The prince did not spend too much time thinking about burning the drawings.

Regardless of whether Su Zhilan's guilt can be proven, it is a fact that Song Hongshen took her to the Ministry of Works.

Based on this point, he could find a way to implicate Song Hongshen in this matter to the greatest extent possible.

Even if the Ministry of Works could redraw the blueprints, my father had lost his trust in Song Hongshen.

He has already arranged someone to replace Song Hongshen, and someone will naturally make suggestions to his father when the time comes.

Everything was going well, but he hadn't anticipated that Su Zhilan could draw blueprints.

The prince was holding his breath, but at the moment, let alone punishing Song Hongshen, he was afraid that Liu Chen could not be saved.

He could only comfort himself that this was just the beginning, and the final killing move would be the one that would kill the Song family in one blow.

At this time, Rong Hai was explaining to the emperor that without Su Zhilan, their progress would not be so fast, and many aspects would not be so perfect.

According to Rong Hai, the biggest contributor to the preliminary preparations for the new warship was actually Su Zhilan.

After Rong Hai finished speaking, Emperor Xuande looked at Liu Chen coldly, "Tell me, are what you said before true?"

"You are full of lies and are simply deceiving me."

After hearing the last sentence, Emperor Xuande's momentum suddenly increased, and Liu Chen fell to his knees with a thud.

"Your Majesty, minister..."

He was at a loss for words and stammered for a moment.

Emperor Xuande could tell at a glance that Liu Chen was guilty and that it was clearly a deliberate frame-up.

Seeing this, the Crown Prince also stepped forward with a cold face and said angrily, "Master Liu, you must swear to me that you saw all these things with your own eyes."

"Because you have followed me for many years, I trust you deeply, so I don't doubt what you said."

"If you are truly lying, you'd better explain it to me. Because of you, I almost framed King Chungyong."

The prince cleared himself of all charges with just a few words. He also implicitly threatened Liu Chen, telling him to find a reason to take the blame.

Liu Chen couldn't handle this kind of thing. If he was taken away by Shen Zhixiu and interrogated somewhere, he might not know what he was going to reveal.

So the best way is to find a reason to confess on the spot.

Of course, Liu Chen didn't dare to implicate the crown prince. If one person took the blame, he could still save his family. But if the crown prince was implicated, then his Liu family would be finished.

After the prince's scolding, Liu Chen's mind became much clearer.

After a moment he said, "Your Majesty, I plead guilty."

Liu Chen actually found a reason, saying that two years ago, the King of Loyalty and Bravery once rode his horse in the street and almost hurt her daughter.

Moreover, the eldest daughter of the Song family had quarreled with his daughter several times, and he had long harbored hatred in his heart.

So this time in the Ministry of Works, when he saw Song Hongshen taking Su Zhilan there, he suddenly had the idea of teaching King Zhongyong a lesson.

But Song Hongshen and others did not believe what he said. It was obvious that Liu Chen was a scapegoat thrown out by the prince.

"Master Liu, what you said is not credible. When did I ride my horse and commit a crime, nearly injuring someone? Why didn't you tell me then?"

"And the dispute between the young girls, did Lord Liu take it to heart?"

Song Hongshen felt that Liu Chen's excuse was not a good one. It was probably because the matter was too sudden and he was not prepared.

But Liu Chen suddenly looked up at Song Hongshen with a sarcastic sneer on his face.

"King Chungyong is of noble birth, so riding a horse in the street is perfectly normal for him. Even if he nearly hurt someone, who would dare to say anything?"

"What is the status of the eldest daughter of the Song family? You call it a dispute, but it's just bullying. I come from a poor family and have no backing. Who dares to question it?"

"I come from a humble background. I studied diligently for over a decade, carefully and cautiously working my way up to where I am today. I can't compare to a son of an aristocratic family like the King of Loyalty and Valor, who was crowned a king and prime minister by relying on the legacy of his ancestors."

"Rootless country folk like us are destined to be bullied and exploited."

"Today, I accept my fate. Your Majesty will decide whether to execute me or chop me up. I only ask Your Majesty not to implicate my wife, children, and elders, and give them a chance to live."

When he said the last sentence, Liu Chen's voice choked and he knelt on the ground.

These words seem to be talking about Song Hongshen, but they are also alluding to the matter of being a scapegoat today.

Song Hong was very angry, but there was nothing he could do.

If he were Liu Chen, he would also take on the responsibility alone to protect his family. This is human nature.

However, Song Hongshen was unable to vent his anger, especially when he saw the slight smug look on the prince's face, which made him even more furious.

"Lord Liu, I was crowned king through military exploits. I risked my life to secure this future."

"From what Lord Liu said, could it be that he is mocking His Royal Highness the Crown Prince? Speaking of relying on the legacy of his ancestors, who has enjoyed such a rich legacy as His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"

Emperor Xuande was also wondering how much the prince was involved in this matter.

But Song Hongshen's words made Emperor Xuande unhappy.

After all, the crown prince is still the heir to the throne, and there is no reason for him to make sarcastic remarks.

Even if the prince really lacked virtue, it was he who issued the decree to depose him, and there was no reason for the court officials to interfere.

He gave Song Hongshen a deep look and said in a cold tone, "How dare you."

Shen Zhixiu gave Song Hongshen a look, signaling him to stop. Enraging the emperor would not benefit the Song family.

Song Hongshen suppressed the anger in his heart, but sooner or later he would find the prince to settle accounts with him for what happened today.

Emperor Xuande added, "Liu Chen deliberately framed Prince Zhongyong and Miss Su out of personal grudges. He is dismissed from office and investigated."

"Take him away first."

Shen Zhixiu knew that the emperor didn't want to delve into this further. Whether or not the crown prince had a hand in this matter wasn't important. At least the emperor hadn't made up his mind yet to change the crown prince.

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