"To say that Prince Yi embezzled the court's disaster relief funds and grain is utter nonsense. Do you think we, the common people, don't know how much silver and grain the court allocated to the people of the north? The reason why the people of the entire north were able to escape their suffering so quickly is because Prince Yi controlled the overall situation and did not allow any official to embezzle or accept bribes. Even Su Wenxian, the richest man in our Qingluan Kingdom, was ruined because of this and became an ordinary citizen, and even got a lot of debt."
And which of the Emperor's officials has ever done so much? Now that the people of the North have a stable life, they're starting to betray them, discarding them after they've served their purpose. Your Majesty, Your Majesty, you truly have no heart! Prince Yi has done so much, and instead of thanking him, you're framing him! You'll be struck by lightning for doing this sooner or later, even if you are the Emperor.”
"I know everyone is indignant, but you should be careful. The person you are cursing is the Emperor, a deity of our Qingluan Kingdom! With just one word from him, we will all be executed along with our entire families. Under the absolute power of the Emperor, we are all cannon fodder. So if we want to work for Prince Yi, we should not talk nonsense and cause trouble for him."
"It's easy for you to say, but how are we supposed to do it? We're just ordinary people, we have nothing but mouths, how can we possibly help Prince Yi?"
"This... I don't know either!"
The people were furious at the emperor's actions, but they were powerless, had no one to advise or organize them, and had no idea what to do next.
The powerful, officials, and merchants, who had connections, learned that the Emperor intended to kill Gu Beiyi, completely disregarding the people's opinions. So they all watched and instructed their families to keep their mouths shut and not to spread rumors that might attract the Emperor's attention.
The Emperor and Prince Yi had a contest. It seemed like Prince Yi lost, but in reality, the Emperor lost. Everyone knew this, but they couldn't be the first to stand up for themselves, otherwise the Emperor would punish them first!
They're not like Prince Yi; if the Emperor were to speak, their entire clan would be wiped out. It's not worth it!
The Heavenly Prison.
The Emperor sat in the chair opposite Gu Beiyi, his dark eyes cold and sharp like an ancient, man-eating monster. "My dear brother, you have brought me to this state. Have you ever thought about what your own fate will be?"
Gu Beiyi calmly picked up a cup of hot tea and put it in his mouth, as if he hadn't seen the Emperor's ferocious, demon-like face at all, making the Emperor grit his teeth in a nonchalant manner.
But the thought that Gu Beiyi was about to die at his hands and would never be able to cause any more trouble made him feel much better.
Seeing that the Emperor's mood had improved and his face was no longer as ferocious and distorted as before, Gu Beiyi slammed his teacup heavily on the table and said in a way that brooked no refusal, "Brother, do you know why I am targeting you so openly? Completely disregarding the reputation of the Gu family and the royal family?"
This... The Emperor was indeed very curious and had been trying to figure it out!
The previous Gu Beiyi wasn't this arrogant towards him; he was very respectful.
Gu Beiyi sneered, "That's because I've never considered you an opponent! If you hadn't been plotting against me and colluding with Wei Qicheng's people, how could I have possibly attacked you? Others may not know, but surely I know why the princess of Qinghao Kingdom is infatuated with me and wants to marry me? Wasn't that something you and Wei Qicheng orchestrated? If you weren't so foolish, how could I have used the snow disaster to trample you underfoot! Besides..."
Gu Beiyi coldly glanced at the Emperor: "The throne originally belonged to me! Back then, I was too young to ascend the throne, so my father made you regent, intending to transfer all power to me once I came of age! But you were unwilling! You used various pretexts to kill all the ministers who knew the truth, truly eliminating them completely! After altering the imperial edict, you ascended the throne openly and legitimately. To improve your reputation and to deal with your other brothers, you granted me the title of Prince! But what is not yours will never be yours! Just like this Heavenly Prison, if I did not comply, you would have no way to send me to the Heavenly Prison!"
This was the first time Gu Beiyi had said so much 'nonsense' in front of the Emperor!
The Emperor was uneasy because of Gu Beiyi's talkativeness, as if all his secrets were laid bare before him and could not be hidden.
"How did you find out?" The Emperor stared intently at Gu Beiyi.
Gu Beiyi said calmly, "You'll know when the time comes. Right now, Your Majesty, you should think about how many people escaped the net back then, and whether the evidence of their collusion with the remnants of the previous dynasty over the years has been completely destroyed!"
"Gu Beiyi!!" Seeing Gu Beiyi's arrogance and disregard for him, his anger flared up, and he wanted to kill Gu Beiyi, otherwise he would be the one to suffer.
Judging from Gu Beiyi's appearance, it's clear that he has a lot of evidence against him in the eyes of the people, evidence that could bring him down from the throne and prevent him from ever recovering. Such a person cannot be allowed to live!
"How long do you think you can remain so arrogant? Don't worry, I will definitely give you a proper burial!"
Gu Beiyi looked indifferently at the Emperor's exasperated appearance, and sneered, "I'll be waiting!"
The Emperor stormed out of the prison, intending to see Gu Beiyi in such a sorry state, but ended up getting angry at Gu Beiyi instead. Since Gu Beiyi was so blind to his faults, he had to hurry up and avoid any unforeseen complications!
Therefore, the Emperor ordered the Court of Judicial Review to immediately begin the trial and present all the so-called evidence against Gu Beiyi.
After learning everything from the system, Rong Sheng said, "System, I will use my medical ethics points to replace all the evidence prepared by the Emperor with evidence that he did nothing during the snow disaster and was instead threatened by Langya Kingdom and Baiqi Kingdom to cede territory and pay reparations! I will also exchange evidence for all the things the Emperor did to deal with Gu Beiyi, as well as evidence and witnesses for his collusion with Gu Beiyi's maternal clan!"
System: "OK!"
"But host, this system reminds you that the emperor's throne was not obtained legitimately; it originally belonged to Gu Beiyi!"
"Is there any evidence?"
"Yes! There are witnesses and physical evidence!" In other words, someone has a copy of the late emperor's edict of succession!
"That would be perfect! Who is that person?"
"Prince Su!"
"Prince Su?"
"When the late Emperor passed away, Prince Su was away on a military campaign and not in the capital! Therefore, when the Emperor was eliminating any potential threats, he overlooked Prince Su! But the late Emperor had foresight, and the first edict of succession was secretly delivered to Prince Su, who has kept it in excellent condition ever since. Gu Beiyi has seen that edict of succession, and there are people who can testify that the edict of succession in Prince Su's possession is genuine!"
"That's great!" It's like a pillow being delivered to someone who's sleepy. It's completely impossible for the emperor to turn the tables and deal with Gu Beiyi now.
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