Chapter 92 Wei Zhang pushed through the crowd and reached out his hand to her...

In the center of the main hall, Lu Zhibai lay in a pool of blood.

As people age, their blood diminishes, and so, without a word from Wei Zhang, he shed his last drop of blood, and his three souls dissipated.

The atmosphere in the hall was solemn.

Everyone was still reeling from the blood-stained Golden Palace.

Lu Zhibai's last words were: "The Crown Prince and his treacherous ministers have brought ruin to the country, and this old minister has nowhere to seek justice! I am willing to die to prove my innocence!"

The sound of the stone pillars striking each other and Lu Zhibai's voice echoed for a long time.

The hall was completely silent.

Only Qi Sheng, leaning on his python-headed staff, repeatedly pounded the ground while pointing at Wei Zhang at the head of the table, saying, "When Lord Lu followed our ancestors to conquer the country, your grandfather was already a well-known figure! Even if your grandfather were alive, he would have to show Lord Lu some respect! You brat dared to openly force Lord Lu to his death!"

"Lord Lu and I have been loyal and virtuous for generations, devoting ourselves wholeheartedly to the cause of Dayong and His Majesty. How could we have ever slandered the Crown Prince in the slightest?"

"Wei Zhang, you young brat, are clearly just as wicked as the late Crown Prince! You intend to disrupt the court and force loyal ministers to their deaths!"

...

Qi Sheng was so emotionally agitated that his gray hair was disheveled, and tears streamed down his deeply lined face, giving him a truly poignant image of a lifelong, devoted loyalist.

He was always good at sophistry and manipulating people's minds. Back then, the late emperor only listened to the crown prince's treasonous words because they remonstrated with him even at the cost of their lives.

Now, they are truly risking their lives.

Standing on the right side of the main hall, Mu Qinghong seemed to see the past repeating itself, and this time there was real bloodshed and people died.

He was filled with fear, so he retreated further among the officials and quietly hid under the "Upright and Bright" plaque on the right side of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, where the shadows shrouded him.

Wei Zhang was left alone, under the watchful eyes of hundreds of people.

Wei Zhang was used to fighting alone, and he calmly walked down the steps of the throne, step by step, toward Qi Sheng.

The hall was so quiet that even the sound of his steady footsteps was so clear.

Despite the seemingly calm and collected demeanor, Qi Sheng felt a tremendous wave crashing over him.

He immediately became wary, pointing his finger at Wei Zhang's nose, "You brat, you're twisting the truth! Do you want to force this old man to his death?"

Wei Zhang did not respond, his face expressionless, and continued to walk slowly at his own pace.

The man stood tall and straight, his wide collar adorned with a python pattern. With each step he took, the python's eyes flickered, sometimes bright, sometimes dim, ruthless and sinister.

Qi Sheng felt inexplicably flustered and subconsciously took a half step back.

Wei Zhang naturally walked to the spot where Qi Sheng had originally stood.

"Turning black into white?" Wei Zhang rubbed the cooled blood between his fingers with great interest. "In the tenth year of Changde, a wealthy merchant surnamed Zhang donated a thousand taels of gold to obtain the title of 'Yunqiwei'. Is that true?"

"Is it true that a farmer surnamed Li was forcibly enslaved, with ten members of his family, the men sold cheaply to the Mangshan mines and the women forcibly forced into prostitution?"

Wei Zhang recounted the events calmly and without much emotion, yet every detail was flawless.

He was trying to draw the attention of the court officials back to the crimes of Qi Sheng and others.

Qi Sheng's eyes darted around. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm over seventy years old, my eyesight is failing, and I can't argue with a brat like you. I... I..."

"I have no choice but to follow Brother Lu! I will die to prove my loyalty!"

Having said that, Qi Sheng threw away the python-headed staff and charged fiercely toward the stone pillar that was already splattered with blood.

"Lord Qi, please don't!" the ministers cried out in unison.

Throughout the reigns of three emperors, the Dayong Dynasty never witnessed a bloodbath in the imperial court.

Today, two meritorious officials have been killed in a traffic accident. What has become of our dignity? Won't this invite criticism from the people and neighboring countries?

The crowd tried to stop him, but Wei Zhang moved half a step to the right, clearing a dead end for Qi Sheng.

Qi Sheng looked at Wei Zhang in disbelief.

Wei Zhang curled his lips and watched from the sidelines.

Qi Sheng was furious, but he had come prepared to die.

With a determined effort, he rammed his head against the stone pillar in front of the imperial bed.

As he brushed past Wei Zhang, a calm voice came from beside him, "It seems that Lord Qi is truly wronged."

Wei Zhang sighed and bowed deeply to the emperor in the main hall. "Your Majesty, I request that the three judicial departments jointly conduct a thorough investigation of the Lu and Qi prefectures to clear the names of the two officials."

Qi Sheng's forehead had just touched the stone pillar when he heard Wei Zhang's resounding words.

His expression changed, and he suddenly turned his head. "You brat, you think you can confiscate my property?"

“It’s not about confiscating property, it’s about a thorough investigation.” Seeing his disapproving expression, Wei Zhang added, “Why don’t we conduct a complete investigation of the entire Lu and Qi families, spanning three generations of ancestors and two generations of descendants?”

"What wrong have my ancestors and descendants done? Do you want to kill them?"

"Lord Qi has misunderstood. Lords Lu and Qi have been loyal for generations. We should conduct a thorough investigation to prevent our reputation from being ruined by someone like Wei who cannot distinguish right from wrong."

"Wei Zhang, stop wagging your tongue..."

"Your Majesty!"

Wei Zhang spoke in a deep voice, facing only a beaded curtain in the main hall.

Behind the beaded curtain, the young emperor was terminally ill. His frail body lay on the imperial bed, so thin that he was almost invisible.

The young emperor coughed lightly twice.

Immediately, Eunuch Liu stepped out from behind the curtain, presenting the imperial seal with both hands, and said in a high-pitched voice, "His Majesty's words are law, and Minister Wei's words are granted!"

But the young emperor hadn't even had a chance to speak, so how could he have given permission?

Qi Sheng, who had been absent from the court for a long time, was taken aback and paused for a moment in surprise.

The other officials, accustomed to this, knelt and bowed as instructed, shouting "Long live the Emperor!"

Wei Zhang straightened up and looked back at the officials behind him.

"Who still has a grievance? Report it!"

In the center of the hall, a black python robe trailed on the ground, its python patterns rising like clouds, soaring upwards.

His sharp eyes swept around behind him.

There was complete silence behind me.

That dignified and unyielding gaze was so penetrating that even from a distance of a hundred feet, across a sea of ​​people, Xue Lanyi's heart trembled.

She had a feeling that someone in the main hall had glanced at her.

She is feeling very confused right now.

It was already noon, and if everything had gone smoothly, the court session should have ended long ago.

However, at this moment, the gates of the Golden Palace remained tightly closed, and the stalemate was still ongoing.

How can Wei Zhang win?

Amidst her chaotic thoughts, Xue Lanyi suddenly realized that she could only threaten Qi and Lu's descendants.

These two men were already old, yet they dared to remonstrate with the emperor to the death in court, not because they had a clear conscience, but because if they died as loyal ministers, they would most likely not have their homes confiscated.

They simply wanted to exchange their own deaths for the wealth and glory bestowed upon their descendants.

Therefore, if Wei Zhang could propose investigating Qi Sheng's entire clan before Qi Sheng died, it would be tantamount to seizing Qi Sheng's vital point.

If we were to thoroughly investigate treacherous officials like Qi and Lu, I'm afraid their ancestors and descendants would all be implicated, and the more we investigate, the more crimes they would uncover.

In this situation, Qi Sheng would rather admit to the crime of slandering the former crown prince than have his entire clan thoroughly investigated and wiped out, losing all their lives.

I wonder if Wei Zhang would do that.

Could Wei Zhang have thought of the breakthrough that Xue Lanyi could come up with?

Xue Lanyi stared intently at the Taihe Gate, her tightly clenched hands unconsciously turning her knuckles white.

We won!

Suddenly, a loud shout came from the front of the crowd.

The messenger, emerging from the rising sun in the distance, waved his arms and ran toward the crowd, shouting, "Gentlemen, Qi Sheng has confessed!"

"The Duke of Wei has won! The Duke of Wei has won!"

"The Crown Prince is innocent! The Crown Prince is innocent!"

One shout after another came like a surging tide, each wave higher than the last.

The voices echoed and overlapped in the empty square, like a dream.

It's so unreal.

Six years have passed, and countless people have appealed for justice, hoping to clear their names and hear the words "innocent."

However, in the end, it was a desperate gamble that failed completely.

Now, the words "The Crown Prince is innocent" have finally resonated in broad daylight.

The crowd stood still, completely silent.

When the thing you've been longing for day and night finally comes true, the strongest reaction is silence.

It cannot be described with actions or words.

They dared not make a sound, for fear of shattering their beautiful dream.

In complete silence, a series of synchronized footsteps approached the Taihe Gate tower.

Eunuch Liu, who was by the emperor's side, led the ceremonial guard and stood by the white marble railing.

With a flick of his whisk, he unfurled the bright yellow imperial edict, cleared his throat, and said, "By the mandate of Heaven..."

Everyone stared silently at the two-story pavilion.

Eunuch Liu glared at them sharply, "Kneel down now, you bunch of bastards..."

He didn't say anything more after that.

For six years, the scholars, who were used to being called traitors and rebels, were not angry. Instead, they were flattered and knelt down one after another.

Xue Lanyi also followed suit and touched the ground.

A shrill voice came from the high pavilion: "Your Majesty, it has been found that the charges of treason against the former Crown Prince Mu Qinghong were all fabricated. The Crown Prince is benevolent and filial, and he is prudent in his conduct. From this day forward, he shall be reinstated to his position as Crown Prince and his status as heir apparent shall be restored."

Each word echoed powerfully across the vast square.

The surroundings were quiet, but Xue Lanyi could feel the rise and fall of the breathing of the people around her, their emotions surging like the waters of a river.

There was a second imperial edict: "From this day forward, all those implicated in the Crown Prince case shall be pardoned and exonerated. Those who already hold official positions shall be selected based on merit. Scholars may continue their studies. The deceased... shall be allowed to be buried in peace and to receive incense offerings."

The air seemed to freeze as the last sentence was uttered.

In an instant, the pent-up emotions erupted into shouts of "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

The sound waves grew louder and louder, and the cheers rose and fell incessantly.

Everyone finally believed that this was not a dream.

They cheered and jumped for joy, even tossing the eunuch who came to deliver the imperial edict into the air.

The sky was clear and blue, and the sunlight was dazzling.

For months, with its continuous rain, the sky over Dayong has never been so clear.

Han Yu ripped off the cloth bundle, and his four good friends could finally see the clear sky over Dayong.

He held the memorial tablet high above his head, letting them see the clear blue sky.

To Xue Lanyi's surprise, those around her, like Han Yu, took out memorial tablets from their clothes and bundles, held them high, and faced the blazing sun.

The character "殁" written in gold on the memorial tablet reflected light.

Like scattered stars, they converge into a sea.

Their children, husbands, and friends—the secrets they had kept hidden away—can finally stand in the sunlight and openly look at the plaque inscribed "Jianji Suiyou" on the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Xue Lanyi's vision was filled with one memorial tablet after another.

She never imagined that one day she would stand among hundreds or thousands of dark memorial tablets.

Surrounded by so many unjustly killed souls, she felt no fear, but instead felt a hope for life amidst death.

All the dead are reborn at this moment, and all the living are redeemed at this moment.

Xue Lanyi looked around at the countless memorial tablets and listened to them singing cheerful songs.

This was the first time she had personally experienced that vibrant emotion flowing between strangers.

Such emotions are contagious and can spread.

They were strangers to each other, but their emotions wove a net that tightly bound them together.

Xue Lanyi suddenly remembered that the young general was besieged in Gaochang County for five days and five nights that year, and there was no news of him.

She spent five days and five nights in the capital worrying and unable to sleep.

When she saw the young general again, he had returned to the capital in triumph, thin and bony, yet exuding an indescribable air of triumph.

I heard that in the midst of a blizzard, he took off his cloak and gave it to his deputy, and distributed all his rations to the wounded. He himself did not eat or drink, and stood guard over his soldiers on the battlements for five days and five nights, wearing only a thin shirt.

In fact, with his skills, he could have broken through the encirclement on his own.

The boy insisted on joining forces with that group, sharing life and death.

But before he left, he had clearly promised Xue Lanyi that he would not act recklessly or get hurt.

Because he broke his promise, Xue Lanyi did not go to pick him up on the day he returned to the capital.

At that time, General Wei hadn't even had time to take off his armor, nor had he gone to see the emperor. He dragged his injured leg and limped to the princess's residence.

He followed behind her, explaining the situation repeatedly.

He said that when millions of people were fighting alongside him, he couldn't think about his own safety, or even about Xue Lanyi, who was thousands of miles away.

The soldiers sang, "How can we say we have no clothes? We share the same robes with you."

In that high spirit, he was one with his soldiers.

The bond of sharing joys and sorrows is above all else, including romantic love.

Xue Lanyi didn't understand, and she argued with him for quite a while because of this.

Now, Xue Lanyi stands in the crowd, feeling the surge of emotions in everyone and realizing that she is one of them.

She suddenly understood Wei Xuan's feelings.

She suddenly wondered if she could give up her own feelings and sacrifice her personal love for her children in order to fulfill the hopes of many more people?

She didn't want to keep rescuing each other endlessly and constantly on the run with Wei Xuan.

He also didn't want to continue arguing with Wei Zhang, which would only cause more people to suffer.

It's time to put an end to everything.

She looked up at the azure sky and the white clouds.

The rising sun pierced through the gloom in my heart in an instant.

The world is vast, and there are many things to do. Why confine yourself to personal feelings?

“Princess Zhaoyang, we’ve set up a banquet in Xishui Lane to celebrate. Would you like to join us?” Han Yu held five spirit tablets in one hand and extended the other to her, warmly inviting her.

"Okay! I'll go!"

Xue Lanyi's eyes lit up, and without hesitation, she extended her hand to Han Yu.

Suddenly, a cold glint landed on the back of her hand.

Xue Lanyi's hand trembled, and she instinctively withdrew it, looking in the direction of that cold glint.

On the white marble imperial road just ten steps away, Wei Zhang sat high on his horse, his somber gaze fixed on her and Han Yu's hands that were about to clasp together.

Wei Zhang was surprised to see Xue Lanyi there. He paused for a moment, then turned the reins and drove toward her.

He always had a cold and stern expression. When he walked towards the crowd, the oppressive aura he exuded was like a dark cloud, and the noisy crowd instantly fell silent.

Everyone bowed and kowtowed.

Han Yu was also startled. She quickly withdrew her hand and knelt on the ground.

The crowd spontaneously moved to the sides of the road, making way for Wei Zhang's horse, which led directly to Xue Lanyi.

Wei Zhang's horse hoofbeats were crisp.

With each person who passed by, they would kowtow and respectfully shout, "Long live the Duke! Long live the Duke!"

The people present used to hate and fear him.

Because after the young emperor ascended the throne, Wei Zhang was also one of the main forces pursuing the crown prince's faction.

Now, they respect and thank him.

Regardless of the past, at this moment, today, it is Wei Zhang who has exonerated them, and only Wei Zhang can exonerate them.

Wei Zhang became their hero.

They were genuinely grateful to Wei Zhang, and everyone treated him with utmost respect.

However, Wei Zhang's gaze was always focused on one thing: Xue Lanyi at the end of the road.

He had clearly seen Xue Lanyi's eyes sparkle as she reached out her hand to the scholar.

It's as if she can smile brightly and freely at everyone.

But the moment they saw him, the liveliness on their faces vanished, their bodies became wary, and their faces turned ashen.

He's not even as good as a scholar.

Wei Zhang was somewhat displeased, especially when he saw her about to hold someone else's hand. He had an impulse to pull her onto his horse.

But in the end, he suppressed his emotions and said gently, "Come here."

The man reached out his hand to her.

The finger bones are clearly defined, and the gold-patterned jade thumb ring on the thumb gleams with a faint golden light in the sunlight, like snake scales.

It was cold and aloof, and unapproachable.