Chapter 208 Counterattack
The Imperial Guards looked solemn, and none of them sheathed their swords. Several officials from the Northern Barbarian delegation were sweating profusely, and their earlier arrogance had long since vanished.
"Yes, our Right Chancellor drank too much and spoke recklessly, which was very inappropriate!"
"We'll take him downstairs for a hangover soup, and then we'll come back to apologize to the Crown Princess later."
Dou Wenyi's lips curled into a mocking smile. Emperor Muzong was so biased towards the Northern Di people, wasn't he afraid of losing the hearts of his ministers?
Emperor Muzong's face was contorted with anger. "Enough! Are they all deaf? Take them away to sober up!"
The Imperial Guards reacted quickly, sheathing their swords. The Northern Barbarian delegation hurriedly retreated, and the Imperial Preceptor, seeing the situation spiraling out of control, rushed out after them.
As the music began, countless graceful dancers took to the stage to perform, creating a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere at the banquet.
Dou Wenyi turned her gaze away from the Imperial Preceptor's departing figure. "Your Highness, I'm really bored. I want to go back."
Pei Siyan remained calm, a half-smile playing on his lips. "Wanyan Tai's breach of etiquette has disrupted their plans. How could the Grand Preceptor and the others be willing to accept this? Just wait a moment, and I'll show you a good show!"
The members of the Northern Barbarian delegation returned one after another, but Wanyan Tai was nowhere to be seen. They never mentioned their earlier apology again.
Emperor Muzong stayed for a while before leaving the hall. Consort Tan gave her a deep look and followed him out of the main hall.
Before an incense stick's time had passed, Eunuch Feng personally came to invite Pei Siyan and her over. After he finished speaking, he said that Yan Tai wanted to apologize to the Crown Princess. Dou Wenyi's eyelids twitched violently, and she left with him.
Upon entering the side hall, the emperor, the imperial advisor, Wanyan Tai, Consort Tan, Xie Guidu, Shen Yanzhou, and others had been waiting for a long time.
The atmosphere was tense; it didn't feel like an apology at all, but rather like an interrogation.
Emperor Muzong's face was gloomy, and he spoke in a deep voice, "Everyone has arrived, speak now."
Wanyan Tai bowed deeply to Dou Wenyi, saying, "Just now at the banquet, I spoke without thinking and offended the Crown Princess. Now that I think about it, I am truly ashamed. If my rudeness has damaged the relations between our two countries, I would be guilty beyond redemption. I hope the Crown Princess will forgive me and not hold it against me."
Dou Wenyi's eyes flashed with surprise, then she bowed to Emperor Muzong and said, "Just now, the Right Chancellor was aggressive and insulted the women of my Great Zhou at the banquet. Now, is your Northern Di people's apology sincere with the phrase 'speaking without thinking'?"
"Furthermore, regarding diplomatic relations, since you came to Great Zhou, you have repeatedly made things difficult for the officials of the Ministry of Rites of Great Zhou. You don't seem to be here to negotiate at all, but rather to cause trouble."
Wanyan Tai, with his thick beard, hadn't expected this young woman to be so feisty. His face immediately flushed red, and after a long pause, he said, "To show my sincerity, I am willing to provide the Great Zhou with a top-secret list, as long as your country can ensure the safety of the Seventh Prince..."
Dou Wenyi's head was spinning. They wanted to use Wanyan Tai to frame Pei Siyan for treason!
Tan Jieyu's narrow, beautiful eyes widened in surprise. "What? Who can guarantee that you won't deliberately provide a fake list to sow discord between the Zhou emperor and his ministers, thereby disrupting the excellent situation of our Great Zhou?"
She wanted Wanyan Tai to prove the authenticity of the list. Once Pei Siyan's name was on the list, no one would doubt that the list was fake!
Pei Siyan raised an eyebrow and gave her a look that said, "Don't be impatient." Dou Wenyi suddenly remembered what he had said at the banquet. She calmed herself down and realized that he must have a backup plan.
Wanyan Tai said loudly, "Your Majesty, rest assured, how could I dare to present something fake to His Majesty and make a fool of myself?"
As he spoke, he pulled out a stack of letters and respectfully presented them to Emperor Muzong. Eunuch Feng took the letters and looked at Emperor Muzong.
Emperor Muzong's gaze was deep and somber. "Yunzhi, come and see."
Shen Yanzhou took the stack of letters, opened them, and examined them carefully. The more he read, the more solemn his expression became. "Your Majesty, these are letters written by Du Siren, the supervisor of the Xuanjia Army, to the Northern Di people. They are quite old, but the handwriting is clear. We can identify them by comparing them with his memorials."
Emperor Muzong's face was very grim, and he said in a deep voice, "Go and fetch it now!"
A young eunuch immediately rushed away.
"Right Chancellor, do you have friends all over the court and the country?" Shen Yanzhou opened a few more letters, his voice cold.
Zhang Chengxian captured a Northern Di spy on the frontier and implicated Du Siren, but due to a lack of physical evidence, he has not yet been convicted. Once these letters are verified as genuine, the crime of treason will be established.
Wanyan Tai stroked his beard, his smile deepening. "Over the years, I've naturally accumulated countless friends. Is my sincerity sufficient?"
Consort Tan was filled with righteous indignation. "Your Majesty, the thought of countless spies lurking in the court and among the people fills me with dread. If they were all like Du Siren, betraying their own country and committing treacherous acts, colluding with the enemy and betraying the nation, they would shake the very foundation of our Great Zhou!"
"These parasites, living off the emperor's salary, are truly unworthy of being called citizens of the Great Zhou. Even if I were to kill them all, it would still not be enough to quell the hatred in my heart!"
What made her even more proud was that they didn't even need to lift a finger; Wanyan Tai would firmly pin the charge of "treason and collusion with the enemy" on Pei Siyan, ensuring he could never recover from that.
Family scandals should not be aired in public. Emperor Muzong was already furious. Upon seeing this, he guessed that the list in Wanyan Tai's hands probably implicated many important officials.
"What does the Crown Prince think?"
Pei Siyan's eyes, which were gleaming with a cold light, were now filled with a ruthless killing intent. "Father, even if the list provided by the Right Chancellor may be wrong, as long as the Imperial City Guard carefully examines it, I believe we will have results soon."
"Your Majesty, I believe that such treacherous officials should have their entire families executed to appease the world!"
Wanyan Tai's smile deepened. The show he wanted to see was not yet over. Only when the Great Zhou court was in complete chaos would the Northern Di have an opportunity to take advantage of the situation!
“Your Majesty, this list of names is supported by evidence. As the Crown Prince said, it can absolutely withstand scrutiny.”
"The Right Chancellor is indeed sincere."
Pei Siyan glanced at him and sneered, "Then present the list."
Seeing that the time was right, Wanyan Tai took out a document he had prepared for you from his bosom and handed it over.
Upon receiving instructions, Eunuch Feng took the memorial and handed it to Emperor Muzong.
Emperor Muzong opened the memorial, his pupils suddenly contracted, and his sinister gaze swept across the entire room before finally landing on the Grand Preceptor's face. "What does the Grand Preceptor think?"
The Grand Preceptor, who had been silent all along, spoke up loudly, “This matter is of utmost importance, and I believe it should indeed be treated with caution; it is better to kill the innocent than to let the guilty go free. The Imperial City Guard has always been highly skilled in investigation, and as long as we hand it over to them and they conduct a thorough screening, they will certainly not wrong any innocent person.”
"Snap!"
The folded document was closed.
Emperor Muzong was furious. "Wanyan Tai, this is none of your business. Get out!"
Wanyan Tai gave everyone a meaningful look, bowed with satisfaction, and withdrew.
"Someone come here!"
In an instant, the imperial guards surged into the palace.
With victory in sight, Tan Jieyu smiled and her eyes brimmed with uncontainable joy.
"Imperial Advisor, you have disappointed me greatly!"
The Imperial Preceptor's expression changed drastically. Seeing Pei Siyan remain as steady as Mount Tai, he panicked instantly. "Your Majesty? This humble Taoist is a recluse and would never interfere in court affairs, much less have any connection with the Northern Di people. It would bring me no benefit whatsoever."
"shut up!"
Emperor Muzong's sharp gaze fell on Consort Tan. "I have treated you all well, yet you have such audacity! Two-faced, heartless, is this how you repay me?"
Tan Jieyu looked at him, her face deathly pale and her whole body trembling. She felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave, and only one thought remained in her mind: It's over!
It seems they were betrayed by Wanyan Tai; the list he submitted probably included not only Pei Siyan's name but also theirs.
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