He pretended not to know anything and returned to his courtyard, telling Yi Mu that the Emperor had only ordered the princess to be beaten a dozen times to vent his anger.
Yi Mu had no suspicions until two days later, when news spread that Guangrong King's granddaughter, Anhe, had an affair with a palace guard, was discovered, and jumped into a well in shame to her death. Only then did he realize that things were not as simple as Yuanbao had said.
Prince Guangrong truly loved this granddaughter; anyone else would have kept such a shameful affair to themselves.
He went to court and defended his granddaughter who had an affair with a guard, insisting that Anping was an extremely quiet child and could not possibly have committed such a disgraceful act.
This is tantamount to questioning the Emperor's slander against An He. But as the supreme ruler, would the Emperor really bother with a girl?
Everyone in the court and among the people knew that the emperor had just ascended the throne and his power was unstable. At this time, Prince Guangrong came out to cause trouble, seemingly because he was sure that the young emperor would not dare to do anything to him.
In fact, the new emperor was not a kind person even before he ascended the throne.
From the high dragon throne came the Emperor's furious roar: "You audacious Prince Guangrong, do you take this court for some random marketplace? How dare you spout such nonsense! Guards!"
The guards filed in from outside the palace. King Guangrong knelt on the ground, looking coldly at the arrogant boy at the head of the table.
When his father was in power, he still treated him with respect. But he was young and arrogant and didn't even take this veteran of three reigns seriously.
“Prince Guangrong is getting old and his mind is not clear. I am afraid he is no longer able to serve as Minister of Justice. From today onwards, Vice Minister Liu Fang will take over the position of Minister. As for the Prince, it is time for him to enjoy his retirement.”
The guard walked up to the Glory King, but out of respect for his status, he did not make a move and instead gestured for him to proceed.
King Guangrong prostrated himself on the ground, shouting three times, "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty!" After the ceremony, he waved his sleeves and left.
Since Xu Zang ascended the throne, he has punished high-ranking officials of the court every now and then. First the prime minister, then the highly respected Prince Guangrong. On the surface, the officials did not show any reaction, but in their hearts, they all began to have doubts.
The new emperor has not yet accomplished much; he is busy with a large-scale purge of the previous dynasty's forces to pave the way for himself. This is not what an emperor should do.
Yi Mu and his men were on the road that Xu Zang would inevitably pass after court. He learned that An He was dead and had been thrown into the well. When the body was pulled out, it had swelled to twice its original size.
Yi Mu rarely showed a cold face to Xu Zang; the few times he did were because Xu Zang had made an irreparable mistake.
Yuanbao stood next to Yi Mu and winked at Xu Zang, meaning that Yi Mu knew everything.
Xu Zang bit his tongue, pretending nothing had happened, and walked briskly to Yi Mu.
"Mumu, what made you decide to wait for me today?"
There was no one around; they had all been sent away.
Yi Mu met the gaze of the man in the dragon robe before him and asked in a deep voice, "Why did you attack An He?"
The child was indeed spoiled and arrogant, and acted recklessly, but his crime did not warrant death.
He examined the body; it was covered in wounds, indicating that the victim must have suffered inhuman torture before death.
Xu Zang only regretted not having whipped that vile woman's corpse. He was indifferent, but when facing Yi Mu, he had a peaceful smile.
“She disrespected you and hurt you, I’m very angry.”
Yi Mu took a deep breath and tried to reason with him, "Even if she has a thousand faults, she doesn't deserve to die."
Xu Zang slightly curled the corners of her mouth, took his slightly cool hand, and breathed warm air into his palm.
"To me, you are the most important person in the world. If you are injured by even a single finger, I will tear that person to pieces and rip them apart."
Despite feeling the warmth emanating from his palms, Yi Mu felt a chill in his heart.
It wasn't his imagination; Xu Zang had truly changed. Was this cold-blooded and ruthless person still his kind and simple-minded junior brother?
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