Chapter 84 Imperial Edict
Ye Xunyang immediately stood behind Lou Jin, watching the outside of the hall warily.
The situation inside the hall instantly became extremely tense!
As the emperor watched this farce unfold, he slowly sat up straight, his usually gentle eyes now radiating an awe-inspiring imperial majesty.
He ignored Prince An outside the palace and instead instructed the old eunuch standing beside him, "De Shun, convey my imperial edict."
The old eunuch Deshun bowed and said, "This old servant is here."
"First, I hereby order the Commander of the Palace Guard to immediately lead his troops to surround the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Without my order, no one is to move. Anyone who disobeys will be killed without exception!"
"Second, seal off Ningxiang Palace and the Prince An's residence. No one is allowed to enter or leave. They are to await investigation!"
"Third, the Imperial Clan Head, the Grand Secretary, and the Minister of Justice of the Xuanzong Palace shall immediately come to the palace to see the Emperor!"
"This old servant obeys the decree!" De Shun accepted the order and immediately dispatched his trusted eunuch to deliver it.
Outside the palace, Prince An heard the emperor's edict and knew that all was lost; his face turned ashen.
The emperor then turned his gaze back to Consort Xian, his voice icy cold and devoid of any warmth: "Liu, what else do you have to say?"
Consort Xian raised her head, looking into the emperor's emotionless eyes, and knew she was utterly finished. She suddenly let out a shrill, bitter laugh: "Hahaha... the victor is king, the loser is villain... I've lost... I've lost!"
"But do you think you've won? Your son was almost poisoned! Your empress was killed by us, and so was the imperial concubine, hahaha... You're a pathetic wretch too!"
She screamed out these hidden crimes in a frenzied manner, completely tearing away her last shred of pretense.
The emperor closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, his eyes were filled with boundless rage and murderous intent: "Deshun, take Lady Liu to the Cold Palace and keep her under strict guard! She will be tried by the Imperial Clan Court and the Three Judicial Offices!"
"yes!"
The guards stepped forward and dragged the virtuous concubine away, who was as limp as mud.
The emperor then looked outside the hall: "Seize Prince An, Lou Qin! Imprison him in the Imperial Clan Court!"
A burst of clashes of weapons and shouts came from outside the hall, but soon things quieted down.
After dealing with all this, the emperor seemed to age several years in an instant. He rubbed his temples wearily, looked at Lou Jin and Ye Xunyang with a complex expression, a mixture of relief and satisfaction.
"Jin'er, you have suffered."
"Get up, all of you," the emperor said, his voice slightly hoarse.
Lou Jin and Ye Xunyang thanked him and stood up.
The Emperor's gaze fell on Lou Jin, and he slowly said, "Jin'er, the things you accused of regarding Prince An and Consort Xian are of great importance, especially the matter concerning Yi'er's background and the plot to murder the Empress. The testimonies of Feng Bao and Wang Quan alone are not enough to convict them. The three judicial departments need to conduct a joint trial and conduct a thorough investigation."
Lou Jin felt a chill run down his spine, knowing that his father was meticulous in his dealings and would not easily draw conclusions about a prince and the birth mother of a prince without solid evidence.
He looked at Lou Jin, his tone solemn, filled with unquestionable trust and entrustment: "Jin'er, I order you to immediately take men to the Fifth Prince's residence and 'invite' Lou Yi into the palace! Remember, it's 'invite,' do not harm his life, but you must bring him to see me!"
“He cannot remain outside the palace until his true identity is known.”
"Your subject obeys the decree!" Lou Jin bowed and replied without hesitation.
He understood his father's intention: before the truth came out, it was necessary to control any potential destabilizing factors in the residence, and Lou Yi was undoubtedly the most crucial link in this chain.
"Take this imperial token. Any obstruction will be considered disobeying the imperial decree!" The emperor handed a heavy gold token to Lou Jin, representing supreme authority.
"Ye Xunyang, you go with Jin'er and make sure he is safe!" the emperor instructed Ye Xunyang.
"Your subject will not hesitate to die ten thousand times!" Ye Xunyang clasped his hands in a fist salute, his eyes resolute.
Without delay, Lou Jin and Ye Xunyang accepted the gold medal and immediately turned and left the Hall of Diligent Governance.
Outside the palace, Lou Yan's elite personal guards had been waiting for a long time.
Lou Jin mounted his horse, with Ye Xunyang following closely behind. The group, carrying the emperor's golden token, sped off like arrows toward the Fifth Prince's residence.
When Lou Jin arrived at the Fifth Prince's residence with his men, he found the gates tightly closed, with figures moving about inside. Clearly, they had received word of the situation and had increased their vigilance.
"Knock on the door!" Lou Jin ordered coldly.
The guards stepped forward, knocked loudly on the door knocker, and announced loudly, "Imperial decree! His Highness Prince Jin requests that His Highness the Fifth Prince enter the palace for an audience!"
The mansion was deathly silent; no one answered.
Lou Jin's eyes turned cold. He raised the golden token in his hand, his voice infused with internal energy, clearly resounding throughout the entire mansion: "His Majesty's golden token is here! Anyone who disobeys the imperial decree will be punished as a traitor! Open the gate!"
In the suffocating silence, the heavy gate of the mansion slowly opened a crack, revealing several guards of the Fifth Prince's mansion holding weapons.
The head guard, forcing a smile, said, "Your Highness, the Fifth Prince is unwell and has already retired for the night. May I...?"
"His Majesty's golden plaque is here!" Lou Jin ignored his nonsense, holding up the golden plaque, which gleamed brilliantly in the torchlight, symbolizing supreme imperial power. "Seeing this golden plaque is as if His Majesty himself is here! Are you all going to defy the imperial decree?!"
Upon seeing the gold medal, the captain of the guards turned deathly pale. He and his guards involuntarily knelt on the ground, no longer daring to obstruct the order. They could not bear the crime of disobeying the imperial decree.
Lou Jin snorted coldly, exchanged a glance with Ye Xunyang, and the two rode side by side into the mansion. Elite guards followed closely behind and quickly took control of the front yard.
"What brings my royal brother to my residence with his troops in the dead of night?" A slightly gloomy voice came from the direction of the main hall.
The Fifth Prince, Lou Yi, was dressed in casual clothes and stood on the steps in front of the hall. His face was expressionless, but there was panic hidden deep in his eyes.
Lou Jin reined in his horse, looked down at him, and waved the gold token in his hand: "By order of the Emperor, Fifth Prince is requested to enter the palace for an audience immediately."
Lou Yi's pupils contracted slightly, and he forced a smile, "Father summoned me? I wonder what important matter requires such a grand mobilization from my elder brother, even resorting to the use of a gold token?"
"How can you and I presume to know Father's thoughts?" Lou Jin's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable air. "Fifth Brother, please, do not keep Father waiting."
Lou Yi looked at the menacing guards behind Lou Jin, and then at the gold medal that still shone brightly in the night, knowing that there was no way to end things peacefully today.
He took a deep breath, making a final attempt to plead: "Brother, may I change my clothes..."
"No need," Lou Jin interrupted him, his tone turning cold. "Father is waiting. Or is it that Fifth Prince intends to defy the imperial decree?"
Lou Yi knew he had no power to resist. The last trace of color drained from his face, and after gritting his teeth, he finally lowered his head: "Your subject... obeys the decree."
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