That anxious expression again! Yun Xun thought to himself, Yun Zhuo must also know that the contents of this iron box are very harmful to him, which is why he is trying to take it back at all times!
“Brother Prince Jing, things have come to this point, and it’s not up to me to stop now. It depends on everyone present and whether Father Emperor agrees!”
Yun Xun took the iron box from his subordinate, walked forward, and presented it to the emperor with both hands.
"Your Majesty!" Prince Yu's voice suddenly came from outside the hall: "Your Majesty, even if Prince Jing was wrong to mobilize troops without authorization, he was meritorious in saving the Emperor. How could he possibly rebel?"
The emperor frowned, clearly displeased by his sudden appearance: "What are you doing here!"
The Prince of Yu replied, "I have heard that the Prince of Jing was seriously injured and has not yet recovered. He has been brought back to the palace. I am very worried about his health, so I came to see him."
It can't be that Ye Qingxue invited him to enter the palace immediately!
The emperor said in a deep voice, "Let's watch from the sidelines. Whether he's rebelling or not, we can find out by having this iron box opened!"
The emperor ordered Cui Shao to step forward and open the iron box. The iron box had a mechanism that made it difficult to open, so Cui Shao placed it on the floor, preparing to split it open with his longsword.
Upon seeing this, Yun Zhuo was horrified and cried out, "Father, you mustn't!!"
The emperor looked at him, his eyes filled with nothing but indifference.
Fan Tieshan said, "What, Prince Jing, are you scared now? Since you're scared, you might as well tell the truth! His Majesty is always merciful, and he might be lenient with you!"
Yun Zhuo's forehead was covered in sweat, and his face was pale. He knelt on the ground and said, "Father, I am willing to take full responsibility for the crime of mobilizing troops without authorization, but please, Father, do not open this iron box. Once it is opened, there will be no turning back!"
Yun Xun sneered inwardly: "Does he think he's still the former Crown Prince, that his father, for the sake of the stability of the empire and the preservation of the nation, will simply refuse to open this iron box after his pleading? He can't grasp the situation!"
Fan Tieshan thought to himself, "Good, the proud and stubborn Prince Jing has finally learned to beg for mercy! I've lost an arm, but at least I can achieve a great feat!"
Huaifu closed his eyes briefly: "His Majesty has already chosen a new heir apparent, so he probably doesn't need to make any changes. Prince Jing has made a mistake in pleading for him."
Prince Yu pleaded again: "Your Majesty, what exactly are you suspecting? Do you really suspect Prince Jing of rebellion? Once this box is opened, your father-son relationship will be irreparable!"
The emperor waved his hand forcefully: "Guards, hold down Prince Yu and Prince Jing. Anyone who pleads for them again will be dragged out and executed. Cui Shao, open the iron box and take out what's inside."
The guards rushed in and forced Prince Yu and Prince Jing to kneel on the ground.
Snap!
Cui Shao's sword opened the iron box, revealing the letters and tokens inside.
A voice came from outside again: "Your Majesty, Prime Minister Ning has arrived."
The Emperor said, “The Prime Minister has come at the right time. Give him the contents of the iron box and let him read the letters inside to everyone.”
When Ning Hongxi entered the Zichen Palace, Cui Shao handed him the letter from the iron box.
Ning Hongxi was Yun Zhuo's maternal uncle. Before Yun Zhuo was deposed, their Prime Minister's Mansion and the Crown Prince's Palace had a very good relationship.
Ning Hongxi was also wholeheartedly dedicated to teaching Yun Zhuo, the crown prince.
However, Ning Hongxi was absolutely loyal to the emperor. He was summoned to the palace by the emperor in advance so that his maternal uncle could read out Yun Zhuo's letter of rebellion and let everyone present hear it.
In this way, no one would doubt that Yun Zhuo's rebellion was a fabrication.
Ning Hongxi was also aware of his mission.
But when he saw the contents of the letter, he was shocked, and the color drained from his face at a visible speed.
His gaze darted back and forth between the letter and the metal box, several times, yet he still couldn't believe what he was seeing.
Cui Shao was just as shocked as he was.
Seeing their behavior, the emperor was enraged, believing they were trying to protect Yun Zhuo. He immediately roared, "Ning Hongxi, read it!"
Ning Hongxi's hands trembled as he held the letter: "Your Majesty, this..."
Fan Tieshan said, "Prime Minister Ning, we all know that Prince Jing is your nephew, but don't forget that you are loyal to the Great Zhou Dynasty, not Prince Jing. Now that things have come to this, are you going to protect Prince Jing and let the entire Prime Minister's Mansion be buried with him?"
Ning Hongxi's face was pale, his lips trembling as he hurriedly looked at the emperor.
The emperor, having reached his limit, spoke again with a heavy killing intent: "Read it! Don't make me say it a third time!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
