Chapter 36 Shut Up She knew that she had to sacrifice the pawn to save the king. …
The shouts of Shen Xingwan and Princess Guang'an resounded throughout the court, like thunder exploding in everyone's ears, instantly attracting everyone's attention.
The dim candlelight flickered in the corner of the palace, illuminating the faces that were either shocked or angry, but it could not dispel the tense and almost frozen atmosphere.
They held high the account books and letters in their hands. The densely written words on the account books looked particularly eerie in the dim light, as if they were witnesses of sin, like a sharp blade.
Shen Xing took a step forward, holding the account book tightly, his arms trembling slightly, and said loudly: "My Lords, please look carefully at this account book. It records in detail the transactions between the Imperial Concubine and the Western Region forces."
"For her own selfish desires, she did not hesitate to collude with the Western Region forces and sell out state secrets to obtain huge wealth. The Western Region invaders, relying on the intelligence provided by the Imperial Concubine, were able to easily break through our defense line and seize our city."
Her words were deafening, and filled with the power of grief and indignation, as if they were a cry from the depths of her soul.
Princess Guang'an also said: "There are also these letters, which are all secret letters between the Western Region forces and the Imperial Concubine. From these letters, we can clearly see their collusion plan."
"The Imperial Concubine used all means to achieve her own goals, even at the expense of national interests, and framed General Shen Yunchao, who had been guarding the border, for harboring the enemy and plotting a rebellion."
"General Shen Yunchao has been loyal and brave all his life. He has risked his life many times to fight off powerful enemies for the Kingdom of Wei. How could he do such a thing?"
"Poor General Shen, he devoted himself to serving his country, but now he is imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison, and his life or death is uncertain!" She shouted at the top of her lungs, staring closely at the people in the court, waiting for their response.
There was an uproar in the court, and the ministers began to discuss the matter.
Everyone was whispering to each other, with different expressions, some were shocked, some were angry, and some were confused.
They couldn't believe it. How could the emperor's most beloved imperial concubine do such a thing?
They also couldn't believe that a loyal and good man like General Shen Yunchao would be framed in this way. If this was true, it would really discourage loyal officials from serving their country.
Some people began to quietly condemn the Imperial Concubine's crimes, while others were discussing how to deal with her.
The candlelight flickered on their faces, reflecting expressions of shock or fear.
Wei Zilin's face was gloomy, his eyes were red as he shouted angrily: "You are slandering me! The Imperial Concubine is my biological mother and has always been very caring towards me. How could she do such a thing?"
"You traitors with evil intentions must be trying to frame my mother!"
He clenched his fists, his knuckles were pale, his body was trembling slightly, and his expression looked particularly ferocious under the candlelight.
Shen Xingwan looked at him coldly: "Your Highness, facts speak louder than words."
"The evidence is now irrefutable. The Royal Concubine's crimes are obvious. Why are you still trying to argue?"
She sneered and took a step forward, looking up at the furious Wei Zilin, and asked word by word, "Have you forgotten your identity and responsibilities?"
Shen Xingwan raised her head slightly, and the warm yellow candlelight brushed against her face, outlining her resolute features.
"As the crown prince, you are the foundation of the country. Do you want to become an enemy of Wei just for a criminal who betrayed Wei?"
She spoke in a cold tone and put him on the platform. Wei Zilin was speechless for a moment and looked at everyone in silence.
Lord Zhou also stood up and said, "Your Highness, the evidence we presented was all done by the Imperial Concubine. She also deliberately left these conspiracy letters to the court officials intact in order to use them as leverage to control those court officials. Whether it is true or not will be cleared up once we investigate!"
Some of the court officials were so frightened that they trembled like a sieve and fainted on the spot.
"How dare you, people, frame me!" The Imperial Concubine could no longer bear it. "I am the Crown Prince's biological mother. I have devoted so much effort to the Wei royal family! And yet you are lying here and slandering me at will!"
Her expression became more and more distorted, her face turning blue and red. She looked at the account book in her private vault and it appeared in Shen Xingwan's hand. Recalling what happened last night, she was so shocked and angry that she almost fainted.
"You bitch!"
She cursed and was about to rush over to snatch the account book from Shen Xingwan's hand.
The Queen Mother frowned and quickly called out, "Royal Concubine, at this point, you still don't admit your guilt?"
The Imperial Concubine paused, turned around in shock, and looked at the Empress Dowager in disbelief.
The Queen Mother's eyes were filled with shock and pain, but more of it was helplessness and determination. "You are the Crown Prince's biological mother. Your actions have already endangered the Crown Prince's position."
The Imperial Concubine was stunned for a moment, but she had lived in the deep palace for a long time and had seen all kinds of tricks, so she immediately understood what the Queen Mother meant.
This means giving up on her and sacrificing the pawn to save the driver.
She looked at the Queen Mother in disbelief, her eyes full of questioning. The Queen Mother had a kind face, but a hint of viciousness flashed across her lowered eyes.
"You have committed such a heinous crime and put the State of Wei in danger. Don't you know how to repent?"
She looked extremely disappointed, her eyes full of compassion, as if she was a kind mother looking at her child who had made a mistake.
She sighed and continued, "I have no choice but to deal with you according to the law and ask you to plead guilty in order to preserve your position as Crown Prince."
The Imperial Concubine was stunned on the spot, her eyes red, and she turned around to look at General Zhang.
General Zhang lowered his head, just sighed and refused to look at her.
Tears welled up on her face. The Imperial Concubine raised her hand to wipe them away. Her eyes turned cold and she gritted her teeth and said, "I am innocent! This is all your conspiracy! You want to frame me!"
She stared at the Queen Mother and said, "Don't think you can control everything. The worst that can happen is that both sides will be destroyed!"
"The Emperor has arrived!!!"
As everyone was standing still and watching, a loud voice of singing suddenly came from outside the hall.
Following a series of light and regular footsteps, the emperor's throne was carefully carried by several young eunuchs and slowly entered the solemn and majestic hall.
The bright yellow curtain swayed slightly, vaguely revealing the figure of the emperor half-lying in it.
This scene happened too suddenly. Everyone was startled, with all kinds of complicated emotions in their eyes, including surprise, confusion, and more of panic.
In an instant, the sound of rustling clothes was heard in the hall, and everyone knelt down one after another.
The shouts of "Welcome, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!" echoed for a long time, but could not cover up the tension and uneasiness that permeated the hall.
The emperor half leaned on the imperial couch, his face pale, but he could not hide the anger in his empty eyes.
His eyes slowly swept across the crowd, finally settling on the Imperial Concubine.
"Royal Concubine, do you admit your guilt?"
Although the emperor's voice was weak and hoarse, it was still very intimidating, and his intimidation made everyone bow their heads and dare not look directly at him.
The Imperial Concubine's body trembled violently, and the blood color on her face instantly faded, leaving her as pale as paper.
She slammed her head heavily on the ground, and the dull sound of her forehead hitting the ground was particularly clear in the silent hall.
She raised her head, her eyes full of panic and unwillingness, and she cried and defended herself anxiously: "Your Majesty, I am innocent! Someone must have deliberately framed me. I am loyal to Your Majesty and the State of Wei, and I have no second thoughts. How could I do such a treasonous thing!"
The emperor sneered, and the anger in his eyes grew even stronger.
"You are about to die, and you still don't repent!"
"The evidence is irrefutable. You secretly colluded with the court officials in the Western Regions and framed Shen Yunchao, causing the city to fall and the people to suffer. You have committed such a heinous crime, and you still dare to say that you are innocent?"
The emperor became more and more excited as he spoke, his chest heaving violently, and the young eunuch at the side hurried forward to gently help him calm down.
The Imperial Concubine burst into tears and just lay on the ground sobbing.
"I have always been tolerant of you, considering that you have served me for many years and are the Crown Prince's biological mother. But you have become more and more unscrupulous. Your crime is truly unforgivable!"
The emperor took a deep breath, calmed down his emotions, and said coldly, "From today on, the Imperial Noble Consort will be demoted to a concubine and confined to the palace to reflect on her actions. She is not allowed to leave without the imperial decree."
The imperial concubine was struck by lightning, and she collapsed to the ground, her eyes empty, muttering to herself: "No... this is not true... I didn't..."
Tears flowed uncontrollably down her cheeks, wetting the cold, hard gold brick in front of her.
The emperor ignored her and turned his head slightly to look at the empress dowager.
The Queen Mother sat aside, rubbing the floor tiles lightly with the dragon-headed cane in her hand, with a complicated expression on her face.
The emperor said softly, "Mother, you have worked hard for the royal family over the years. It is time for you to enjoy your retirement."
"From now on, just focus on worshipping Buddha. The affairs of the harem will be handled by the younger generation, and the power to assist in the management of the six palaces will be handed over to Concubine De."
The Queen Mother was slightly startled, and her eyes met with the Emperor's for a moment. Seeing that there was no room for maneuver, she could only sigh softly and said slowly: "Forget it, I should take a break. Since Your Majesty has made a decision, I will obey."
Her voice sounded lonely, but also contained a hint of relief.
The emperor nodded slightly and turned his gaze to Crown Prince Wei Zilin.
Seeing his son, his eyes were full of disappointment and grief, and his tone became stern: "Zilin, as the crown prince, you should set an example and assist me in governing the country. But you allowed the imperial concubine to do whatever she wanted, and even conspired with her and committed many mistakes."
"From now on, you will return to the East Palace and contemplate your mistakes. Reflect on yourself. When you have figured it out, you can come out again!"
Wei Zilin pursed his lips tightly, lowered his head and said in a low voice: "Your son will obey your father's order."
Although his voice was relatively calm, he was young after all, and his slightly trembling shoulders still showed his resentment.
The emperor did not pursue the matter, but just looked at General Zhang with a more scrutinizing expression.
"General Zhang, you command a large number of troops and should be defending the country, but you indulge your relatives in doing evil. It shows that you are old and confused."
"I consider your contributions to the country in your early years, so I will forgive you for the past. You are now at an age where you should enjoy your old age. I will allow you to retire and return home. You can hand over the military power to Shen Yunchao."
General Zhang suddenly lost his color, took a step forward, clasped his fists and said: "Your Majesty, this old minister..."
But before he could finish his words, the emperor raised his hand to interrupt him.
The emperor said in a low voice without questioning, "It is settled. Do not say anything more."
Seeing this, General Zhang turned around and glanced at Wei Zilin, who looked like a frost-bitten eggplant. Fortunately, he had not lost his position as the crown prince and there was still a chance to rise again. He could only sigh helplessly, kneel on one knee, and present the military token with both hands: "This old minister... obeys your order."
After arranging these, the emperor relaxed a little, his eyes swept over everyone one by one, and finally fell on Lord Zhou.
"Lord Zhou, this case involves a wide range of people. It concerns the peace of the country and the integrity of the court. I appoint you as the Imperial Censor, responsible for supervising all officials. You are responsible for a thorough investigation. No matter who is involved, you must not be partial or corrupt. You must catch all the traitors in one fell swoop."
Lord Zhou looked solemn, straightened his back, knelt down and accepted the order, saying: "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, I will do my best to fulfill my mission, bring justice to the court, and give an explanation to the people!"
The emperor was half lying on the imperial couch, looking extremely tired, but still exuding unquestionable majesty.
He glanced at everyone in the court and spoke slowly. Although his voice was not loud, every word was clear and powerful: "Now the border is in a critical situation during the war. The barbarians in the Western Regions have repeatedly invaded and the common people have suffered from the war. The State of Wei is already in danger!"
Everyone's heart tightened, and the ministers whispered to each other, their faces full of worry.
"According to my order, release Shen Yunchao!"
The emperor's voice sounded again, "Shen Yunchao was devoted to serving his country, but was framed by traitors and imprisoned. Now that the Wei Kingdom is in danger, it is time to use people. I believe that he will put aside the past grudges and fight bravely for our great Wei Kingdom."
The emperor took a short breath and continued, "Draft an imperial decree to appoint Shen Yunchao as the second-rank general of the Western Expedition and to lead his troops to the expedition immediately to recapture the lost city!"
As soon as this decree was issued, there was a slight murmur in the court.
Some people were surprised and believed that Shen Yunchao was capable of turning the tide of the battle; others frowned slightly, feeling skeptical about Shen Yunchao taking on such an important task right after he was released from prison.
General Zhang squinted his eyes and glanced at the court officials who supported the prince's power.
The courtiers who were under his control could not shirk their responsibility and could only tremble and reluctantly speak: "Your Majesty, General Shen Yunchao is still young. If he is the commander-in-chief, I am afraid..."
"You're going?" The emperor raised his eyebrows.
"This...this..." The courtier immediately fell to his knees in panic, "I am a civil official, I don't know how to lead troops in battle."
"Then shut up."
The emperor glanced at everyone.
"Any objections?"
"Your Majesty is wise!" All officials bowed in admiration.
Shen Xingwan's eyes were red. He looked up at the emperor and bowed his head: "Your Majesty is wise! My brother will live up to your expectations and fight to the death to ensure the peace of the border of the Great Wei!"
The emperor nodded and waved his hand, "Dismiss the court."
The court seemed to have experienced a baptism of storm.
Everyone had different thoughts. Some were secretly glad that they were not implicated, while others were worried about the change in power.
As everyone left one after another, the Imperial Concubine slowly raised her head and looked resentfully at Shen Xingwan who was walking side by side with Yan Jinghuan.
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