After leaving the Xiongnu tent, Mu Zi'an's mind kept replaying Pei Shaozhu's voice.
It wouldn't be surprising at all if Prime Minister Du Yuheng was involved in the plot to murder his own father.
After all, his father was ambushed on his way to war, and the person who could leak the marching route and plan this must be of high rank and power.
Mu Zian took a deep breath, and at this moment, a pieced-together truth had surfaced in his mind.
Since Xiao Yu was not the crown prince, the throne should have been irrelevant to him.
It was his own father who led troops into the Eastern Palace, killed the Crown Prince, and then forced the late emperor to abdicate in favor of Xiao Yu.
In this process, his father must have killed countless members of the princeling faction.
It has also affected the interests of many parties.
Once Xiao Yu ascends the throne and becomes emperor, he will inevitably settle scores with him.
Behind these princelings are countless powerful and influential families.
Years of investment vanished overnight; even the most vengeful spirits would find it unbearable.
They dared not harbor resentment towards Xiao Yu, who had already proclaimed himself emperor.
Naturally, she placed all the blame on her father.
In addition, his father had the power to oversee all officials, and his long-standing influence in the court naturally made him countless enemies.
The combination of various factors led to the ambush that took place on that day.
Du Yuheng orchestrated the scheme behind the scenes, with the Pei family joining forces with other powerful clans to provide funding, and the Six Burial Hall making the move.
This deadly trap was set only at the very end.
The whole affair involves far more than just one or two families.
Mu Zian felt a headache coming on; his father, whom he had never met, had really left him with a huge problem.
However, the more challenging something was, the more excited Mu Zian became.
Since it's such a rare opportunity to travel through time, wouldn't it be a waste not to turn the world upside down?
Above the sky, the rain poured down again, as if to wash away the bloodstains within the capital of Dali.
Mu Zian naturally didn't need to handle the finishing touches.
Han Shizhong borrowed Jieli Khan from Mu Zian.
With this Khan in hand, the Xiongnu within the capital city completely lost any will to resist.
In front of the palace gates, Mu Zian, Xiao Xiuning, and Liu Rushi reunited.
Although it was only a few months apart, it felt like a lifetime had passed.
Before the three could exchange pleasantries, the palace gates behind them burst open.
Eunuch Cao hurriedly walked out of the inner door and spoke.
"His Majesty summons the Ninth Princess and the Duke of Zhenguo to an audience."
Liu Rushi spoke up on her own initiative.
"I will return to the manor and wait for you, young master."
Liu Rushi was naturally aware of the bigger picture. Although the upheaval in the capital had ended, it had still disturbed the emperor's presence, and he would naturally hold her accountable.
Led by Eunuch Cao, the two made their way to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
The palace and the outside world are like two different worlds.
While fighting raged outside the city, peace reigned within.
The two entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
At this moment, almost all the court officials had arrived.
Xiao Yu slowly opened his eyes on the dragon throne.
Li Jiuxuan had already told Xiao Yu what had happened tonight.
It's fair to say that if Mu Zian hadn't arrived in time, everyone present tonight might have become prisoners of the Xiongnu.
"Your subject, Mu Zian, pays his respects to Your Majesty!"
"Your subject Xiao Xiuning pays respects to Your Majesty."
The two knelt on one knee and spoke in unison.
Xiao Yu said calmly.
"Rise."
"Thank you, Your Majesty/Father."
After the two stood up, they realized that there was a figure kneeling in the center of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Xiao Xiuning looked closely and realized that the figure was none other than the Third Prince Xiao Mei, who had previously escaped and then been captured.
At this moment, Xiao Mei had completely lost the arrogance she had shown as a prince.
He knelt on the ground, trembling uncontrollably, like a drowned quail.
Xiao Yu rested his chin on his hand and looked at Xiao Mei, who was kneeling on the ground, and asked.
"Mei'er, do you know your crime?"
"They massacred the imperial guards, secretly released the Xiongnu into the capital, and coerced the people to abandon the city and flee."
With each word Xiao Yu spoke, his voice grew colder and more stern.
As soon as she finished speaking, Xiao Mei trembled and leaned even lower.
"Please, Father, spare my life! Your son... Your son would never have committed such a grave mistake!"
Everyone inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation was terrified; Xiao Yu's oppressive presence as an emperor was too strong.
"Minister Sun, what is your punishment for this?"
As soon as Xiao Yu finished speaking, Sun Ning, the Minister of Justice, quickly stepped forward.
His face was also grim at this moment; how did this hot potato end up in his hands?
But he had no way out at the moment, Zhi Neng said, bracing himself for the worst.
"Your Majesty, according to... according to... according to the laws of Dali, he should be executed!"
These words immediately caused an uproar.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Mei, who was kneeling on the ground, seemed to have her soul drained away, and her body collapsed to the ground like a puddle of mud.
At this moment, Prime Minister Du Yuheng stepped forward and spoke.
"Your Majesty, please consider that this is the Third Prince's first offense and spare his life!"
As soon as Du Yuheng finished speaking, a group of ministers immediately knelt down and said...
"Please, Your Majesty, spare the life of the Third Prince."
Xiao Yu remained calm on the dragon throne, then turned his gaze to Mu Zi'an.
"What does the Duke of Zhenguo think?"
Mu Zian, who was enjoying the melon, was stunned and suddenly felt numb.
Although, according to the law, the Third Prince's crime was absolutely punishable by death.
However, the final interpretation of the law rests with the person sitting on the dragon throne.
At this moment, Mu Zian couldn't quite figure out Xiao Yu's thoughts.
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