Chapter 295: Turning the Tide! The Fifth Brother Did Not Surrender to the Enemy

After leaving Yongle Palace, He Zhaojun bluntly told Gu Guan, "Send a message to Ziduan and Zisheng. There are people in the capital and the northwest who want to kill the He family. Even the generals in the northwest cannot be trusted. Jin Yuji is just a pawn being used. She doesn't know much."

Gu Guan, knowing the gravity of the situation, quickly responded. He Zhaojun then recalled something: "Jin Yuji also mentioned that she wanted to kill Ziduan as well. It seems someone is trying to prevent him from ascending the throne, but none of the other Unicorn princes in the court can challenge him. It's likely that Tian Shuo and the others are still harboring evil intentions and want to support a puppet emperor."

As soon as the two of them walked out of the palace, they saw their two brothers, He Shan and He Feng, with their faces covered in black veil, waiting nearby. They were relieved to see He Zhaojun come out safely.

"Zhaojun, please send someone to report the news. My brother has received it. What should the He family do to find out the truth?!"

The two brothers are now frowning. The situation is not optimistic at all. If they act rashly, not only will they be unable to clear the He family's name, but they may also fall into a trap.

He Zhaojun glanced at the two of them and said, "It's alright, my two brothers. You just need to act as if you don't know about this and protect your sisters-in-law. Leave the rest to me and Ziduan."

They waited anxiously until noon, when He Zhaojun was summoned to Dezheng Hall, Cao Cheng himself. He Zhaojun knew that her every word and action was being closely monitored, and she absolutely could not reveal any flaws.

So she just glanced at Cao Cheng, and the two of them exchanged glances secretly, and Cao Cheng immediately lowered his head even lower.

He Zhaojun, dressed in court robes, waited outside the palace when she saw Wen Zi standing upright in the center of the Dezheng Hall, engaging in a debate with the ministers. "The battle reports from the front lines are nothing but speculation, with no real evidence. To detain the family members of important officials based on this is truly foolish!"

"Third Prince! You cannot bend the law for personal gain!"

"Yes, the He family is an in-law family. The fifth son of the He family, He Jiang, is afraid of death and has surrendered to the enemy and betrayed his country. Why do you have to drag yourself into it?!"

"Shut up! The entire He family remains in the capital, and He Chuan's posthumous child is still unborn. Do you really want your father to be an unkind and unjust king and murder the orphans of his soldiers?"

No matter how many people submitted petitions requesting that the entire He family be imprisoned, or who they were, Wen Ziduan was like a stabilizing force, standing in the Dezheng Hall, ready to kill any obstacle and firmly establish his disapproval.

Emperor Wen pondered for a moment. He had already seen He Zhaojun arrive at the door and had listened for a moment before ordering Cao Cheng to bring the men up. He genuinely doubted He Jiang would defect to the enemy, and Zisheng had mentioned in his letter that this matter was unusual and needed to be investigated.

"Zhaojun, I want to hear you say it."

When He Zhaojun heard Emperor Wen call her name, she bowed and looked around. She waited until those who wanted to say something had shut up and the entire De Zheng Hall was silent. Then she slowly spoke.

"If many things seem unsolvable, try considering them from a fundamental perspective. Imagine yourself as the youngest general of our dynasty, twenty-three years old and just beginning to show your potential. Your father, six brothers, and sister are serving in the court, and you have an imperial sister who is about to marry. Your family is rich, your spouse is loving, and your career is bright. Would you choose to betray your country?"

Everyone fell silent after He Zhaojun's words. Many people spend their entire lives trying to accomplish even one of these things, but He Jiang, at the age of twenty-three, had already accomplished all of them. He truly had no need to commit treason.

But some people still objected: "I don't think so. He Jiang might just be plotting a rebellion, assisting the Xiongnu Chanyu, conquering our territory, and becoming a king or a general!"