"General Tao's loyalty in protecting the capital is a fact that everyone has witnessed. How dare you make random accusations against him?"
Lin Shirong sternly scolded Tian Linwen who was kneeling on the ground.
In the court, someone expressed a different opinion from his.
"This Tian Linwen dared to say it in front of His Majesty. I believe he would not just say it without any evidence."
Wei Jinghou, the Minister of Works, stepped forward to express his views.
Others followed suit.
"At this point, Tian Linwen would surely not dare to deceive the emperor. He must have evidence of General Tao's rebellion."
"I can't tell. The Great General of the Nation usually disguises himself so well. If it weren't for Tian Linwen's report, everyone and His Majesty would still be kept in the dark."
"Tao Zhihong is so bold and reckless. He must have embezzled a lot of military funds. Otherwise, where would he get the money to rebel? As an official in the Ministry of War, Tian Linwen must have noticed this a long time ago."
Tao Zhihong stood in the hall and watched his colleagues, who usually looked at him with a smile, move their feet and keep a clear distance from him.
It was as if he was a monster, and if they were a step later, he would eat them up.
Hearing the groundless slanders against him from those around him, Tao Zhihong's resolute and calm face showed neither joy nor sadness.
He would not admit to something he had not done. He had worn armor and ridden on horseback to protect the Great Zhou for many years, and he had a clear conscience.
"Your Majesty, I have never done anything treasonous. Please be clear-headed!"
Tao Zhihong stood up calmly and bowed to express his attitude.
Emperor Jianchang sat high in the court, wearing a crown, his facial expression obscured by the twelve tassels hanging from it.
After listening to Tao Zhihong's self-defense, he nodded to the eunuch chief standing beside him.
"Tian Linwen, quickly tell me everything you know. If you don't have evidence to support your claims, you will bear the consequences yourself."
The sharp voice reached Tian Linwen's ears, making him frown.
No matter what, today, in order to save his life, he must make a choice.
Tian Linwen knocked his head to the ground again.
The voice spoke softly about Tao Zhihong's secret recruitment of soldiers over the past six months.
"General Tao has sent troops to the outskirts of the capital, recruiting soldiers from the civilian population in the name of the imperial court. His reasoning is to expand the military strength within the capital's main camp. I learned of this from a clue I found in a ledger from the Ministry of War that contained the weapons used within the capital's main camp!"
"I have discovered that over the past six months, the weapons required for the capital's main camp have increased by one-third compared to previous years. Such a large number is suspicious."
"To resolve this, I privately went to the vicinity of the Gyeonggi Camp to gather information. I learned that no new soldiers have arrived in the Gyeonggi Camp in the past six months. What does this mean? I'm sure everyone is thinking the same thing as I am."
As soon as he finished speaking, many ministers in the court looked at Tao Zhihong with angry eyes.
Wei Jinghou, the Minister of Works, angrily scolded Tao Zhihong.
"Who could have imagined that the renowned general of the Great Zhou, renowned for his loyalty and bravery, was actually such an ambitious hypocrite? Your Majesty, please immediately dispatch forces to seal off the entire Great General's Mansion, imprison and interrogate all those within, and destroy any evidence of his crimes before his family learns of the situation."
Tao Zhihong didn't even look at Wei Jinghou's malicious accusations. He stood up straight and spoke solemnly to Emperor Jianchang.
"Your Majesty, I am upright and have nothing to fear from my own shadow. Please issue an order to investigate."
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