Upon learning that they faced the prospect of imprisonment and even execution, sheer terror gripped their hearts.
Eldest Child Zhang found himself momentarily dumbfounded, and he hastily knelt down, pleading for clemency. He cried out incessantly, beseeching, "Crown Prince Consort, Your Excellency, please show mercy this time! My family's actions were shortsighted. We couldn't bear to witness the prosperity of the Butterfly Pavilion, and in our envy, we hatched this preposterous plan to deceive them."
"We never intended to incur the displeasure of His Highness the Crown Prince and the Crown Prince Consort!" Eldest Child Zhang declared in a panic.
Shopkeeper Wu's eyes blazed with anger, his veins pulsating. How could anyone seek to destroy the Butterfly Pavilion simply because it was flourishing and sought to slander it? It was primarily due to the Butterfly Pavilion's unparalleled success.
