Chapter 115 Conviction

Duan Mingchong clenched his hands in his sleeves and said with difficulty: "Father, Marquis Sui'an... looks unhappy, let's call the imperial physician to take a look first."

The emperor frowned and was thinking about it when the Dali Temple Minister said, "The matter of Marquis Sui'an's communication with foreign countries has been delayed for several days and there is no definite result. Now all the officials have been waiting here for a long time. Your Majesty should make a decision as soon as possible."

Sui Yan thought to himself that none of the people in the Dali Temple were good people, and I will remember you too.

Jiang Enhe was watching from the side with a frown on his face. He couldn't help but said in a cold voice, "So your Excellency means that you want the Marquis to suffer like this?"

The Dali Temple Minister said calmly: "Why do you say that, Lord Jiang? The collusion between the current marquis and Southern Xinjiang is no small matter. If you delay it for a moment, who knows what will go wrong in the future?"

Jiang Enhe said: "You..."

The emperor frowned, interrupted their quarrel, and said, "Wang Gui, can you still hold on?"

Since the emperor asked this question, he naturally didn't care about his physical condition.

Although Sui Yan's mind was a little confused, he could still hear the secret message. He fell to the ground, supported his body with his hands, and said reluctantly, "I am fine."

Duan Mingchong dug his fingernails into his palms, suppressing his urge to move forward.

Sui Yan's legs were cold and numb, and he straightened up slightly.

The Dali Temple Minister tilted his head to look at Sui Yan, then bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I have carefully distinguished the handwriting of Sui Anhou and the handwriting of the letter received by the princess of the previous dynasty in Southern Xinjiang. They are indeed exactly the same. Moreover, I was ordered to check Sui Anhou's residence a few days ago, and the rice paper used in his study is also the same as that of this letter. With the evidence, I hope Your Majesty will convict him."

The letter was placed on the table in front of the emperor. Emperor Beilan lowered his eyes and looked at it. He didn't know what he was thinking. He raised his head and looked at Sui Yan, and said coldly: "Wang Gui, did you really do this?"

Sui Yan said: "I have never done that."

The emperor asked, "How do you explain these letters?"

Sui Yan raised his head slightly and said, "I have never done this, so how can I know where these letters came from?"

This was so disrespectful that the emperor's face darkened slightly.

Duan Mingchong hurriedly said, "Father, Lord Sui'an has been idle since he came here, and he is used to speaking without restraint. I hope you can be magnanimous and forgive him."

Marquis Sui'an was disrespectful to the Emperor, and his brother did not say anything, but the Crown Prince came first to confess his crime. Everyone present had more or less heard about the rumors about the Crown Prince and Marquis Sui'an, and at this time, the look in their eyes when they looked at Duan Mingchong was a little obscure and strange.

The emperor's face turned pale, and he said in a low voice: "Shut up!"

Duan Mingchong nodded slightly to apologize.

Seeing the emperor so angry at Duan Mingchong's words, Sui Yan secretly suppressed his laughter in his heart but did not show it on his face.

He tilted his head and said doubtfully, "I have never been good at politics. I have been able to do nothing for so many years thanks to your majesty's kindness and the crown prince's protection. I have no ambitions and am lazy. Why would I bother to think about all these things to find something to do? The handwriting of letters is very easy to forge. What kind of evidence is this?"

What you mean is, I colluded with outsiders to harm the emperor, and I am just making money because I have enough food to eat?

The Manchus also understood what he meant. Some people even paid special attention to the four words "Crown Prince's protection" and cast their eyes towards the Crown Prince.

It seems that the rumors are not groundless.

The emperor had just been pissed off by Duan Mingchong, and now he was so angry at Sui Yan that his chest ached, whether intentionally or unintentionally. He looked at Sui Yan, who was kneeling on the ground, with almost indifference, and said, "According to what you mean, you are saying that you didn't do this?"

Sui Yan kowtowed again and repeated, "I have never done that."

The Dali Temple Minister said calmly: "The Marquis is really a cunning man. Could it be that the matter of collusion with foreign countries can be easily brushed aside just because of your few excuses?"

Sui Yan said: "Yes, that's what I thought."

Dali Temple: "..."

Everyone: “…”

Jiang Enhe and Song Xian couldn't help laughing.

Sui Yan's ears were already buzzing. These people kept chattering in his ears, and he was almost getting impatient.

"I will not hide what I have done from others, and I will never admit to what I have not done, even if I die," Sui Yan said, looking at the Dali Temple official standing beside him. "Besides, you just said that the witnesses and evidence are here. Where are the witnesses?"

The Dali Temple Minister looked at Duan Ruwang, who had been standing quietly, and then said, "We originally sent people to capture the Princess of Southern Xinjiang, but she refused to be arrested, so we had no choice but to use a bow and crossbow to shoot her..."

Sui Yan interrupted him: "Where are they?"

The Dali Temple Minister was hesitant.

Song Xian kindly answered for him: "...Perhaps the officers and soldiers of the Ministry of Justice who used bows and crossbows had poor eyesight and did not injure him, but shot him directly to death."

Sui Yan said "Oh" thoughtfully, and asked seriously: "The person is already dead, so how can we know whether the princess of the former Southern Xinjiang Dynasty was deliberately killed by you to make her dead without any evidence?"

The Dali Temple Minister said, "The Princess of the Southern Dynasty wanted to flee for fear of punishment, so we had no choice but to shoot her. Lord, even if you want to get away with it, you don't have to speculate and hurt us like this."

Sui Yan wiped the sweat from his forehead and said calmly, "I'll say it one last time. I didn't do this. I don't admit it."

The emperor's face was very gloomy. He looked at Sui Yan, who was lying on the ground and trembling slightly, and any sympathy in his eyes disappeared completely.

The Dali Temple Minister was too lazy to argue with Sui Yan, and said, "Your Majesty, the evidence is solid. If those who colluded with foreign countries are not severely punished, do you expect people in the court to follow suit? I hope Your Majesty will order a conviction to serve as a warning to others."

The emperor looked at Sui Yan for a long time before he spoke with difficulty.

"Marquis Sui'an, you colluded with foreign enemies and committed treason, and perverted the law to convict me..."

Before he finished speaking, Duan Mingchong knelt down and said quickly, "Your Majesty, please think twice. There is no witness to this matter. If you hastily convict him, I'm afraid it will be difficult to convince the public."

Sui Xun also heard the chill in the emperor's tone and frowned, "I hope Your Majesty will think twice."

Sui Yan heard it in a daze, his body swaying slightly, and it seemed that he could no longer hold on.

The emperor had already decided on Sui Yan's punishment a few days ago, and now bringing him up for interrogation in the Hall of Supreme Harmony was just a formality. He did not listen to a word of Sui Yan's defense, he just wanted to use this opportunity to establish his authority.

He would not allow a man to hang out with the crown prince he had nurtured. The only solution was to either kill him or make the crown prince give up.

The prince has a gentle temperament, but he is unexpectedly stubborn about Sui Yan. He cannot kill Sui Yan openly, so he can only think of other ways.

The emperor paused before continuing, "…strip him of his title, lash him with the cane fifty times, and confine him to his palace for a year without being allowed to leave."

Duan Mingchong: "Your Majesty!"

Sui Xun also frowned and knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, please think twice. Wang Gui has been seriously ill for a few days and is not able to bear such a heavy punishment. I hope Your Majesty will allow me to take the punishment on Wang Gui's behalf."

Although fifty strokes of the cane were not a severe punishment, Sui Yan was too weak. If he was really struck with fifty strokes of the cane, he would be half dead. If it was more severe, he might even be crippled.

But in the emperor's view, the reason why the prince was so obsessed with Sui Yan was simply because of her beautiful appearance.

It sounds like a deep affection, but if Sui Yan was really deposed, how could the young prince, who was inexperienced in the world, give up the throne for a useless person?

People are like this, especially those in the royal family.

Calm and indifferent.

The rumors spread by Duan Mingchong prevented the emperor from killing Sui Yan directly. The emperor had been in power for many years, so how could he defeat the young Duan Mingchong?

He couldn't kill Sui Yan, so he could only let Duan Mingchong let go and give up.

Sui Yan thought to himself: "Go ahead and beat me. Beat me to death and let's see what people in the world will say about you."

He did not feel any fear in his heart, but instead felt a sense of relief - it would be more comfortable to just punish him and let him sleep well than to let him kneel here and wait for a group of people to quarrel.

But before he completely passed out, the Dali Temple official beside him suddenly said, "Your Majesty, I have something else to report, and it is also related to Sui'an Hou."

The emperor was looking very annoyed, and when he heard this, his brows furrowed. "What's the matter?"

The Dali Temple official said, "Bring the person up here."

Soon, people from the Ministry of Justice brought the dirty Wei Ye in from outside, forced her to sit next to Sui Yan, and made her kneel heavily on the ground.

Sui Yan glanced at Xianye, forcing himself to hold on to the last bit of clarity, and thought in confusion: "Didn't they say that Xianye went to Jiangnan to hide? How did he get caught?"

Jiang En and others, who were originally anxious about Sui Yan's punishment, were stunned for a long time when they saw Qian Ye being brought up, and then they opened their eyes in shock.

The emperor frowned and asked, "Who is this?"

The Dali Temple official said, "This is the man who murdered the Fifth Prince on the Long Street of the City God Temple four years ago."

As soon as these words came out, everyone looked at Yuye in surprise.

Perhaps Xianyi was injured, and he looked listless. His hands were tied behind his waist with iron chains. He raised his head with some difficulty and glanced at Gannhe.

Gann and the hands in his sleeves were shaking slightly.

Xianye looked at Jiang Enhe's anxious expression, was stunned for a moment before he smiled gently and winked at him.

Jiang Enhe wanted to rush forward and beat her up.

The emperor's face was extremely ugly: "She... killed my son?"

The Dali Temple Minister said, "Yes, I sent people to investigate secretly for a long time and found that this woman is very famous in the dark streets of Beijing. Before the Lantern Festival after the Chinese New Year, she was commissioned by the people of Sui'an Marquis's Mansion. I also asked the people who accompanied the fifth prince at that time. It was a young girl who bumped into your highness, and your highness was injured and poisoned because of it."

The emperor looked at Sui Yan gloomily and said in a suppressed voice: "Sui An... Marquis Sui An... do you have anything else to say in defense? This man..."

He tried hard to suppress the anger in his heart, picked up the memorial beside him and threw it down, then he pressed on the desk and took a few breaths, then said in a sharp voice: "This is the witness you want!"

Sui Yan supported himself with his hands and tilted his head to look at Yuye. Yuye was covered in dirt and was shaking his head at him with all his strength.

Sui Yan then said to the emperor: "Your Majesty, if you want to convict me, then do so. Anyway, I have just made so many excuses, but Your Majesty still wants to punish me without listening to a word I said. I think my words are not taken seriously, and Your Majesty will not believe me even if I say a million more words."

The emperor said angrily: "You... you are really sharp-tongued. Do you really think that I dare not kill you?"

Sui Yan said: "I dare not... cough..."

Everyone hurriedly saluted and said, "Your Majesty, please calm down and protect the dragon's health."

Duan Mingchong looked at Yuye with an unpleasant expression, and seeing Sui Yan standing beside him, he could no longer hold back and strode forward. In front of everyone's horrified gaze, he hugged Sui Yan, who was almost as soft as a pool of water, in his arms.

Sui Yan couldn't even support himself with his hands, and just before he hit the ground, he fell into a warm embrace. Duan Mingchong's familiar breath came from all directions.

Sui Yan raised his head slightly, glanced at Duan Mingchong, and murmured, "Your Highness..."

Duan Mingchong hugged him tightly, knelt on the ground, and said to the emperor calmly: "It has been three or four years since the incident of the fifth prince. The Dali Temple Minister only relied on rumors from the outside world to conclude that it was Sui'an Hou who instructed this woman to murder the fifth prince. Isn't it too arbitrary? Moreover, the incident of Sui'an Hou being framed for colluding with foreign enemies has not yet been resolved, and you have dug up this true and false story again. It is too coincidental."

Duan Mingchong only felt that Sui Yanhun's body was boiling, his hands were shaking with heartache, and he spoke with gritted teeth.

"Even if this woman was the one who murdered the Fifth Prince, wasn't it the Second Prince who found the divine doctor's incense that killed him?" Duan Mingchong looked coldly at Duan Ruwang who had remained silent. "The Fifth Prince acted recklessly and had many enemies over the years. It might have been someone else who did it. The Supreme Court Justice said without any evidence that it was the order of Sui'an Hou. What was his intention? Do I need to tell you?"

The emperor didn't hear what he said at all. He only knew that the son he had nurtured for many years was now openly hugging a man in the Golden Palace and confronting him so fiercely.

He pressed down on the table tightly and said in a sharp voice: "Prince, are you planning a rebellion?"

Duan Mingchong said: "I dare not, I will just discuss the matter at hand."

Sui Yan couldn't hear clearly what Duan Mingchong was talking to the Dali Temple Minister. He just felt a buzzing sound in his ears, and for a moment he couldn't tell where he was.

He leaned on Duan Mingchong, gently rubbed Duan Mingchong's neck, and murmured: "Your Highness, I want to sleep."

Duan Mingchong hurriedly hugged him tightly and whispered, "Don't be afraid, it will be fine soon."

"I'll take you away right away."

Sui Yan nodded gently and said yes obediently.

The expressions on people's faces were difficult to discern.

The emperor looked at Duan Mingchong with gnashing teeth, and finally suppressed his murderous intent. He said coldly to the kneeling Yan Ye: "Tell me, who ordered you to murder the fifth prince? If you say even one word is false, watch out for your life!"

Yuye's shoulders trembled, and he bit his lip and looked at Sui Yan hesitantly.

The emperor shouted: "Speak!"

Yuye leaned down slightly and said with difficulty: "Yes... yes..."

Duan Zhisu, who had been standing quietly by the side since the court session, sighed softly. Even though his expression did not change when Sui Yan was convicted just now, he might have felt tired at this moment and unexpectedly took a few steps outside.

"Father."

The emperor said coldly: "What are you making trouble for?"

Duan Zhisu looked indifferent, lifted up his skirt and knelt on the ground, saying softly: "It was my son who instructed her to murder the fifth brother. This matter has nothing to do with Sui Anhou."

The emperor was stunned, and his ministers were shocked.