Chapter 297
Chapter 297
“Master Shen, you claim I am having an affair with King Qiang's wife. Do you have any concrete evidence? If you have no proof, you are slandering the honor of His Majesty King Qiang and the queen. For that, you deserve the punishment of a thousand cuts. Even as countless vultures peck away at your flesh, it will be too late to regret your foolishness.”
At that moment, the Daoist Zuo Baiyu lost his immortal-like demeanor, his face turning murderous. When one's life was on the line, there was no need for pretense.
But how could Shen Lang have known about the affair with his X-ray vision? It was a coincidence. This Daoist wasn't a woman, so it wasn't as if Shen Lang could see sperm moving inside a woman's belly. Of course, even Shen Lang's X-ray vision wasn't powerful enough to see sperm in a womb. The reason for his deduction was that the Daoist Zuo Baiyu was wearing a tight-fitting silk undergarment embroidered with gold thread. That alone wouldn't prove or suggest anything, but the key was the poem embroidered on the silk undergarment.
*Living, I return to you; dying, I long for you.*
Furthermore, the seal bore the character 'Yan'. Among King Qiang's many wives, there happened to be a consort named Luo Yan. Under these circumstances, it would be more unbelievable if the two hadn't fallen for each other. Shen Lang was certain that when King Qiang had left to raid the Western Regions, Zuo Baiyu had seized the opportunity to have an affair with his consort, Luo Yan.
King Qiang was a beast of a man, peerlessly brave on the battlefield, but he brought nothing but endless torment to women in bed. In contrast, the immortal-like Daoist Zuo Baiyu would surely have been a gentle and tender lover. Thus, their affair must have blazed with passion, and the woman must have embroidered the silk undergarment and insisted he wear it.
From Daoist Zuo Baiyu's perspective, since the undergarment was worn on the inside, covered by several layers of clothing, and since he lived alone, he must have thought no one would ever discover it. He had been bold enough to wear it even to a meeting with the king. Who could have ever imagined that Shen Lang had X-ray vision? Besides, the powerful families of this world loved embroidering with gold thread, which made it even more visible under his X-ray vision.
“Your Majesty King Qiang, Shen Lang will not be able to produce any evidence. It matters little if my reputation is tarnished, but the act of tarnishing the reputation of Your Majesty and your consorts must not be forgiven.”
Zuo Baiyu said in a chilling voice. King Qiang glared at Shen Lang and enunciated each word.
“Shen Lang, if you cannot produce evidence, do not blame me for breaking my promise to the divine maiden. I will subject you to the punishment of a thousand cuts and kill you in the most gruesome way possible.”
Shen Lang replied calmly.
“Your Majesty King Qiang, you will know if you strip that Daoist of his clothes.”
Upon hearing this, even the mentally resilient Zuo Baiyu jumped, his face changing drastically.
*H-How can this be? Does Shen Lang really know? No, that’s absolutely impossible. The silk undergarment Luo Yan gave me—I’ve always worn it and never taken it off. I wear it when I sleep, when I go out, always.*
Indeed, he never took it off. The weather was so cold that many men in the State of Qiang went for long periods without bathing or changing their clothes. In such unhygienic conditions, how could epidemics not be rampant? The only people in the State of Qiang who could probably bathe daily were the royal family.
The Daoist Zuo Baiyu said coldly.
“Nonsense. Strip me of my clothes? I am a practitioner of the Dao. How can I allow you to humiliate me? It is utterly absurd to demand I disrobe.”
However, King Qiang was a suspicious man. He said in a cold voice.
“Daoist Master, take off your clothes.”
Zuo Baiyu said urgently.
“Your Majesty, Shen Lang is speaking utter nonsense. Do not believe him.”
“Take them off.”
He stepped forward himself, pressed down on Zuo Baiyu's shoulders, grabbed his collar, and ripped it down with force.
Rip!
The layers of clothing Zuo Baiyu wore were torn apart, revealing the silk undergarment beneath. The embroidery, in a familiar hand, was exposed. King Qiang's face changed dramatically as he tore off the silk undergarment Zuo Baiyu was wearing to examine it. A poem was embroidered upon it.
*Living, I return to you; dying, I long for you.*
The seal bore the character 'Yan'. Without needing to ask, King Qiang knew it was a love poem. In that instant, his eyes filled with killing intent as he asked, word by word.
“Zuo Baiyu, do you still have anything to say?”
Shen Lang was inwardly triumphant but sighed.
*You two are truly burning with passion. To wear undergarments embroidered by your lover even in a place like this, longing for each other.*
There was one thing Shen Lang didn't know. Adulterers, in fact, loved such things the most. The more dangerous the place, the more stimulating it was for them. Wasn't an office a dangerous place with people coming and going? Even smart, capable, high-ranking people in companies sometimes did it in the office. Weren't they afraid of being caught? They were! But they couldn't resist doing it because the situation was so intensely stimulating.
Zuo Baiyu’s face changed drastically. He trembled, fell to his knees, and said with a sob.
“Since things have come to this, I will not deceive Your Majesty any longer. Luo Yan and I are biological siblings, separated for many years and recently reunited. The reason I came here to serve Your Majesty was all for my sister's sake. The reason I did everything in my power to save the prince was also for my sister's sake. Because the prince is my biological nephew.”
Shen Lang was stunned.
*Damn it. He’s using that trick? But would King Qiang believe it? What an absurd excuse he’s come up with. Does he think we're three-year-old children?*
As expected, King Qiang didn't believe him and said coldly.
“Bring Luo Yan here. Now!”
A moment later, a feminine and lovely woman walked in slowly. This woman was King Qiang's consort, Luo Yan. She was indeed beautiful, but how could such a delicate body withstand King Qiang's abuse? It must have been torturous to the point of death. Maintaining her composure, she saw Zuo Baiyu kneeling on the floor and the silk undergarment in King Qiang's hand, and her beautiful face changed instantly.
“Brother, has His Majesty found out about us?”
Shen Lang's hair stood on end.
*Another master actor has arrived. You two are siblings? Tell that nonsense to the ghosts.*
But as Shen Lang looked closely at the two, it was truly uncanny. The two of them did share a slight resemblance. Not in their facial features, but in their facial structure, which was very similar. They were surely cousins or some other close relation. The Hidden Yuan Society had laid its groundwork far and wide, so sending that woman to be King Qiang's consort was a normal course of action.
According to the information Shen Lang had, Luo Yan was a beauty King Qiang had taken as plunder when he raided the State of Chu. That was probably a setup by the Hidden Yuan Society. What Shen Lang noticed, King Qiang also noticed. He hadn't realized it before, but with Luo Yan and Zuo Baiyu together, he could see that their facial contours were indeed somewhat similar. King Qiang's consort, Luo Yan, began to speak, weeping tragically.
“Years ago, Your Majesty took a liking to me, and I came to the State of Qiang. My parents and brother searched for me everywhere for many years but could never find me. But I couldn't be honest about it because when I came to Your Majesty's side, I had told you that my family was already dead. My brother, to protect me and also out of admiration for Your Majesty's prestige, remained by your side to do his utmost to serve you. But in the end, Your Majesty, with your brilliant wisdom, has discovered everything. I could not acknowledge him as my brother before Your Majesty, so all I did was embroider a piece of clothing for him. Is that also a crime?”
*Amazing. A fine performance.*
Shen Lang couldn't help but admire her. That performance was worth at least ninety points. If he hadn't been so sure, he might have believed her himself.
“Their facial contours are similar, so they could be cousins. But that poem is a love poem.”
King Qiang's consort, Luo Yan, shot Shen Lang a venomous look.
“How is this a love poem? This is a poem I embroidered out of longing for my family. My family is right before my eyes, yet I cannot openly acknowledge them, nor can I return to my parents' side. Because I have a new home, a husband I love, and a child. Who can understand this feeling of only being able to reunite with my parents after death?”
Incredible! That interpretation actually worked. The Chinese characters were profound, allowing a single poem to be interpreted in many ways. It could be seen as romantic love between a man and a woman, or as familial affection.
Then, with tears in her eyes, King Qiang's consort, Luo Yan, spoke with an expression of utmost shame.
“Your Majesty, this servant has one more way to prove my innocence.”
And with that, the woman forcefully tore her own skirt and began to remove her silk trousers. She was truly a vicious woman. That single action was clearly meant to kill Shen Lang. Because Shen Lang was standing with King Qiang, while Zuo Baiyu was kneeling on the floor. The woman intended to expose her thighs and buttocks right in front of Shen Lang. King Qiang was an incredibly fierce man with a powerful sense of possessiveness. For his woman to show her buttocks to another man was an immense transgression in his eyes. It would be considered no different from having an affair with that man.
But Shen Lang reacted extremely quickly. Before she could even tear her skirt, he immediately turned around, seeing nothing. Thanks to that, the woman's vicious plan failed. King Qiang didn't need to look; he knew that Luo Yan had been born with a birthmark of three red spots on her inner thigh. He loved that birthmark so much he could hardly keep his mouth off it.
“This is a birthmark unique to me, but my brother has one on his leg as well. Only, it’s on the left.”
Then, the Daoist Zuo Baiyu, sighing as if in humiliation, undid his trousers to reveal three spots on his inner left thigh. Their shape was nearly identical to Luo Yan's birthmark, and they were also red. Shen Lang was certain they were fakes. Zuo Baiyu's three spots weren't birthmarks; such minor blood spots could be easily created.
But King Qiang didn't know that. He thought they were congenital and, seeing that they both had identical birthmarks, was convinced they must be biological siblings. However, the people of the State of Qiang were known for their extremely promiscuous private lives, so being siblings alone could not prove their innocence. But at the very least, it made the situation of Zuo Baiyu wearing a silk undergarment embroidered by Luo Yan somewhat understandable, meaning it didn't prove the two were having an affair.
However, unable to shake his suspicions, a seed of doubt had been planted in King Qiang's heart. The current situation had reached a stalemate. He couldn't prove that Luo Yan and Zuo Baiyu were having an affair, nor could he definitively prove their innocence.