Upon reaching the bottom of the jade steps, Tuoba Xiong did not bow to Xuanyuan Peng.
Xuanyuan Peng was too lazy to argue with him about this matter, and narrowed his eyes slightly, saying, "You are Tianqiong Shanyu Tuoba Xiong?"
Tuoba Xiong looked at Xuanyuan Peng expressionlessly: "The victor is king, the loser is villain. Since I have lost, I will let you do as you please!"
Seeing that he was quite straightforward, Xuanyuan Peng frowned and said, "I ask you, Eastern Chu and Northern Rong have not been at war for several years, so why did Northern Rong suddenly invade the northern border of Eastern Chu this time!"
All the officials in the main hall looked at Tuoba Xiong.
Only Xuanyuan Zhi didn't dare to look up, nervously clenching his fists.
Tuoba Xiong snorted: "Eastern Chu has a vast territory and abundant resources. We are all the same people. Why can Eastern Chu occupy such a geographical advantage, while we Northern Rong can only be confined to the grasslands? If you were in my shoes, you wouldn't want to be so confined either!"
The Northern Rong people live in a vast land with scarce resources. Apart from the boundless grasslands, they have almost nothing else to offer. Therefore, every winter, the people of the Northern Rong suffer from hunger and cold.
They raised some cattle, sheep, and warhorses, traded them for supplies with other countries, and still had to be pressured to lower their prices.
So whenever they had the chance, they always wanted to live in the Central Plains, but things didn't go as planned. Several times they launched battles, but the Northern Rong were no match for the Eastern Chu!
Seeing Tuoba Xiong's defiant expression, Xuanyuan Peng's expression also darkened.
Do they want their Eastern Chu?
He thought that Eastern Chu was something that the Northern Rong could take whenever they wanted?
Xuanyuan Peng, with a disdainful look, asked again, "Your sudden invasion of our northern Eastern Chu territory this time, is it because someone is working with you from the inside? Who is this person who is working with you?"
The ministers were all taken aback when Xuanyuan Peng said this.
There are even people communicating with the Xiongnu Chanyu! This is treason and collusion with the enemy! Who has such audacity!
Xuan Yuanzhi's back instantly stiffened, and he dared not move an inch.
Tuoba Xiong kept a somber face and didn't speak, looking as if he didn't want to betray others.
Xuanyuan Zhan glanced at the black-clad assassin Pei Luo had dragged over, narrowed his eyes, and said, "Along this journey, I have treated the Chanyu quite well, haven't I? Although I put the Chanyu in shackles, I have served him good food and drink and have not made things difficult for him in the slightest. If I hadn't sent someone to guard him just now, the Chanyu would already be on his way to the Yellow Springs by now. The Chanyu knows better than anyone who just tried to assassinate him. Is the Chanyu sure he wants to keep the secret of the person who harmed him?"
Xuan Yuanzhan spoke, and only then did everyone notice the black-clad assassin in Pei Luo's hand.
It seems that the Celestial Chanyu was ambushed by assassins on his way here, and the Holy King sent people to rescue him.
So the one who ambushed him must be a traitor who colluded with the enemy; he was trying to kill the Chanyu to silence him!
Tuoba Xiong also remembered the danger he had just faced, and angrily gritted his teeth as he looked at Xuanyuan Zhi: "Why did Your Highness send assassins to kill me?"
Tuoba Xiong's words instantly stunned all the ministers.
Is it the Second Prince who wants to kill Tianqiong Chanyu to silence him?
So, the one cooperating with Tianqiong Shanyu is the Second Prince?
Has the Second Prince gone mad? How dare he commit such a treasonous act of collusion with the enemy!
Xuanyuan Zhi was also startled by Tuoba Xiong's sudden words. He abruptly raised his eyes to look at Xuanyuan Peng: "Father, it's not me! Don't believe him! He's framing me!"
"Xuanyuan Zhi, you really have a lot of nerve!" Xuanyuan Peng had heard Xuanyuan Zhan mention Xuanyuan Zhi's treasonous acts before, so how could he believe him now!
Seeing that Xuanyuan Peng had directly convicted him, Xuanyuan Zhi panicked: "Your subject did not, your subject was truly wronged. Even if your subject had the greatest courage, he would not dare to collude with the enemy and betray the country. Father Emperor, you cannot listen to this barbarian's one-sided story!"
Xuanyuan Zhi's denial made Tuoba Xiong's face darken. He sneered disdainfully, "As the second prince of Eastern Chu, is this all the courage you have? You dare to do it but not admit it!"
Tuoba Xiong coldly rebuked Xuanyuan Zhi, then looked up at Xuanyuan Zhan: "Why don't you take out the letter I gave you!"
Xuanyuan Zhan raised an eyebrow slightly and took out the letter from his bosom, presenting it to Tuoba Xiong: "This is a secret letter that I obtained from Tuoba Xiong after I captured him."
When Xuan Yuanzhi saw the letter that Xuan Yuanzhan had taken out, he panicked immediately. Heaven knows how much effort he had to muster to stop himself from snatching the letter.
Xuan Yuanzhi clenched his fists tightly. He was now at a critical moment of life and death, and he had to stay calm!
Zong Jiu descended the jade steps and handed the letter presented by Xuan Yuanzhan to Xuan Yuanpeng.
How could Xuanyuan Peng not recognize Xuanyuan Zhi's handwriting? After reading the contents of the letter, he immediately flew into a rage and slammed his fist on the dragon throne: "Xuanyuan Zhi, Xuanyuan Zhi, how dare you colluded with the Northern Rong and deliberately revealed the situation of drought and banditry in the north, causing the Northern Rong to invade the northern lands of Eastern Chu! Have you lost your mind or your heart? You even dare to do such a thing as colluding with the enemy and betraying your country!"
Xuan Yuanpeng looked at Xuan Yuanzhi with disappointment, wishing he could cut open his head to see if he had a brain inside.
For his own selfish desires, he actually colluded with foreign enemies to attack his own country. Is this something a prince should do? Even the bandits who plunder and pillage know to do their best to guard the border, protect the people, and fight bravely against the enemy.
But what has he done as the second prince of Eastern Chu?
Xuanyuan Peng's words caused the expressions of all the civil and military officials to change.
No wonder the Northern Rong suddenly invaded the northern lands; it turns out the Second Prince wrote a letter to the Chanyu, informing him of the disasters and banditry in the north. It's likely they saw the serious internal strife in Eastern Chu—not only were there disasters and banditry in the north, but several princes in the court were even willing to betray the country in their struggle for the throne—and thus saw an opportunity to launch an attack on the north!
If the Emperor hadn't sent the Holy King to the north to provide disaster relief and suppress bandits beforehand, leaving the north without a leader, the Northern Rong might have actually succeeded in their invasion. Meanwhile, the princes in the capital were still fighting to the death. If it weren't for the Holy King guarding the border in the north and driving out the Tartars, perhaps it would be this Chanyu leading the troops into the capital, not the Holy King.
The thought that Eastern Chu had almost been occupied by the Northern Rong barbarians filled the ministers with lingering fear, and at the same time, they became increasingly dissatisfied with Xuanyuan Zhi.
Xuanyuan Zhi was also extremely flustered at this moment, and said urgently, "Your subject did not write any letter, they are framing your subject!"
Seeing that he was still denying it, Xuanyuan Peng was furious: "Do you think I can't even tell your handwriting?"
Xuanyuan Zhi, determined to never admit it, stubbornly shouted, "If handwriting can be imitated, it's possible that someone imitated my handwriting to deliberately frame me for colluding with the Northern Rong."
As Xuanyuan Zhi spoke, he suddenly seemed to realize something, looked at Xuanyuan Zhan, pointed at him and shouted angrily: "It was him! It must be Xuanyuan Zhan who, in order to seize the position of crown prince, colluded with these Northern Rong barbarians to deliberately fabricate this letter and falsely accuse your son of treason!"
After shouting, Xuan Yuanzhi cried out to Xuan Yuanpeng, "Father, I really didn't do these things. It was Xuan Yuanzhan who harmed Xuan Yuanyu and then came to harm me. He wants to kill all of us brothers so that he can succeed to your throne. Please don't be fooled by him!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
