Chapter 428: Chapter 298: A Little Bit of Abuse Is Healthier, The Hong Family Couple (Part 4)
"Master!"
The group of officials, still watching the commotion, sneakily glanced at the letter in Hong Fang’s hand. A few with sharper eyesight immediately spotted two powerful characters written in a majestic style on the letter.
It seemed to be the handwriting of Emperor Xia himself.
A dismissal letter—what Ye Huangyu had sent was precisely a dismissal letter. Moreover, this dismissal letter bore the Jade Seal, a decree of dismissal granted by Emperor Xia!
On the very day that the Grand Protector of Daxia, Hong Fang, had his official position restored, he was dismissed.
Dismissed by the very woman he had once rejected, the first female General of Daxia, the Western General Ye Huangyu.
Countless gazes were cast upon him as Hong Fang’s hands trembled slightly.
"Ye Huangyu!" Hong Fang’s eyes were bloodshot as he clutched and distorted the paper in his hand, yet ultimately, he didn’t dare to tear up the dismissal letter, for it was a decree granted by the Emperor.
What Hong Fang hated the most was the fact that this dismissal letter was a divinely bestowed item; he could not destroy it, but had instead to respectfully burn incense and worship it daily.
"Master, the carriage... Are you still going to the harem to pick up Madame?" The coachman of the Hong Residence was also terrified.
With the Master looking as if he was on the verge of killing someone, Uncle Fu had never seen Hong Fang in such a state in all his years as the Hong Residence’s coachman.
"Have the Princely Heir send a message back home and have another carriage sent here," Hong Fang managed to suppress the humiliation in his heart, his gaze sweeping around; the civil and military officials immediately lowered their heads, not daring to make a sound.
Fortunately, this happened at the palace gate, and these officials didn’t dare to recklessly spread rumors about the Hong Family.
Hong Fang stuffed the dismissal letter inside his clothing; he definitely wouldn’t let this matter rest just like that.
Hong Fang made his way to the harem, and upon reaching Chaohua Palace, he enquired and indeed found out that Empress was not in the palace. His face grew even more puzzled after hearing this.
He found an excuse, finally entering Chaohua Palace and questioned a few palace maids. All said that they hadn’t seen Zhuge Rou.
Just as Hong Fang was about to leave, he noticed a sack in the bushes ahead; there was movement inside it.
Hong Fang hurried forward, opened the sack, and his expression changed instantaneously.
"Nanny, how did you end up like this, and where is Madame!" Hong Fang’s eyelids twitched violently. Despite being beaten beyond recognition, he still recognized from the clothes and figure that this person was the old servant who had always been by Zhuge Rou’s side.
"Master... Save Madame." After the nanny finished speaking, she struggled to catch her breath, her eyes rolled back, and she died.
"Nanny Chen, where is Madame, who did this?"
Unfortunately, there was no one to answer Hong Fang’s questions; the nanny was already dead.
Hong Fang quickly moved forward, and after only walking a few steps, he saw a female corpse hanging at the entrance of the side hall. Upon closer inspection, the corpse was another nanny who had attended Zhuge Rou.
At that moment, an eerie noise came from inside the side hall.
The sound... resembled that of men and women in indecent behavior, but with the woman’s moans, there was a hint of pain.
Feeling a premonition, Hong Fang quickly approached and forcefully busted the door open.
The scene in front of him made Hong Fang feel as though the whole world was spinning.
His wife, Zhuge Rou, was right there in the side hall.
And at that moment... Her slender legs were bound in a humiliating "M" shape. Looking at Lord Qu, whose skin was aged enough to be Hong Fang’s father, sprawled on top of her body, with candles, whips, ropes scattered all over the floor.
"You lowly servant!"
Hong Fang took one look at Zhuge Rou’s condition and knew something was wrong. He grabbed the old eunuch by the collar.
"Lord Hong, this old servant... what brings you here?" The old eunuch, caught up in enjoyment, was frightened by the shout from behind, so scared that he hadn’t even pulled up his pants.
Seeing the red-eyed Hong Fang slap the top of Lord Qu’s head,
Lord Qu didn’t understand what was happening before he was already dead beyond any doubt.
"Murder, there’s been a murder!"
Behind them, the sound of cups and dishes hitting the ground resounded. Several palace maids who had come to the side hall scattered in panic upon witnessing this scene.
Zhuge Rou had a vacant look in her eyes as the effects of the drug began to wear off.
She suddenly felt a chill on her face and her muddled mind finally began to clear up. When she looked up, she saw her husband Hong Fang standing right in front of her.
"Master, why are you here?" Zhuge Rou propped herself up.
Feeling a chill over her chest and seeing her nearly naked body with bruises upon it, then looking at Lord Qu who was lying dead on the ground, her face turned pale, trembling uncontrollably as if seized by epilepsy.
"Master, Master, what in the world is happening? How could this...?" Zhuge Rou choked up, overcome with pain.
Watching Zhuge Rou sobbing with tears washing away the heavy makeup on her startled and annoyed face,
the wound on her face from yesterday’s fall in the flowerbed, not yet fully healed and only covered up with thick makeup, was revealed as she cried.
Hong Fang also knew that today’s incident might well be a plot against Zhuge Rou, and the likely schemers were Ye Lingyue and her daughter.
But the thought of the old eunuch on top of Zhuge Rou, though they had not gone through the last extremities of a man and woman’s relationship, filled Hong Fang’s heart with disgust.
"Madam, it’s alright. I will take you home," Hong Fang said, suppressing the revulsion in his heart as he wrapped Zhuge Rou in his robe and walked out of the side hall.
"Father, mother she..."
Outside the palace gate, Hong Mingyue and Hong Yuying hurried over upon hearing the news.
Both their faces were sullen, apparently Heir Hong had already brought back some rumors when he returned home.
They came to inquire about the annulment letter, but seeing Zhuge Rou crying with red eyes and wrapped in her father’s robe, the two women rushed up to meet her.
"Mother, what’s wrong with you?"
Through the loose robe, Hong Mingyue saw the shameful marks on her mother’s body. Both women were speechless and, looking back at Hong Fang, the darkness in his eyes was almost suffocating.
"Master..." Zhuge Rou softly called, but Hong Fang, as if he hadn’t heard her, went straight into the carriage, leaving the three women behind at the spot.
Unable to bear it any longer, Zhuge Rou burst into tears.
Hong Yuying was still out of the loop, but Hong Mingyue’s face turned icy.
She was smart since childhood, and the succession of today’s events was clearly not a coincidence, but a plot carefully orchestrated by someone.
Ye Huangyu was promoted to Female General, her mother and father were humiliated in succession.
Her parents, once so loving, now harbored resentment against each other because of what happened, and all this, because of that despised mother and daughter.
Hong Mingyue’s fingers dug into her palms, her eyes ignited with raging fury.
Ye Lingyue, Ye Huangyu, why didn’t you both just die back then.
The pain you’ve inflicted on me and my family today, I, Hong Mingyue, will one day make you pay it all back!