People exchanged glances, bewildered. What had happened to Duke Mu? Had he been driven mad by the death of his own son and the weight of this serious crime?
Amidst the whispers of the people, Duke Mu suddenly raised his head, threw his head back, and laughed loudly. His laughter was both mad and melancholic, full of vicissitudes. After years of intrigue and power struggles in the court, how could he not see the truth of the matter?
Someone plotted against the son of the Duke of Mu, provoking him to confess that he had not embezzled the salary and that the handwriting could be forged. Then, they killed him without leaving a trace, leaving no evidence to prove the crime. The Duke of Mu would then have to bear the blame for embezzling the money. With his death, the Duke of Mu's mansion would not be far from its demise.
Haha, his opponents had planned everything perfectly, driving him and his son to the brink of destruction step by step, showing no mercy in their pursuit and extermination.
"Duke Mu, do you plead guilty?" The Prefect of Jingzhao, receiving no answer, frowned deeply and slammed his gavel.
"May I ask, Your Excellency, what crime will I be convicted of?" Duke Mu suddenly looked up at the officials of the Jingzhao Prefecture and the Ministry of Justice, his gaze desolate, his answer irrelevant to the question.
The Prefect of Jingzhao cleared his throat and announced loudly, "The amount of silver involved in the crime is enormous, and according to the law, one should be executed. However, given the Duke of Mu's outstanding military achievements, he can be given a lighter punishment: imprisonment for life!"
Duke Mu looked at the plaque that read "Upright and Honest" hanging high above the main hall and sneered silently. Imprisoned for life, this was the end result of his lifelong dedication to the country. Ha!
"Duke Mu, do you plead guilty?" The Prefect of the Capital looked at Duke Mu and asked angrily again.
All eyes were now on Duke Mu, filled with anger, mockery, and schadenfreude: with witnesses and physical evidence on hand, and his son, who could have taken the blame, dead, Duke Mu had nowhere to escape and would surely go to jail. After all, he had embezzled so much silver.
Duke Mu looked up at the Jingzhao Prefecture, his gaze sharp as a knife. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he said, word by word, "This general does not plead guilty!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he stood up abruptly, swatted away a constable with his palm, snatched his longsword, and with a leap, his tall figure instantly appeared in front of the Prefect of the Capital. Under the shocked gaze of the Prefect, he raised his hand and held the sharp longsword to the constable's neck, roaring: "This general is innocent, why should I confess?"
Jingzhaofu clearly felt the sharp sword pressed against his neck, a chilling aura seeping into his skin. If he dared to move even slightly, the sword would slice through his neck.
He was a civil official living in the prosperous capital city, and he had never seen such a dangerous scene before. His body trembled slightly, but he refused to back down: "Duke Mu, what are you doing? I am an official appointed by the court. Are you trying to rebel by holding a sword to my head?"
Duke Mu looked into the angry eyes of the Prefect of Jingzhao and smiled sinisterly: "You're right, I do want to rebel!"
With a forceful flick of his wrist, the head of the official in charge of the capital's capital, wearing an official hat, flew into the air, spraying blood as his head and body were separated.
People stared at the shocking scene, frozen in place, until someone shouted, "Murder! Murder!"
The crowd erupted in chaos, screaming and scattering in all directions: "Help! Duke Mu has killed someone!"
The officials reacted, their expressions changed, and they drew their longswords, slashing at Duke Mu.
Duke Mu sneered and glanced disdainfully at the officials. He pointed to one half of the hall and made a gesture. A large number of guards appeared out of thin air and began to slaughter the officials and constables in the hall. Limbs and bodies were scattered everywhere, and blood splattered all over the ground. Even the plaque that read "Upright and just" was stained with blood. The once peaceful trial hall had become a living hell.
"Hahaha!" Duke Mu stood in the room, looking at the splattered blood, and laughed wildly. His white prison clothes fluttered wildly in the cold wind. He had worked hard all his life and spent his life on the battlefield. Even if he had no merit, he had still worked hard. The emperor did not show him any kindness and killed him on a whim. Why should he be polite to the emperor?
Striding to the door, Duke Mu raised his head and looked up at the sky, his eyes sharp and his spirit soaring: "Follow me into the palace, and after we succeed, all those who have made contributions will be ennobled as kings and marquises!"
After years of hard work in defending the border, half of the Ye family's empire belongs to the Duke of Mu's mansion. Today, he will rightfully take it all back!
The bloodshed and turmoil in the capital city went unnoticed in the palace. The imperial study remained as peaceful as ever. Bright sunlight streamed through the latticed windows, warm and inviting. The emperor sat by the window, basking in the sunlight as he processed memorials.
On a round table in the corner of the room, a faint scent of ambergris was burning, refreshing and pleasant. The wisps of fragrance rose from the burner and slowly drifted away, intoxicating the senses.
"Squeak!" The slightly closed study door was pushed open, and a slender figure walked in slowly: "Your Majesty!"
The beautiful voice was melodious and captivating, but the emperor frowned slightly, looked up at the person who had come, and said angrily, "Consort Shu, do you take my words as mere whispers in the wind? You have violated palace rules time and time again!"
Consort Shu, carrying a tray, gracefully approached the Emperor, her beautiful face radiating a smile as intoxicating as a spring breeze: "Your Majesty, I have come to offer you a blessing of longevity. After that, I will immediately return to Chang Le Palace and be confined to my quarters!"
The emperor snorted and his gaze fell on the tray that Consort Shu was carrying. The bronze tray was lined with a layer of velvet cloth, as red as blood, and on it was a piece of Xuan paper of medium size, covered with longevity characters in various shapes. Every stroke was delicate and neat, showing that the emperor had put a lot of thought into it: "Thank you for your hard work, Consort Shu!"
"I'm glad Your Majesty is pleased. I dare not complain of the hardship!" Consort Shu smiled and placed the page full of longevity characters in front of the Emperor: "May Your Majesty enjoy eternal happiness and live as long as the heavens!"
"Consort Shu is very thoughtful!" The Emperor glanced at the longevity characters on the Xuan paper, continued reading the memorials, and silently dismissed Consort Shu.
Consort Shu's gaze darkened, and she reminded him, "Your Majesty, today is the day of the joint trial of Duke Mu!"
"I know!" the emperor replied casually, closing one memorial and picking up another, clearly just to appease Consort Shu.
Consort Shu frowned and looked up at the Emperor: "Your Majesty, if I may be so bold as to ask, if there is conclusive evidence that Duke Mu embezzled military funds, what crime would he be convicted of?"
The emperor frowned and said calmly, "The Duke of Mu has embezzled a huge amount of silver, which has aroused public anger. I cannot be too lenient. However, he has made many meritorious contributions to Xiliang and can be considered a meritorious official. I will spare his life, remove him from the position of Duke of Mu, and demote him to a commoner."
Stripping the Duke of Mu of his title and demoting him to a commoner was like falling from the highest clouds to the ground, shattering him to pieces. It was more painful than losing his life. The Emperor was so lenient towards the Mu family. Heh, he was truly a rare and wise ruler. She had witnessed it today.
"Your Majesty, may I ask another question?"
"What's the problem? Speak!" The emperor's calm voice carried a hint of impatience.
"Does Your Majesty intend for the Crown Prince to ascend the throne?" Consort Shu stared intently at the Emperor, not missing a single expression on his face.
The emperor suddenly looked up at Consort Shu, his voice as cold as ice: "The Crown Prince is my eldest son, and according to the ancestral precepts of the Western Liang royal family, his ascension to the throne is perfectly legitimate. What's wrong with that?"
As expected! The Emperor's heart is only with Ye Qianlong! Consort Shu met the Emperor's sharp gaze, a faint smile in her beautiful eyes, without the slightest fear: "Your Majesty, Ye Qianlong is simple-minded and not suitable to be Emperor. Why do you insist on making him Emperor?"
"It is my decision to choose who becomes emperor. When did it become your place as a concubine in the harem to comment?" The emperor had ruled Xiliang for many years, and no one had ever dared to disobey him. As a concubine in the harem, Consort Shu not only interfered in court affairs but also questioned him. His anger flared up and he was furious.
"My son is also a prince. Except for being born later than Ye Qianlong, he is better than him in every way. Why don't you make him the crown prince?" Consort Shu's words were sharp, and she seemed to be pressing him step by step.
The emperor's anger burned even more intensely, and his gaze towards Consort Shu was so furious it seemed to spit fire: "Consort Shu, recognize your place. When did it become your place to question what I do? The ancestral teachings of Xiliang state that concubines who interfere in state affairs will be executed immediately. If you dare to utter another word, I will kill you on the spot."
"Your Majesty, I was merely speaking up for my son. Why are you so angry?" Consort Shu raised her head high and stared coldly at the Emperor. "Or is it that you also think Ye Qianlong is unsuitable to be Emperor, and for your own selfish reasons, you insist on making him Crown Prince? I have touched a nerve, which is why you are so furious?"
"You, very well!" The emperor was furious. He pointed at Consort Shu and said "very well" three times in a row, his eyes filled with rage. "Who gave you the audacity to defy me? You're courting death, so I'll grant your wish. Guards, drag Consort Shu away and execute her!"
Outside, all was quiet. No eunuchs or guards came. The only response the emperor received was silence.
The emperor, enraged, faced the door and roared, "Where is everyone? Are they all deaf? Guards, guards, come quickly!"
"Your Majesty, I forgot to tell you, the eunuchs and guards standing guard outside the door have been standing for a long time and are very tired, so I let them go to rest. Now the door is empty, and you can't call anyone." Consort Shu looked at the furious emperor and smiled maliciously.
"Consort Shu, how dare you!" The emperor's eyes turned cold, and he was about to gather his inner strength to strike Consort Shu when a sudden dizziness hit his head. He lost his balance and staggered a few steps. His powerful inner strength vanished instantly, and his body went limp, unable to muster any strength. His sharp eyes were filled with shock: "Consort Shu, what have you done to me?"