boyutpedia Chapter 99 Li Shuhan Falls into a Trap, Walks into a Net
Chapter 99 Li Shuhan Falls into a Trap, Walks into a Net
The assassins remained unmoved, continuing their relentless advance. Desperate, Li Shuhan leaned against the wall, instinctively raising her hands to try and block the assassins' attacks.
Her fingernails made a screeching sound as they scratched against the rough wall, but they couldn't mask the fear in her heart.
The lead assassin sneered, "You take people's money and do their bidding. But you've put us in this predicament. Today is your death day." With that, he raised his sword high and thrust it at Li Shuhan without hesitation.
Li Shuhan closed her eyes in terror, letting out a piercing scream. Just as the sword was about to pierce her, a figure flashed past—it was the head guard of the Crown Prince's residence. He blocked the assassin's attack with his spear and shouted, "How dare you be so insolent in the Crown Prince's residence!"
Li Shuhan slowly opened her eyes and saw that the head guard had saved her, a glimmer of hope rising in her heart. But before she could even breathe a sigh of relief, the head guard grabbed her: "Li Shuhan, you are suspected of assassinating the Crown Princess, come with me!" Li Shuhan collapsed to the ground, knowing that her conspiracy had been completely exposed and everything was over.
Upon hearing that his youngest daughter had hired someone to commit murder and that the assassin had exposed her, Prime Minister Li was struck dumb, unable to help but curse under his breath. Looking at Li Shuhan, who was being restrained by the guards, his eyes were filled with shock and anger, but even more so with panic and worry.
Prime Minister Li composed himself, quickly stepped forward, and bowed to the Emperor, saying, "Your Majesty, there must be a misunderstanding. My daughter has always been well-behaved and sensible; how could she have committed such a treasonous act? It must be someone deliberately framing her. I hope Your Majesty will investigate thoroughly." As he spoke, he secretly observed the Emperor's expression.
The Emperor's face was grim, his eyes filled with anger. He said coldly, "The evidence is conclusive. Li Shuhan herself has admitted it. What else do you have to say? Prime Minister Li, is this how you usually teach your children?"
Prime Minister Li knelt down with a thud, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. He said, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. It is my fault for failing to discipline my daughter properly. But my daughter may truly have her own difficulties. I beg Your Majesty to have mercy and give her another chance."
Xiao Jingchuan stepped forward and said loudly, "Father, Li Shuhan attempted to assassinate the Crown Princess at the Crown Prince's residence. This is a blatant provocation against the imperial family's dignity, an unforgivable crime. How can we appease the people if she is not severely punished?" The Emperor nodded slightly, looked at Prime Minister Li, and said without a trace of emotion, "Prime Minister Li, as a high-ranking official, you have allowed your child to commit such a serious crime. How can I tolerate this? Effective immediately, you are dismissed from your position as Prime Minister and sent home to reflect on your actions." Prime Minister Li collapsed to the ground, his face deathly pale. He knew that his career, which he had painstakingly cultivated for many years, had been completely ruined because of his daughter's foolish act.
Li Shuhan was taken away, causing an uproar at the ceremony. Everyone condemned Li Shuhan's actions while applauding the bravery of the Crown Princess and the Crown Prince. Gu Liuli and Jia Xiaoyan exchanged a glance, both relieved; this dramatic crisis had finally come to a temporary end.
After the Empress Dowager and the Empress returned to the palace, the Empress Dowager's face was very ugly. She said to the Empress, "This Li Shuhan is really bold. He actually dared to assassinate the Crown Princess in the Crown Prince's residence. There may be someone behind him instigating this."
As Consort Li is her elder sister, this matter cannot be let off easily. The Empress nodded slightly and said, "Your Majesty is absolutely right. I will go to Consort Li's palace immediately."
The two arrived at Consort Li's palace. Upon seeing the Empress Dowager and the Empress, Consort Li's heart tightened, but she feigned composure and quickly bowed. After the Empress Dowager sat down, her face darkened, and she asked, "..."
"Consort Li, are you aware that your sister, Li Shuhan, hired someone to assassinate the Crown Princess at the Crown Prince's residence?" Consort Li was startled and immediately knelt down, saying, "Your Majesty, I truly knew nothing of this. Although my sister and I are related by blood, we rarely interact. I am deeply saddened by her actions."
The Empress looked at Consort Li, a hint of suspicion flashing in her eyes: "Consort Li, your sister committed such a heinous crime, are you really completely unaware of it?"
Consort Li raised her head, tears welling in her eyes, and said, "Your Majesty, I swear to Heaven that I have nothing to do with this matter. If I have uttered even the slightest lie, I am willing to accept punishment." The Empress Dowager and the Empress exchanged a glance. Although they suspected Consort Li was involved, they had no evidence and could not rashly convict her.
The Empress Dowager sighed and said, "Consort Li, rise. I'll let this matter go for now, but you must behave yourself. If I discover any further improper conduct between you and your sister, don't blame me for being ruthless." Consort Li quickly thanked her. After the Empress Dowager and the Empress left, she slumped to the ground, her back soaked with cold sweat. She knew that although she had temporarily escaped disaster, her situation was extremely dangerous.
Back in her palace, Consort Li grew increasingly angry. She resented Li Shuhan's foolishness for ruining her grand plan. She also knew that the Empress Dowager and the Empress would not let her off easily, and she had to find a way to deal with them. Consort Li paced back and forth in her palace. Suddenly, her eyes hardened, and she had an idea.
Consort Li summoned her trusted eunuch and whispered, "Go and do me a favor. Find a way to contact the people outside and have them find an opportunity to rescue Li Shuhan." The eunuch looked troubled and said, "Your Majesty, this is a capital offense. If we are discovered, we will all be finished." Consort Li glared at him fiercely and said, "If you do it well, I will reward you handsomely."
"If you don't handle this well, you won't get away with it either." The eunuch had no choice but to nod in agreement.
Meanwhile, Gu Liuli and Jia Xiaoyan were in the Crown Prince's residence. Gu Liuli looked at her arm, where there was a shallow wound, left from protecting Jia Xiaoyan earlier.
Jia Xiaoyan said guiltily, "Liuli, it's all my fault that you got hurt." Gu Liuli smiled and shook her head, "Xiaoyan, what are you saying? We're good sisters, it's only right that I protect you. Besides, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to expose Li Shuhan's conspiracy so smoothly."
As the two were talking, Xiao Jingchuan walked in. He looked at Gu Liuli's wound and said with heartache, "Liuli, does it still hurt? It's all my fault for not protecting you properly." Gu Liuli smiled and said, "Your Highness, I'm fine, it's just a superficial wound. This time, it's all thanks to your timely arrival that Li Shuhan's conspiracy didn't succeed."
Xiao Jingchuan nodded slightly and said, "Although we have dealt with Li Shuhan this time, we cannot let our guard down with Consort Li. I have a feeling that she will not give up so easily."
Gu Liuli pondered for a moment and said, "Your Highness is right. Consort Li will definitely not give up easily. We must strengthen our defenses and not give her any more chances."
A few days later, the trusted eunuch sent out by Consort Li finally had news. He found a gang of outlaws and paid them a large sum of money to break Li Shuhan out of prison. The gang members received the money and began planning the prison break.
On the night of the prison break, it was dark and windy. Members of a gang quietly infiltrated the prison, took care of the guards, and successfully located Li Shuhan's cell.
They opened the cell door and tried to escape with Li Shuhan. Just as they were about to escape the prison, suddenly, a group of soldiers rushed out from all sides and surrounded them.
The leading general sneered, "You think you can break me out of prison? The Crown Prince anticipated this and set up a trap here." Li Shuhan and the gang members' expressions changed drastically; they knew they had fallen into a trap. They fought back fiercely, but ultimately they were outnumbered and captured.
After learning of the failed prison break attempt, Consort Li was utterly despondent. She knew she had no way out. Just as she was losing hope, the Empress Dowager and the Empress arrived at her palace again. This time, the Empress Dowager's face was even more somber, and the Empress's eyes were filled with majesty.
The Empress Dowager looked at Consort Li and said coldly, "Consort Li, you really are persistent. You dared to send people to break me out of prison. Do you have no respect for the imperial family?" Consort Li knelt down with a thud and cried, "Mother, I was wrong. I will never dare to do it again. Please forgive me this time."
The Empress looked at Consort Li and said, "Consort Li, your crimes are unforgivable. Today, on behalf of the royal family, I hereby strip you of your title of Consort and banish you to the Cold Palace." Upon hearing this, Consort Li was struck dumb. She collapsed to the ground, her eyes vacant, muttering to herself, "It's over, everything is over..."
The next day at court, the atmosphere was heavy yet subtly lively. The ministers' gazes frequently met, their eyes revealing their concern and curiosity about the recent events. Prime Minister Li was escorted into the court by guards. Overnight, he seemed to have aged ten years; his hair was completely white, his figure hunched, and he no longer possessed the dignity and spirit he once had as prime minister.
A minister who had a grudge against Prime Minister Li, with a hint of mockery on his face, said loudly, "Prime Minister, your two women are truly remarkable! One hired someone to commit murder, and the other dared to have someone break her out of prison to save her sister!" These words immediately sparked a low murmur in the court. Prime Minister Li's face flushed red, filled with shame and anger, yet he was powerless to refute them, his body trembling slightly with rage.
Before he could recover, another minister stepped forward, his expression solemn. He bowed to the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, I wish to report Prime Minister Li Kui! He is corrupt and lawless. Over the years, he has abused his position to accept bribes from officials across the country, seeking personal gain for them and severely disrupting the order of the court. I have detailed accounts and witnesses here." With that, he took out a thick stack of documents from his robes and handed them to a eunuch to present to the emperor.
The emperor took the document, his face growing increasingly grim. With each page he turned, his brow furrowed deeper. After reading it, he slammed the document to the ground and roared, "Li Kui, do you know your crime? I trusted you so much, entrusting you with such an important task, yet you have committed such a lawless and disorderly act, betraying my trust and, more importantly, the people of the land!"
Prime Minister Li knelt down with a thud, his forehead hitting the ground heavily, his voice trembling: "Your Majesty, I deserve to die a thousand deaths, I beg Your Majesty for mercy." At this moment, he was filled with remorse, knowing that his crimes could not be covered up and everything was beyond redemption.
Seeing this, some of the other ministers looked shocked, while others secretly rejoiced. Those ministers who were on good terms with Prime Minister Li dared not speak up for him, fearing they would be implicated. Meanwhile, those who had always wanted to bring down Prime Minister Li were secretly pleased with themselves.
At this moment, a minister known for his integrity stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, Prime Minister Li has committed such a grave crime. If he is not severely punished, it will be difficult to appease public anger and uphold the authority of the court." The other ministers echoed his sentiments. The Emperor pondered for a moment and said, "Li Kui, I initially considered leniency for your many years of service to the court, but your crimes are numerous and unforgivable. From this day forward, confiscation of all property is hereby ordered."
The entire Li family fortune was confiscated, Li Kui was imprisoned and sentenced to death. Li Shuhan hired someone to commit murder and was sentenced to death. Consort Li sent people to break him out of prison, but he was stripped of his title and reduced to commoner status, never to set foot outside the Cold Palace again.
Upon hearing the verdict, Prime Minister Li collapsed to the ground, his eyes filled with despair. His life, from a glorious prime minister to utter disgrace, had changed in just a few days. He thought of his former ambitions and expectations for his family, all of which had now vanished like bubbles.
After the court session, Prime Minister Li was escorted to the death row. Along the way, he looked at the once-familiar palace, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He had once been a man of great ambition and prestige here, but now he was a prisoner. His residence was also surrounded by soldiers, who began to ransack it. Chaos reigned throughout the Li household, with cries and curses mingling together.
Upon learning this news at the Crown Prince's residence, Gu Liuli and Jia Xiaoyan were filled with mixed emotions. Gu Liuli said, "The Li family's current predicament is entirely their own fault. Greed and desire ultimately destroyed them."
Jia Xiaoyan nodded in agreement: "Yes, this storm has finally passed. I hope that the Nanzhao Kingdom will be peaceful and tranquil in the future."