From the incident at Lingyun Temple, the involvement of the Black-armored Guards, to the subsequent interrogation and uncovering of the truth, by the time Cang Lang and his group escorted the Fourth Prince and the others back to the capital, the sky was already beginning to lighten.
According to court regulations, all officials in the capital must attend the morning court on the first and fifteenth day of each lunar month, unless there is a valid reason for their absence. Officials ranked fifth and above must attend every day.
Yesterday, the fifteenth would have been the regular mid-month court meeting, but due to the Yulan Festival and the royal sacrificial rites, it was postponed to the sixteenth. So, when the Black-armored Guards arrived, escorting the Fourth Prince and the others into the palace, they coincidentally encountered a stream of officials arriving for the morning court near the Jinshui Bridge outside the palace gates.
It was still dim outside, with the first light of dawn barely visible. From a distance, the faces of the officials were hard to distinguish, but the distinctive armor of the Black-armored Guards made them instantly recognizable.
As the officials saw the Fourth Prince and others being escorted by the Black-armored Guards, their hands bound and mouths gagged, they were shocked. But before they could fully react, the disheveled Xiao Yan, who had just arrived, took a swing at the Fourth Prince, injuring him in anger.
Before the palace guards could rush forward to intervene, Xiao Yan, who had been enduring his injuries, suddenly coughed up blood and collapsed, hitting the Fourth Prince's face with blood as he fell.
The scene before the palace gates descended into chaos.
By the time Emperor An was helped into court by Imperial Eunuch Feng, he saw the Fourth Prince, Princess Leyang, and others kneeling below, while a group of silent, head-bowed officials stood in attendance. His face was dark, and he slammed his hand hard on the dragon throne.
The loud thud quieted the hall.
"Who will explain to me what happened? Why are you all causing such a scene during the morning court?"
Cang Lang immediately kneeled and reported directly to Emperor An, "Your Majesty, please allow me to report..."
He calmly recounted the events that transpired at Lingyun Temple last night, without any embellishment or omission. He detailed how the Fourth Prince’s wife had been caught with someone in the temple, how it led to Princess Leyang, the Fourth Prince, and the Second Prince being involved, and how the situation unfolded from start to finish.
The hall was eerily quiet. Cang Lang’s voice, though not loud, was clear enough for all the courtiers to hear, and they began to understand why Xiao Yan had been so furious earlier. He had attacked the Fourth Prince outside the palace gates and had even suffered a relapse of old injuries, spitting blood in anger.
The Second and Fourth Princes had plotted to frame Song Tangning, trampling on Xiao Yan’s dignity in the process, and had staged an elaborate scheme to harm him.
The courtiers were in shock, and even Emperor An’s expression darkened as he listened to Cang Lang's report.
The Second Prince’s face turned pale as he dropped to his knees, shouting, "Father, I am innocent! I was at the residence all night and knew nothing about the events outside the city. I never sent anyone to Lingyun Temple, nor did I know that my fourth brother intended to frame the County Princess of Yiyang."
"General Cang, why are you wrongfully accusing me?" he demanded.
Cang Lang responded, "I am simply reporting the results of the investigation. It was the Fourth Prince's wife who accused the Second Prince."
Cui Lin, upon hearing the Second Prince’s involvement, immediately stepped forward, holding his jade tablet and saying, "The Fourth Prince's wife was caught conspiring against the County Princess of Yiyang, but how can we trust her words? She is trying to shift the blame onto the Second Prince!"
Other officials from noble families also chimed in.
"Cui Gong is right. A woman who is capable of ruining someone's reputation cannot be trusted!"
"Your Majesty, the Second Prince is always gentle and courteous. How could he commit such a malicious act?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, though the Bai family is related to the Second Prince’s wife, she went to Lingyun Temple simply to offer incense. How could she be guilty just because she met the Fourth Prince’s wife? It’s too absurd!"
"The Fourth Prince’s wife is the one with evil intentions. Your Majesty, please don't trust her words."
The official from the Ministry of Works, Pei Shilang, also knelt and urgently said, "I am innocent! My wife’s family may have connections to the Second Prince’s wife, but I rarely interact with the Second Prince. Furthermore, my wife went to Lingyun Temple to pray for our deceased child. She would never conspire against the Prince!"
He raised his head and angrily glared at the Fourth Prince and the others.
"I am loyal to His Majesty, and I would never conspire with anyone. But the Fourth Prince plotted against the County Princess of Yiyang. How do we know that he didn't fail in his scheme and then use this opportunity to frame the Second Prince and me?"
"Your Majesty, please see clearly!"
Although the Fourth Prince had lost support from the Lu family, he still had some connections in the court. Many officials, whose lives and careers were intertwined with the Fourth Prince, tried to defend him, even though they were secretly angry at his reckless actions. In the current situation, they hoped to drag the Second Prince into the mess to shift the blame away from the Fourth Prince.
Seeing the Fourth Prince injured and gagged, some of them spoke in haste.
"Pei Shilang, stop slandering others. The Fourth Prince’s wife was jealous and tried to frame the County Princess of Yiyang. But later, she clearly fell victim to a trap. If it weren’t for the Second Prince, how would Bai Erniang and Lady Pei have coincidentally blocked the Fourth Prince’s wife and been alone with her?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince’s wife must have been drugged. If it weren’t for the Second Prince's orders, how could this be so coincidental?"
"The Second and Fourth Princes have been at odds for a long time. The Second Prince clearly wanted to destroy the Fourth Prince. Pei Daren and the Second Prince are working together. Your Majesty, please see through this."
Officials from noble families retorted.
"I think it was the Fourth Prince who colluded with others and tried to frame the Second Prince after failing in his scheme."
"You’re lying. It’s clearly the Second Prince’s malice!"
"No, it’s the Fourth Prince..."
"The Second Prince..."
"Enough with these nonsensical arguments!"
"Father, I am wronged..."
The court descended into chaos, with officials defending either the Second or the Fourth Prince, and the Second Prince shouting that he was wronged, making the scene louder than a marketplace.
The now-elderly Lu Chongyuan quietly observed, while Cao Dejiang and others stood by coldly. Song Jinxiu, standing among the crowd, clenched his hands, his face as pale as a sheet.
How could this happen...?
This was not how things were supposed to be...
Emperor An, sitting at the front, did not notice the change in his "new favorite's" expression. He only felt as though there were hundreds of ducks quacking in his ears, his head throbbing with pain, and a violent fury rising in his chest.
"Enough!!"
He slammed his palm down on the dragon throne, his shout silencing the room.
"Do you think this is a vegetable market or are you all street gossipers? Do you want me to leave so you can argue all you want?"
The bickering officials immediately fell to their knees.
"Your Majesty, please calm down."
Emperor An’s head throbbed, his face flushed, and his breathing became erratic.
Imperial Eunuch Feng, seeing that the Emperor seemed about to have a stroke, quickly took a pill and placed it at Emperor An’s lips.
The Emperor instinctively opened his mouth, swallowing the pill. As the medicine went down, Eunuch Feng hurriedly helped him sit back on the throne.
"Your Majesty, please be careful with your health."===========
You can read ahead to chapterr 470 (100+ extra chapters) here
Comments
Post a Comment