Chapter 389 What if I were to be a witness?
"The 'last drink' is wine for cutting off one's head!"
At this moment, Shang Ruyi's eyes were red, not from being surrounded and terrified by everyone, but from the unavoidable memories of that night, her eyes reddened by the memory of blood.
Even the feeling of almost being swallowed by a sea of blood and nearly drowning that night enveloped her once again.
It turns out, she had never forgotten.
The man stood before her, arrogant, domineering, and conceited. Even though he had reached the end of his road and been driven to the brink of despair, he still refused to bow his head. He still believed that he had never made a mistake in his life!
What was clearly his struggle, his predicament, had become her nightmare these past few days. Even when she tried not to think about it, it kept haunting her until this moment, when the nightmare seemed to become reality. She felt as if she, like him in the past, had been driven to the brink of despair.
but--
Shang Ruyi gritted her teeth, clenching her hands tightly until her nails dug into her palms. The sharp pain pulled her back from that nightmarish situation. Then, she spoke clearly, word by word: "Lord Ji, and all of you, you have been interrogating me today because you want to know how the late Emperor died. The answer has already been given to you."
"..."
"The late emperor died by decapitation!"
"What?!"
Upon hearing this, Ji Hong's eyes instantly reddened, and he was overcome with grief, collapsing to his knees and weeping, "The late Emperor! The late Emperor!"
Some of the officials around him couldn't help but show their grief; some secretly wiped away tears, while others wept bitterly.
Even Yuwen Yuan's eyes reddened.
Among the civil and military officials, there are many who hold their positions without doing their jobs and just coast along, as well as those who are treacherous and cunning, abusing their power for personal gain. But as the saying goes, where there is light, there is darkness; light and shadow are inherently interdependent. Just as there are such people, there must also be those who are loyal to the emperor and the country, willing to die for the sake of the nation.
Even though these people had many grievances against Chu Yang's actions during his lifetime, it did not affect their loyalty to the emperor.
In particular, I heard that Chu Yang died by decapitation!
This was the greatest disgrace for an emperor and the greatest misfortune for the entire Daye Dynasty.
Seeing the grief-stricken expressions of these people, Shang Ruyi's words, which had been brimming with emotion, caught in her throat. Ji Hong, on the other hand, cried for a long time before suddenly standing up, gritting his teeth, and asking with red eyes, "Why did this happen? Why did the late emperor die with his head severed? Where exactly was he when he passed away, and what were the circumstances? Tell me quickly!"
The other officials also pressed him for answers.
Facing their angry yet sorrowful gazes, Shang Ruyi calmly said, "The late emperor died in the Bright Hall of Jiangdu Palace."
"..."
"At that time, outside the Hall of Brightness, there were only the Imperial Guards led by Wang Shaoji. They were not guarding the safety of Jiangdu Palace, nor were they rushing to the aid of the emperor. They were just waiting."
Ji Hong asked in a trembling voice, "Wait for what?"
Shang Ruyi said, "They are waiting for the late emperor's head!"
"..."
"Because, before the late emperor passed away, the last words the imperial guards said to him were—'Your Majesty, please offer your head!'"
"...?!"
Ji Hong's eyes widened, as if he couldn't believe his ears, yet he couldn't help but believe it. His cloudy eyes were now completely bloodshot, and he looked like an old beast trapped in a desperate situation.
"Therefore, His Majesty was forced to commit suicide, and died by decapitation!"
At this moment, another fierce gust of wind swept through Dayan Temple, blowing everyone off balance. In particular, the tightly closed doors of the Mahavira Hall were once again rattled by the wind, the sound of which seemed to shake the entire Mahavira Hall, making it seem as if it was about to collapse at any moment.
Hearing the dull thud, Shang Ruyi's heart trembled.
Speaking those words in front of everyone had already exhausted all the strength she had accumulated over the past few days. By this time, she was completely worn out, feeling weak in her chest and body. The gust of wind nearly made her fall to the ground.
Just then, a hand came across and supported her.
Shang Ruyi's breath hitched, and she subconsciously turned her head, meeting Yuwen Ye's cold eyes.
He remained expressionless, as if everything happening before him had nothing to do with him. Moreover, once Shang Ruyi regained her footing, he immediately withdrew his hand.
It's as if nothing ever happened.
Shang Ruyi suddenly felt her heart skip a beat, but before she could think about it, another cold voice interrupted her thoughts—
"So, Madam Yuwen means that it was the Imperial Guards led by Wang Shaoji who forced the late emperor to commit suicide?"
Shang Ruyi's expression hardened again.
She immediately regained her composure and turned around. It was Meng Wei who spoke again, but his eyes were narrowed and his expression was cold and contemptuous. He clearly did not believe a word she had just said, and when he said those words, there was a hint of a cold laugh in his voice.
But Shang Ruyi still said in a deep voice, "Not bad."
This time, Meng Wei's sneer was even louder.
He said, “Good, excellent. The news that Wang Shaoji spread was that you, Shang Ruyi, murdered the emperor; and now, in front of all the civil and military officials, you said that he led the Imperial Guards to force the late emperor to commit suicide.”
"..."
"Are you two treating the heinous crime of regicide like a football, kicking it around like a ball? Or are you just amusing yourselves to the civil and military officials?"
Shang Ruyi's expression darkened, and he said, "Commander Meng, the late emperor's passing is a momentous event. Please do not speak of it in such a frivolous tone, nor treat it with such a frivolous attitude!"
"...!"
Meng Wei was taken aback by her solemn words.
He originally intended to use these words to refute Shang Ruyi, but unexpectedly, the other party's words were interpreted as frivolous, and he became the one who disrespected the late emperor.
Several experienced and prudent senior officials around him immediately chimed in, "Indeed, this matter cannot be delayed."
"Commander Meng must not be disrespectful to the late emperor."
Meng Wei's face flushed red and then turned pale, and he was speechless for a moment.
At this moment, Zhou Ying stepped forward and said, "Young Madam Yuwen, none of us dare to be disrespectful to the late Emperor's passing. However, your words are hard to believe."
Shang Ruyi turned around to face him and said, "So, you believe Wang Shaoji's words?"
"..."
"Which is more reasonable: me, a weak woman, murdering the emperor, or Wang Shaoji, who rebelled and led the Imperial Guards to force the late emperor to commit suicide? Can't you, Lord Zhou, who is well-read and experienced in battle, tell the difference?"
"..."
"Is it that they can't see through it, or are they just blindly following others and bullying the weak?!"
Her expression was solemn, her eyes sharp, and her relentless questioning, though not watertight, was unyielding, forcing Zhou Ying to retreat step by step, unable to utter a word.
Everyone around was stunned, and no one could utter a word in rebuttal.
For a moment, the entire area in front of the main hall fell silent.
This moment of silence was not a victory for Shang Ruyi, but rather a blank in everyone's mind. Yet, some people still frowned as they looked at the aggressive young mistress of the Yuwen family—clearly, even her questioning could not completely clear her of suspicion, nor could it immediately make people suspect Wang Shaoji.
Just then, Shang Ruyi's eyes flickered, and she suddenly asked, "Could it be that Wang Shaoji has some evidence to make everyone believe him so wholeheartedly?"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Ying's eyes lit up again.
Just now, he had been almost completely cornered by the interrogation, but this question seemed to have opened a crack for him, allowing him to catch his breath. He immediately looked up and shouted, as if a drowning man had grasped a straw, "If that's what you're saying, young mistress, does that mean your words can serve as evidence?"
As soon as he finished speaking, his heart skipped a beat.
Because he saw that the moment he spoke, Shang Ruyi's eyes also lit up.
A faint smile curved her lips, then vanished as quickly as it appeared, as if the smile were merely an illusion. Immediately, the surrounding ministers echoed his words—
"What evidence do you have for what the young mistress said?"
"You must convince us that if you have evidence, then we might as well believe what you say."
"Please provide evidence, young mistress."
Amidst the cacophony of voices, Shang Ruyi slowly turned her head to look at them, her expression calmer than before. She said, "Of course I have."
At this moment, Ji Hong also calmed down.
With the help of several people around him, he slowly stood up and said to Shang Ruyi, "If the young mistress really has evidence, please present it. We will definitely give the young mistress justice."
Shang Ruyi looked at him and nodded, saying, "I believe in Lord Ji."
So she turned her head away—
Everyone followed her gaze and looked ahead, only to see a person standing behind Yuwen Ye slowly stepping out.
It was Cheng Qiao, who had been assigned to Dayan Temple by them early on.
Seeing that he was an unfamiliar face, everyone frowned, looked him over for a while, and then gently shook their heads, saying, "Who is this person?"
"What kind of evidence is that?"
Yuwen Ye remained silent, only glancing down at him. Cheng Qiao immediately stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting to the crowd, and said, "Greetings, Lord Ji, greetings to all the lords. I am Cheng Qiao, Deputy Commander of the Left Palace Army."
"Zuo Gongjun!?"
Upon hearing those three words, some people in the crowd immediately showed surprised expressions, while Ji Hong's eyes flickered as he instantly remembered, saying, "Zuo Gongjun, you are Jiangdu Gong—"
Cheng Qiao nodded and said, "Yes, I am a guard of Jiangdu Palace."
A soft sigh immediately rose from the crowd.
It has been several months since Chu Yang passed away, and all they have received is the message from Wang Shaoji from Jiangdu Palace. Now, Shang Ruyi has finally returned, but she has given a result that is completely opposite to what they knew before, leaving everyone at a loss.
Now, finally, there is a "living person" who has returned from Jiangdu Palace!
Ji Hong, as if he had found a treasure, hurriedly asked, "Since you are a guard of Jiangdu Palace, were you present on the night the late emperor passed away?"
Cheng Qiao said, "Although I was there, I was too late."
Ji Hong frowned: "What do you mean?"
Cheng Qiao said, "On the day of the Cold Food Festival, His Majesty issued an edict in advance that all the gates of the palace should be opened, but all the patrolling guards, including the left and right palace guards, as well as the imperial guards led by Wang Shaoji, should not step into the Bright Gate."
Zhou Ying, who was standing nearby, immediately asked, "Then what did you mean by saying we were late?"
Cheng Qiao said, "When I was leading the Left Palace Army on patrol, I found that the Imperial Guards were not in their usual patrol area, but outside the Hall of Brightness, we heard their shouts of killing. However, there was no warning gong sounded in the palace before that. Therefore, the Imperial Guards entered without notice, disobeying the late Emperor's orders."
"..."
"I was worried about the safety of the late emperor, so I had no choice but to disregard the prohibition and lead the Left Palace Army into the Bright Gate."
Ji Hong asked, "Then, what did you see?"
Cheng Qiao raised his head and said loudly, "I saw that the Imperial Guards, armed with swords, surrounded the Hall of Light, and the late Emperor—has already committed suicide!"
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone present fell silent.
However, this was not a silence of acceptance after a definitive conclusion. On the contrary, everyone's eyes flickered with even more doubt. They looked at each other, their eyes filled with caution, no longer daring to easily believe the rumors.
Seeing them like this, Shang Ruyi sneered inwardly.
Almost immediately, after that cold laugh in her mind, a question rang in her ears: "You said you are the Deputy Commander of the Left Palace Army in Jiangdu?"
Cheng Qiao turned around and saw that the speaker was Li Jisheng, the Director of the Imperial Academy. The man was thin and dressed in an earth-yellow long gown. Although he looked like a scholar, his voice was sharp and piercing, which made people feel that he was not a scholar, but rather a very shrewd and unscrupulous merchant.
Cheng Qiao calmly replied, "Exactly."
Li Jisheng said, "Then why are you here instead of at Jiangdu Palace?"
Upon hearing this, everyone sighed in realization. Indeed, they had been so focused on what he had just said that they had forgotten to question him. Why was the Left Palace Army Deputy Commander of Jiangdu Palace not in Jiangdu Palace, but instead in Daxing City, and at this very moment, he happened to be at Dayan Temple?
Cheng Qiao frowned upon hearing this question.
He glanced back at Yuwen Ye, only to see the latter nod slightly and say nothing more.
Cheng Qiao took a deep breath and said, "Although I serve as the deputy commander of the Left Palace Army, on the night of the Cold Food Festival, I led the Left Palace Army in a desperate battle against the rebellious Imperial Guards, and we were like oil and water. After Wang Shaoji forced the late emperor to commit suicide, he took control of the entire Jiangdu. I had nowhere to go, so I rescued Madam Yuwen and traveled for several months before finally arriving in Daxing City."
Upon hearing this, Meng Wei, who was standing next to him, immediately let out a cold laugh.
He said, "So, you are now a member of the Yuwen family?"
"..."
"Or are you originally from the Yuwen family?"
Shang Ruyi watched as they gradually began to besiege Cheng Qiao, and for a moment she became a little anxious.
However, it was difficult to say the words.
Since Cheng Qiao did indeed serve in the Taiyuan army, and now, after leaving Jiangdu Palace, he has indeed submitted to the Yuwen family, it is easy to deny this with a careful investigation, and there is no room for argument.
But if we admit—
Just as Shang Ruyi was feeling anxious, a cold yet clear voice suddenly rang out behind her.
"That's right, he's from the Yuwen family."
"...!"
Upon hearing that voice, Shang Ruyi's heart skipped a beat.
Even without turning around, she knew that the one speaking was none other than Yuwen Ye, who had remained silent ever since she was besieged, seemingly detached from the situation.
He actually spoke up at this moment.
But if he were to speak, it would be to admit that Cheng Qiao is a member of the Yuwen family. Isn't that just handing the hilt of a knife directly to someone else?
Thinking of this, even though she didn't want to face him, Shang Ruyi still turned around and saw that even Yuwen Yuan's face showed a solemn expression as he looked at his second son beside him. But Yuwen Ye stepped forward and walked to her side, standing shoulder to shoulder with her.
Shang Ruyi frowned slightly and said softly, "You—"
Before she could finish speaking, she felt her fingertips, which had just become cold from disappointment and even despair, being grasped by a warm, large hand.
She immediately felt a jolt of warmth in her chest, and her whole body stiffened, unable to move.
The people around fell silent for a moment.
As if they couldn't believe that Yuwen Ye had just admitted to the worst possible outcome for them, Zhou Ying and Li Jisheng exchanged a glance. They seemed to think everything was going too smoothly, and dared not take a step forward easily, but instead asked the question that could deliver the most fatal blow to the other.
At this moment, Ji Hong, who had been silent since they spoke, said in a deep voice, "Since this person is from the Yuwen family, I'm afraid we shouldn't easily believe what he says."
Yuwen Ye looked down at him.
At this moment, Yuwen Yuan stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Lord Ji—"
Ji Hong raised his hand to stop him, saying, "Duke Sheng, I know that your word is law in the court. But this matter is not something you can answer. Your Yuwen family members can testify to each other. If I were to believe them so easily, wouldn't that be exactly what you just called 'believing only one side'?"
Shang Ruyi asked, "Then what does Lord Ji think we should do?"
Ji Hong looked at her but didn't speak immediately. Instead, Zhou Ying and Li Jisheng said, "If no one else comes forward to testify today, I'm afraid this matter will be hard to believe."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi felt a pinch on her lip.
She hurriedly looked up at him, but saw that Yuwen Ye's face was still expressionless, without even a trace of emotion. He simply slowly raised his head and looked at the distance not far ahead.
Shang Ruyi followed his gaze and looked over as well.
That is the Mahavira Hall.
The doors and windows there remained tightly shut, like a person who had shut off their five senses. No matter how fierce the wind and rain outside, or even if the mountains collapsed and the earth cracked, it had nothing to do with the calm heart inside.
He looked there, and there it was—
Just as a hint of doubt arose in Shang Ruyi's mind, suddenly, the tightly closed door slammed shut.
Everyone's attention was originally focused on Shang Ruyi, but the sudden muffled sound startled them all, and they all looked up. Then, they saw the heavy door slowly open.
From inside emerged a familiar yet long-lost figure.
"What if I were to be a witness?"
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