He came at Meng Yi's behest, deliberately to provoke him, hoping to provoke him into making a move on the spot, so that he could take the opportunity to get rid of him.
Unfortunately, instead of witnessing the other party's impotent rage, he received a slap across the face, leaving his head buzzing.
"I got hit?"
"And he was slapped in public?"
The Prince of Dai was momentarily stunned. He had taken precautions when he provoked the other party, but he hadn't even seen how the other party attacked.
Meng Yi was both shocked and furious: "You bastard surnamed Zu, how dare you commit violence in the palace!"
He was on guard against the other party's attack, but he also failed to stop them in time.
The commotion quickly attracted the attention of the surrounding court officials, who thought to themselves that this Zu fellow was indeed a fierce fellow, actually slapping the Prince of Dai.
Zuan then spread his hands: "Really? I don't know anything about that. Don't make false accusations."
"I saw it with my own eyes, the handprint on the Prince of Dai's face is still there, how dare you deny it!" Meng Yi said sternly.
Anger from Meng Yi: +400 +400 +400...
The Prince of Dai finally came to his senses: "You bastard surnamed Zu, how dare you beat a prince in court! This is a serious crime! Guards, arrest this scoundrel who has no regard for the emperor and his father!"
Anger from Zhao Ping: +555 +555 +555...
“If you say so, then so be it. I just said that you plotted to harm the two Dukes of the Qin family. Do you admit it?” Zu An said with a smile.
"It's useless to win arguments here," Meng Yi sneered. "So many ministers and so many eyes saw you slap the Prince of Dai!"
The Prince of Dai's face was burning, he didn't know if it was from being slapped by Zu An or from shame. He thought to himself, "Father-in-law, can you not be so loud? It's not a glorious thing for me to be slapped in front of my face. It's all Zu's fault!"
Anger points from Zhao Ping: +444 +444 +444...
"Really? Did any of you see it?" Zuan glanced around.
Many ministers looked away, wondering who would dare to get involved in the power struggle between the Prince of Dai, supported by the Meng family, and the Crown Prince, supported by the Bi family.
Meng Yi narrowed his eyes. This kid wants to play my tricks too, but he's too green.
Sure enough, several ministers soon saw it: "I saw it!"
"I saw it too!"
"It was you who attacked the Prince of Dai."
...
These people were all from the Meng family and the Prince of Dai's faction, so naturally they would speak up for them.
Zu An seemed to have expected this: "You are all lackeys of the Prince of Dai and Meng Yi, so of course you'll speak up for him. According to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, you are interested parties, so your testimonies will not be accepted. Lord Jiang, am I right?"
Jiang Boyang, who was passing by, suppressed a laugh and said seriously, "That's true."
This guy surnamed Meng has crossed the line time and time again. Does he really think I, Jiang, have no temper?
Zu An thought to himself, "As expected of Principal Jiang's father, he's definitely one of our own."
“Jiang Boyang, you…” Meng Yi was furious.
Just then, a eunuch's sinister voice rang out beside him: "Lord Zu, the Empress summons you to Kunning Palace to inquire about something."
This man exuded a chilling aura, causing the surrounding ministers to instinctively keep their distance from him.
The Empress's chief steward, Eunuch Lü.
Since Eunuch Wen died at Zishan, he has now become the de facto Grand Eunuch.
“Eunuch Lü, this Zu fellow just attacked the Prince of Dai,” Meng Yi hurriedly said.
With a blank expression, Eunuch Lü said, "Jiang Tingwei is right here. If there's anything, we can file a complaint with him. Now that Her Majesty wants to see Lord Zu, I dare not delay her."
He immediately bowed to Zu An and said, "Lord Zu, please."
Zuan frowned, but ultimately, unwilling to put the Empress in a difficult position, he followed her.
Watching the two figures disappear into the distance, the Prince of Dai's expression twisted: "What does the Empress mean by this?"
Meng Yi's brows furrowed as well; the Empress seemed to have a rather unusual interest in this man surnamed Zu.
Zuan soon met with the Empress at Kunning Palace.
Liu Ning glanced at him and sighed softly, "Are you blaming me for my decision just now?"
Zuan shook his head: "No, all of this was within my expectations before I entered the palace."
Liu Ning's heart jumped: "Don't be impulsive. I've already handed this case over to the Embroidered Robe Envoy. You can investigate however you want, and no one else can say anything."
"In addition, strictly speaking, this matter may not necessarily be a bad thing. The Qin and Murong families have suffered such a great injustice, and most of the officials sympathize with them. In addition, the Meng family and the Prince of Dai are in the wrong this time, so they probably won't be able to keep pursuing the Qin and Murong families. At that time, the Qin and Murong families' crimes can be minimized, and they can eventually get out of the prison."
Zu An nodded and said, "Your Majesty's considerations are thorough."
Liu Ning was somewhat suspicious because he seemed too calm: "Don't do anything foolish. Leave the rest to me. I guarantee I can get the Qin and Murong families in place as soon as possible."
Zuan asked, "Will they be reinstated without charge?"
Liu Ning hesitated for a moment: "That's probably impossible. What happened in Zishan was too big. There must be a few people who have to take responsibility for it. But I can guarantee that their lives are not in danger. At most, their titles will be reduced, their official positions will be demoted, and a few insignificant family members will be exiled."
Zuan nodded.
"This is the biggest concession I can get. Otherwise, according to convention, the Murong family would most likely be executed, and the Qin family would most likely be exiled." Seeing that he didn't speak, Liu Ning felt a little panicked.
“I know how hard you’ve worked.” Zuan smiled.
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