Chapter 196: Countering the Move

Chapter 196: Countering the Move

The hall erupted in chaos as everyone turned around, only to see Minister Yao stride towards Prince Seven. He stopped three steps away from her, his face filled with sorrow as he said, "I've said it before – Prince Seven is crucial to our Great Zhou. She must not be abandoned. Yet, Duke Guo ignored my advice and insisted on poisoning her. Now, do you think you can still hide the truth?"

"Harming her?" Upon hearing this, Feng Jingxian rushed at Ye Jiangbai. Ye Liang reacted swiftly, immediately reaching out to block him. Feng Jingxian was, after all, a scholar, and couldn't break through Ye Liang's defense. He could only glare at Ye Jiangbai with reddened eyes and yell, "How could you betray His Highness' trust? Do you plan to harm him just for a trivial dispute?!"

Ye Jiangbai frowned at Minister Yao, his eyes filled with confusion, anger, and the pain of betrayal. "Does your conscience allow you to say such things, Minister?"

"Please forgive me, Duke Guo, but I can no longer bear to watch," Minister Yao shook his head, speaking with sorrow. "The throne of Great Zhou should have been passed down to the Zhao family. No matter how high your position or power, you're still an outsider. Why insist on fighting for something that doesn't belong to you? You've harmed Prince Seven. Will Prince Wu be next? The refugees you slaughtered in the capital haven't yet found peace, their vengeful spirits still haunting the streets. In the ancestral temple, the cold remains of the late emperor and the crown prince lie undisturbed, their resentment still lingering."

"You've committed so many heinous acts. Don't you fear that someone will come looking for you in your dreams?"

His words echoed through the hall, sending shivers down everyone's spines.

Xu Zhi and Lin Mao's expressions were grim. None of them had expected Minister Yao to make such a move. He had been the one to suggest harming her, and Duke Guo had carried out the plan to prove his loyalty, only to be bitten back by Yao.

Xu Zhi closed his eyes and wiped his face, regretful for doubting Duke Guo. They were responsible for this situation they now found themselves in.

Amidst the whispers and discussions, the officials, both civilian and military, were stirred by Minister Yao's words. Their gazes toward Ye Jiangbai turned odd, and some even began to distance themselves from him.

Faced with such accusations, Ye Jiangbai remained calm and didn't rush to refute. Instead, he turned to Xu Zhi and asked, "Is this the outcome you desired?"

Overwhelmed with guilt, Xu Zhi knelt on the ground. Lin Mao followed suit, bowing his head to Ye Jiangbai, "We have committed a crime!"

Ye Jiangbai chuckled softly, shook his head, then turned back to Minister Yao, "We've worked together for quite a few years. Even if you turn against me now, I won't forget your contributions. Your eldest son attempted to poison the Sixth Prince in the palace but was executed as an assassin instead. The prince suffered from tuberculosis for half his life and was thus unable to ascend the throne."

"Your second son assassinated the head of the Ministry of Works, crippling him. Yet, that eventually led to the demise of a loyal official."

"Minister Yao is truly skilled. Corrupt and power-hungry, you pretended to ally with Prince Wu while secretly divulging information about him to me, urging me to plot against him. When I refused, you assumed I would betray you and hastily sought to retaliate."

"Have you forgotten? The Seven Prince just consumed the mother and child parasitic insects from the Miao Region, which you had someone find. If the mother insect dies, so does its host. The mother insect is in your possession. How can you accuse me of plotting against His Highness?"

He spoke calmly and deliberately, each word crystal clear. Minister Yao tried several times to interrupt, but Ye Jiangbai's voice overpowered him, "Do you sleep soundly at night, wondering if someone will come seeking retribution?"

Upon hearing this, Feng Jingxian waved his hand, and Huang Ningzhong surrounded Minister Yao, Prince Wu, and the others.

"What is the meaning of this?" Prince Wu frowned, "Are the disputes between Minister Yao and Duke Guo now implicating this prince?"

"Your Highness, forgive me," Ye Jiangbai smiled, producing an object and twirling it around his index finger, "It was Minister Yao who claimed that Your Highness has ill intentions towards the Seven Prince. He instructed me to seize the opportunity to surround you, providing evidence of Your Highness' plot against His Highness."

Prince Wu's expression shifted slightly, but he managed to maintain his composure. "I have no prior relations with Minister Yao. How can you say such things?"

Minister Yao immediately shook his head. "I never said that."

"In this situation, who can we trust? It's better to rely on our own eyes," Ye Jiangbai said. "Once we find the parent insect, everything will be revealed."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ye Liang leaped forward from beside Ye Jiangbai. Before Prince Wu's guards could react, he had vaulted over the protectors, flipped aside a low table in front of the prince, and with a kick, sent a small ceramic pot rolling out.

Everyone around them took a collective half-step back, gasping in shock.

Ye Jiangbai gave a faint smile and stepped forward to pick up the pot, peering inside. He clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Your Highness, Seventh Prince is, after all, your own nephew. You were truly relentless."

With a flick of his chopsticks, the shattered remains of the parent insect fell to the ground. Feng Jingxian's eyes reddened with anger as she shouted, "Prince Wu!"

Prince Wu's body tensed slightly. He threw back his sleeves and stood up, bellowing, "If there's a desire to accuse, one can always find an excuse. Why must you drag me into your dispute? This feast has turned sour, and I shall take my leave!"

With that, he led his people toward the exit.

Lin Mao looked as if he wanted to stop him, but Ye Jiangbai held out his sleeve to block him, allowing Prince Wu to leave. He then turned to Minister Yao with a forced smile. "What now? The new ruler doesn't seem intent on protecting you either."

Minister Yao's expression darkened as he assessed the situation around him. He frowned and said, "That wine was, after all, given to His Highness by the Duke. Can the blame be shifted onto this old man?"

"Not shifting, but rather, it was part of your and Prince Wu's plan to use me to assassinate Seventh Prince and then frame me for the crime, thus paving the way for Prince Wu to ascend the throne," Ye Jiangbai chuckled lightly. "Unfortunately, your scheme didn't pan out as planned."

Minister Yao was unconvinced. He glanced at Seventh Prince's followers and said indignantly, "Do these people not intend to avenge Seventh Prince if the Duke really killed him?"

"Should His Highness truly have passed away, I would be the first to slit the Duke's throat," Mu Shufang, who had been weeping uncontrollably, suddenly lifted her head and smiled. "But alas, Minister Yao, you will be disappointed."

Startled, Minister Yao was momentarily confused. Then, the motionless "corpse" on the ground stood up.

"I never expected that an elder statesman like Minister Yao would harbor such sinister intentions," Chang Nian said with a sorrowful face. "Fortunately, the Duke had no intention of harming me. Had he colluded with you, my life would truly have been in peril today."

Minister Yao took three large steps back, staring at her with wide eyes. "You!"

"I didn't consume the offspring parasitoid worm, just to verify if the Duke was telling the truth," Chang Nian sighed. "As I fell, I still hoped that Minister Yao and Imperial Uncle wouldn't stoop so low. But...,"

Looking at the dead mother parasitoid worm on the ground, Chang Nian's eyelashes quivered as she struggled to utter another word through her sobs.