"What do you mean, my brother?" Chu Hong showed a hurt look at the right time. "The evidence is irrefutable. Do you think that your brother and Prime Minister Xie have teamed up to bite you back?"

All the officials present looked at each other in bewilderment. Gu Tingyuan immediately advised, "Your Majesty, the evidence is irrefutable. Your Highness has violated the law. However, considering the relationship between father and son, I think he should be temporarily detained in the Imperial Clan Court and allowed to be investigated by the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court, so as to avoid... wrongly accusing the crown prince."

His words were flawless, not only making his position clear, but also leaving enough room for the emperor. But his shrewd eyes swept over Chu Hong and Xie Yunqi without leaving a trace.

As expected, the King of Chu looked at the blood-stained token, then at the weeping prince, his eyes blazing with anger: "The token can be forged, then what about the confession of this guard?"

He threw the testimony to the ground: "He confessed himself that he was following the orders of the East Palace!"

Concubine Xie grabbed the confession and saw the blood stains on it. She cried out, "Your Majesty, this must have been a confession under torture, or someone bribed the guards. You know Lang'er's character. He is already the crown prince, how could he take this risk to frame the legitimate princess?"

But Gu Tingyuan questioned at the right time: "Your Highness, what you said is wrong. Although His Royal Highness is the crown prince, he has repeatedly disagreed with the princess in terms of politics. During the court meeting a few days ago, His Royal Highness also rejected the princess's disaster relief plan in public. Everyone in the court can testify to this."

He turned to the King of Chu, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I think this is no accident. The Crown Prince first sent someone to spread the false news that Prime Minister Xie was seriously injured, led the princess to the dangerous place alone, and then set up the black bear trap, which clearly wanted to put the princess to death!"

Upon hearing this, Concubine Xie turned pale and screamed, "Gu Tingyuan! You are slandering me!"

The prince also knelt on the ground, begging for mercy: "Father, this was not done by me. Someone must have framed me!"

At this time, Xie Yunqi took a step forward and shot a cold look at Chu Lang: "Your Highness, are you trying to say that I forged evidence to frame you?"

Chu Lang was speechless and didn't know how to refute for a moment.

Emperor Chu also laughed out of anger, "Well... my good prince! How dare you take advantage of Qingluan's kindness and lure her into the game?!"

After the King of Chu finished speaking, he instantly felt a fishy-sweet taste rising up in his throat, and he almost fell down.

Yao Jinzhong immediately stepped forward and supported his body.

Emperor Chu took a deep breath, and after a long while, he solemnly announced:

"Crown Prince Chu Lang has plotted to murder the emperor's sister and framed loyal officials. From today on, his position as crown prince will be abolished and he will be taken to the clan court for strict trial!"

"Father! I am innocent!" Chu Lang collapsed to the ground in an instant, tears streaming down his face.

Chu Hong raised his lips slightly, stepped forward at the right time, and saluted respectfully: "Father, you are wise!"

Emperor Chu looked at him deeply and said in a cold voice: "Third Prince Chu Hong, for your meritorious reporting, will be canonized as King Rui from today and granted Youzhou as his fiefdom."

Chu Hong immediately knelt down and saluted: "I thank you for your grace, father. I will do my best to assist you and protect the country of Great Chu."

Xie Yunqi watched coldly from the side and noticed a glimpse of complacency in Chu Hong's lowered eyes.

But Concubine Xie had already fainted on the ground and was carried out by palace servants.

——

Coming out of the hunting ground, Xie Yunqi walked straight into the Xie family villa with a long sword in hand.

It was late autumn at that time, and the leaves of the sycamore trees in the yard were rustling.

“Squeak!”

The door was opened, and Xie Yunqi walked into the yard expressionlessly, as if he had turned into a god of death, with the sword in his hand still dripping with blood.

That was the blood of the secret guard in the old lady's hand.

“Brother!”

After Xie Rou heard the news, she hurriedly took a carriage to the villa. As soon as she got off the car, she saw Xie Yunqi, who was killing gods and Buddhas. She was horrified.

"Brother!" She lifted her skirt and ran quickly to Xie Yunqi, putting her hands in front of him.

"I know you hate your grandmother, but please... calm down and don't get stained with the blood of your loved ones!"

Xie Yunqi pretended not to hear her and continued walking forward, even raising his sword to her heart. The cold light on the sword's edge reflected his pale face.

“Get out of the way!”

"You should have thought of today when you handed over the fake token."

"I'm stupid!" Xie Rou suddenly knelt down, tears dripping onto the bluestone slabs: "I thought grandma just wanted to force you to turn back, but I didn't expect she would assassinate the princess!"

"Rou'er, get out of the way!"

At this moment, the carved door behind her was pushed open with a "bang", and the old lady strode out with an agarwood cane.

Her silver hair was still combed meticulously, and her old eyes were extremely sharp under the golden hairband.

"I want to see if this ungrateful evildoer dares to really kill his own parents!"

Behind him, Madam Xie leaned against the door frame, her face pale as she called out, "Qi'er..."

Xie Yunqi's sword didn't move at all, his voice was as cold as ice: "Grandma is so calculating. First she used a fake token to deceive my little sister, and then she sent assassins to assassinate the princess. Now that things have come to this, do you really think that your grandson will care about this blood relationship?"

The old lady slammed her cane on the ground heavily: "I have known for a long time that you are cold-blooded in your bones, but for the sake of the great cause of the Xie family, I do not regret doing this. Only when Chu Qingluan dies, there is hope for our Xie family..."

"But Chu Lang has been abolished!"

Xie Yunqi suddenly raised his eyes and interrupted her with a smile, "It was my grandson who provided the evidence. Chu Lang has been imprisoned in the clan residence. Without my grandson's approval, he will never be able to get out in this lifetime."

After she finished speaking, the old lady seemed to be frozen in place, her face full of disbelief.

"What did you say?"

A quarter of an hour ago, she had just received news that Chu Qingluan, the beauty who brought disaster, was missing and her life or death was unknown. Pei Yuan had also fallen off the cliff.

That secret guard is clearly invincible, and coupled with the power that the Eastern Palace has built up over the years, the evidence must be obliterated.

Why still?

Xie Yunqi slowly walked to the old lady, with a cruel smile on his lips: "What? The heir who was carefully cultivated by grandma is gone just like that?"

He leaned forward and said word by word, "All the chips you bet on the prince - the Xie family's assets, the iron mines in the north, and your most beloved granddaughter sent to the East Palace to be the crown princess..."

"Wave!"

Xie Yunqi stretched out his hand and poked in the air, as if he had popped an invisible bubble.

“All gone!”

"How is it? Grandma, are you satisfied now?"

When the old lady heard this, her pupils suddenly dilated, the cane in her hand fell to the ground with a clang, and her skinny hands tightly grasped Xie Yunqi's collar.

"You... are crazy!"

The smile on Xie Yunqi's face became more cruel, "Grandma can't stand it?"

He slowly pulled out a bright yellow imperial edict from his bosom and said, "I'm afraid that for this next piece of news, I'll have to call the imperial physician to stay by your side in advance."

The old lady was stunned, watching Xie Yunqi's thin lips opening and closing, revealing a fact that she could not accept at all.