was imprisoned in a prison cart, his face covered in dirt and his hair disheveled. He would occasionally shout curses at the guards escorting him, seemingly still unable to shake off his former identity.
Just then, a gust of wind howled past, and a dark figure suddenly appeared like a ghost.
Before anyone could react, the man in black had already rushed straight towards the prison cart where Wei Qiming was.
The guards responsible for escorting the goods immediately became alert, drew their weapons, and surrounded the vehicle while shouting loudly.
"Who goes there! How dare you break in!" a constable shouted, his voice filled with tension and anger.
However, the man in black didn't take these constables seriously at all.
He was agile and his movements were as smooth as flowing water. Every move he made was precise and ruthless.
Although the constables resisted with all their might, it was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot; they were no match for the men in black.
The man in black darted to the prison cart, a flash of cold light, and thrust his sharp blade straight at Wei Qiming.
Wei Qiming stared wide-eyed in terror, wanting to hide but finding nowhere to escape, and could only let out a shrill scream.
"Ah...ah..."
Once everything had settled down, the man in black had vanished without a trace.
The constables, still shaken, crowded around the prison cart to check on Wei Qiming. Wei Qiming was huddled in a corner, his face ashen, blood streaming from his lower body, groaning in pain.
Apart from Wei Qiming, who was seriously injured, all the other yamen runners and prisoners were unharmed.
Such a clean and efficient approach, such a precise target—it seems they're after Wei Qiming.
In fact, Gu Junze was the one who started all of this.
He was an extremely vengeful person. Previously, when the Duke of Wei had imprisoned Wei Qiming in his mansion, the Shadow Guards had not been able to find a suitable opportunity to strike.
Wei Qiming dared to covet his wife and even tricked Chu Ruohan out of the palace banquet, which thoroughly enraged Gu Junze.
He definitely wanted to teach Wei Qiming a lesson he would never forget…
Soon, the bad news reached the Duke of Wei's mansion.
Wei Guogong was handling affairs in his study when he heard the news. His head buzzed, his vision went black, and he was instantly overcome with rage, fainting on the spot.
The Duke of Wei was the only son in his family. He and his wife were already in their fifties when they finally had this son. Now that the lineage has ended, it means that the Wei family will be wiped out.
Upon hearing the news, the Duchess of Wei was struck dumb. She collapsed to the ground and burst into tears.
"My son, why are you so unlucky!" she cried out, tears streaming down her face like a burst dam.
As she cried, everything went black before her eyes, and she fainted from crying.
When the Duke of Wei awoke, the hatred in his heart burned like a raging fire. Ignoring his weakened state, he insisted on filing a complaint against the Prince of Yong.
In his view, all of this must have been orchestrated by Prince Yong, whose son had sexually assaulted Lin Xingyao, and Prince Yong harbored a grudge against him.
No one but him has the courage and ability.
The Wei family and the Prince Yong's mansion are sworn enemies...
The Duke of Wei was carried into the Golden Palace to demand an explanation from the Emperor.
The atmosphere in the Golden Palace was heavy and oppressive.
The Duke of Wei was placed on the ground. He struggled to raise his head, his eyes filled with anger and grief, and shouted, "Your Majesty, the Prince of Yong has gone too far! He actually sent someone to harm my son's manhood, which is to make my Wei family line end! I beg Your Majesty to do justice for this old minister!"
Prince Yong, standing to the side, was enraged upon hearing the Duke of Wei's words. He stepped forward and said, "I dare to admit my mistakes, but no one can pin anything on me that I didn't do. Duke of Wei, don't make false accusations!"
The Duke of Wei was so angry that he trembled all over. He struggled to get up, but due to his weakness, he fell heavily back down.
"Who else could it be but you? My son was attacked while in exile. The attacker was highly skilled and clearly targeted my son. Moreover, only my son was injured. You are obviously plotting revenge!" the Duke of Wei roared hoarsely.
Prince Yong sneered and retorted, "Deliberate revenge? Hmph, if I were to take action, would I spare his dog's life?"
"You say I ordered it? Do you have any evidence? How dare you slander me without any proof? Duke of Wei, do you not respect the laws of the court?" His eyes were sharp as knives as he stared directly at Duke of Wei.
Duke Wei was speechless for a moment. He did not have any solid evidence, but was only guessing.
But he was convinced that it was the Prince of Yong who did it. "You...you know it was you who did it, and you're still trying to deny it here!" The Duke of Wei was so angry that his lips were trembling.
The two argued incessantly in the court, and the ministers looked at each other in bewilderment, none of them expecting that this scandal would have a sequel.
Even the emperor, sitting on his dragon throne, suddenly felt a terrible headache.
Just yesterday, after learning of Wei Qiming's plight, the Empress wept bitterly in the palace.
She cried as she pleaded with the Emperor, begging him to uphold justice for the Duke of Wei's family.
"Your Majesty, the Wei family only has this one son, and now he has fallen to such a state. It is truly pitiful! You must punish the mastermind behind this and bring justice to the Wei family!"
The Empress's voice was choked with sobs, and her face was streaked with tears. Her pitiful appearance moved even the Emperor.
At this moment, the Duke of Wei prostrated himself on the ground in the main hall, weeping as he said, "Your Majesty, this old minister only has one son, and now he has fallen to such a state. This old minister is truly heartbroken! You must leave this old minister someone to see him off in his final days."
His voice trembled, and his body twitched slightly with excitement. His gray hair was disheveled, making him a sight to behold and evoking pity.
The third prince stood aside, taking in the emperor's expression.
Seeing the hesitation on his father's face, he narrowed his eyes slightly and pondered to himself.
A moment later, he gave a wink to one of his trusted ministers.
The minister understood immediately and stepped forward. “Your Majesty, Wei Qiming has committed the heinous crime of raping the princess, which is intolerable under the law. Even though he has suffered misfortune, we cannot let him off the hook for this reason.”
"If this precedent is set, what will become of the court's laws and authority?"
Another elderly minister chimed in, “Yes, Your Majesty. Although the Duke of Wei is pitiful, the law is impartial and incorruptible. We cannot arbitrarily change the verdict because of his pleas. Otherwise, how will the people of the land view the laws of our dynasty?”
In the imperial court, many ministers nodded in agreement.
Upon hearing these words, the Duke of Wei was both angry and anxious. He raised his head, glared at the opposing ministers, and shouted, "How can you people be so heartless?"
"My son has already suffered such a severe punishment, isn't that enough? Must you go and wipe him out completely before you're satisfied?"