Everyone present was a smart person, how could they not hear the sarcasm in these words?
Those who were already suspicious couldn't help but look up secretly. At this point, Nangong Yi calmed down. He looked at Lan Shuang and Lan Rong with his hands behind his back and asked in a deep voice: "What do you want to do? Just tell me directly."
Lan Rong took a step forward, his tall body straight, like a sharp blade drawn from its sheath, his aura revealed.
"What do I want to do? I just want justice. I, Lan Rong, joined the army at a young age and have made countless military achievements. My father dedicated his entire life to defending Daliang and never had a single ulterior motive. Over the years, he has kept his clan members in check and has never violated the law or committed any acts of disobedience. He even sent his most beloved daughter to the palace to appease the emperor."
He paused, his voice choked, but even more moving.
Men don't shed tears easily, only because they haven't reached the point of sadness.
Now I am completely heartbroken.
"If it weren't for your Majesty's decree, my sister would be living a carefree life at home, instead of being tortured in this cruel harem, where people are eaten alive and bones are shed, with her life in danger time and time again. But how have you treated us, Your Majesty? Why do you fear us so much, so much so that even though we have no intention of rebelling, you would send people to take preemptive action?!"
The last question was so resounding that it echoed in everyone's hearts like a thunderclap. They all looked at each other in disbelief.
"General Lan, what do you mean? You said His Majesty—"
The man didn't dare to say the following words because they were too absurd and unacceptable.
Lan Rong's eyes were red by the end of her speech, but not a single tear shed.
A hand reached out from behind and rested on Lan Rong's shoulder. Lan Rong turned his head and saw that it was Lan Shuang, but he could no longer hold back his tears. Tears burst out instantly. He felt extremely guilty when he saw Lan Shuang.
Lan Shuang wiped his tears and said with a smile, "It's okay, you've done very well, brother."
Lan Rong trembled and clenched her teeth.
Lan Shuang stepped forward and stood in front of him. Facing all kinds of looks, she remained calm and composed, as if Lan Rong was not talking about her just now.
"You guys don't dare to say it, so I'll say it."
She looked up at Nangong Yi standing on the imperial platform, ignoring his complex warning look and said loudly, "It was your good Majesty—Nangong Yi—who secretly sent spies to lurk around my brother. If he loses, they will find an opportunity to incite the army, undermine his power, and then execute him. If he wins, they will find an opportunity to attack on the way back. Just in case, the hidden weapons used by the spies are all tempered with a poison that kills instantly."
She stared at Nangong Yi, watching the expression on his face change, feeling very happy.
"If they succeed, my brother will undoubtedly die. Then, with a few words of appeasement from His Majesty, the matter can be swept under the rug. Everyone will simply think it was done by the Nomadic Alliance, and they will then hate them even more. Or, perhaps, we could find a scapegoat and arrange for the spy to be a member of a senior official. Once the truth is known, we can use the excuse of seeking justice for the Lan family and eliminate the official. That way, we'll kill several birds with one stone."
Lan Shuang looked at the ministers.
Some believed her, their faces horrified, while others refused to believe her, pointing at her nose and angrily slamming her, "What nonsense! How dare you, a concubine, stand here and slander His Majesty? Your entire clan should be punished!"
"Punish my entire clan. Do you think His Majesty hasn't thought about this?"
Lan Shuang chuckled, "Your Majesty, why don't you speak?"
Nangong Yi looked at everyone, his hands clenched tightly behind his back. "Your Highness, this drama is indeed brilliant, but slander requires evidence. You just say it's my spy arranged by me without any evidence. Where is the evidence?"
"Just waiting for His Majesty to ask." Lan Shuang smiled, turned around and clapped her hands, "Bring it up--"
Nangong Yi's heart tightened. Could it be that he was really caught by them?
He sent out death squads, how could it be...
A man in white suddenly appeared at the door of the hall. As soon as he came in, it seemed as if all the candles in the hall were dimmed.
"National Master?" Nangong Yi was surprised. How could it be him?
When did he get involved with Lan Shuang?
Jiang Lusheng walked in slowly, followed by two men in white robes, escorting a ragged, disheveled man in.
"Kneel down."
The man in white robe kicked the man in the knee, and the man immediately knelt down in pain. Another man grabbed his hair and forced him to raise his head to face everyone.
Nangong Yi was very familiar with that face; he was indeed his assassin!
"Your Majesty, you must recognize this man, right? He's a small captain of the Imperial Guard, specializing in handling shameful matters for you. This time, he received orders to take action against Lan Rong and not let him return to Kyoto alive."
Without waiting for others to ask, Jiang Lusheng continued, "If anyone doesn't believe it, just ask His Majesty to call out the royal guards and ask them."
This really cannot be faked, it is too easy to expose. The people who were originally wavering now looked at Nangong Yi with different eyes.
Nangong Yi was silent for a long moment, then suddenly laughed. "So what if they're the Imperial Guards? How do we know they didn't betray me and team up with others to stage this drama? Otherwise, how did Lan Rong escape without knowing about it? Could it be that this is the limit of the Imperial Guards' abilities?"
"Yeah, that doesn't mean anything, does it? It's not impossible for the royal guards to betray their master."
"I think this is just a play they put on. Are they trying to force the emperor to abdicate?"
Lan Shuang listened to these people's discussions with a smile on her lips. As expected of the scheming Nangong Yi, he pushed the blame away with just a few words.
She slowly clapped her hands, "Well, Your Majesty, you said it very well."
"I can't prove whether he was bribed or not. Anyway, as long as you deny it, I can't convict you."
"But you forgot one thing."
Lan Shuang faced Nangong Yi's gaze, smiling brightly, "When you drugged me and the concubines in the harem, did you ever think that you would be betrayed by the imperial physician?"
Nangong Yi's face changed. "Noble Concubine Lan, I have tolerated you time and again, not to let you take advantage of my favor and do whatever you want. Come here - arrest them and put them in the Sky Prison. I want to interrogate them personally!"
However, apart from the guards inside the hall rushing out, there was no movement outside.
His eyelids twitched suddenly, and Nangong Yi shouted again: "Someone come!"
Still no response.
Nangong Yi finally panicked.
Jiang Lusheng glanced at him and said calmly: "Come here——"
This time, a group of people in white robes rushed in from outside, each holding a short knife in his hand.
These are the private soldiers of the Imperial Master's Mansion. Only the Imperial Master can mobilize them. He will not obey the orders of anyone else, including the Emperor. This is the power given to the Imperial Master by the previous emperor.
"Imperial Master, are you going to rebel?" Nangong Yi shouted angrily.
Jiang Lusheng walked to Lan Shuang and stood beside her, with Lan Rong protecting her on both sides, completely ignoring his intentions.
Lan Shuang smiled: "Your Majesty, why are you so nervous? It's not too late to punish us after we have talked it out."
"Empress, it's your turn."
She stepped aside and the queen, who was not wearing any makeup and was wearing plain clothes and wooden hairpins, walked in.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
