An Ke looked at Ertai, who, though not outwardly obvious, was undoubtedly deeply wounded inside. She took out a handkerchief and gently wiped away the tears on his cheeks.
"Alright, I've already said that you're under my protection from now on. You should feel honored, not cry here." Anke patted his shoulder, teasing Ertai in a mock-joking manner, hoping that he could calm down a bit, or at least not be so sad.
Ertai took a deep breath, and when he opened his eyes again, there was no sadness or sorrow in them. Then he crossed his arms with Anke, as if Anke was a small boat he had encountered in that vast ocean, Anke was his salvation, "It's me and the princess."
"Let's go in and see their final punishment." Anke had been busy for so long, so naturally she wanted to be on the front line of the gossip and see clearly what fate awaited each of them.
Ertai naturally knew about Anke's little interests. He smiled as he watched Anke's cleverness and liveliness, and reached out to squeeze Anke's little hand. "Okay, let's go take a look."
When Ertai and Anke entered the hall, Fu Erkang was being forcibly forced to kneel in the middle of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
The Empress Dowager and the Emperor sat at the head of the table, looking down at Fu Erkang with disappointment.
The Emperor might not have been that disappointed, but the Empress Dowager was certainly quite disappointed. After all, she had once thought that Fu Erkang was a promising young man, and had even considered betrothing Qing'er to him.
The Empress Dowager couldn't help but feel a lingering fear, thankful that she hadn't arranged the marriage herself and had instead asked the Emperor to bestow a marriage upon the two of them. Otherwise, who knows what kind of miserable life her Qing'er would be living now?
The Emperor sat solemnly above, his voice steady and powerful, “I know you. You are Xiao Zhihang’s son. Back when I was investigating Ziwei’s background, I even helped Xiaoyanzi find her biological parents.”
Xiao Jian's brows furrowed upon hearing this. He too had failed and was about to become this scoundrel emperor's prisoner. He knew he could never avenge the deaths of his parents. Now, the only thing he couldn't let go of was his younger sister, whom he had been searching for all these years.
"What do you mean by all this?" Xiao Jian raised his head, his neck stiff as he defiantly confronted the Emperor. He didn't want the Emperor to use Xiao Yanzi to blackmail him, and he didn't want Xiao Yanzi to suffer any harm because of him. So the best solution was for him to deny it now. "What Xiao Yanzi? Ziwei's son! You killed my father and my mother, so it's only right that I come to take revenge on you."
Looking at Xiao Jian, who refused to budge, the Emperor felt a wave of exhaustion. The White Lotus Sect was truly indestructible.
The emperor rubbed his temples wearily; he hadn't slept well these past two days due to working non-stop.
"I already know that Xiao Yanzi is your younger sister, so you don't need to hide it from me here. Your affairs are your own business and won't involve Xiao Yanzi." The Emperor had also thought about how Xiao Yanzi's arrival in the palace had brought him so much joy last night.
Actually, releasing Xiao Yanzi out of the palace was the best choice. She couldn't stand the rules and regulations here, and now that the position of princess has been returned to Ziwei, there's no need for her to stay in the palace.
Xiao Jian stared at the Emperor in shock. He couldn't believe that the executioner who murdered his parents would so easily release Xiao Yanzi from the palace. Wasn't this tantamount to letting a tiger return to the mountains?
"What are you saying? I don't understand." Xiao Jian still refused to admit it; he was unwilling to place his hopes on his enemy.
"Should I summon Xiao Yanzi to confront you? If you weren't searching for your younger sister, why would you have followed us all the way to the capital during your inspection tour?" The Emperor's discerning eyes seemed to see right through Xiao Jian's heart.
Xiao Jian felt uncomfortable under her gaze and quickly lowered his head to hide his expression. At the same time, he was pondering how to get Xiao Yanzi to Dali to find her uncle and aunt if he were to pass away.
"I have already investigated and found out that you killed me to avenge the murder of your parents, but I have never been an executioner." The Emperor told Xiao Jian the most unacceptable fact in the most composed tone, "Do you still remember Ma Yu from your place? Your father killed his son Ma Huang, so he framed Xiao Zhihang."
Xiao Jian was completely dumbfounded upon hearing the Emperor's words. Had he been hating the wrong person all these years? Had he lived a ridiculous life? He, the dignified Xiao the Hero, should have been enjoying the prime of his life, making great strides, but instead, he had ended up committing regicide.
But Xiao Jian had no way to turn back, and he was even less likely to admit his mistake. He laughed wildly, "You say it's Ma Yu, so it's Ma Yu? You are the emperor, who wouldn't dare to listen to what you say? But I, Xiao Jian, just don't believe it."
Looking at Xiao Jian's stubbornness, An Ke couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache for the Imperial Uncle. "It's ridiculous. You clearly joined the White Lotus Sect and have such great power, yet you can't find out who killed your parents."
Xiao Jian's pupils contracted sharply, and he asked in a hoarse voice, "What exactly do you mean by that?"
An Ke clapped her hands, a smirk playing on her lips. "It's nothing, I just think your parents would have been better off giving birth to a piece of barbecued pork. It was something that could have been investigated with just a few words, but you didn't even bother to ask, and directly pinned the blame on the Emperor. Is that what you call filial piety? The people who killed your father and mother are still alive, yet you seek revenge on innocent people. You truly are a great filial son."
After speaking, she summoned the two witnesses to the court. An Ke looked at Xiao Jian, who was kneeling dejectedly on the ground, with a mocking expression. "Since you keep saying that the Emperor killed your parents, have you ever investigated? Since you can't recognize the truth, then I, the princess, will make you recognize it. You two should honestly repeat what you said to me before."
The two men then recounted in detail how Ma Yu had murdered Xiao Zhihang. With that, there was nothing left to understand. Xiao Jian calmly closed his eyes. The princess was right; he didn't even know about his parents or who his enemies were. What face did he have to live in this world?
An Ke looked at his utterly dejected and heartbroken state, feeling no sympathy whatsoever. All he did was repent, regretting not investigating more thoroughly, but what good was regret after the fact? What's done is done; there's no going back.
The Emperor looked at Xiao Jian kneeling in the main hall and waved his hand, "Drag him away and execute him on a chosen day. Now, put him in prison and keep him properly locked up for me."
Then, turning to look at Fu Erkang beside him, the Emperor's disappointment was almost palpable. After all, Fu Erkang had served him before.
I remember praising the child when we went hunting together, but now I've gone down this path because of my resentment and jealousy. In the end, it's all harmed to both myself and others.
The Empress Dowager, seeing the somewhat heartbroken Emperor, spoke first, "Fu Erkang, I know you are an ambitious child. I even thought of betrothing Qing'er to you. Why did you join forces with the White Lotus Sect to murder the Emperor and seize the throne today?" The Empress Dowager also looked pained.
Fu Erkang knelt on the spot, his face ashen, his lips tightly pressed together, saying nothing. He was like a stone that could no longer be knocked open.
"Furen, were you involved in this matter?" The old lady abruptly changed the subject, directly pointing the finger at Fu Erkang's father. After all, a father is to blame for his son's misbehavior, and Fu Erkang's current predicament was surely their fault.
Fu Lun knelt on the ground, begging the Emperor to see the truth. The Emperor knew the situation; after all, if Fu Lun hadn't protected him, he wouldn't have been able to dodge Xiao Jian's sword so easily, otherwise, so many things wouldn't have happened afterward.
The Emperor waved his hand, signaling him to stand up, indicating that he still trusted him to some extent, after all, he was a minister whom the Emperor had personally promoted.
"Today is supposed to be your and Ziwei's wedding day. I really don't understand why you would do such a treasonous thing?" The Emperor looked at Fu Erkang below the stage with a solemn expression. "But now I don't want to know anymore. It's nothing more than resentment and greed that led to this situation."
Upon hearing that the Emperor was no longer going to ask him questions, Fu Erkang quickly raised his head again, looking at the Emperor with a defiant expression, hoping that the Emperor would ask him questions again.
The Emperor glanced at Fu Erkang with disgust, as if he were looking at some trash, then waved his hand, "Guards, take Fu Erkang to the prison. Since he dared to rebel, he should be prepared to be beheaded. The execution will be the day after tomorrow, and everyone should be there to watch, as a warning to others."
Just as Fu Erkang was about to say something more, the guard pulled out a black cloth strip and stuffed it into his mouth, tightly gagging him. Then, you pulled his arm and led him out of the palace.
As soon as she came out, she bumped into Ziwei, but Ziwei was still wearing a veil and had no idea that she and Fu Erkang had just passed each other. But Fu Erkang still refused to give up and kept struggling desperately, whimpering incessantly.
Ziwei happened to hear the noise and thought it sounded like Erkang. Then, just as coincidentally, she stopped and asked, "Erkang, is that you? Erkang?"
Before Fu Erkang could answer, Xi Mama, who was supporting Ziwei, heard the voice and immediately said anxiously, "Oh dear, Princess, today is your joyous day, how can you speak?"
Granny Xi recognized the man beside her early on as Ziwei's fiancé, but seeing him bound and gagged in such a disheveled state, she knew he must have angered the Emperor. However, the fact that no one stopped Ziwei's bridal sedan chair suggested the Emperor had other plans.
Granny Xi didn't want to get involved in any trouble either. So she hurriedly dressed Ziwei, wanting to urge her to head to the Hall of Supreme Harmony as soon as possible and not linger there any longer.
But Er Kang wasn't one to give up so easily; he kept sobbing. As if sensing his thoughts, Ziwei immediately lifted her red veil. Looking at Er Kang, bound hand and foot and gagged with a black cloth, Ziwei's eyes widened in fury.
"What's going on? What are you doing? Let go of Erkang!" Ziwei desperately tried to pry open the guards' hands, which were like iron clamps.
Ziwei appeared quite deranged, her headdresses scattered all over the ground. The Emperor and the others knew Ziwei had arrived long ago, but since she hadn't come to the palace for a long time, the Emperor knew she must have run into Fu Erkang.
The Emperor, not in a hurry, helped the Empress Dowager walk step by step to the palace entrance, where he happened to see Ziwei's unconventional behavior.
The Emperor frowned inwardly. Ziwei was nothing like her mother, and she hadn't properly learned etiquette and manners in the palace. Look at her shouting and yelling in front of the main hall. He really shouldn't have had any expectations of her.
After all her attempts to save her failed, Ziwei finally thought of asking her imperial father for help. But when she looked up, she saw her imperial father, the Empress Dowager, and all the concubines standing above them, watching them as if they were a joke.
Ziwei then noticed her appearance, quickly smoothed her hair, adjusted her clothes, and stepped forward respectfully, asking tremblingly, "What mistake has Emperor Amarkang made? Why is he bound so tightly? Isn't today his wedding day with me?"
Ziwei spoke with tears in her eyes, but no one present was moved by her words.
Ziwei didn't know what had happened; she just sat on the ground, tears streaming down her face, and cried bitterly.
"Ziwei was just about to kill the emperor, are you still going to plead for him?" The emperor's cold gaze pierced Ziwei's heart.
Ziwei even felt like she was hallucinating, otherwise how could she have heard her father say that Erkang actually wanted to kill her father?
But how could that be? They were exchanging letters just a few days ago, and Erkang even said he would perform a great service to get his official position reinstated and marry her in grand style. How could he possibly commit regicide?
She didn't believe it. Ziwei stiffly turned her head to look at Fu Erkang, who was being pinned to the ground below. Where was the once sunny, cheerful, and radiant Fu Erkang now?
No matter how unwilling she was to believe it, seeing Fu Erkang's pleading eyes now, she had no choice but to believe it: the man she was going to marry was actually going to kill her father.
Ziwei snapped her eyes shut and swayed violently, clearly speechless with shock at the news. But after a moment, she calmed down. No matter what, she was determined to marry Erkang.
Ziwei suddenly knelt on the ground, pleading, or rather, pressuring the Emperor once again. "Your Majesty, Amarkang certainly didn't do it on purpose. Someone with ulterior motives must have used him. Please forgive him, considering his past loyalty and dedication to protecting you."
Ziwei spoke her mind without thinking, saying without restraint, "Or, for Ziwei's sake, and for the sake of my mother who has guarded you for so many years, please spare Erkang." As she spoke, Ziwei began to kowtow.
Blood began to seep from his forehead shortly afterward, but the emperor remained cold and indifferent.
"Ziwei, go back. This arranged marriage is null and void." The Emperor coldly pronounced their fate. "Your mother's mourning period is not yet over, and you're already eagerly hoping to get married? You've truly wronged Yuhe, but how can you face your mother?"
Ziwei understood every word, but these words felt like knives cutting into her heart. Her face turned deathly pale.
"As for the Fu family, Fu Lun is getting old and should retire to his hometown as soon as possible. As for Fu Erkang, he was involved in the rebellion and will be executed the day after tomorrow." After saying this, the Emperor turned around and left without looking at anyone's expression.
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