Chapter 122

Chapter 122

In the hall, Ying Fusheng stood quietly, yet no one could fully discern his position in this matter or how much of it involved him.

The Second Prince was shaken to the core—was this Ying Fusheng's scheme? What else was he trying to uncover? The secret reports had clearly stated that Ying Fusheng was unconscious, so when had this plan been laid? The Second Prince was held down, unable to lift his head, but every passing moment made him realize that his attempt to drag the Qi family into the mire had instead become solid evidence for Ying Fusheng to vindicate Qi Hanzhou. He had wanted the Emperor to suspect his military power, but now Qi Hanzhou's words turned it into the Qi family's self-investigation.

Qi Hanzhou said no more.

Everyone knew that any defense at this point was futile; the decision could only rest with the Emperor.

On the high throne, the Emperor fell silent after seeing the Qi family whistle, but his suddenly darkened expression already revealed his anger. Too many events had occurred tonight, each one challenging imperial power.

"Sixth brother is truly interesting. Whether you and Qi Hanzhou have a secret alliance or not, isn't it clear to everyone here?" The Second Prince suddenly looked at Ying Fusheng, having abandoned all pretense. With so much evidence against him, his attempted escape was a fact, but that didn't mean he would let Ying Fusheng and Qi Hanzhou off easy. "In the Ministry of Personnel case, you and Qi Hanzhou cleverly coordinated. Now this military whistle might have been prepared by you in advance..."

He laughed as he spoke. "Such a coincidence is impossible."

Ying Fusheng looked at him calmly and said, "In Your Highness's view, was the assault on Prince Yan's residence by assassins also arranged by me in advance?"

At that moment, the Emperor said coldly, "Enough!"

Whether it was a frame-up or turning the tables, the matters behind it were no small affair. The Second Prince was now throwing caution to the wind, but Hu Buyu and others could see that he didn't care whether the Emperor believed him or not—as long as he planted a seed of doubt in the Emperor's mind, tonight's events would be considered a success.

The Second Prince's secret faction was ambushed, and a purge of his followers in the court would inevitably follow.

Then the Prince of Qin would surely rebel. If the Emperor suspected the Qi family, when internal chaos truly erupted, this step would be enough to influence the Emperor's and even the Qi family's actions and strategies.

No one before tonight had expected things to reach this point.

Among the officials in the hall, some were shocked, others puzzled. Liu Yunshi didn't know where the situation stood now. Hu Buyu remained silent after handing over the military whistle, while Xiao Yan, who had reported the Light Garment Guard's entry into the capital, and Ji Wuming, who had presented the Northern intelligence, had unclear positions. Lord Yun's family wished to distance themselves from this matter; everyone knew that being associated with the secret faction now meant utter ruin.

The Second Prince looked at the loyal ministers and good officials in the hall. Who was whose man, what was whose purpose—as long as the Emperor distrusted even one, the Second Prince would have an opening... especially Ying Fusheng. If he couldn't kill Ying Fusheng, he couldn't let Ying Fusheng disrupt their plans.

No matter what, today, the Qi family and Prince Yan would not walk away cleanly from the court.

Silence spread.

"Your son has something to report," Ying Fusheng broke the stillness.

"While in the Southern Border, your son once encountered a scheme set by the Fei family. At that time, Huaizhou City was nearly lost. If not for Prince Jin's early preparation in sending word to General Chen for assistance, Huaizhou City might have been massacred." Ying Fusheng spoke respectfully, continuing: "The secret faction has been laying plans in the Southern Border for years, deeply infiltrating the Jiangnan officialdom, taking root in the western Sichuan hinterland, and using the former Xu Faction of the deposed Crown Prince and now the Second Prince's faction to interfere in court affairs. Such an elaborate scheme must inevitably involve the Northern Border."

"The Huaizhou City incident is especially similar to the case of Youzhou City in the Northern Border years ago."

Qi Hanzhou moved, suddenly looking at Ying Fusheng.

Youzhou City in the Northern Border!

The officials present were all shrewd; who didn't know that the Youzhou City case back then was attributed to the Northern Barbarians? It was also the only massacre case since the founding of Dayuan. At that time, the garrison general of Youzhou City was Pei Zhuiyun, a disciple of Qi Shen and Qi Shen's foremost general. He ultimately died defending the city, along with his soldiers and the people of Youzhou. Even his body was dragged from the sea of corpses by the young Qi Hanzhou...

When the Youzhou City case was mentioned, the expressions of the officials changed. Prince Yongjia looked at Ying Fusheng in surprise. Liu Yunshi glanced nervously at Hu Buyu. Youzhou City! To bring it up at this moment!

Qi Hanzhou knelt, his gaze fixed on Ying Fusheng.

Youzhou City—he had given up the Northern Border and chosen to stay in the capital, initially for the sake of the Youzhou City case. Even though he knew early on that the case was connected to the secret faction, he understood that only when the secret faction was completely eradicated could the truth see the light. But he never expected Ying Fusheng to bring it up at this moment, laying it squarely before the court's important ministers.

Liu Yunshi's hands trembled with fear; he wanted to stop Prince Yan from speaking further, as this was undoubtedly questioning the Emperor.

"Do you know what you are saying?" the Emperor looked at Ying Fusheng.

Ying Fusheng knew that raising this matter in front of everyone was tantamount to questioning the current court before the Emperor, even challenging the authority of imperial power. "Your son knows, but your son can only speculate."

Xiao Yan, who oversaw the officials, had to come forward when the Light Garment Guard was exposed, and Ji Wuming similarly had to act. If he insisted on hiding the intelligence from the Second Prince's residence and fell into someone else's trap, it would instead make the Emperor doubt the loyalty of the Imperial Guard.

The Censorate and the Imperial Guard absolutely could not make mistakes at this critical juncture.

Thus, Qi Hanzhou and the Qi family in the Northern Border would be thrust into the storm.

This storm would either push the Qi family into the vortex of the Emperor's suspicion or completely lift them out of the center of the whirlpool.

"When the Northern Border was in trouble years ago, the Northern Barbarians invaded Mobei. It was Your Majesty's personal expedition and the Qi Family Army's bloodshed on the battlefield that brought stability to the Northern Border," Ying Fusheng continued. "Precisely because the Northern Border has become an iron wall, the secret faction behind the scenes could only undermine it from the court and the Southern Border. Over the years, Your Majesty has reorganized the court, gradually forcing the secret faction out. They fear Your Majesty will again stabilize the Southern Border, so they want to move against the Northern Border."

Ying Fusheng had been considering this issue since he parted ways with Qi Hanzhou upon entering the capital. Their cooperation in the court's changing landscape would inevitably be noticed by the old foxes in the court. This hidden danger would either become a catalyst for factional strife later or a breakthrough for the Second Prince to stir up trouble. It would be discovered eventually; better to expose it now than in a more critical moment.

So when he clearly realized the assassins were attacking Prince Yan's residence, he unhesitatingly adopted this strategy. The secret whistle that Qi Hanzhou had given him, which he had always kept by his side, became the only means to save the Qi family.

The secret faction had hands everywhere in Dayuan; it would be strange if the Northern Border remained uninvolved.

But to bring up an old case from years ago now... Prince Yan was saying that the secret faction had been plotting long ago!

Meng Jinyuan and Hu Buyu suddenly realized the purpose of Prince Yan's scheme today. It was precisely because the Youzhou City case shocked the court and country, followed by the Northern Barbarians' invasion, that His Majesty had personally led the expedition. If this matter was instigated by the secret faction within Dayuan, then His Majesty's expedition and the court affairs entrusted to Grand Secretary Xu led to the subsequent infiltration of the Six Ministries—all of this would be explained.

Rather than deliberate framing, Prince Yan's aim was to trace the root cause.

The Emperor, sitting on the throne, trusted evidence more than intricate conspiracies. By bringing up the Youzhou City case and linking it to the infiltration of the Six Ministries, Ying Fusheng precisely touched on the deepest doubt in the Emperor's heart: when did the secret faction infiltrate, and when did the court begin to change? This was the question the Emperor most wanted answered.

Lord Yun's mind was churning like mud, but other officials could understand the meaning in Ying Fusheng's words. Prince Yan had explained everything that happened today... After the suppression and cleansing years ago, the Northern Border had become Dayuan's iron wall. The secret faction in the court had been discovered one after another, and they were trying to create internal and external troubles for Dayuan, so they sought to shake the Northern Border. The Qi family, detecting the clues, had sent the Light Garment Guard south to investigate. Their every action was for the sake of the Dayuan royal house.

Madness... absolute madness!

The Second Prince never expected Ying Fusheng to elevate the Qi family to this level. How dared he pull his own secret alliance into the light and use others' schemes to elevate the Qi family's position? One misstep, and it would have played into their plan to make the Emperor suspect the Qi family, but Ying Fusheng insisted on doing it this way.

"Military whistle and the Light Garment Guard orders and other issues all prove that the secret faction intends to strike at the Qi family. Prince Yan's words are not without reason," Hu Buyu said.

Xiao Yan and Ji Wuming did not speak, but they were equally shocked by Ying Fusheng's audacity.

The Northern Border was indeed being spied on by the secret faction, but the Qi family had discovered it and was investigating and resolving the matter in secret.

The secret faction, using the Second Prince's hand, sought to sow discord between the Qi family and the royal house, aiming to shake Dayuan's foundation. Every step placed the Qi family appropriately within the situation and positioned them where the Emperor could trust them.

The hall fell silent again. Some looked at Prince Yan, others at Qi Hanzhou.

None dared to look toward the high throne, because they knew that regardless of the outcome, everything that had happened today was seen by the Emperor.

"Go on," the Emperor's voice fell.

Ying Fusheng spoke again: "Your son suspects that the secret faction is colluding with the Northern Barbarians."

The officials in the hall all realized the significance of the Qi family whistle. The Second Prince's involvement in the escape and his connection to the secret faction were undeniable. The Northern intelligence found in the Second Prince's residence, the Qi family whistle found in Prince Yan's residence—these consecutive coincidences seemed more like deliberate arrangements, like hidden dangers that, once triggered, would lead to unimaginable consequences.

If the Northern Barbarians were also involved... this scheme was too vast!

Ying Fusheng was waiting, his gaze falling on Qi Hanzhou, who knelt to the side.

The cold from his sleep seemed to recede inch by inch. Since waking, a dull ache throbbed at his brow after the long slumber, yet his mind was clearer than ever before—as if he had slept through an endless stretch, and upon opening his eyes, little remained before him, but Qi Hanzhou was there.

He knew that some things could not be rebuilt without being broken first.

"This is my conjecture; I await Your Majesty's judgment," Ying Fusheng said.

The Emperor looked at his sixth son standing in the hall, then surveyed the others around him. Every official wore a strange expression, all aware of how audacious Prince Yan's words were. He knew this young man was clever, but this was the first time he saw him not only clever but also utterly daring.

Others dared not speak of the Secret Faction's infiltration that had been going on for a long time, but he alone raised the issue, never once considering the consequences of such a statement—or perhaps he had considered them and still chose to act.

The Second Prince wanted to speak, but he found that no matter what he said now, he could not get past Ying Fusheng's clever arguments. The Qi family was indeed part of their grand scheme; today, he had used various smear tactics to drag the Qi family into this mess, needing several more steps to slowly erode the Emperor's trust in the Qi family.

"The Qi family's loyalty is clear to me," the Emperor said.

His expression darkened. "The Youzhou City case is indeed suspicious. But as for you..."

He turned a cold gaze toward the Second Prince.

The Emperor's murderous intent toward him had likely peaked.

Suddenly, several letters were tossed down from the throne, landing before the Second Prince.

Upon seeing them, he immediately understood—the faint fragrance lingering on the paper was that of his mother, Concubine Xian.

Ying Fusheng's eyes flickered when he saw the letters.

"Do I need to have someone read these letters aloud to you?" the Emperor asked.

At that moment, the Second Prince was now certain that Qi Hanzhou had spoken the truth—Concubine Xian had indeed been exposed and had not escaped the palace!

Was his mother still in the palace... still alive?

"Colluding with remnants of the former dynasty and the Prince of Qin, you have wreaked havoc in Jiangnan and elsewhere," the Emperor said with a cold laugh. "Truly, you are my fine son. How long did this grand scheme take to arrange? Was the one waiting outside the city to receive you the Prince of Qin, or someone else?"

The Second Prince knew that the more he spoke now, the more likely he would be exposed.

That person's grand plan, even without him, could still succeed.

He suddenly lunged, intending to bite the poison capsule hidden in his mouth, but Ji Wuming was faster, blocking his suicide attempt and pinning him to the floor of the hall.

Failing to kill himself, the Second Prince let out a wild, manic laugh: "The throne..."

Those present had seen his gentle and refined demeanor, but now they witnessed his manic, menacing face for the first time—nothing like a prince of the Dayuan dynasty, every move filled with provocation and arrogance. Ji Wuming was startled and quickly dislocated his jaw to stop him from speaking.

The Emperor's eyes showed no fatherly affection, only cold scrutiny and decisive judgment. He looked at the Second Prince as though he were already dead. "It seems I won't even grant you an intact corpse."

He raised his hand and waved, and the imperial guards outside the hall rushed in, surrounding the Second Prince.

"Drag him away. From this moment, the Second Prince is stripped of his title and reduced to a commoner. He will be beheaded in public on a set date!"

"All his accomplices shall be executed, their entire clans exterminated!"

Beheading in public—even the Deposed Crown Prince had not been executed so openly back then.

The ministers from every department were shocked, but they immediately realized that what had enraged the Emperor was not just the evidence of rebellion, but something deeper.

The Emperor's voice struck the ground like cold iron. The Second Prince laughed maniacally while being dragged away, glaring viciously at Ying Fusheng, as if he wished to tear him apart piece by piece. Without this man, their many schemes would have succeeded long ago—yet he had thwarted them at every turn, even predicting the move involving the Qi family.

Ying Fusheng had brought up the Youzhou City case not only to make it easier for Qi Hanzhou to operate in the capital but also to prevent them from ever shaking the Emperor's trust in the Qi family. He was giving the Qi family a golden immunity!

The Second Prince was dragged away like a madman.

Ying Fusheng watched him coldly as he was hauled out of the hall.

He knew that executing the Second Prince would not bring back the innocent lives lost, and that the Second Prince was not alone—killing him was merely one step in dismantling this scheme. The true culprit, the leader of the Secret Faction hiding behind him and behind Western Shu, was the root of all evil.

The cold wind from outside the hall blew in, and his fingertips were already icy.

One problem solved, but the next awaited. Only by shedding the blood of these people, only by making them...

Qi Hanzhou's gaze met his, and the darkness in Ying Fusheng's heart suddenly dissipated upon meeting those eyes. He felt a brief confusion—the clash of swords and shadows that had followed his awakening seemed to fade away completely, leaving only Qi Hanzhou in his sight.

Inside the hall, all officials remained silent. After the Second Prince was dragged away, their eyes fell on Ying Fusheng.

The young man stood for a long time, his disheveled hair held in place by a single hairpin.

Yet those who had witnessed his clever arguments could not help but feel a lingering fear.

Tonight was not just about the Second Prince's affair, but also about the Qi family's situation.

The Second Prince's fate was likely only the beginning; what was most terrifying was Prince Yan's defense of the Qi family.

The Emperor knew about the framing and the Light Garment Guard's presence in the capital—some things were already clear in his eyes. But Prince Yan's argument, in the context of potential infiltration by rebels across the ministries and local governments, made the Qi family's actions traceable, reasonable, and loyal.

Even they, after hearing Prince Yan's words, could find no grounds to impeach the Qi family for sending the Light Garment Guard to the capital. He had used others' framing schemes, used the rebels as a stepping stone, and brought the Qi family into the open, raising their standing in the Emperor's eyes.

This, perhaps, was his true purpose.