It's all ruined, who cares about the chastity arch

She stumbled back, her skirt soaked by the cold lake water, and panic surged: "Your Majesty, spare my life! Your Majesty, please spare me!"

The emperor lowered his eyelids slightly, and the dagger gently scratched the boat board. The sharp friction sound was particularly harsh on the quiet lake surface: "Miss Zheng Si, if you are determined not to tell the truth today, you will bear the consequences."

Zheng Yinyin was so frightened that she dared not tell a lie: "Your Majesty, everything I said is true. I did find the shoes by accident. As for the village girl, I was confused for a moment and wanted her to pretend to be a princess."

She fell to her knees, rubbing her hands together with a pleading look on her face.

The emperor paused, staring at her with a dagger-like gaze: "Impersonating a princess is a serious crime."

There was no warmth in his tone.

Zheng Yinyin burst into tears and kowtowed: "Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. I beg you to have mercy and spare my life!"

Emperor Xuan's movements seemed unusually slow, and his voice was low and powerful: "Where did you find that pair of unusual shoes, and by what chance?"

A trace of hesitation flashed across Zheng Yinyin's face, and then she seemed to have made up her mind and quickly answered with a bit of nervousness in her voice: "It was in the south of the city, in a remote alley that no one knew about. They were wrapped in an old cloth and abandoned alone in a corner."

There was a barely perceptible tremor in her words, as if even recalling that scene made her feel uneasy.

Hearing this, Emperor Xuan tilted his head slightly, cast a cold gaze at the secret guard standing silently beside him, and gave a brief and powerful order: "Come here."

Before he finished speaking, a sturdy secret guard appeared silently at the bow like a ghost, knelt on one knee, and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, please give me your instructions."

Emperor Xuan handed the fake shoes to the secret guard and said in a dignified tone: "Take this pair of shoes and go to every corner of the capital. Make sure to find out who has purchased Shu brocade and gold thread recently."

The secret guard took the shoes respectfully and responded firmly: "As you command, Your Majesty."

Then, he followed like a shadow, quickly disappearing into the night with his shoes.

Zheng Yinyin's heart tightened. When she heard the words Shu brocade and gold thread, her thoughts involuntarily drifted to one person - her second sister-in-law.

My second sister-in-law's embroidery skills are well-known throughout the capital. If these shoes were not made by her, who else could make the same shoes as the ones in Your Majesty's hands?

Could it be that she really planned all this? !

At this moment, although the anger on Emperor Xuan's face seemed to have subsided, that calmness was more frightening than anger. His eyes were empty and indifferent, as if nothing mattered anymore.

He slowly turned around, with his back to the dazed and distraught Zheng Yinyin, and said in a tone that was almost indifferent: "Miss Zheng Si, the scenery of the lake and mountains is particularly charming today. You can enjoy the scenery on this boat."

After saying this, he moved lightly, tapped the water surface lightly, and left like flowing clouds and water, leaving behind only the small boat that was about to sink in the waves, and the terrified Zheng Yinyin on the boat.

She shouted at the top of her lungs: "Your Majesty! Your Majesty, save me! Your Majesty!"

However, her cries for help seemed to be swallowed up by the lake. The boat gradually tilted due to leakage. The cold lake water slowly submerged her knees. Fear and despair spread in her heart.

Zheng Yinyin cursed in her heart, her face twisted, her eyes full of disbelief and panic. She suddenly realized that behind all this was Su Wanyu's conspiracy!

At this moment, Emperor Xuan had returned to the cabin. He leisurely picked up the wine glass, took a sip, and said to Concubine Xue beside him: "Continue singing."

When Concubine Xue saw Zheng Yinyin struggling in the lake, her face changed slightly. She was afraid that she would anger the emperor if she was not careful, so she quickly stood up, waved her wide sleeves, and started singing again.

The singing was melodious and gradually reached a climax, and the lake water was rising continuously. Zheng Yinyin was soaked all over, she screamed, and the boat was swaying in the waves.

"Your Majesty! I know I was wrong, Your Majesty!"

She shouted at the top of her lungs, but Emperor Xuan just closed his eyes and rested, as if he was immersed in the music, or as if he was listening to the desperate cry for help from the abyss.

Finally, the boat could not withstand the wind and waves and capsized completely, and Zheng Yinyin fell into the freezing cold lake water.

She slapped the water hard, struggling with her last bit of strength. Fear, despair and helplessness intertwined together, making every breath she took extremely difficult.

At the moment of life and death, an idea flashed through her mind.

If the second sister-in-law can make a pair of shoes that are exactly the same as your Majesty's, then does she have another one hidden?

Could it be that the lowly woman was actually a princess? !

As soon as this thought came to her mind, she wanted to look up at the lake and call for help, but her body was no longer able to support her.

Resentment and hatred burned fiercely in her heart, and the cold lake water poured mercilessly into her respiratory tract, causing her unbearable pain.

She didn't want to die like this. The position of queen seemed to be waving to her from afar, but fate seemed to no longer favor her.

Xue Fei's singing became louder and louder, gradually covering up her final struggle.

The lake finally returned to calm, and Zheng Yinyin's figure seemed to have never been there.

At the same time, in Zheng Mansion, Siqi rode her horse as fast as she could and hurried back to Jiaoyang Courtyard.

"Miss, something big has happened." There was obvious anxiety in her voice.

Su Wanyu paused, a hint of nervousness flashed across her brows: "What's so urgent?"

Siqi's face was solemn, and she said word by word, "We are a step too late. Last night, a farmer in the suburbs of Beijing was attacked during their meal."

"A family of eighteen, no one survived." Her words were heavy.

Su Wanyu turned around suddenly, her eyes full of disbelief: "Everyone was killed? Not a single one was left alive?"

Siqi nodded heavily: "Yes, no one survived. Those people took action shortly after Miss Zheng Si visited."

"We failed to stop it in time." Her words were full of self-blame.

"What's worse is that I found out there was a similar incident three months ago where an entire family of a farmer was killed."

Su Wanyu already had her own conclusion in her mind: "This was done by the same person."

Siqi nodded in agreement: "That's right, and the Regent also visited that family three months ago when he was looking for the princess. The strange thing is that not long after he left, the family was poisoned and died."

Su Wanyu's hands trembled slightly, and a chill rose from the bottom of her heart: "This man is ruthless, I swear to eradicate him before the princess returns to the palace."

"What on earth is he doing this for?" Siqi shook her head in confusion.

"I'm afraid it's not just these two cases, otherwise how could the Regent and His Majesty not be able to find the princess for more than ten years." Siqi's words made the atmosphere in the whole room even heavier.

Su Wanyu had already made up her mind and asked, "Did you leave any clues?"

Siqi recalled: "When I arrived, I only saw a mess and didn't find anything unusual."