Chapter 606: Chapter 606: Sinister Schemes and Crooked Paths The Old Princess Consort said, “As the Leng Family’s head, we have always treated you all with generosity. Today, you all have decided to stand with Marquis Ningyuan’s Mansion against our Prince Mansion, then you shall bear the consequences yourselves.” Upon hearing her words, the collateral branches of the Leng Family fell silent one after another. Over the years, though they were of the Leng Family and scattered throughout Tiancheng, they were respected by the locals, a status inseparable from the prestige of Prince Zhenbei Mansion. At the feast in Prince Zhenbei Mansion, they never expected today’s events would occur. However, Madam Lai of Marquis Ningyuan’s Mansion said that any descendant of the Leng Family could have the opportunity to become Prince Zhenbei. Seeing the current glory of Prince Zhenbei Mansion and hearing the scandal about Lai Ran, they harbored inappropriate thoughts within a mere two days. At this moment, hearing what the Old Princess Consort had said, they couldn’t help but ponder if they had taken the right step. Madam Lai suddenly snorted with laughter, “What grand words from the Old Princess Consort! Your son’s character is flawed, and as his mother, you are not blameless. Yet, you still have the audacity to spout such rhetoric!” “Seventeen years ago, your son slept with my daughter-in-law. Tell me, how can such a man with disgraced behavior be fit to be Tiancheng’s Prince Zhenbei?” Madam Lai’s voice rose sharply, “And how could his daughter be suitable to become the Crown Princess Consort?” Many from the collateral branches voiced their agreement. Li Yuyue was filled with rage, his fists clenched tight. He was not one to squabble, but if this continued, he was ready to take action. Lai Ran looked around coolly and said, “My character is not for you to question. Even if I am not Prince Zhenbei, you are even less likely to become Prince Zhenbei!” At that moment, the Emperor suddenly spoke up, “What is the truth behind the event seventeen years ago? Someone tell me.” Madam Lai respectfully nodded, “Emperor, the truth behind the event seventeen years ago is that Lai Ran had an illicit affair with Mrs. Zhang.” Hearing this, Lai Taihong rebuked, “You old hag, spewing nonsense!” Madam Lai did not expect the esteemed Old Prince Zhenbei to curse her, and her eyes trembled with shock. Ye Yiheng flicked his fingers towards Yinhui, who, quick as lightning, dashed toward the back of Madam Lai. The old woman, short in stature, was knocked to the ground by Yinhui. She fell face-first, her front teeth wobbling precariously, her mouth full of blood. Seeing this, Leng Yu Yan gave a cold smile and spoke in a clear voice, “Elders, I address you as such at this moment out of respect for our shared heritage as members of the Leng Family. If you continue to side with Marquis Ningyuan’s Mansion, then you alone will be responsible for the consequences.” Hearing her words, many of the Leng Family’s collateral branches responded, “You, a mere girl, dare to speak so disrespectfully!” “With no regard for your superiors, how are you fit to become the Crown Princess Consort?” “Yes, our Leng Family has plenty of daughters, any one of which would make a better Crown Princess Consort than her.” “Her status is still unworthy!” Many thought if they themselves became Prince Zhenbei, their daughters would become legitimate Commandery Princesses, revered by the Tian Family just as Leng Yu Yan presently was. With this in mind, more people began to criticize Leng Yu Yan. Ye Yiheng spoke coldly, “Do you not take me into consideration?” With those words, silence fell among the Leng Family’s collateral branches. Ye Yiheng spoke indifferently again, “Are you all taking advantage of my blindness, or my weakness due to illness? No matter how excellent your daughters may be, they are but dust upon the ground.” “Do you commoners think your dignity surpasses that of the Prince Zhenbei Mansion, or even the Tian Family?” Ye Yiheng’s voice grew colder, and the aura around him made people’s hair stand on end, “You even dare to gossip about my Crown Princess Consort?” Thinking of the Crown Prince’s cruel and insidious tactics, everyone from the Leng Family’s collateral branches fell silent as if chilled to the bone. Seeing the hall finally quiet, Leng Yu Yan spoke up again, “Emperor, the truth of what happened seventeen years ago has been thoroughly investigated by me. Please allow me to explain it slowly.” The Emperor nodded, “Beilan, go on.” To be fair, the Leng Family’s collateral lines weren’t very useful, at least for now. To deter neighboring countries at the border, they still had to rely on the power of the Prince Zhenbei Mansion. “Seventeen years ago, during the grand assembly at the Leng Family Ancestral Hall, all the families present participated.” Leng Yu Yan scanned the room with a cold voice, “Before this, Madam Lai happened to meet a Jianghu sorcerer who told her that a child conceived during the assembly would be destined for great wealth and honor.” Upon hearing this, Madam Lai wanted to speak, but her two front teeth dropped into her palm with her saliva, rendering her speechless. Leng Yu Yan continued indifferently, “From then on, Madam Lai began plotting for their branch to become the legitimate line of the Leng Family. She also schemed to disgrace the Prince Zhenbei, so as to shift the fortunes between the two families as the Jianghu sorcerer had mentioned.” “As for conceiving a child at the assembly, that was a problem. Because at the time, my mother, Mrs. Zhang, had given birth to her eldest son nearly ten years prior, and her belly had remained quiet during that period. The reason for that was Leng Zongfa continually taking concubines.” “Considering that Prince Zhenbei already had four sons, and Leng Zongfa only had Leng Yi and Lai Hao, with Lai Hao being born of a concubine, Madam Lai wished for her daughter-in-law to give birth to another boy to turn their collateral branch’s fortunes around.” “For Madam Lai, the day of the Leng Family Ancestral Hall’s grand assembly presented an excellent opportunity, and she decided to put her plan into action that day.” “To ensure her estranged son and daughter-in-law would successfully conceive, Madam Lai put an aphrodisiac and a Poisonous Insect in Wine into their drink.” The Emperor furrowed his brow, “Poisonous Insect in Wine?” Lai Taihong also asked, “What is this Poisonous Insect in Wine?” Explaining the Poisonous Insect in Wine was not difficult for Leng Yu Yan, but the creature’s grotesque nature made it embarrassing to speak of. At this moment, Ye Yiheng said, “The Poisonous Insect in Wine becomes invisible upon contact with wine. Once a person drinks this wine, they, under the effect of the aphrodisiac, will seek out the person mutually affected by the Poisonous Insect in Wine for intimate relations that night. Additionally, it causes their memories of that day to become a chaotic blur, even to the point of being unrecallable.” Leng Yu Yan nodded to Ye Yiheng, “Thank you, Your Highness, for the explanation.” She continued, “On the night of the grand assembly, Madam Lai had her son and daughter-in-law drink the wine laced with the drug and the Poisonous Insect in Wine. Not only that, she also incited Leng Zongfa to let Prince Zhenbei taste their family’s wine.” “Leng Zongfa, eager to make a good impression in front of Prince Zhenbei, took the jug to offer the wine, just as my Father King’s cup was empty. Leng Zongfa then poured the wine from his own jug.” “Everyone here must be wondering why Madam Lai would also have my Father King drink the wine with the drug and Poisonous Insect in Wine,” Leng Yu Yan said. The Old Princess Consort frowned deeply, “Indeed, why is that?” “At the assembly, there was a ‘blessed pig,’ which commemorates an ancestor of the Leng Family who was saved by a pig while campaigning in the battlefield; hence the tradition,” Leng Yu Yan explained, “In order to humiliate my Father King, Madam Lai pre-fed the blessed pig with wine containing the drug and Poisonous Insect in Wine.” “Her son and daughter-in-law, Prince Zhenbei and the blessed pig—Madam Lai’s original plan was to kill two birds with one stone.” Leng Yu Yan’s voice was chilly, “Yet, to her surprise, the events spiraled out of her control. Leng Zongfa, having drunk too much, took a wrong turn on his way back to his room and ended up directly entering the pigsty.”