Chapter 1153: Lure the Tiger Away from the Mountain
The emperor sat upright on the dragon throne with a solemn expression.
Civil and military officials stood on both sides, whispering to each other.
Jiang Xue and Xiao Zhan stood side by side, facing the scrutiny of the crowd with calm expressions.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."
The emperor nodded slightly and said, "Stand up."
"It is a great honor for our dynasty that the Prime Minister and the princess have returned triumphantly."
A minister stepped forward, clasped his hands and said, his tone was a little sarcastic: "I just don't know if this so-called 'victory' is true?"
Jiang Xue frowned slightly.
"What do you mean, Lord Li?" Xiao Zhan asked coldly.
"Don't worry, Prime Minister."
Another minister also stood up and echoed: "Now the rumors about the princess's identity are rampant in the court. I also want to know whether the princess is the daughter of Jiang or..."
He paused deliberately and looked at Jiang Xue with provocation.
Jiang Xue took a deep breath and was about to speak, but was interrupted by the enemy leader's shouting: "Hahaha! You have all been deceived by them! They are the real traitors! They..."
"Shut up!" Xiao Zhan shouted angrily, shocking the whole audience.
The enemy leader, however, continued to shout like a mad dog: "I am not lying! They are colluding with foreign enemies and intending to rebel! I have evidence in my hands!"
There was an uproar in the hall. Some ministers who did not know the truth began to waver and the scene was chaotic for a while.
Jiang Xue was extremely anxious. She looked everywhere for the evidence she had seized before, but found that those crucial documents and letters were missing!
An ominous premonition came over her, and she looked suddenly at the enemy leader, only to see a sinister smile on his lips.
"Oh no!" Jiang Xue thought to herself, she realized that they had fallen into a trap!
She looked around and found that several ministers looked panicked and their eyes flickered, as if they were deliberately avoiding her gaze.
"you!"
Jiang Xue pointed at the ministers and asked sternly, "Is it you?!"
The ministers' faces changed drastically, but they said nothing.
At this moment, the strategist Zhuge quickly walked to Jiang Xue and whispered a few words in her ear.
Jiang Xue's face changed and she looked suddenly towards the corner of the hall.
Jiang Xue's eyes were as sharp as torches, directed directly at an inconspicuous box in the corner of the hall.
She hadn't noticed the box in the chaos just now. Now it seemed that the timing of the box's appearance was too coincidental.
"Go, open the box." Jiang Xue said decisively, pointing to the corner.
Two guards immediately stepped forward and carefully opened the box.
The box contained no gold, silver or jewelry, but rather neatly stacked documents and letters.
The counselor Zhuge stepped forward, picked up a few documents and quickly glanced through them, a confident smile gradually appearing on his face.
"Princess, you are very observant! These are the ironclad evidence that the enemy leaders are colluding with foreign enemies and intending to rebel!"
Zhuge held up the document in his hand and read aloud the contents, which included secret letters between enemy leaders and foreign enemies, plans for rebellion, and evidence of bribing officials in the court.
Every word and sentence was clear and powerful, striking the hearts of the ministers like a heavy hammer.
The ministers who had originally been skeptical were now stunned. They had never expected that the truth would be so shocking.
The enemy leader who had been shouting non-stop before now looked pale, as if he had lost his parents, and wilted like an eggplant hit by frost.
Jiang Xue looked around at everyone, her tone steady and powerful: "My Lords, the facts are there, what else is there to say?"
The ministers lowered their heads one after another, not daring to look directly into Jiang Xue's eyes.
The ministers who had questioned Jiang Xue before were so ashamed that they wished they could find a hole to crawl into.
"emperor."
Jiang Xue turned to the emperor, her tone respectful but firm: "Now that the truth is out, please Your Majesty will be vigilant and punish the rebels severely to serve as a warning to others!"
The emperor had been silent the whole time, but now he slowly spoke with a hint of admiration in his tone: "The princess is indeed very intelligent, and I am very pleased. Come, capture the enemy leader and his followers!"
The guards immediately stepped forward, tied up the enemy leader and others, and took them away.
The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became a lot more relaxed, and everyone looked at Jiang Xue and Xiao Zhan with admiration.
Jiang Xue took a deep breath and continued, "Your Majesty, in addition to the enemy leader's rebellion plot, there are many things that need to be clarified. For example, regarding my identity..."
She told the story of how she was forced to marry in a substitute marriage, how she discovered the mystery of the cold jade bracelet, and how she and Xiao Zhan went from being suspicious of each other to knowing each other and falling in love.
He also told the story without reservation, including how he was involved in the incident of replacing the prince with a cat.
Her tone was calm, but every word she spoke was precious, and every word struck everyone's heart.
The hall was completely silent. Everyone was so fascinated by her story that they felt as if they were there themselves.
"As for the struggles in the harem and the intrigues in the court..."
Jiang Xue paused, glanced at everyone present, and her tone became more stern:
"These things are so complicated that it will take a while to explain them clearly. But I can guarantee that all the truth will eventually be revealed to the world!"
Her powerful words echoed in the hall for a long time.
The eyes that people looked at her were no longer filled with suspicion and questioning, but with awe and conviction.
The emperor also looked at Jiang Xue with admiration. He had never thought that a woman could have such courage and wisdom.
He slowly stood up, walked to Jiang Xue, and said gently: "Princess, you have worked hard. I believe in you."
Jiang Xue smiled slightly and bowed to the emperor.
At this moment, a sudden noise came from outside the hall, coming from far away and getting clearer and clearer...
"What's going on?" The emperor frowned and looked outside the palace.
Xiao Zhan walked to Jiang Xue, held her hand, and whispered, "Don't be afraid, I'm here."
Jiang Xue held his hand in return and gave him a firm look.
The two stood side by side, quietly waiting for the coming storm...
"Kill! Kill the Prime Minister and the princess!"
A roar came from outside the hall, clearly heard by everyone and broke the brief peace in the hall.
Everyone looked in astonishment at a group of people holding sticks outside the hall, who were now shouting and rushing towards the hall.
Xiao Zhan quickly protected Jiang Xue behind him and solemnly ordered the guards around him: "Protect the princess!"
Then he strode out of the hall and stretched out his hand to block the rioting people.
But Jiang Xue didn't want to be a weak woman hiding behind a man to be protected. She followed Xiao Zhan and shouted to the people: "Why did you break into the palace? If you have anything to say, please talk to me!"
But the people were so excited at the moment that they didn't listen to Jiang Xue's words at all. They just kept clamoring to kill them.
Seeing this, Jiang Xue took a deep breath and said loudly: "I know everyone is resentful, but you know that you are being used!
The real enemy is not the Prime Minister and me, but those treacherous people hiding in the dark, trying to disrupt the government!"
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