Several lower-ranking officials' expressions changed slightly, their resolve wavering. They had indeed not participated in poisoning Prince Liang or framing Duke Wu; they had merely lied to Grand Commandant Lei. Shen Lixue had exposed the matter to the Emperor and must have some evidence. If they surrendered now, although they would lose their positions, they would save their lives…
"Shen Lixue, poisoning the Prince of Liang and framing the Duke of Wu are capital offenses. We are all ministers of the court, how could we knowingly break the law? Fifteen years ago, we saw clearly that the Duke of Wu committed suicide out of fear of punishment, not because he was framed. Don't spread rumors here."
Seeing the ministers' hesitant expressions, seemingly swayed by Shen Lixue's words, Grand Commandant Lei stepped forward, sternly rebuking them. His cold, warning gaze swept over the ministers, forcefully thwarting their desire to surrender.
"Grand Commandant Lei, I was merely advising you gentlemen to carefully recall that matter. How could you accuse me of spreading rumors and misleading the public?" Shen Lixue sneered, frowning as she looked at the ministers who were bowing their heads in silence. They were all frightened by Grand Commandant Lei's words and dared not tell the truth anymore.
Grand Commandant Lei looked at the ministers who were intimidated by him with satisfaction, and frowned: "The princess is a girl. She should be writing poetry, painting, and embroidering in her boudoir. Instead, she ran to the imperial study in the palace to frame ministers and make trouble. Are you trying to disrupt the court?"
Shen Lixue raised her lips and sneered. Making trouble, disrupting the court, and framing loyal officials are all serious crimes. Grand Commandant Lei has the upper hand and is turning the tables on her, pinning so many crimes on her, trying to force her to her death.
However, she never liked being forced.
Shen Lixue suddenly raised her beautiful eyes, her cold gaze like a sharp blade, and shot towards Grand Commandant Lei: "I only mentioned that there was something strange about that matter, and Grand Commandant Lei pressed me relentlessly with his words. If there weren't so many ministers present, I would have thought that Grand Commandant Lei was the instigator, trying his best to cover up the truth."
Grand Commandant Lei looked slightly surprised, then patted his chest and said righteously, "I, the dignified Grand Commandant of Qingyan, have always acted with integrity and uprightness, with no shame before Heaven or Earth. I was merely a witness to the affairs of Prince Liang and Duke Wu. Why should I try to cover it up? Princess Lixue, don't push your luck!"
"How could I, a weak woman, possibly bully a high-ranking official like you, Qingyan? I only hope that when I ride in my carriage on the street, I won't be stopped by the people from the Grand Commandant's mansion and interrogated repeatedly!" Shen Lixue said with a casual, sarcastic tone.
"You..." Grand Commandant Lei pointed at Shen Lixue, too angry to speak. His gaze was filled with rage, almost spitting fire. She was truly vicious and sharp-tongued.
"Does Prime Minister Shen have anything to say?" Shen Lixue's cold gaze fell on Shen Minghui.
Ministers like Minister Qian were all intimidated by Grand Commandant Lei's tyranny and kept their mouths shut, daring not to say anything more. Shen Minghui was the only one who was not afraid of Grand Commandant Lei, but he was also the one who poisoned the poisoner, and it was unknown whether he would tell the truth.
Commander Lei's sharp, warning gaze suddenly shot towards Shen Minghui, as if silently warning him: "Shen Minghui, you are the one who poisoned him, the one with the most serious crime. You'd better keep your mouth shut. If this is exposed, you'll be the first one to be beheaded!"
Shen Minghui raised his head, met Lei Taiwei's gaze, and after a moment, sighed deeply, faced the emperor, and knelt on the ground: "Your subject is guilty!"
Minister Qian and the others were all shocked, their eyes flashing with anxiety and panic. Shen Minghui had actually relented. What should they do?
"Shen Minghui, do you know what you're saying?" Grand Commandant Lei looked at him with a look of utter disappointment and anger, and all the ministers kept their mouths shut. Just when it seemed that the matter was about to pass, Shen Minghui actually admitted it, pushing everyone into an abyss of no return.
"Thank you for the reminder, Grand Commandant Lei. Fifteen years have passed, and I have suffered for fifteen years as well, each day feeling like a year, unable to eat or sleep. I do not wish to be tormented by my conscience any longer, and I am prepared to clear Duke Wu's name!" Shen Minghui's eyes were clear, and he looked as if he was feeling uneasy and ready to repent: "Grand Commandant Lei, good and evil will eventually be rewarded. You should no longer hide this matter and admit it!"
"Shen Minghui!" Grand Marshal Lei roared, raising his fist to strike Shen Minghui. He had meticulously planned and deliberately concealed his plans, and was about to succeed when Shen Minghui suddenly appeared. With just a few words, he shattered everything he had worked so hard to build. Damn it, damn it!
"Grand Commandant Lei, this is the Imperial Study, not your Grand Commandant's Residence!"
A majestic voice echoed throughout the room, startling Grand Commandant Lei awake. Seeing the emperor's furious expression, he hurriedly knelt down, secretly terrified. He had actually lost his composure in front of the emperor; the emperor would surely blame him and suspect him: "Your Majesty, I have overstepped my bounds. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness!"
The emperor, preoccupied with the poisoning of Prince Liang, did not delve into the matter. His cold gaze swept over Grand Commandant Lei and landed on Shen Minghui. His face was calm, and his deep eyes were like a bottomless pool, making it impossible for others to guess what he was thinking: "What crime has Prime Minister Shen committed?"
"The poison that King Liang was afflicted with was given to him by your humble servant, and it was given to him by Grand Commandant Lei. Your humble servant had no idea that it would be fatal!"
Shen Minghui downplayed the seriousness of the matter and quickly recounted the case of Prince Liang's poisoning. He explained that he was deceived by Grand Commandant Lei, which led him to poison Prince Liang. He accidentally harmed Prince Liang. When Duke Wu was framed, he was pushed outside and did not witness the specific events, but he proved that Duke Wu was not responsible for the poisoning.
Shen Lixue watched Shen Minghui deliver his impassioned speech and smiled. The emperor was a formidable man. The unanimous actions of the ministers, who kept their mouths shut, had already aroused his suspicion. As a ruler, the most taboo thing was being deceived by his ministers. Moreover, he must be furious that so many people were keeping things from him.
Shen Minghui relented, and the Emperor learned the truth: poisoning Prince Liang, framing Duke Wu, and deceiving the Emperor—any one of these crimes would be enough to condemn the ministers to death. The Emperor would vent his anger and establish his authority, and Shen Minghui would have made amends for his past mistakes, thus saving his life.
The emperor's imposing gaze suddenly shot towards Grand Commandant Lei, a hidden rage burning deep within his eyes: "Grand Commandant Lei, is the Prime Minister's statement true?"
"Your Majesty, this is utter nonsense! Your Majesty, I have never given him any poison!" Grand Commandant Lei hurriedly defended himself, his eyes flashing with a fierce light, his large hands clenched into fists and trembling slightly. Shen Minghui, Shen Lixue.
"Then why did Prime Minister Shen accuse you?" the emperor asked sternly, his gaze like sharp arrows, mercilessly shooting at Grand Commandant Lei.
"Your Majesty, I have failed to properly educate my daughter, who has had an affair and fathered two commoner children. It must be that Prime Minister Shen harbors resentment and seeks revenge against me!"
Grand Commandant Lei looked at Shen Minghui with a pained expression: "Prime Minister Shen, in order to vent your anger, I have already tacitly allowed you to burn my daughter to death. If you are still not satisfied, then come at me, and do not involve the rest of the Grand Commandant's family!"
Everyone had heard about Lei Yarong's illegitimate child, but they were still shocked to hear it from Lei Taiwei himself. Family scandals should not be aired in public, and his sorrowful revelation of his family's shame showed that he was truly heartbroken and desperate.
Shen Lixue sneered. If she didn't know the truth, she would have thought that Shen Minghui had really framed Grand Commandant Lei. He was indeed no simple character to have been able to hold the position of Grand Commandant for decades.
"I am afflicted with a Gu poison and do not have much time left. I have long since become indifferent to worldly affairs. Why would I deliberately seek revenge against Grand Commandant Lei? I am telling the truth of what happened back then in order to clear the name of Duke Wu and to allow myself a few peaceful nights in my final days!" Shen Minghui spoke earnestly and without pretense, which saddened the listeners.
Shen Lixue blinked: "Your Majesty, I have heard that cultivating Gu poison requires a certain amount of time and environment, and it must be cultivated in close proximity. If Grand Commandant Lei does not cultivate Gu, there must be no Gu worms or Gu altar in his home."
"Li Xue means to search the Grand Commandant's residence?" The Emperor raised an eyebrow.
"Yes!" Shen Lixue nodded. Shen Minghui and Grand Commandant Lei each held their own version of events, and for the time being, neither could gain the upper hand or lose. It would be better to search the Grand Commandant's mansion directly, and the truth of the matter would soon be known.
"What does Grand Commandant Lei think?" The emperor lowered his eyelids and looked down at Grand Commandant Lei.
"To prove my innocence, I am willing to be searched, but I have one condition!"
The emperor had already become suspicious of him and was only symbolically seeking his opinion. Regardless of whether he agreed or not, the emperor would send a search party. He needed to secure his own interests while ensuring his safety.
"What are the conditions?" The emperor frowned, his eyes filled with displeasure.
Grand Commandant Lei's sharp gaze suddenly shot towards Shen Lixue: "This humble subject believes that I have acted with integrity and have not done anything shameless. Princess Lixue's suggestion to search the Grand Commandant's mansion is an attempt to settle personal scores and is an insult to this humble subject. This humble subject is not convinced. If the poison is found, this humble subject will be charged with the serious crimes of poisoning Prince Liang and framing Duke Wu. If the poison is not found, what will happen?"
Shen Lixue's lips curled into a faint smile, extremely subtle yet tinged with endless mockery. Grand Commandant Lei had bypassed the emperor, shifting all the blame onto her and forcing her to sign a military pledge. If she refused, he would surely turn around and frame her; if she did sign... Judging from Grand Commandant Lei's confident demeanor, he was certain she couldn't find any Gu poison...
"Grand Commandant Lei must have quite a few houses, right?" Shen Lixue suddenly asked, her answer seemingly unrelated to the question.
Commander Lei was taken aback, then understood her meaning: "Princess Lixue wants to search all the residences?"
Shen Lixue smiled slightly: "The poison can move within a certain range, so all the courtyards in the Grand Commandant's mansion are suspects!"
"Good!" Grand Commandant Lei agreed loudly without hesitation, his sharp eyes fixed on Shen Lixue as if he were eyeing prey: "Princess, you have not yet answered. What if no poison is found?"
Commander Lei agreed so readily without the slightest hesitation. Could it be that the poison wasn't in any other residence?
Now that things have come to this, Shen Lixue has no right to back down. She'll just have to take it one step at a time: "I'll take the blame for framing a high-ranking official. Do with me as you see fit."
"Alright!" Grand Commandant Lei nodded in agreement, a sinister glint in his eyes: "Princess, please set a time. How long will it take to complete the search?" Military orders always have time limits to prevent reneging and delays.