Chapter 234: The General Kneels

Meng Yao's face showed a look of surprise.

However, before she could think further, she heard Han Xing's voice by her ear say: "Miss Meng, you said you always wanted to thank your lifesaver, didn't you? Now you can thank them."

Meng Yao dazedly nodded, "Oh!"

"Miss Ye, the lifesaving kindness is beyond gratitude; please accept Meng Yao's bow."

Meng Yao made a motion to kneel, but Ye Qingran naturally could not let a pregnant woman kneel to her, she reached out and lifted her up, saying, "It's just drawing the sword to help on seeing injustice; Miss Meng, no need for politeness."

But seeing her complexion pale, her voice steady, without much emotion.

Meng Yao looked up in astonishment at the Ye family's legitimate daughter before her, whose beauty could overthrow a state; her heart was filled with gratitude, yet also with myriad thoughts.

Although she had long since married into Yuncheng, everything that happened in Xiliang could always reach her ears through various channels.

The Ye family's legitimate daughter, who had been branded a good-for-nothing, had already ruined her reputation six years prior, being despised and mocked by the world. Because she did not know the full truth, she had always refrained from commenting.

At the moment she finally got to see the person in person, she finally confirmed that the rumors were just rumors.

How could a woman of such unparalleled grace be that kind of person?

While feeling grateful in her heart, she also felt a touch of admiration.

Meng Yuan and Meng Qian then walked over; amid the astonished gazes of the crowd, this iron-blooded father-daughter pair both knelt before Ye Qingran, shocking who knows how many people.

If Meng Qian were to kneel to Ye Qingran, that would be fine enough. But Meng Yuan is the famed Grand General of the Cavalry of Donglin, ennobled by His Majesty as the Duke who is the Bulwark of the State!

Not to mention that a man's knees hold gold; even with his illustrious achievements and prominent status, it was not his place to kneel to Ye Qingran.

Yet he did kneel.

"Ye Qingran, I wronged you before; it is I, Meng Yuan, who was blind and let you suffer injustice. I, Meng, apologize here and hope you won't hold it against you. You saved my daughter's life; I, Meng Yuan, am deeply grateful. If you ever need the Meng family's help, just command me—I will go through fire and water, sparing no effort!"

His firm voice, carrying the flavor of iron and blood, makes one cannot help but feel moved; even though one may be beneath one person and above ten thousand, he is ultimately just a father!

Ye Qingran remained neither humble nor arrogant, and did not feel panicked because of Meng Yuan's kneeling.

Because she could bear it, and she should!

"General Meng, please rise. I said it was merely drawing the sword to help on seeing injustice; I need no promises from the Meng family."

Meng Yuan furrowed his brows, Ye Qingran's expression remained calm, and he said nothing more before standing up.

Meng Yao then pointed to Leng Yue behind Ye Qingran and asked, "Miss, was it you who saved me at Qingshan Lake last time?"

Seeing Leng Yue's pale complexion and no special reaction upon seeing her, she momentarily doubted.

"Not bad; on the previous occasion at the Qingshan Lake pleasure boat, seeing Miss Meng fall into the water, it was my lady who ordered me to rescue you!" Leng Yue said with a light smile.

Meng Yao's face lit up with joy, "It really is you!" Then she looked at Ye Qingran and asked, "May I ask, who are you, my benefactor?"

Leng Yue pursed her lips and smiled, "I am, like Han Xing, a maid of my lady."

Meng Yao was stunned.

The person who saved her life at Qingshan Lake was also Ye Qingran?

Even more shocking than Meng Yao herself were Meng Qian and the others. Just now, Ye Qingran said she not only did not plot against Meng Yao, but had even saved Meng Yao at Qingshan Lake, yet they did not believe her.

Now they finally realized belatedly that this was true!

Meng Qian no longer knew how to describe her feelings.

The person she had falsely accused of plotting to kill her sister was not only not the culprit, but was even the great benefactor who had saved her sister twice!

How can the Meng family repay this immense favor?

Everyone was also astonished.

As it turned out, Ye Qingran had not lied; she really had saved Meng Yao at Qingshan Lake!

……

The truth has been fully revealed; Zhao Yan is undoubtedly the mastermind behind the scenes.

"Zhao Yan, do you have anything else to say?!" Meng Yuan stared at Zhao Yan with a cold, icy gaze, his voice tinged with ice.

Zhao Yan's body trembled.

At this moment, she clearly knew her situation was hopeless, beyond redemption.

"Hahaha, not bad, the one who wanted to kill Meng Yao has always been me!" Zhao Yan threw her head back and laughed, tears streaming, as if she had given up resistance.

"You're utterly insane! My sister and you have no grudge, why would you do this?!" Meng Qian gritted her teeth.

"Why would you do this?" Zhao Yan's gaze gradually cleared, then she sharply pointed at Ye Qingran and said, "Because I want her dead!" Her face was ferocious, like a vengeful ghost.

"It's her who killed my brother, caused my father to be suspended, led to the decline of the Zhao family… I hate her, I hate Ye Qingran, I want her to be buried with my brother!"

Zhao Yan's tone was extremely sharp, full of resentment and endless hatred.

It makes one's back turn cold involuntarily.

Xia Zhimeng's eyes and brows were full of sarcasm as she loudly retorted, "Zhao Yan, your brother's death was his own doing. Who let him kill so many innocent lives? As parents and elder sister, you not only ignored it, but even aided evil! Zhao family, if not destroyed, heavenly principle cannot be tolerated!"

"Bullshit! Those women are lowly; their lives are worthless—how could my brother's life be more noble? My brother killed, and that's it; why would he need to pay with his life?"

Those whose eyes are covered by hatred cannot see the truth.

Especially those whose three views are not correct cannot find their way back from error.

Zhao Yan is such a person.

As soon as these words were spoken, the vast majority of people found them unbelievable.

Such an ethically defying statement is simply unheard of!

"How unreasonable!" The Donglin Emperor flared up at Zhao Yan's words, waving his hand and shouting, "Take this unrepentant criminal away, imprison him in the Heaven Prison, and execute him soon!"

Upon hearing she would be interrogated and executed, Zhao Yan immediately trembled like a sieve, her eyes fixed on the Donglin Emperor, kowtowing and pleading, "Your Majesty, spare my life; I am innocent!"

Seeing the Donglin Emperor ignore her, she then looked at the Seventh Prince Dongfang Xuan, crawled over to him, grabbed his robe, and said, "Your Highness the Seventh Prince, I am your imperial consort, I am innocent, please save me quickly!"

Dongfang Xuan's brows knotted into a ball, his face ashen. He suddenly regretted having involved himself with her! It simply threw away his face!

His expression hardened, he lifted his foot and kicked, striking Zhao Yan's face and sending her sprawling to the ground.

Zhao Yan spat out a mouthful of blood, her expression grim and desperate.

Her father wasn't qualified to attend tonight's banquet, and she had no one to turn to for help!

Seeing Zhao Yan, desperate for medical help, Ye Huanhuan slipped into the crowd, praying that Zhao Yan wouldn't come to her for aid.

It was precisely her movement that Zhao Yan noticed; hope flickered in her eyes, and despite her disheveled state, she looked at Ye Huanhuan and cried, "Huanhuan, save me! You're the Crown Princess, the future empress—you must have a way to save me!"

Ye Huanhuan closed her eyes, practically wishing she could kill Zhao Yan.

Is she sick?

Saying that in front of so many people—do you think the emperor isn't angry enough?

As expected, after Zhao Yan finished speaking, the faces of the Donglin Emperor and Gu Huanghou darkened, as if they felt their positions were being threatened.

Dongfang Qingxuan's face was equally black as a pot's bottom.

Ye Huanhuan clenched her teeth, trying to keep her voice calm: "Yan Yan, you've made a grave mistake—I can't help."

Zhao Yan glared, never expecting Ye Huanhuan to refuse her?

She suddenly thought of threatening her, but remembering their past affection, she couldn't bear to expose her. Besides, she was only temporarily detained—later Huanhuan might find a way to save herself!

Zhao Yan didn't realize that, from the moment she decided to kill Meng Yao, she had already become a pawn in Ye Huanhuan's game!

Ye Qingran watched Zhao Yan, who wanted to speak but held back, a cold smile curling at the corner of her mouth.

She raised her brow and said softly, "Huanhuan, I truly owe you this time—otherwise I wouldn't have known Zhao Yan's series of plots!"

Ye Huanhuan froze on the spot.