The Imperial Study was deathly silent.
Zhou Xuance would cough a few times, then pick up his tea and drink water to soothe his throat.
The third prince knelt on the ground, and the signed confession was laid out in front of him. Every word pointed at him, and he was so terrified that he trembled all over.
The crown prince suppressed his anger and picked up the testimony and statement.
"Third brother!" he gritted his teeth and said, "It was you who ordered him to kill me, it was you."
No, it wasn't me.
“Our usual rivalries are nothing more than minor squabbles between brothers, but I never dreamed that you would try to kill me. We are brothers.”
The prince was not injured, but poisoned.
His emotions were running high, triggering the toxins in his body, and he felt his blood surging...
He actually vomited a large mouthful of black blood!
"Are you all dead? Quickly find the imperial physician!" Emperor Xiaoxuan roared outside.
"Brother, I have some pills here. Just take one."
Zhou Xuance took out a small porcelain bottle from his person, and after the dark pills were mixed with water and swallowed, the Crown Prince's condition indeed improved a lot.
Before the Crown Prince could catch his breath, he knelt on the ground and said, "Father, I have fought against the wind and rain for the Great Gan army in the south, and I have never complained to you. If I die at the hands of the barbarians, I will have sacrificed my life for the country without any regrets!"
"But I have already defeated the barbarians, yet I never expected to be betrayed by those close to me."
"I beg you to give me justice!"
The Crown Prince and the Third Prince had been fighting for many years, so naturally the Crown Prince wanted to bring him down.
Now the opportunity is before us...
Cause him to be poisoned,
He must use this incident to completely crush him!
Emperor Xiaoxuan already cherished the crown prince, and seeing him like this, his eyes were filled with even more pity.
"Don't worry, I will definitely stand up for you."
"Your subject only asks for the truth. Even if I die, let me die knowing the truth!"
"What unlucky things are you saying? Father will definitely not let anything happen to you."
The Crown Prince could only smile wryly as he glanced at his own imperial uncle.
The imperial uncle had been poisoned for many years and had sought out famous doctors everywhere, but to no avail.
I fear I will end up like him.
Therefore, he would never let his third brother go!
He must pay the price.
The Empress knelt down at this moment. "Your Majesty, Yuanheng is a child you watched grow up. Don't you know his temperament and character?"
"He has always respected his elder brother, the Crown Prince, so why would he harm him!"
"There must be some misunderstanding here. Please be clear about this. Don't let that vile woman drive a wedge between you two, father and son."
...
"Yes, Father, this man is colluding with barbarians and is definitely not one of my people." The Third Prince's voice trembled as he turned to look at Wu Bingzhi. "Lord Wu, we have a long-standing relationship. Why would you want to harm me?"
Wu Bingzhi remained calm: "Your Highness, please don't worry, the witnesses and evidence will be here soon."
As they were speaking, people from the Dali Temple began to escort Judge Xiahou Yuan into the hall.
Shen Zhiyi had only heard of Xiahou Yuan before, because in her previous life, he had betrayed his country after the defeat of the Great Gan War and was a traitor despised by everyone. This was the first time she had met him in person.
He had an ordinary-looking face, but as a military general, he was more robust than the average person.
He was wearing clean prison clothes, but there was blood seeping through them.
Two guards dragged him in. His kneecaps had been dislocated, and he could not bend or straighten his legs. He could only lie on the ground with his fingernails pulled out and his hands covered in blood.
This face is even more unbearable to look at.
When the Dali Temple interrogates prisoners, it always has to use some methods.
Traitors should not be shown any mercy.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!" Xiahou Yuan's voice trembled.
"Speak! Who ordered you to murder my crown prince!" Emperor Xiaoxuan clenched his fists, barely suppressing his anger.
Xiahou Yuan looked up, glanced around, and finally fixed his gaze on the Third Prince.
Why are you looking at me like that!
The third prince's face turned deathly pale with fear. "Father, this matter really has nothing to do with me."
"The letters I exchanged with the Third Prince are still in a secret compartment in the study of the mansion." Xiahou Yuan prostrated himself on the ground. "Your Majesty, the Third Prince promised me that he has dealings with the Southern Frontier and that once the matter is settled, he will arrange for me to go there and guarantee me a life of wealth and honor."
The Crown Prince's face was filled with disbelief: "Third brother, it really is you!"
"You want my life, I don't care, but you're colluding with barbarians, that's treason. For your own selfish gain, do you want to ruin my father's empire?"
After years of fighting, he naturally understood what his father cared about.
He might not care about the open and covert struggles between brothers.
But colluding with foreign powers endangers the kingdom.
He would never tolerate this.
He knew all too well how to crush his third brother, who was known for striking at the snake's vital spot.
The Third Prince also became anxious, "Nonsense! I am the Prince of Daqian, how could I collude with barbarians?"
“You are indeed a prince, but you are not the crown prince!” Xiahou Yuan said bluntly.
"You scoundrel, who ordered you to slander the prince!" The Empress seemed somewhat embarrassed and angry. "Guards, slap me!"
The words had barely left her lips when the Empress Dowager said in a deep voice, "Empress!"
"Mother, Empress Dowager..."
"With both Your Majesty and I present, are you planning to smash his mouth in front of us and silence him?"
The Empress Dowager spoke sharply and sternly, her face also cold and somber.
Today's events have also greatly angered her.
"Your daughter-in-law has no such intention." The Empress knelt on the ground. "Mother, Yuan Heng has always been filial and obedient. He would never collude with foreign powers. Someone must be trying to harm him."
The third prince also knelt down and echoed.
Wu Bingzhi had already ordered someone to present the correspondence between the two.
Since he dared to impeach the prince at the palace banquet, he must have had sufficient evidence. Since the royal family was involved, he was also extremely cautious.
"Your Majesty, I originally intended to report this matter to you after the victory banquet, but upon hearing that you had handed over military power to the Third Prince, I could not help but interrupt the banquet."
If military power had not changed hands, Wu Bingzhi would not have been in such a hurry.
“These were all found in Xiahou Yuan’s residence. Your humble servant has sent people to compare the handwriting and the servant who helped deliver the letters between the two men. They are now being held in the Dali Temple prison, ready to be summoned by you at any time.”
Emperor Xiaoxuan did not read the contents of the letter; he simply had difficulty breathing and his face turned ashen.
"Zhou Yuanheng, what else do you have to say!"
"I usually turn a blind eye to what you do, as long as you don't go too far, I don't care."
"Forming cliques and factions for personal gain..."
He threw the letters directly in his face. Several of them flew out, and one landed at the Regent's feet. The Regent actually bent down, picked it up, and opened it to take a look.
"Xiahou Yuan has been passing on a lot of news from my army to you."
“I even told you when and where I trained my troops.”
Zhou Xuance chuckled coldly, "Good nephew, spying on military secrets—these things, by all accounts, should only be known to my elder brother besides me. Could it be…?"
"You truly covet the imperial power!"
His voice was mild.
But the words were sharp, delivering a fatal blow!
Shen Zhiyi pursed her lips:
This regent is really ruthless; he seems to be afraid that the third prince isn't dead enough.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
