Disguised as a man, she became the biggest villain in the book.

Chapter 229 You Shouldn't Have Betrayed Me

night

Inside the Prime Minister's study

"Master, young master, the matter has been taken care of!" He Jinyu replied respectfully to the person in front of him, bowing his head slightly, his attitude appearing very humble.

The kidnapping of Chen Xianlin was no small matter. The moment the news broke, Xue Huaiyu immediately ordered all related information to be blocked, and the matter must not be allowed to spread, as it concerned the face of the royal family.

This story begins today when Xue Huaiyu and Chen Xianlin went to the Fengxian Temple to pay respects to their ancestors. According to the plan, He Jinyu took the lead and kidnapped Chen Xianlin before Pei Wenyu could.

Upon receiving this news, Pei Wenyu immediately led his men to take swift action to rescue Chen Xianlin. Pei Wenyu did not know who had kidnapped Chen Xianlin, but he had to take her with him, as he had made a promise to Zheng Luoqi to bring Chen Xianlin to Zheng Luoqi's side.

Regardless of his motives—whether it was because of his promise to Zheng Luoqi or because he didn't want his cousin to get into trouble—Pei Wenyu was determined to save her.

Then He Jinyu orchestrated a plan that led to Pei Wenyu's capture and rescue of Chen Xianlin.

When He Jinyu found Chen Xianlin again, he was shocked by what he saw – Pei Wenyu was lying in a pool of blood, already lifeless.

The fatal wound was on his back, clearly inflicted by a sneak attack from behind. Looking around, there were no signs of a struggle. It was obvious that Pei Wenyu had been ambushed, and the attacker was self-evident.

He Jinyu immediately understood what had happened at a glance. His eyes darted around, and he had already made up his mind. He then cleverly and loudly proclaimed, "Young Master Pei dared to abduct Her Majesty the Empress! Such behavior is utterly insubordinate! He even attempted to harm Her Majesty the Empress! Her Majesty, in your wisdom and might, has already slain this villain!"

However, no one could figure out why Chen Xianlin would suddenly turn on Pei Wenyu and kill him.

Zheng Luoqi only thought that Chen Xianlin would not let Pei Wenyu go, but she did not expect Chen Xianlin to be so ruthless and kill Pei Wenyu directly.

This is why Zheng Luoqi wanted He Jinyu to kidnap Chen Xianlin ahead of time, and why she revealed to Chen Xianlin that Pei Wenyu was working for her.

Later, when Pei Wenyu went to rescue Chen Xianlin, Chen Xianlin assumed that Pei Wenyu was going to bring her to him. In addition, Pei Wenyu had the item she had given him that connected him to the Prime Minister's Mansion, which directly confirmed Chen Xianlin's guess.

That's right. When Pei Wenyu took action today, Zheng Luoqi gave him a token from the Prime Minister's residence, telling him to carry it with him. After the mission was accomplished, people from the Prime Minister's residence would come to meet him. They would find the person wearing the token and come forward to meet him.

The token was a small token with the character "郑" engraved on it.

Chen Xianlin, being such a suspicious person, would definitely connect it to some suspicious events that had happened to her in the past. Even if it had nothing to do with the Pei family, she would still suspect it. Once people start to suspect, then the crime will be established.

"Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free"—how could she not understand the profound meaning behind such a simple and easy-to-understand principle? Moreover, she had personally witnessed Pei Wenyu wearing the Prime Minister's token, which was clearly visible on his person! This undoubtedly added fuel to the already tense situation.

If the Pei family were to truly cease supporting her and even turn against her, colluding with the Prime Minister's residence, it would pose a significant threat to her ambition to secure the Empress's throne.

If things continue to develop like this, when the Pei family and the Prime Minister's Mansion join forces to bring down the Chen family, she may not be able to keep the Empress position that she has worked so hard to obtain.

Rather than passively waiting for that day to arrive, it's better to take the initiative now, strike first, completely eliminate the Pei family, and then firmly grasp the crucial military power in our own hands.

You must understand that the military power controlled by the Pei family is something that everyone covets! Even if she ultimately fails to gain control of it, she will never stand by and watch such important power fall into the hands of the Prime Minister's mansion.

As the saying goes, the human heart is unpredictable and the world is ever-changing. If it were in the past, she might have firmly believed that she and the Pei family were cousins, and that their relationship was stronger than gold, and that the Pei family would never betray her.

But times have changed, and things are different now. Faced with that tempting wealth and power, who dares to guarantee that the Pei family will always stay true to their original intentions and remain unmoved? Perhaps one day, in order to climb to a higher level, they will not hesitate to sell her out.

Thinking about all this, she couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine.

Chen Xianlin still remembers the incredulous look in Pei Wenyu's eyes, his hand holding the sword trembling slightly.

Chen Xianlin recalled that she lied and said she had something important to discuss and wanted to talk to Pei Wenyu alone. Pei Wenyu was naturally not on guard. Chen Xianlin first asked Pei Wenyu's men to bring her a sword, saying that she was afraid and wanted a sword to protect herself. Pei Wenyu naturally agreed.

Then came the time when they were alone together, and now that they were alone, it was the perfect opportunity to make a move.

At this critical moment, Pei Wenyu seemed to sense something was amiss, but it was already too late.

Just as Pei Wenyu turned around, Chen Xianlin suddenly attacked, stabbing him fiercely.

Before Pei Wenyu could even utter a complete explanation, he collapsed and crashed heavily to the ground.

Looking at her cousin lying in a pool of blood, Chen Xianlin's face was filled with resentment. She clenched her teeth and squeezed out a sentence: "Cousin, you shouldn't have betrayed me..." Her voice was cold and piercing, full of endless resentment and determination.

Shortly after that, He Jinyu found Chen Xianlin.

"Hahahahaha!" Zheng Luoqi never expected that Pei Wenyu would not die at her hands, but at Chen Xianlin's hands. She immediately found Pei Wenyu ridiculous.

Not only Pei Wenyu was laughed at, but also Xue Huaiyu. Xue Huaiyu did not think of saving Chen Xianlin at the first moment, but sent people to block the news first. After all, the royal face was more important.

If Chen Xianlin hadn't returned today, the Empress's seat would probably have been occupied by another "Chen Xianlin." No one would care whether the person sitting there was the real Chen Xianlin or not; as long as she was called "Chen Xianlin," that would be enough.

That's very much in line with Xue Huaiyu's style. Zheng Luoqi snorted coldly, "Hypocritical!"

"What about Boyu and Zisang? How are things going with them?" Zheng Luoqi asked.

"Yes, sir, we are already searching. It may take a little more time, but we should have found enough by the end of this month!" He Jinyu replied.

"Okay! You can go now!" Zheng Luoqi said calmly.

"Yes!" After He Jinyu left, only Zheng Luoqi and Zheng Yuxiang remained in the study.