Chapter 180 Backlash
Sure enough, as soon as Zhou Xuan spoke, all the civil officials followed suit and became pedantic and pretentious:
"The established laws of our ancestors forbid women from interfering in politics, let alone holding military power. Even if a woman has made a great contribution, the unchanging principles of the ages should not be disrupted because of one person's merit."
"Yes, if this sets a precedent, many will follow suit, leading to disorder and chaos. It could be the beginning of calamity and must not be permitted."
Mu Xi did not expect that her words would cause such a stir. She was angry at the pedantry of these people, but she did not forget to keep an eye on Bai Su.
Bai Su stood below, biting his lower lip tightly. His face was drained of color, but his eyes remained stubborn and unyielding.
Noticing Mu Xi looking at her, she was about to say something when a wail broke the surrounding murmurs.
"Your Majesty..." Zhu Mingjun, who had been kneeling on the ground with timid eyes, suddenly stood up and cried out to King Yu, "Your Majesty... I am deeply wronged, you cannot listen to the nonsense of Prince Jin Fang and a woman..."
What's going on?
Is this a sudden onset of rabies?
Zhu Mingjun, who had been silent and only seemed to be taking drugs, cried out in protest: "What Prince Jin Fang said just now was all... all embellishments to protect that wicked woman, Bai Shi. Your Majesty... General Dai Rong... he wasn't poisoned to death by the pirates' slow-acting poison at all. He was imprisoned by this vicious Bai Su and then tortured to death... This wicked woman is incredibly ambitious. She imprisoned her husband and usurped military power so that she could command the army and become a female general. General Dai's body is barely cold, and she... she even colluded with Prince Jin Fang to try to deceive Your Majesty and steal official titles. This is simply outrageous and intolerable! I beg Your Majesty to execute this wicked woman and avenge General Dai."
These words were like pouring boiling oil on a blazing fire.
Everyone was dumbfounded and speechless, but the clamor in their hearts was already deafening.
"Covering up and whitewashing," "conspiracy and collusion," "imprisoning her husband"...
The civil officials looked shocked and disdainful, whispering among themselves; in the ranks of military officers, several conservative old generals with gray hair and beards were even more furious, their hair and beards bristling, their anger almost bursting out.
The veins on Bai Su's forehead bulged, his hands clenched into fists at his sides, and a raging fire surged in his chest, his anger so intense that it could no longer be contained.
Mu Xi grabbed him, her voice clear and cold: "Zhu Mingjun's words are a complete distortion of the truth and a frame-up of a loyal official. There are many military officers and medical officers in the Southern Border Army as evidence of Dai Rong's death. He had been poisoned for a long time and his mind had long been clouded, and he had not paid attention to military affairs for a long time. General Bai, out of consideration for his marital relationship, hired doctors and took care of him day and night. The prescriptions and the servants' testimonies can all be verified. The claim of 'murdering her husband' is purely a fabrication by Zhu Mingjun to avenge personal grudges and a malicious frame-up."
Zhu Mingjun's panda eyes were still cloudy, but his vicious face was even more distorted: "Hahaha...framing, what framing? I saw it with my own eyes that day. Do you want me to tell you how Dai Rong died?"
Without Mu Xi needing to answer, Zhu Mingjun recounted in detail how Dai Rong suffered from drug addiction, how the Dai family children argued, and how Dai Rong stuffed a handful of pills into their mouths.
However, Bai Su added fuel to the fire at the end: "Dai Rong took too much of the 'Xiaoyao Pill' and suffered a poisoning attack, but Bai Su refused to find a doctor for him, letting him die from the poison. This was deliberate harm. Originally, taking the 'Xiaoyao Pill' was meant to invigorate the spirit and sharpen the mind. Dai Rong only took the 'Xiaoyao Pill' to relieve his boredom while being poisoned by the woman. Who would have thought that the woman would accuse him of being addicted to the drug and being mentally unstable? Dai Rong was perfectly lucid from beginning to end. He died while being imprisoned by the woman, crying out his innocence and complaining."
Mu Xi then slowly began to ponder and savor the meaning.
It turns out that Zhu Mingjun and Su Lan temporarily escaped from custody that day by first contacting Dai Rong.
It is estimated that his original intention was to seek help from Dai Rong, knowing that he could not escape the general's mansion, but he just happened to witness Dai Rong's death.
It's all because of my carelessness at the time; I didn't ask Zhu Mingjun and Guan Lan how long they had been in custody and whether the numbers matched.
If they had discovered their suspicious behavior back then, they should have killed them both to prevent future troubles and avoid this situation.
Zhu Mingjun was so well hidden; I had underestimated him before.
Even Suga... at the time, there was a tacit understanding not to expose it.
It's too late to regret it now. Mu Xi never expected that Zhu Mingjun would have such the ability to distort the truth. He didn't mention at all the collusion with the pirates or the trickery that Dai Rong was "drug-addicted," but instead accused Bai Su of secretly imprisoning him and refusing to help him in his time of need.
She sneered inwardly: "You keep framing General Bai for murdering your husband, isn't it because General Bai personally killed your male lover, the 'Fourteenth Young Master' Su Lan among the pirates? Your male lover flattered the emperor and brought disaster to the country, causing you to turn against the old thief Su Nao. How were you captured by the pirates? And what caused this disaster in the southern border? Have you forgotten all of this?"
"boom……"
Another round of revelations has emerged, and the courtiers have long since turned into mere spectators.
Zhu Mingjun felt as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer, his whole body trembled violently, and his swollen and pale face turned purplish-red: "You...you are slandering me...it is true that the poisonous woman killed my Lan'er...but I did it for...for...no matter what, it is a fact that the poisonous woman imprisoned Dai Rong, usurped military power, and killed her own husband."
Mu Xihen was astonished that Zhu Mingjun had been treated well along the way; how could he not have confused that pig-headed man?
In the imperial court, everyone turned their heads to look.
The dark complexion of the King of Yu on his throne also revealed a chilling murderous intent and impatience.
This guy actually managed to grasp the key point, relentlessly focusing on Bai Su's imprisonment of Dai Rong.
Mu Xi quickly assessed the situation in her mind. Strictly speaking, if Dai Rong's imprisonment were investigated carefully, some clues would be found, and the matter would not stand up to scrutiny.
In other words, once this matter is exposed, it is difficult to refute.
Since there's no way to refute it, then no one should have an easy time.
Mu Xi, equally agitated, exclaimed, "Your Majesty, gentlemen... Zhu Mingjun, driven by selfish desires and infatuated with a seductive concubine, has colluded with pirates, jeopardizing military operations. Such actions constitute treason and collusion with the enemy. Furthermore, while indulging in pleasure with the pirates, Zhu Mingjun also dragged General Dai Rong into the mess. Dai Rong was not poisoned by the pirates, but by Zhu Mingjun, who administered the 'Carefree Pill.' Everyone in the southern region knows of this pill; anyone who consumes it long-term will inevitably go mad and lose their will, becoming inseparable from it. I wonder why Zhu Mingjun gave Dai Rong that pill in the first place? Was he trying to control and bewitch the great general guarding this region? What was his intention?"
The last sentence was naturally meant for King Yu.
King Yu has always been wary of anyone who holds significant military power, so leading them in this direction is the right thing to do.
Zhu Mingjun naturally understood the King of Yu: "Your Majesty must not listen to the nonsense of Prince Jin Fang. General Dai and I are just... friends between men... we just had the opportunity to share some 'good things' that only men can understand. We have no other intentions."
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