Chapter 56: Did I frame you?
General Sun asked anxiously, "What did you say?"
The servant was running breathlessly, his words barely coherent. "It's... it's His Royal Highness Prince Xuan. He's brought the imperial guards to surround the Grand Marshal's Mansion! Now... now His Royal Highness has already led his men in, and we can't stop them at all!"
Marshal Sun's expression suddenly changed, and Prince Duan was also stunned with shock.
He turned to General Sun and lowered his voice to a whisper, "Didn't the General say that Xie Yan was seriously injured? How could he mobilize the Imperial Guards to surround your residence?"
He originally thought that Xie Yan was afraid of being exposed for his night break-in, so he would hide and not dare to show up, so he specifically asked Ruan Yunbo and the housekeeper to stop him in the front hall and not let him get close.
Unexpectedly, while they were dealing with each other in the front yard, Xie Yan quietly went out to mobilize manpower!
General Sun's brows were twisted into a knot, and his heart was full of doubts.
He originally thought that in order to clear himself of suspicion of breaking in at night, Xie Yan would try his best to cover up the fact that he was injured and behave himself. So how could he turn the tables and break into the Taiwei Mansion so brazenly?
He shouted sternly, "Return home immediately!"
Prince Duan was unaware of the jade disc's presence in the Grand Marshal's Mansion. Following Grand Marshal Sun, he asked, bewildered, "Why is Xie Yan surrounding the Grand Marshal's Mansion at this time? Shouldn't he be doing his utmost to avoid suspicion?"
General Sun did not answer, with a sinister look in his eyes.
As early as the day when Ruan Yunsheng went to the Taiwei Mansion to apologize, he noticed that something in the study had been moved, so he destroyed all the secret letters.
The Sun and Moon Jade Disk was hidden in the attic. He was confident that no one would find it, so he did not move it. He did not expect that Xie Yan would find it and snatch it away!
His Taiwei Mansion is not a place where one can just come and go as he pleases. If Xie Yan doesn't give a reasonable explanation today, the emperor will not let him off easily!
General Sun, Prince Duan and others returned to the General's Mansion without stopping.
As they arrived at the door, they saw Xie Yan coming out of the mansion.
Xie Yan was dressed in a dark casual suit, his face was pale to the point of being transparent, and he looked visibly weak, but the corners of his lips were raised.
He said calmly, "Sir, I was assassinated in my palace this morning. When I led the imperial guards to pursue the assassin, I discovered that he had fled into the palace."
"For the safety of the Grand Marshal, I have no choice but to bring people into the mansion to search."
"But I didn't expect to find something unexpected."
When General Sun saw what the guard was holding, his expression suddenly changed!
*
In the imperial study.
The scent of agarwood curled around the gilded coiled dragon pillar. The emperor, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, had a gaunt face and glanced below with a majestic gaze.
General Sun prostrated himself on the ground. Upon seeing the emperor, he burst into tears and said, "Your Majesty, Prince Xuan has brought people into this old minister's residence for no reason. Please, Your Majesty, help me."
Prince Duan also followed up, "Yes, Father! The Grand Marshal's residence was robbed early this morning, and many servants and guards were injured. When I heard the news, I immediately led the guards to track down the thieves. Unexpectedly, we saw the thieves sneak into Prince Xuan's residence!"
"I wanted to personally confirm that my third brother was safe, but the steward in his mansion kept evading the issue, saying that my third brother was unwell and unable to see guests."
"But for some reason, my 'unwell' third brother led the imperial guards to surround and search the Grand Marshal's Mansion, causing chaos!"
The emperor's brow furrowed, his fingers tapping the armrest beneath his dragon-patterned cuffs. "Prince Xuan, Grand Marshal Sun is highly respected. Why did you lead your men to forcibly break into the Grand Marshal's residence?"
Xie Yan knelt upright on the floral carpet and spoke in a steady voice, "Father, at dawn, I was attacked by an assassin in my residence. I dispatched the Imperial Guards to capture the assassin, but he was desperate and fled into the Grand Marshal's residence."
"For the safety of the Grand Marshal and his family, I led my troops into the mansion to apprehend the assassin. Unexpectedly, I found the Sun and Moon Jade Bi, which had been stolen from the Marquis of Zhenguo Mansion, in the library of the Grand Marshal's Mansion!"
After Xie Yan finished speaking, he ordered his men to present the jade disk with the sun and moon shining together to the emperor.
The Sun and Moon Jade Bi is a priceless treasure. It is made of mutton-fat white jade, and the pigeon-blood ruby in the center of the bi is like the intersection of the sun and the moon. When it rotates, it shines brightly and is extremely luxurious.
But now, the flawless white jade disc was stained with blood.
Ruan Yunsheng knelt beside Xie Yan, her hairpins swaying slightly as she spoke earnestly, "Your Majesty, the entire Zhenguo Marquisate is loyal to the Emperor, and my brother is even more devoted to serving the people. Yet, I don't know when he offended the Grand Marshal. He actually sent people to steal the Emperor's gift from the Marquisate and framed my brother for disrespect."
"Now that we have all the evidence, please investigate!"
The emperor stroked the jade disk, his deep gaze unfathomable. He said in a deep voice, "So, this jade disk has been hidden in the Grand Marshal's Mansion all this time? Grand Marshal Sun, what's your explanation for this?"
General Sun pressed his forehead against the ground, his voice trembling, "Your Majesty, please judge for yourself! I have never seen the jade disc before. Someone must have framed me!"
Xie Yan sneered: "Master Taiwei, do you mean that I am framing you?"
"Many of the Imperial Guards saw with their own eyes today that this jade disc was found in the library of the Grand Marshal's Mansion!"
Sun Taiwei quickly said, "That's not what I meant, but a thief broke into my house early this morning, so I think the thief took the opportunity to put the jade disc into the library to frame me!"
"However," Captain Sun changed the subject, "the thief was struck by a sword in the left shoulder!"
He narrowed his gloomy eyes and looked at Xie Yan, "I wonder where His Royal Highness Prince Xuan is injured?"
Xie Yan coughed twice and said weakly, "What a coincidence! I was also hit by the assassin's sword. If I hadn't dodged quickly, this sword would have nearly taken my life."
Ruan Yunsheng said in a cold voice, "The assassin who stabbed His Highness Prince Xuan fled to the Grand Marshal's Mansion, and thieves have also specifically targeted the Grand Marshal's Mansion for burglary. Could it be that even these scoundrels know that the Grand Marshal's mansion... contains something shameful?"
"This... this is clearly a fabricated accusation!" Taiwei Sun's cloudy old eyes were filled with anxiety. He almost cried out as he turned to look at the emperor. "Your Majesty! This old minister and the Marquis of Zhenguo Mansion have always kept their distance. Why are you destroying your own reputation? This old minister is truly wronged!"
Ruan Yunsheng lowered her head and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, my brother has been wronged. I beg Your Majesty to investigate!"
Xie Yan also said: "Father, no matter what, the jade disk was found in the Taiwei Mansion. Taiwei Sun cannot stay out of this matter."
Prince Duan said loudly, "Why don't you explain first, Third Brother? Since the palace was attacked by assassins, why did the chief steward claim that Third Brother was unwell and never mentioned the assassins at all?"
…
Everyone was arguing for a while, each saying their own thing.
The emperor raised his hand and rubbed his throbbing temples, "Shut up!"
The imperial study suddenly fell silent, with only the smoke from the bronze crane incense burner swirling in curls.
The emperor was silent for a moment, then looked at Ruan Yunsheng, his tone softening slightly. "Mingyi, your brother is a man of great learning and talent, and he has devoted himself to government affairs. I know this well. Although the theft of the jade disc was not his original intention, it was ultimately due to his poor care of it. I ordered him to temporarily go to Cangwu County, hoping that he would go deep into the people and turn his knowledge of governance into policies that benefit the people."
"Now that the jade disc has been returned intact to Zhao, your beloved Ruan's reputation will be cleared. Tomorrow, I will have the Imperial Academy draft an edict to transfer him back to the capital and reinstate him to his original position."
Ruan Yunsheng immediately said respectfully, "Your Majesty is benevolent as the sea. On behalf of the entire Marquisate, I thank you for your grace!"
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