Emperor Rongcheng, seated above, coldly observed the two.
Only when the situation between the two sides became increasingly heated did he speak coldly.
"Your Highness, what else do you have to say?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Hechuan immediately kowtowed and said, "Your subject has nothing to say. This defense map was indeed stolen by the Great Qi."
"And as Your Highness said, there was indeed an element of deliberate intent in what I did."
These words caused an uproar among the court officials present.
Some hot-tempered ministers directly berated Shen Hechuan for disregarding the lives of the people of Tiandu and the fate of the Great Cheng dynasty, saying he was utterly unfit to be the crown prince of a country.
Some ministers even took the opportunity to kneel down and shout that Emperor Rongcheng should depose Shen Hechuan from his position as crown prince and allow Prince Rui to ascend the throne.
The courtiers who favored Prince Rui knelt down as a result.
Emperor Rongcheng looked at the ministers kneeling below with a deep expression.
He twirled the ring on his finger without making a sound, leaving one unsure of his emotions.
After a moment, Emperor Rongcheng looked at Shen Hechuan, who was kneeling on the ground.
"Your Highness, do you know your crime?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Hechuan slowly raised his head and met Emperor Rongcheng's eyes directly.
"Your subject knows no guilt."
He said this as he slowly straightened up.
"Your actions will not only not affect Dacheng, but will also benefit the future stability of Dacheng and the court."
"Nonsense!"
Prince Rui shouted sternly.
"We've already given them the defense map, and they still say it's beneficial to the country? Do they think we're all stupid?"
The court officials nodded in agreement and echoed the sentiment.
However, the old minister who had always supported His Highness the Crown Prince spoke up again, asking everyone to calm down and listen to Shen Hechuan's explanation.
As expected, Shen Hechuan slightly curled the corners of his lips.
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