Pei Xuan's tone was not heavy, but it contained an underlying authority, which made everyone present feel a chill in their hearts.
The one who was most shocked was Song Lin.
"What does Your Highness mean by this?"
Pei Xuan's indifferent attitude was beyond his expectations. He sensed that something was wrong and felt uncertain, which made him agitated.
"The Iron Certificate is a sacred object of the Great Yong Dynasty. It is recorded in historical books that someone once had the lives of all twelve members of his family pardoned by virtue of the Iron Certificate. Now, I am only asking to pardon the crimes of the Elder Lady and General Song. Is that not overstepping the bounds?"
Pei Xuan glanced at him.
"If it truly is an ironclad guarantee, their crimes can naturally be forgiven, but..."
He paused slightly.
"The iron certificate that Young Master Song presented is a fake."
The moment those words were spoken, everyone was astonished.
A forgery? Can an imperial edict be forged?
“A genuine iron certificate is as black as ink, and the characters on it are engraved with pure gold. It is not afraid of water or fire and will not rust for a thousand years.”
Pei Xuan spoke calmly, raising the iron certificate in his hand slightly so that everyone could see it clearly.
"This iron certificate is made of rough material, and the text is written in gold paint. It is obviously a poor imitation and could not possibly be a genuine iron certificate."
His voice was chilling.
"Even I can spot such a flaw at a glance, let alone send it to the palace to present to Father Emperor."
"If you anger Yan, can Young Master Song bear the consequences?"
Upon hearing his words, Song Lin stood there stunned, his face drained of color.
However, the man from the Treasure Pavilion in the crowd approached a little closer, carefully examining the iron certificate in Pei Xuan's hand, and nodded, saying, "Your Highness is right, it is indeed lacquered in gold. Although it is quite valuable, it is not comparable to pure gold carving."
Upon hearing this, the guests nodded in agreement, each having formed their own judgment.
Those present were all wealthy and powerful, accustomed to seeing real gold and silver, so they could easily distinguish between them.
A civil official working in the Hanlin Academy also stepped forward, speaking with an upright air: "I have read the records in the historical books. The iron certificate with cinnabar inscription is made of black iron and is shaped like an arched tile. However, this iron certificate is flat and rough. Just as Your Highness said, this thing must be problematic!"
He moved closer and examined it carefully.
"Moreover, the gold lacquer on this item is shiny and has a slightly pungent smell. It is obvious at a glance that it was made recently and could not possibly be the long-circulated iron certificate!"
This civil official was well-versed in history and had a great reputation in the court. With his approval, everyone was even more convinced of Pei Xuan's judgment.
Even Song Lin noticed something was wrong. He stared intently at the iron certificate and muttered, "No, no! This can't be fake. This was personally instructed by the Elder Madam. How could it be fake!"
"Forging the imperial edict and trying to deceive the Emperor, I think you have a death wish." Pei Xuan said coldly, "Guards, take Song Lin and Gu Yurong to the Jingzhao Yin court for trial."
"No, no!"
Song Lin was horrified and shouted loudly.
"Your Highness, I am innocent! I did not lie! Please send someone to the Ministry of Justice prison to question the matriarch of the family. Then the truth will be clear!"
He was terrified, his mind racing.
The imperial edict is fake? How could that be! Yuan Shi and Song Ziyu are already in prison. There's no reason for them to go to such lengths to fabricate such a story just to present a fake imperial edict to the emperor.
This will only harm their own lives and will do them no good whatsoever.
Song Lin couldn't understand how the iron certificate could be a fake.
Even if we assume the iron certificate is fake, it was Yuan's doing, and he was still deceived.
Song Lin said excitedly, "Your Highness, I want to see Lady Yuan. I want to confront her face to face!"
The charge of forging the imperial edict must not fall on him; he cannot be wrongfully executed!
Pei Xuan replied, "I will send someone to investigate the Yuan family, so you don't need to worry about it."
He Xingyun sneered from the side: "Dare to commit such a heinous crime, neither the Yuan family nor General Song will escape."
Song Lin was stunned for a moment, and some guards stepped forward to drag him away.
He heard Gu Yurong screaming in his ear, crying and asking him what was going on.
Song Lin also wanted to know how things had turned out this way.
In the midst of the chaos, he spotted Pei Xi in the crowd, holding a hand warmer and talking to the woman beside him.
Pei Xi was always arrogant and rarely showed such a playful and natural expression to others.
The woman had beautiful features, and her gaze was icy cold, carrying a hint of mockery.
Who else could it be but Jiang Wan?
When did Pei Xi and Jiang Wan become so familiar?
Song Lin's heart tightened as he suddenly recalled something.
He hid the iron certificate with extreme care. The only person who had come near the backyard these days was the eunuch named Xiao Luzi who served Pei Xi.
At the time, he didn't think much of it, but now, seeing Pei Xi and Jiang Wan chatting so familiarly, he suddenly realized something was amiss.
Yes, it's Jiang Wan, it must be Jiang Wan!
She and Pei Xi conspired to tamper with the iron certificate!
"Your Highness, Your Highness!"
As if grasping at a lifeline, Song Lin broke free from the guards' restraints and crawled to Pei Xuan's side.
“Your Highness, a few days ago, a clerk serving the Third Prince secretly sneaked into my backyard. He searched my study and other places. This iron certificate must have been his doing. I am innocent!”
"A shortcut?"
Pei Xuan turned his head to look at Pei Xi.
"Brother Crown Prince, don't listen to his nonsense, it's not true at all."
Pei Xi said to Song Lin.
"Song Lin, why are you trying to frame me? Why would Xiao Luzi run into your courtyard and rummage through things? Who do you think you are that I would send someone to sneak in at night? Oh... I see, you're deliberately getting revenge on me!"
His eyes darted around, and he looked at Pei Xuandao.
“Brother Crown Prince, I came to the General’s Mansion that day to discuss the Crown Prince’s banquet. Gu Shi offended me repeatedly, so I had no choice but to punish her by making her kneel in the ancestral hall. Song Lin must be holding a grudge against me and wants to avenge her mother, which is why she dragged me into this! It’s really despicable!”
"You must stand up for me and give him a good beating, then see if he'll still tell the truth!"
"you!"
Song Lin was so angry that he trembled all over.
He had never seen anyone so incoherent.
Unfortunately, Pei Xi was a prince, so he couldn't curse him out. He could only blush and say, "Third Prince, the people in the General's Mansion can all testify to Xiao Luzi sneaking into my courtyard!"
"Oh, really?" Pei Xi said nonchalantly. "Does Madam Jiang know about this?"
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