The Ninth Prince naturally knew about everything Xie Jinglou and his people were doing.
He was deeply displeased by Xie Jinglou's disregard for him, but he swallowed his anger. If things got out of hand, he feared the emperor would find out and punish him.
Besides, the Ninth Prince had a whole pile of matters to deal with himself.
The Ninth Prince brought Concubine Jin back to the Prince's Manor.
He flung her to the ground.
Sitting down, the Ninth Prince glared furiously at Concubine Jin and said:
"You poisonous woman, what else have you been hiding from me?
Were all those things you said my consort did to harm you nothing but acts you staged yourself?"
Concubine Jin trembled in terror. She knew her deeds had been exposed and any further excuses would be futile, but she refused to accept her fate. She wanted to make one last desperate gamble.
As she always had, Concubine Jin put on the pitiful look of a delicate, innocent flower, tears falling one by one.
The Ninth Prince had always fallen for that act. Whenever she looked like this, his heart would ache terribly for her.
Today, Concubine Jin tried to win his pity just as she had before, saying:
"Your Highness, I only did those things because I loved you so much. Please forgive me this once!
..."
In the past, the Ninth Prince would indeed have softened at the sight of her like this. Today, however, he found her utterly repulsive.
It was precisely because this wretched woman put on that innocent expression every time that he had been fooled.
He found it bitterly ironic that he had failed to see through such a clumsy trick.
The Ninth Prince beckoned, and a guard came in.
Pointing at Concubine Jin on the