Chapter 193 Stopping the Chaos
Meeting Yinzhen's seemingly amused eyes, Tong Guowei suddenly released his grip, causing the bright yellow curtains to flutter and the hall to fall into a deathly silence.
Tong Guowei's surging "ambitions" vanished instantly, and the light in his eyes disappeared in an instant. Looking at Yinzhen, who had a ruddy complexion and was dressed neatly, there was nothing he didn't understand.
The gates of the Hall of Mental Cultivation were pushed open again. The heavy snow had stopped sometime earlier, and sunlight broke through the clouds. A group of people who were supposed to disappear according to Tong Guowei's plan stood at the entrance.
"Lord Tong has considered so many possible endings for us, but has he thought about his own?"
Tong Guowei turned around stiffly and saw Prince Li, Yunreng, and Prince Lian, Yunsi, standing unharmed on either side of him at the front. The two walked in, revealing the Crown Prince Honghui, who was hidden behind them, standing in the middle, along with Prince Guo, Yunli, Grand Secretary Zhang Tingyu, and the guard with a sword... Tongjia Yuexing'a.
"Your Majesty, all the rebels in the palace have been captured, and Prince Yi has successfully led his men to rescue all the imperial heirs."
"Prince Zhi and Prince Xun have already led their troops and brought the situation in the capital under control."
"The imperial relatives who participated in the rebellion, led by Duke Feng'en Zhenguo Man Duhu, have been captured by Prince Heng and Prince Chun."
"All the traitors and assassins on the road to peace talks have been killed, and the corresponding physical evidence has been submitted to the Ministry of Justice."
...
Seeing all the people he brought with him being imprisoned, seeing one person after another step forward to report the news, and seeing a sharp blade pressed against his neck, Tong Guowei knelt down in a sorry state, closed his eyes, and knew that the outcome was already decided.
Yinzhen got out of bed and sat down at the imperial table. Looking at the imperial edict forged by Tong Guowei on the table, he couldn't help but sigh, "One is never too old to learn. Lord Tong's handwriting imitation is quite good."
Tong Guowei, kneeling below, looked up and gave a self-deprecating smile: "In the end, I was simply outmatched. I was part of the Emperor's scheme from beginning to end, wasn't I?"
Yinzhen smiled and did not deny it: "I have never underestimated Tong Banchao's abilities... and his ambitions."
Tong Guowei smiled bitterly. He had just mocked Yinzhen's arrogance, but he never expected that he was the one who was arrogant all along. He was the one who never admitted or believed in the emperor's strategies and methods.
"The victor is king, the loser is villain. I have nothing to say. I only have one question for Yue Xing."
Meeting Tong Guowei's stubborn yet puzzled gaze, Yinzhen did not refuse. He did not mind that Tong Guowei's own grandson would be the one to deliver the final blow: "Ask away, I grant your permission."
Tong Guowei slowly turned around and faced Yue Xing'a, who had come out, and questioned him: "Why did you betray the Tongjia clan? The Tongjia clan has been convicted, what good will come of it for you?"
"Betrayal?" Yue Xing'a sneered. "I have never acknowledged the Tongjia clan, so how can there be betrayal?"
Upon hearing his answer, Tong Guowei hunched over even more. So Yue Xing'a had been the Emperor's man from the very beginning: "You still care about your mother's affairs..."
"certainly!"
"But your father is already dead..."
"He deserved it. If I hadn't beaten the drum to appeal back then, and if the Emperor hadn't stood up for me, how could my mother have escaped from that cage?"
Even after many years, Yue Xing'a still gets emotional when the past is brought up again: "Longkodo is guilty, but aren't you? If it weren't for your inaction, if it weren't for the corruption and arrogance of the Tongjia clan, how could my mother have suffered such humiliation and pain, how could she have died so tragically..."
“From the first day my mother was turned into a human pig, you should have known that I, Yue Xing’a, would always stand against the Tongjia clan. The ridiculous thing is that after being high and mighty for so long, Lord Tong always thought that with a wave of his hand, I would obediently go back.”
Looking at Yue Xing'a's cold smile, Tong Guowei finally understood. All of this was preordained, all because of his arrogance. Arrogant enough to belittle the Emperor's abilities, arrogant enough to disregard Yue Xing'a's hatred, arrogant enough to drag Tongjia down with him.
"The fate of the Tongjia clan is already sealed, but Lord Tong, rest assured, the Emperor has granted me permission to change my surname. From now on, I will take my mother's surname, Hesheli."
Knowing what Tong Guowei cared about, Yue Xing'a's last words dealt him a heavy blow. The Tongjia clan had already committed the heinous crime of having their property confiscated and their entire clan exterminated. If Yue Xing'a of the Tongjia clan were no longer in the world, it would mean that the Tongjia clan would be completely wiped out.
This was a fatal blow to Tong Guowei, who was obsessed with preserving his family's legacy. He could no longer hold on and knelt on the ground, looking even more dejected and aged.
Having no interest in watching the loser's lament, Yinzhen waved his hand, preparing to have Tong Guowei taken away.
Unexpectedly, Tong Guowei, who had been dragged along by two guards looking dejected, suddenly burst into laughter just as he was about to be led away from the palace gate. His shrill laughter made everyone in the hall frown, wondering if Tong Guowei had gone mad with anger.
"Hahaha... I accept this fate, but Your Majesty..."
Tong Guowei's frenzied gaze swept over everyone in the hall: Crown Prince Honghui, Prince Li Yunreng, Prince Lian Yunsi, Prince Guo Yunli...
"I am not someone who is easily fooled. Did the Crown Prince and the princes know that the Emperor had personally entered into this scheme?"
"What do you mean?" Honghui frowned, a strange unease rising in his heart, and questioned Tong Guowei sharply.
Tong Guowei stared at Honghui with a look of pity mixed with satisfaction: "Little prince, you certainly have a good father..."
"Take him away!"
Yun Si stepped forward and interrupted him, coldly ordering the guards to drag Tong Guowei away.
Startled by Tong Guowei's laughter, the guards quickly grabbed him and pulled him outside. Tong Guowei glanced at Yun Si one last time, then suddenly realized, "Hahaha, what a deep brotherly bond..."
"Yinzhen, Grandfather Guo is waiting for you in the underworld. I believe we'll meet again soon, hahaha..."
Tong Guowei's "mad ramblings" gradually faded away, but the atmosphere in the hall became tense. Honghui, with red eyes, looked at Yinzhen and asked, "Father, what did he mean? I don't understand."
...
"Consort Tongjia, Her Majesty the Empress requests your presence."
When Consort Tongjia entered the main hall of Jingren Palace and saw Yixiu sitting at the head of the table with a rosy complexion, she knew that the situation was hopeless and everything was already set in stone.
At this point, she was unusually calm: "I wonder what the Empress has summoned me for?"
Yi Xiu smiled faintly and gave the still calm and composed Consort Tongjia a deep look: "Please come here, Consort Tongjia, to see someone."
"Who is worthy of such a grand mobilization by the Empress?"
Consort Tongjia glanced at the five women seated on either side—Consort Hua, Consort Shu, Consort Duan, Consort Ning, and Consort Hui—as if they were at a "victims' assembly." A premonition arose in Consort Tongjia's heart, and she turned around at the sound of footsteps. Sure enough, she saw a familiar, slightly weak face.
"This concubine, Yuan Yuxiu, has met Her Majesty the Empress and... Consort Tongjia."
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