Liang Guangyi hadn’t felt so aggrieved and speechless in years, unable to defend himself.
Taking a deep breath, he decided not to tangle with Xiao Yan further and instead addressed the emperor directly with a grave expression:
“Your Majesty, I truly had no knowledge of tonight’s events, nor did I conspire with Minister Cui. I only spoke up out of concern that a palace eunuch was colluding with consorts, endangering Your Majesty’s safety. Since it’s been proven to be a false accusation, we can set this matter aside. However, Xiao Yan’s deception of Your Majesty is an undeniable fact.”
Liang Guangyi avoided mentioning Cui Lin, Zheng Kun, or anything else, focusing solely on Xiao Yan’s identity.
“When the He family followed the rebel Crown Prince in treason, the late emperor personally ordered the extermination of their nine generations. If Xiao Yan is a He, he defied that edict by surviving. By conspiring with the Xiao family to change his name and hide in Jiangnan, he has deceived Your Majesty.”
“He used this pretext to gain Your Majesty’s trust, repeatedly targeting the Lu family. His earlier actions against court officials likely hid ulterior motives. Such disruption of the court, causing unrest in the capital, is nothing short of treason!”
Cui Lin, whose mind had been clouded by the exposure of his affair with Madam Xuan, snapped to clarity with Grand Preceptor Liang’s words. He knew arguing with Xiao Yan over other matters was futile; his reputation was already ruined. But Emperor An would never allow the case of the rebel Crown Prince to be reopened.
Xiao Yan being a He was even better. If they could bring him down, if they could get Emperor An to execute him, what did a little loss of face matter?
The priority now was Xiao Yan.
Ignoring his eldest son’s cold indifference, Cui Lin suppressed his physical discomfort and spoke loudly, “Grand Preceptor Liang is right. If Xiao Yan is a He, and the Xiao family has been hiding in Jiangnan for years, they likely had plans all along.”
“The officials massacred in the three regions of Shezhou, and those so-called rumors about the flood case from twenty years ago, are probably tied to him and the Xiao family. It must be him deliberately spreading rumors to mislead the people and officials in the south, all to use old matters to exonerate the He family.”
Cui Lin’s mind had never been clearer, each word striking at the heart of the matter.
“The He family’s treason with the rebel Crown Prince was proven beyond doubt, personally judged by the late emperor, who ordered their extermination. The entire realm knows this.”
“Now Xiao Yan suddenly emerges, claiming to be a He, slandering others, stirring public sentiment, disrupting the court, slaughtering southern officials, and using rumors to destabilize the court. He’s fabricating stories about old cases to obscure the truth.”
“Your Majesty, whether he is truly a He or not, such a reckless criminal who disregards the laws of the court must not be spared!”
Though the noble families’ officials also despised Cui Lin’s actions, they were even less willing to see the He family rise again.
When the He family fell, the surviving noble families had all profited from their downfall. Now, it seemed like Cui Lin and Liang Guangyi were pitted against Xiao Yan. But if Xiao Yan won and the Cui and Liang families lost, giving him a chance to restore the He family, none of the remaining noble families would fare well.
Following Cui and Liang’s lead, they rose one after another.
“Xiao Yan is outrageously bold, slaughtering court officials. His crimes deserve death!”
“Your Majesty, those so-called old matters are likely fabricated. The events of twenty years ago are long past. How could they conveniently resurface now? Please, Your Majesty, see through this.”
“The He family’s case was settled long ago. If Xiao Yan is a He, he should be executed!”
“Your Majesty, this man infiltrated the palace and now claims to be a He. Who knows the truth? He could be a spy from another state or a rebel, using the He family’s name to destabilize the court. He must be severely punished to uphold the law.”
The noble families’ officials spoke up one after another, shattering the earlier silence in the hall.
Though Qian Baokun was shocked by Xiao Yan’s identity, he stood up without hesitation and rebuked, “You people are truly strange. There are rumors in the south, Duke Zeng has brought witnesses, and Xiao Yan was framed by Cui Lin, yet you all turn a blind eye.”
“So what if he’s a He? The He family’s extermination was sudden, and there could have been errors. Moreover, the flood case from twenty years ago involves countless unjustly killed people. Without investigation or inquiry, you demand Xiao Yan’s death. What are you so afraid of?”
Cao Dejiang also spoke with a frown, “Your Majesty, if this were only about Xiao Yan and the He family’s past, his concealment of his identity and infiltration of the palace would indeed warrant execution. But if there’s a reason tied to the people of Rongjiang and the tens of thousands who died unjustly in the flood twenty years ago…”
“The ones who handled the disaster relief for the rebel Crown Prince and the He family were the Lu family and Your Majesty. I believe Your Majesty is not the kind of ruthless tyrant who would resort to such inhumane measures. But now, with these rumors and witnesses from that time emerging…”
“Until the truth of the twenty-year-old case is clarified, Your Majesty must not touch the He family’s bloodline. Otherwise, it will spread that Your Majesty is silencing them out of guilt!”
“Cao Dejiang, how dare you slander His Majesty like that?!” a noble family official shouted.
Cao Dejiang didn’t back down. “I’m only speaking the truth. Unless you kill everyone at this banquet, Xiao Yan’s identity can’t be concealed.”
“Rumors from the south have already reached the northwest. Even people in Zhaohui know about the disaster relief issues. Not to mention the people in the south who witnessed the massacre of officials firsthand. Does Your Majesty think executing Xiao Yan alone will resolve this?”
“Without uncovering the truth, verifying whether the Rongjiang massacre is real, clarifying the stories in those rumors, and making the facts public, Your Majesty cannot silence the world’s murmurs.”
“When that happens, Your Majesty’s reputation will be ruined, the imperial family’s authority will crumble, and the people’s trust in Great Wei will be lost. Will you, who are now urging His Majesty to execute Xiao Yan, take responsibility for that?”
“You!” The noble family officials glared furiously.
Cao Dejiang ignored them, looking directly at Emperor An. “Your Majesty must know that the new emperor of Beiling has ascended and eyes Great Wei with ambition. Southern Qi has never abandoned its schemes, constantly harassing our borders. The Lu family’s Lu Jiu’an escaped, and Your Majesty knows where he is.”
“If the matters in Shezhou and elsewhere escalate, and the He family’s past is dragged up, yet Your Majesty ignores it and kills the He bloodline outright, it will surely spark public doubt and unrest. If those with ulterior motives, or Beiling and Southern Qi, seize the opportunity to exploit this, Great Wei will fall into chaos…”
“Cao Dejiang, stop your alarmist nonsense!” someone scolded.
Qian Baokun sneered from the side. “Alarmist nonsense?”
“You sit comfortably in the capital, sleeping on soft beds, oblivious to the border crises and external turmoil. If things unfold as Lord Cao says and killing the He bloodline causes chaos across the realm, will Lord Chen use your delicate skin to defend the capital?”
“Or will Lord Li send your spineless sons to fill the border battlefields? And Lord Dong, will you send your son, who spends thousands in brothels for a courtesan’s smile, to guard Great Wei’s gates and repel invaders?!”
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You can read ahead to chapterr 470 (100+ extra chapters) here
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