Chapter 317 Chen changed his confession?
Gu Junze's face remained calm, but his deep eyes became even darker and more unpredictable.
He was about to follow etiquette, step forward and report on the battle situation in Pingzhou.
Prince Su suddenly stepped forward, his voice sharp and full of undisguised malice, directed at Gu Junze.
"General Gu, you returned to Beijing quickly!"
"I'd like to ask, regarding the truce in Pingzhou, what kind of shady 'private deal' did you reach with Zheng State's commander-in-chief, Duan Qingye?"
Gu Junze seemed not to hear and turned his gaze calmly to the emperor on the dragon throne.
"Your Majesty, the battle for Pingzhou has been decided."
"I have negotiated with the commander of the State of Zheng, Duan Qingye, and they have agreed to withdraw their troops and never invade the borders of the Eastern Jin again."
He paused and continued, "Yes, Duan Qingye proposed three conditions."
"First, Your Majesty must personally sign an oath, pledging non-aggression between the two nations. All artillery formulas and blueprints must be destroyed."
"Second, the border between the two countries needs to be resurveyed and re-demarcated."
Gu Junze recounted the details of the negotiations one by one.
The emperor on the dragon throne frowned even more tightly, and a hint of displeasure flashed across his face.
As the king of a country, how can you easily write an oath to another country? This will undermine the majesty of heaven.
What's more, the cannon was a new weapon developed by the Eastern Jin Dynasty at great expense. It was a powerful weapon to balance the enemy's power. How could it be destroyed just like that?
As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the hall became even more solemn.
The emperor frowned and tapped the armrests of the dragon throne with his fingers more quickly.
Prince Su immediately seized the opportunity and attacked again: "Gu Junze! You knew that these conditions were harsh and unreasonable, yet you still agreed to such a humiliating condition?"
"Where do you regard the majesty of the emperor? Where do you care about the safety of the country?"
"In my opinion, this is clearly an act of collaborating with the enemy. The person is worthy of death!"
Just as Prince Su was pressing forward, trying to pin the blame completely on Gu Junze.
The third prince, who had been silent all this time, walked out slowly, clasped his hands together, and bowed slightly.
"Father, Second Brother is wrong."
The Third Prince's voice was gentle, yet it carried a strange power to soothe people.
"The Buddha said, 'Put down your butcher knife and you will become a Buddha instantly. Weapons are dangerous tools. When war breaks out, the people suffer."
"General Gu has achieved this without bloodshed, ending the conflict and restoring peace to the border, saving the imperial court from the endless waste of war and food. This is a great merit."
"As for the oath and firearms, they are merely external objects. If the two countries can truly cease hostilities and the people live and work in peace, then these few external objects are of no concern."
"Second brother has lived in the capital for a long time and has never been on the battlefield. I'm afraid it's difficult for him to understand the hardships involved. It's best not to make rash comments on military and national affairs."
These words were sharp but gentle, as they not only pointed out Gu Junze's achievements, but also implicitly criticized Prince Su for sitting on the throne, not understanding military affairs and only knowing how to talk big.
The emperor's eyes shifted between Prince Su and the Third Prince, a meaningful smile appearing on his face.
"What the prince said makes sense," the emperor said slowly.
"Gu Junze was meritorious in repelling the enemy from Pingzhou, but he was also guilty of negotiating peace privately. Since these merits and demerits offset each other, let's put this matter aside for now."
He changed the subject and looked at Prince Su sharply, "Second brother, you just mentioned General Gu's family affairs."
"How's the trial going in Jingzhao Prefecture for the case of poisoning the old man and slandering Madam Gu?"
Prince Su was startled and quickly bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I am also worried about this matter."
"The woman who poisoned the place, Chen, has been brought into the palace, but..."
He paused deliberately, observing the reactions of the emperor and Gu Junze.
"But now she has changed her statement, insisting that it was...Mrs. Chu, the young master of Gu, who gave her money and made her confess to the crime of murdering her husband."
He clapped his hands, and immediately guards came in from outside the hall, escorting Chen.
At this moment, Chen's eyes looked even emptier, as if she was completely controlled by someone.
As soon as she saw the emperor, she immediately knelt on the ground and cried out in a shrill voice: "Your Majesty! I am guilty! I lied before!"
"It's...it's Madam Gu Chu Ruohan! She gave me a large sum of money...I don't want to die!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the whole room was in an uproar.
Upon hearing this, Gu Junze's eyes suddenly turned cold and the air pressure around him dropped to an alarmingly low level.
At this moment, hurried footsteps were heard outside the hall, and Ma Fuhai, the chief eunuch beside the emperor, ran in in a panic.
"Your Majesty! This is bad!" Ma Fuhai knelt on the ground, his voice trembling. "News from the prison... Madam Gu... was suddenly poisoned in prison and is in imminent danger!"
"What?!"
Gu Junze turned his head suddenly, his eyes instantly filled with bloodshot, and the calmness that he had forced himself to suppress finally began to crack.
The murderous intent in his eyes almost burst out.
Prince Su was also stunned, his face was stern, and a hint of disbelief flashed in his eyes.
How is that possible? He clearly arranged...
Gu Junze's eyes were like knives as he swept over Prince Su, his voice icy cold: "The person behind this is trying to silence the witnesses and leave no evidence!"
Before he finished speaking, he turned around abruptly and rushed out of the hall at great speed, disregarding the etiquette between the monarch and his subjects!
"presumptuous!"
There was an uproar in the hall.
The ministers were shocked. Gu Junze dared to behave so disrespectfully in front of the emperor and totally disregarded him!
The emperor's face turned ashen in an instant, and the armrests of the dragon throne creaked as he squeezed them.
"Your Majesty, calm down." The Third Prince stepped forward again, his tone earnest. "Your wife is in imminent danger. If a husband doesn't react at all, wouldn't he be worse than an animal?"
"General Gu may have been impolite in a hurry, I hope your Majesty will understand."
He turned to Chen who was kneeling on the ground, his eyes filled with compassion, but his voice revealed an invisible pressure.
"Ms. Chen, raise your head."
Chen shrank back and looked up, meeting the third prince's eyes that seemed to be able to see into people's hearts.
"Mr. Chen, Buddhism talks about karma and reincarnation. Everything you said and did today is a result of karma."
"Do you know that for the sake of a momentary gain, you spread a huge lie and framed an innocent person? Who will be the one who will ultimately be punished for this evil deed?"
"Can you bear to let your children bear this sin for you?"
Chen's whole body began to tremble violently. The Third Prince's words were like a heavy hammer, hitting the most fearful part of her heart.
She was afraid, she was really afraid, that retribution would befall her innocent child.
"I...I don't want this..." she murmured to herself, her face full of pain and struggle.
She was filled with guilt and fear and wanted to tell the truth.
But when she thought of the threats from those people and the dangers that might happen to her children if she told the truth, the words became stuck in her throat.
"ah--!"
Chen let out a desperate scream, suddenly stood up, and slammed into the red-gold dragon pillar in the hall!
"Bang!"
With a muffled sound, blood instantly dyed the cold pillar red.
Chen fell down limply, and her life or death was unknown.
"Father! My third brother...he actually forced someone to death in the imperial court!"
Prince Su immediately seized the opportunity, pointing at the third prince and accusing him harshly.
The Third Prince turned around and calmly met Prince Su's gaze, a hint of coldness curling up at the corner of his mouth: "Isn't it the person who forced someone to death who framed him behind the scenes?"
"Second brother, why are you so anxious?"
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