Chapter 112 This is all the princess’s guess!
Eunuch Yang lowered his eyebrows and replied, "Your servant obeys your order," and then quietly retreated.
When General Sun heard the news, he almost ran into the palace.
As soon as he stepped into the imperial study, he knelt on the ground with a plop and shouted loudly: "Your Majesty! This old minister is innocent!"
He took a half-step on his knees, his forehead almost touching the ground. "I am an old minister whose loyalty is known to heaven and earth! I have never had any ties with the underworld, and hiring someone to kill is unheard of and absurd!"
As he spoke, he suddenly raised his eyes to look at Ruan Yunsheng, his eyes filled with anxiety and pain. "I am deeply distressed that the princess has suffered such a misfortune. It's just that the princess may have been frightened and uneasy, which is why she has such wild thoughts. However, I have always respected the Marquis of Zhenguo Mansion. How could I do such a treasonous thing? It is truly unjust!"
Ruan Yunsheng knelt on the ground and spoke in a cold voice, "Ye Xiao testified personally that it was the Grand Marshal who promised him and Gu Ya a hundred taels of gold and ordered them to sneak into the Marquis's mansion to kill me. With all the witnesses in the picture, is the Grand Marshal still going to deny it?"
"Night Owl?" General Sun waved his hands anxiously, as if he had heard something funny. "Your Majesty, I have never heard of such a gangster name before! And how can I take the words of those desperate men seriously? They are most likely instigated by others and are deliberately trying to smear me!"
The emperor sat upright on the dragon throne, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrests. His tone was a little weary. "Mingyi, calm down. It's really hard to make a conclusion based on just one assassin's one-sided statement."
Ruan Yunsheng looked calm as he took out a jade ring with a Taotie pattern and presented it to everyone with both hands.
"Your Majesty, I have both human and physical evidence. This jade ring with Taotie patterns is the token of trust given to Ye Xiao by the Grand Marshal."
Of course, General Sun would not give such an obvious handle to Ye Xiao. This jade ring was given to her by Xie Yan before.
General Wei took a closer look and said quickly, "Yes, I have indeed seen the Grand Marshal wearing this ring!"
Prince Rui also nodded. "This jade ring with Taotie patterns has been with the Grand Commandant for many years. If there is no reason, I believe the Grand Commandant would not give it away so easily."
The emperor frowned and looked at General Sun. "General, how do you explain this?"
Sun Taiwei's face changed, and he said quickly, "Your Majesty, this jade ring with Taotie patterns is indeed mine. I accidentally lost it two days ago. It must have been stolen by thieves... This cannot be used as evidence!"
Ruan Yunsheng said calmly, "Before, the Sun and Moon Jade Bi that was lost from the Zhenguo Marquis's Mansion was recovered at the Grand Marshal's Mansion. The Grand Marshal then said it was framed by thieves. Now, the Grand Marshal also says that this Taotie Jade Ring was stolen by thieves."
"Why, have all the thieves in the world gone to the Taiwei Mansion?"
Her voice was filled with sarcasm. "Everyone knows that the Grand Marshal's Mansion is heavily guarded. I never thought that thieves could come and go so easily, and even steal the Grand Marshal's personal belongings!"
"Or is it that the Grand Marshal has become so old and confused that he can't even take care of his own things?"
"You!!" General Sun was so choked up that he could barely breathe. His face turned the color of liver and he kowtowed repeatedly: "Your Majesty! This jade ring was indeed stolen. The princess is just trying to find a pretext to accuse me!"
Ruan Yunsheng raised her eyes to the emperor. "Your Majesty, you may not know that this subject and the Second Miss of the Grand Marshal's Mansion have indeed argued over a few minor matters in the past. A while ago, at the Liang Mansion banquet, Second Miss Sun was frightened by an assassin and became insane. I believe the Grand Marshal blamed this on me. I also heard that the Grand Marshal's wife once threatened to kill me."
She spoke clearly, "Revenge for my daughter. This is the motive of the Grand Marshal's murder."
"What nonsense!" Veins popped up on General Sun's forehead. "It was just some private quarrel, yet the princess has twisted it into a motive for murder! Your Majesty, this is all the princess's conjecture! Even if I had the courage of heaven, I wouldn't dare to kill because of personal grudges!"
"guess?"
General Wei snorted heavily, his vigorous gaze sweeping across Grand Marshal Sun. "Grand Marshal, don't be so hasty to deny your guilt. You have a motive for murder, the killer's own testimony, and your jade ring. If you still claim you have nothing to do with it, not only will I, this old minister, not believe you, but even the Emperor and his court officials won't tolerate such self-deception!"
This sentence left General Sun speechless, and he could only keep crying out for justice.
The emperor rubbed his eyebrows for a long time, and felt his temples throbbing.
"Mingyi, although your story is clear and logical, it lacks irrefutable evidence. Even if we refer the case to the Dali Temple, the law still cannot convict General Sun."
Ruan Yunsheng's eyes instantly turned red, and her voice choked with restraint, "This humble servant understands that the laws of the land are strict... but I'm afraid that the Grand Marshal might still harbor resentment... If he finds another opportunity to send someone to kill me, next time, I might not be so lucky to survive."
Prince Rui spoke earnestly, "Your Majesty, although there's no irrefutable evidence to convict him, the suspicion surrounding Grand Marshal Sun remains. If we let this go without any punishment, I'm afraid it will be difficult to appease the public opinion within the court and beyond, and it will only chill the hearts of everyone in the Zhenguo Marquisate."
Ruan Yunsheng took up her handkerchief and pressed it against her eyes. "Your Majesty, I dare to offer a suggestion. The Grand Marshal is so old that he couldn't even protect his own jade ring, allowing it to fall into the hands of an assassin. I think his strength is failing. If he can't even manage his personal belongings properly, how can he ensure the safety of the people of this city?"
She paused, her voice becoming clearer. "Besides, assassins have been rampant in the capital lately, causing panic among the people. It would be better if... someone more energetic and capable could take charge of the capital's defense. If the security of Shengjing can be restored, I, your servant, will no longer have to live in constant fear and anxiety."
General Sun was shocked and looked at Ruan Yunsheng suddenly, his eyes full of shock and anger.
This girl doesn't want to seek justice at all, she's clearly using this as an excuse to strip him of his military power!
He was about to open his mouth to argue when Prince Rui interrupted him, "Your Majesty, what Miss Mingyi said makes sense. If the assassins continue to run rampant like this, I'm afraid everyone in Shengjing will be in danger!"
The emperor pondered for a moment, then spoke slowly, "Grand Marshal Sun has held military command for many years and has made great contributions. However, the defense of the capital is of paramount importance and requires meticulous coordination. The Palace Guard Commander-in-Chief, Shen Da, is renowned for his rigor and competence. I will temporarily transfer the Left Battalion of the Imperial Guard and a portion of the Shen Ce Army, which you previously commanded, to Shen Da's command, with sole responsibility for guarding the palace both inside and outside."
Although the emperor did not demote General Sun from his position, he did reduce the military power in his hands.
General Sun has been performing his duties ineffectively many times recently, and the emperor is a little angry, so he wants to use this opportunity to teach him a lesson.
"emperor!!"
General Sun was so anxious that he wanted to get up, but was silently held down by the eunuch beside him.
Ruan Yunsheng bowed at the right moment, her voice clear and respectful: "Your Majesty is wise. On behalf of the entire Zhenguo Marquisate, I thank you for your compassion."
General Sun's cloudy eyes suddenly turned to Ruan Yunsheng, his eyes full of sinister hostility.
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