Grand Tutor Liang seemed to have admitted to the crime of colluding with the enemy and betraying the country, but he refused to say a word when questioned by Xuan Yuanpeng.
When Xuan Yuanzhi saw that Grand Tutor Liang had confessed his guilt so easily, he panicked and immediately looked at Xuan Yuanpeng: "Father, my maternal grandfather could not possibly have colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country. This letter must not be genuine. Someone must have imitated my maternal grandfather's handwriting to slander him."
After shouting, Xuan Yuanzhi immediately glared at Xuan Yuanzhan: "It's Xuan Yuanzhan! It must be him and this barbarian from the Northern Rong who are slandering my maternal grandfather and me. They're trying to drive me and my maternal grandfather to our deaths, Father..."
"Bang!" Xuan Yuanzhi was still yelling, but Xuan Yuanpeng didn't want to listen anymore. He slammed his hand on the dragon throne and roared, "Do you think I'm as brainless as you? Now that such irrefutable evidence is laid out before me, you still have the nerve to cry foul? It's one thing for you to be stupid, but do you think everyone else is an idiot?"
Although Xuanyuan Zhi was startled by Xuanyuan Peng's sudden outburst of anger, he instinctively tried to protest, "Father, I am innocent..."
Xuanyuan Peng was truly enraged by Xuanyuan Zhi. Pointing at Xuanyuan Zhi, he shouted fiercely, "From this moment on, if you utter another word, I will immediately behead you and display your head to the public. My word is law, and I will never go back on my word!"
...Xuanyuan Peng's words were like a seal, directly silencing Xuanyuan Zhi and preventing him from saying another word.
Having successfully silenced Xuanyuan Zhi, Xuanyuan Peng turned to Grand Tutor Liang again: "I will ask you one more time, why did you commit this act of treason and collusion with the enemy!"
Grand Tutor Liang remained silent, but Consort Liang grew anxious: "Your Majesty..."
As soon as Consort Liang opened her mouth, Xuanyuan Peng roared like a tiger whose tail had been stepped on, "You too! I don't want to hear your voice either. If you open your mouth again, you and your son can die together!"
Faced with the emperor's fury, Consort Liang dared not utter another word and swallowed them all.
The assembled officials were seeing Xuan Yuanpeng so furious for the first time. Even when Xuan Yuanyu's true identity as a peasant was revealed, the emperor hadn't been this angry.
The Emperor must be truly disappointed in the Second Prince. In addition, Grand Tutor Liang is also the Emperor's teacher. These multiple emotions caused the Emperor to lose his composure!
Xuanyuan Peng stared at Grand Tutor Liang with bloodshot eyes, waiting for his answer.
But Grand Tutor Liang couldn't answer Xuan Yuanpeng's question at all, especially in such a grand hall!
Xuanyuan Zhan glanced at Grand Tutor Liang and guessed, "Grand Tutor Liang planned the Northern Rong campaign three years ago to deal with General Su, didn't he?"
Upon hearing this, Grand Tutor Liang suddenly looked up at Xuan Yuanzhan, seemingly surprised that he knew.
Su Xuening and Su Yun'an also looked at Grand Tutor Liang in shock.
Did Grand Tutor Liang plan the war against the Northern Rong in order to deal with his father?
Why would he harm his father? I had never heard of any grudge between my father and Grand Tutor Liang before.
Xuanyuan Zhan gave the correct answer directly: "Because General Su is Consort Su's backer, and Consort Liang has been suppressed by Consort Su for so many years, Grand Tutor Liang planned the Northern Rong campaign, wanting to use the Northern Rong to get rid of General Su. As for General Mu, he might also be part of his plan. After all, Aunt Tang and my mother were close friends at the time, and he was afraid that after General Su's death, the military power of the Su family army would fall into General Mu's hands, which would also cause trouble for Consort Liang. So he simply framed General Mu for General Su's death, eliminating both of them at the same time, which is equivalent to cutting off one arm of Consort Su and my mother! Obviously, Grand Tutor Liang's plan succeeded!"
After Xuan Yuanzhan explained it this way, everyone finally understood.
It turns out that Grand Tutor Liang orchestrated all this to help Consort Liang.
However, he is really bold. The struggle between the concubines in the palace has escalated to the point of treason. He is truly not afraid of death!
Such treasonous acts would not be enough to just kill him; it would also implicate his family and even his entire clan!
"So not only Su Huiyan wants to harm my father, but Grand Tutor Liang and Consort Liang also want to harm my father!" Su Xuening never expected that there was such an inside story when her father fought against the Northern Rong. She immediately said angrily, "My father was loyal and devoted to the people. Whose path did he get in his way and whose way did he block? Why are so many people trying to harm him!"
Although she knew her father might still be alive, Su Xuening was really angry at the thought that so many people had the intention to harm him, and at the same time felt wronged for her father.
My father was clearly a man who was indifferent to worldly affairs and possessed great benevolence and righteousness. However, when faced with national crisis, he did not hesitate to abandon his wife and daughters and lead his troops to the north to fight against the Northern Rong.
The Su family army was his own army. He could have ignored it and asked the emperor to send someone else to the north, but he went anyway, just to do his best to protect his family and country. But these people, for their own selfish interests, could disregard the greater good of the country and even wanted to harm a loyal minister and general like his father!
My father was like that back then, and now Xuanyuan Zhan is like that too. If these people who disregard national interests, collude with the enemy, betray the country, and murder loyal officials are not severely punished, where is justice?
Upon seeing Su Xuening's anger, Xuan Yuanpeng quickly reassured her, "Don't worry, I will severely punish all those who harmed General Su!"
Su Xuening coldly glanced at Grand Tutor Liang and Xuan Yuanzhi and the others: "Then let's put them all in the Heavenly Prison and execute them tomorrow along with Xuan Yuanyu and the others."
Upon hearing this, Xuan Yuanpeng frowned and looked at Xuan Yuanzhi.
He didn't really care about executing Grand Tutor Liang and Consort Liang, but Xuanyuan Zhi...
Although Xuanyuan Zhi did indeed do something wrong, and a very serious one at that, he was still his own son, so to kill him like that...
Seeing Xuan Yuanpeng's reluctance, Xuan Yuanzhi immediately begged for mercy: "Father, I know I was wrong, it's all my fault, I deserve to die! I deserve to die!"
While shouting at Xuanyuan Peng, Xuanyuan Zhi slapped himself repeatedly, desperately begging for mercy: "Your subject truly knows he was wrong, Your subject will never dare to do it again, please, Father Emperor, give your subject another chance!"
Xuan Yuanzhi couldn't deny it anymore; he knew he couldn't deny it anyway.
He doesn't want anything else now, he just wants to save his life!
When Consort Liang heard Su Xuening suggest that Xuanyuan Peng execute them all, she panicked, especially when she thought of the miserable state of Su Huiyan and the others when they were dragged away. She cried out, "Your Majesty, it's all my fault. I failed to raise Zhi'er properly. If you must punish someone, punish me. Please spare Zhi'er. He is your own son. You don't have many children to begin with. Please, Your Majesty, have mercy and spare Zhi'er's life!"
As she spoke, Consort Liang kowtowed desperately to Xuan Yuanpeng.
Xuanyuan Peng frowned, and before he could speak, Su Xuening said in a daze, "Grand Tutor Liang and Xuanyuan Zhi have colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country, framing loyal officials. If they are not severely punished, I'm afraid it will discourage many meritorious officials and generals!"
Upon hearing this, Mu Lingchen, Ling Lang, Bai Ying, and the others knelt down together and said in unison, "Your Majesty, please severely punish Grand Tutor Liang and the Second Prince!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
