Chen Zhiyi's breath hitched.
Treason!
Just like in the previous life, could it be that the Shen family is ultimately unable to avoid disaster?
Apart from Shen Muzhi, the rest of the Shen family members remained relatively calm. Only Shen Muzhi looked astonished, shocked, and surprised, so angry that he wanted to smash Shen Muzhi's mouth.
"That old beast..." He was so angry that his face turned ashen.
But Song Maozhang remained resolute. Relying on the Emperor's presence, the Shen family dared not act rashly and kowtowed again:
"What I have said is absolutely true. I humbly request Your Majesty to send men to search the Duke's mansion!"
"Lord Song, how can you search the Duke's mansion with just a few words!" Shen Chongde was no fool, and he stepped forward and kicked Song Maozhang.
He used all his strength in that kick.
He was sent flying several meters away, crashing into the threshold on the side, where he actually vomited a mouthful of blood.
Still not satisfied, he went forward and kicked her twice more.
The palace guards tried to stop them.
But they were born in a time of peace and had never experienced the horrors of war, so how could they possibly stop Shen Chongde?
One kick,
Take a kick,
His eyes were cold, but his expression was arrogant, as if he wanted to crush him into mud.
Song Maozhang was powerless to fight back, and no one dared to stop him.
His murderous aura sent chills down everyone's spines.
"Father!" The brothers Shen Jingchuan and Shen Muzhi rushed forward to stop them, but these two brothers were quite amusing. They said they were trying to break up the fight, but each of them "accidentally" kicked Song Maozhang a few times.
He was beaten until he screamed in agony.
After kicking, Shen Chongde turned around and knelt down:
"Your Majesty, please forgive me, I am truly outraged!"
"The Song family has repeatedly humiliated my children. They just came to apologize a few days ago, and now they dare to accuse my Shen family of treason? If it were any other crime, I would not be so angry, but treason..."
"This is an utter insult to the entire Shen family, a family of loyal martyrs!"
"We humbly beg Your Majesty to grant our Shen family justice."
Song Maozhang had also gotten up from the ground.
"Your Majesty, the Duke of Shen has gone too far. He dared to beat up a court official in front of you. He clearly has no respect for you."
"Look at the state he has left in my body!"
"If someone dares to act so presumptuously in front of you, it shows how arrogant they are in private."
"They only dare to be so arrogant because they have some military merits!"
“Your Majesty,” Shen Zhiyi stepped forward, “Since I married into the Song family, I have served my parents-in-law and managed both the internal and external affairs, but I have been so humiliated. After the divorce, the Song family has continued to harass me. Now, Lord Song has even disrupted my brother’s wedding banquet. I beg Your Majesty to do justice for the Shen family.”
The Song family's intention to bully Shen Zhi was prior.
No one mentioned Shen Chongde's assault, so Emperor Xiaoxuan could only suppress the matter and looked at Song Maozhang, "Tell me, does the Duke's Mansion have evidence that the Shen family is colluding with the enemy and betraying the country?"
"Every word I have spoken is true!"
Searching the Duke's mansion based on just a few words? On such a joyous day, Emperor Xiaoxuan glanced at Shen Chongde.
Having served in the court for many years, he naturally understood the emperor's meaning, and immediately knelt down: "I have no objection to how the residence is searched, but today is my son's wedding day, and it has been disturbed like this..."
"If I have truly betrayed the country, I am willing to accept any punishment."
"If not?"
Song Maozhang knelt down and kowtowed: "Your humble servant is willing to accept any punishment!"
Emperor Xiaoxuan nodded, "Good!"
With a single glance from him, Gao Daban immediately ordered a search of the mansion.
...
The Duke's mansion was very large, and a search would naturally take time. During the wait, everyone held their breath and even their breathing was very careful.
Zhou Xuance, however, appeared relaxed and even instructed his maid to bring him more tea.
"Xuan Ce!" Emperor Xiaoxuan frowned. "What time is it? You still have the mind to drink tea?"
"Brother, aren't you thirsty?"
"You..." Emperor Xiaoxuan seemed helpless against him.
"Why is the atmosphere so tense? There are only two possible outcomes: either the Duke's family has betrayed the country, or Lord Song has slandered them. Either way, one family will be exterminated and exiled." He spoke in a light tone.
Extermination of the entire clan?
exile?
Song Maozhang's face turned pale, and he was in pain all over his body, which caused his facial expressions to become uncontrollable.
"Lord Song, slandering the Duke of Zhenguo is a matter of great importance to stability and unity. Slandering the Shen family is tantamount to treason and should be punished as such. Am I right?"
He coughed twice as he spoke, and Song Maozhang, seemingly certain that he could find something, nodded in agreement.
"Lord Song, you can't be so sure of yourself. The Shen family has been fighting for the country for generations. How could they possibly betray the country!" The Crown Prince's lips were pale, but he still spoke up for the Shen family.
“That’s right. Every time the enemy attacks, it is the Duke of Zhenguo who leads the army to defend against them. How could he possibly betray the country!” a guest muttered.
"That doesn't stop him from betraying his country?" Song Maozhang said with certainty.
That expression even had a hint of smugness!
The guests secretly complained:
Song Maozhang dared to gamble with the entire Song family; could it be that the Shen family has truly colluded with the enemy?
Shen Chongde remained silent until he suddenly reached up and rubbed his knee. The Crown Prince immediately asked, "What's wrong, Duke Shen?"
"I have a chronic leg ailment, and it suddenly hurts a bit."
Although the situation was unclear, the Crown Prince still secretly wanted to win over the Duke's mansion, so he immediately sent someone to summon the imperial physician.
"No need for the imperial physician, just have the local doctor come."
When the physician from the Zhai family entered the main hall, he glanced at Song Maozhang, who had been beaten black and blue, and walked straight past him to treat his own Duke.
He has a chronic leg ailment, which he recently injured again. The stress caused the old ailment to flare up, and he needs to rest and recuperate. Acupuncture can be used to relieve the pain.
When Shen Chongde rolled up his trousers, the scars on his legs were crisscrossed, varying in depth, with one particularly deep scar on his calf that seemed to reveal bone, which shocked everyone who saw it.
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