In the hall, everyone's gaze was fixed on the person next to the Emperor Qi.
However, Xiao Shuang ignored it and looked down at Chu Shao, slowly waving her peacock feather fan.
After a moment, she opened her lips and casually said, "Since Your Majesty said so, then let's try it."
The Emperor Qi looked at Xiao Shuang, his movements of rubbing his Buddhist bead necklace paused for a moment.
Then he waved his hand and said to the fourth prince kneeling in the hall, "You first get up and pick a few people."
The fourth prince stood up and replied, "Yes."
The Crown Prince took a sip of tea and gently advised the fourth prince, "Fourth brother, remember to pick those with less experience. Don't hurt the third sister-in-law."
The fourth prince and the Crown Prince looked at each other, and then pointed at a few guards standing at the door of the hall, saying, "You, and you, go spar with the Prince Yan wife."
One of the guards looked at Chu Shao sitting at the table and felt that the other party was slender, so he hesitated and said, "Your Highness, will it be a bit inappropriate to spar here?"
The fourth prince used a chicken feather as an arrow and said, "This is His Majesty's order. Do you want to disobey it?"
The guards looked at each other and had no choice but to comply.
They walked towards Chu Shao's side with a brave face.
In fact, not only the guards, but also the officials on the other side of the hall were discussing it, "Although Yao country has fallen, Chu Shao is still the legitimate wife of Prince Yan. It seems inappropriate to do this."
The person beside him shook his head and whispered, "What status and face does a princess of a fallen country still have?"
"Besides, assassinating a prince is a capital offense. Even if Prince Yan wants to protect her, she may not be able to do it in front of so many people."
Shen Shuang heard these words nearby.
She was always impulsive in handling things.
When she saw the guards holding weapons and approaching Chu Shao, she almost jumped up and cursed.
If it weren't for Shen Shangshu covering her mouth and holding her back, it would have been a disaster.
Bai Zheng, who was sitting next to Shen Shuang, knew that those guards were the Imperial Guards and their martial arts were extraordinary.
At this moment, she also showed a look of reluctance, and had already anticipated what would happen next.
As she watched the guards approach, Chu Shao smiled at them, knowing she could break their necks if she wanted to.
However, killing them wouldn't solve anything.
She needed more power if she wanted to sever the heads of the Fourth Prince and the Crown Prince.
Of course, there was another way, but for the sake of Xiao Jin, she wouldn't consider it for the time being.
Therefore, Chu Shao decided that if Xiao Jin wanted her to watch quietly, she could refrain from fighting back.
After all, if all her pain came from Xiao Jin, it was also a kind of pleasurable excitement to think about.
With this thought in mind, Chu Shao didn't even hear the whispers around her, only the sound of the wind blowing the candlelight.
Her heart beat in time with the warm red light, and the warmth of her blood, whether from others or herself, was enough to give her a moment of peace.
It was only after the battle was over and she was alone that Chu Shao could forget her fear completely because at that point, she wouldn't gain or lose anything more.
"Ah ah ah - - -"
What ultimately brought Chu Shao back to reality was the scream that sounded after the sharp weapon was stabbed into flesh.
Chu Shao was stunned.
Looking up, she saw the guard who was the fastest to pull out his weapon and the first to approach her, curled up on the ground, holding the short blade that was plunged into his abdomen and rolling in pain.
Everyone at the banquet was shocked, their eyes wide open as they watched the fallen guard, and they didn't even realize they had accidentally knocked over their bowls and chopsticks.
Even Xiao Shuang, who usually remained expressionless, widened her eyes slightly.
She looked incredulous, and the peacock feather fan in her hand almost fell to the ground.
Xiao Ruoyu... how dare she!?
Ignoring the astonished gazes of the crowd, Xiao Jin placed the scabbard on the table, slowly raised her hand, and wiped off a few drops of blood that had splattered on her face in an extremely indifferent manner.
The knuckles were stained red with blood, and a slender, pale arc revealed an exceptionally morbid beauty.
Then she placed her fingers on the armrest of the wheelchair, and spoke gently and calmly to the Emperor Qi who was sitting above him: "Your Majesty, the Princess is not feeling well, so I will represent her in this sparring match."
Before Emperor Qi could speak, Xiao Jin's eyes were covered with white gauze, and she stared at the few guards with pale faces: "If you want to spar, just come and find me, I will accompany you at any time."
....
The courtiers who attended the banquet were extremely frightened and excited at the same time.
Because for the past hundred years, Qi Country had never seen a prince who wanted to kill someone in front of the emperor.
Moreover, no one knew how the Prince Yan managed to avoid being searched before entering the palace and secretly hiding a short blade.
All they knew was that even if the Prince Yan didn't die this time, she would be imprisoned for life.
The Empress was the first to react, trembling as she raised her hand and pointed at Xiao Jin, scolding her, "Prince Yan, how dare you! You privately carried a dagger into the palace banquet. What do you intend to do? Someone, quickly arrest this thief for me!"
The guards on both sides of the high platform immediately drew their weapons and headed towards Xiao Jin with murderous intent. But just as they took a few steps, they were stopped by another voice.
"Who dares to move in this palace!"
The timid courtiers, looking at Xiao Shuang who spoke coldly on the high platform, were already trembling like sieves.
They regretted attending this palace banquet.
This wasn't a banquet, it was a disaster. They were afraid that the situation would change drastically.
The Empress's face turned pale, and she suppressed her fear and anger as she spoke to Xiao Shuang, "Princess, the behavior of the Prince Yan is an unforgivable crime of rebellion!"
Xiao Shuang threw her peacock feather fan on the table and said indifferently, "Nonsense! Who said the Prince Yan wants to rebel? Everyone here saw with their own eyes that she only injured a palace guard, and she had no intention of defying authority."
The ministers looked at the bloodstains on the carpet and wiped their sweat, unsure of how to respond, so they chose to remain silent.
The Empress sneered, "It's just a wound to a guard. The imperial princess speaks lightly! The Prince Yan evaded the search before entering the palace and publicly displayed a weapon. Now that blood is seen, isn't that enough to punish for a crime of great disrespect?"
The imperial concubines who were attached to the empress also adjusted their hair buns and whispered, "What the empress said is extremely true. If this is not considered a great disrespect, then we really don't know what is."
Hearing these words, Xiao Shuang turned her head and looked at Xiao Jin expressionlessly. "Jin'er, don't you also owe the Empress an explanation?"
Xiao Jin's inner thoughts were confirmed, and her words were very calm: "In response to the Empress, since the incident where I was ambushed a few months ago, I have been cautious and careful. I always carry a short blade with me in case of being attacked by an assassin."
The Empress narrowed her phoenix eyes and slapped the table: "Even so, secretly carrying weapons into the palace is a serious crime. You knowingly committed the crime, how do you explain this?"
"I am aware that secretly carrying weapons is a serious crime. It's just that after that day, I always kept the short blade in the inner layer of my boots. I was careless and forgot to take it out before entering the palace."
"One moment of carelessness?" This time it was Emperor Qi who spoke.
He slammed the Buddhist bead on the table and shouted, "Prince Yan, you deliberately evaded the search before entering the palace, and still dare to call it a moment of carelessness?"
Xiao Jin remained calm and replied, "I never deliberately evaded the search."
"If you didn't deliberately evade the search, how could you bring this weapon into the palace under heavy search?" Emperor Qi questioned.
"It was not that I deliberately hid, but the guards who were conducting the search did not search me carefully, which made me forget about this matter."
At this point, Xiao Jin sighed, "At the beginning of the banquet, I remembered that there was a short blade hidden in my boots, but it was already too late."
As the Empress listened to Xiao Jin's sophistry, she asked, "If you knew about it at the beginning of the banquet, why didn't you take it out then?"
Xiao Jin had long prepared a countermeasure and smiled at the empress, "Empress, I was originally going to take out the short blade, but for the sake of the royal face, I thought about it and decided to give up."
Upon mentioning the royal face, the Empress was momentarily speechless.
The royal face was naturally the most important, and if the dignified Prince Yan were to take out a short blade from her boots and hand it to a palace maid in front of everyone, it would indeed damage the dignity of the royal family.
However, the fourth prince found a blind spot and sneered, "Third brother's words are right. I had many concerns earlier, but now, isn't it still damaging the royal face to take out a short blade in public?"
Xiao Jin said, "Is that so? Isn't it the fourth brother who started the trouble first, provoking me in every way possible, and thus damaging the royal face?"
The fourth prince was angry, but could not refute Xiao Jin's words. After a long while, he could only say with a strange tone, "Brother, why don't you say these things to father more often?"
In other words, no matter how cunning Xiao Jin was, she could not change the fact that she brought a sharp blade into the palace and injured someone in public.
Xiao Jin naturally understood the fourth prince's meaning.
However, she had no intention of changing her behavior and had a way to argue back.
Therefore, she just sat in her wheelchair and touched the sheath of the short blade without speaking. The injured guards had already been carried away.
However, whether it was the prince and princess or the ministers, they all knew that this matter was not over yet.
The Emperor Qi had always been viewed as incompetent, and his face at this time was not very good. "Let's not talk about bringing a short blade into the palace for now. What explanation do you have for throwing a dagger and hurting someone in the hall?"
Xiao Jin asked quietly, "Is it an explanation if your son doesn't want to see her wife being humiliated?"
At this time, the fourth prince looked at the white gauze on Xiao Jin's eyes and wanted to retort, "But you can't see."
However, he held back and sneered, "Third brother is really a romantic person. But for the sake of a princess from another country, she is disrespectful to her father. It seems a bit disloyal and unfilial, doesn't it?"
"Disloyal and unfilial?" Xiao Jin almost laughed out loud. "Fourth brother, you have no merit to show for the country, and you have never been as filial as a son, going to the palace every day to pay your respects. What qualifications do you have to stand here and speak? Don't you feel any pain in your waist?"
The fourth prince turned blue in the face. "Don't curse the palace here. The palace's waist is fine."
As soon as he said this, he knew he had said the wrong thing.
Sure enough, a small burst of laughter that couldn't be held back erupted at the table.
Xiao Jin also chuckled, "Fourth brother, your waist has nothing to do with this Prince after all."
"This Prince only hopes that before you speak of disloyalty and unfilial behavior, you will carefully ponder the meaning of the phrase 'loyalty between brothers and respect from younger to elder.' Don't teach everyone to laugh at you."
Seeing the whispered laughter at the table becoming more and more intense, Emperor Qi felt that the royal face was about to be completely lost by these two people. So he spoke in a deep voice, "Prince Yan, are you determined to protect the woman who tried to assassinate your fourth brother? Is this your explanation to me?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jin, who rarely had a cold face, even added a smile to the corner of her mouth, "Your son thinks that loving the person one likes is not an explanation that can be spoken aloud, it can only be considered as instinct, which everyone has."
"Even if it is a common human emotion, it still cannot change the fact that assassinating the prince is a serious crime. Drawing a short blade openly in the palace is also a contempt for the laws of Qi Country, and a contempt for me!" Emperor Qi said sternly.
"Wait a minute." Xiao Jin turned to Emperor Qi and asked with a smile, "Father, you just said that assassinating the prince is a serious crime?"
"Of course," Emperor Qi replied solemnly.
"Then, if the fourth brother intends to assassinate me, what crime should he be punished with?"
....
Xiao Jin only said one sentence.
However, the hall was so quiet that only the chirping of birds and sparrows on the eaves could be heard.
All the ministers unanimously agreed that there would never be another day like today's feast, which was full of ups and downs and thrilling moments.
Emperor Qi sat upright and stared at Xiao Jin, unable to speak for a long time. When the hall fell into a dead silence, the accused Fourth Prince snapped out of his daze and forced himself to calm down.
However, it was of no use. His face was visibly pale, and even the words he spoke lacked conviction. "Third brother, did you falsely accuse me and implicate me just to protect a woman?"
Xiao Jin shook her head. "Fourth brother, you can eat recklessly, but you can't speak recklessly."
"Your assassination attempt on me is a fact with both human and material evidence. It's not the same as what you said earlier to frame the Princess with some unfounded accusations."
Although the people present didn't know what "nature" meant, they could vaguely understand its meaning.
If, earlier, when the Fourth Prince accused Chu Shao of being the assassin who infiltrated the prince's residence, only fifty percent of the people believed it, then at this moment, ninety percent of the ministers who were watching believed that the Fourth Prince had really attempted to assassinate Xiao Jin.
Because the Fourth Prince's pale complexion and panicked tone of voice made it difficult for people not to believe him.
However, the few supporters of the Fourth Prince in the court still wanted to struggle and stood up to advise the emperor, "Your Majesty, although this matter is your family affair, we should still abide by the two words of 'convincing evidence'. Without concrete evidence, how can we convince everyone?"
Another person couldn't sit still and also stood up, saying to Xiao Jin, "Before Prince Yan produces evidence, please be cautious with your words and do not tarnish the reputation of Fourth Prince."
Emperor Qi looked at this scene and was about to say something.
Unexpectedly, a new face appeared at the banquet and refuted the two people with righteous indignation, "Gentlemen, Prince Yan has already said that there is both human and material evidence, which is an ironclad fact."
"If she didn't produce it immediately, it's probably because she's considering brotherly affection and giving Fourth Prince a break. Now that you two have spoken, aren't you putting Fourth Prince on the rack to roast?"
The words were straightforward, seemingly to protect the Fourth Prince, but in fact, every word was cutting and aimed at undermining others.
Emperor Qi frowned at the person at the banquet and recognized him as Xu Fanghai, the new Household Department minister who had previously served as a governor in Qingzhou.
However, there was one thing he didn't understand.
Isn't Xu Fanghai the person who was recommended by the Crown Prince after he went to Qingzhou specifically to subdue him?
According to the Crown Prince, this person only met with the Prince Yan a few times and their relationship was not deep. But they had eaten a few meals together and recited a few poems. How did he become so devoted now? Although Xiao Jin couldn't see, she recognized the voice of Governor Xu.
She felt relieved but also admired the other's skill in talking, which was improving day by day.
No wonder she was the one who taught him "The Record of the Qingzhou Tower".
She didn't read it wrong, he was a talented person.
The Fourth Prince's faction remembered what the Fourth Prince had said to them, and they felt a little more confident.
With a bow, they said seriously, "If there is evidence, please present it in front of His Majesty, Your Highness Yan. Don't make false accusations and harm the innocent."
"Yes." Shen Shuang, who had accompanied her father to the banquet, finally broke free from the restraint of Shen Shangshu.
She stood up and said seriously to Xiao Jin, "Since all the adults say so, Your Highness Yan should indeed present the evidence for your own innocence, as well as for the innocence of the Princess."
"..." Xiao Jin was already going to present the evidence, but Shen Shuang's heroic act was really unexpected.
On the high seat, the Emperor Qi narrowed his eyes.
The Minister of War and his daughter, Shen Shuang. Another one was added.
Another one has joined the group.
At this moment, Shen Shangshu wished he were dead.
He never took sides or participated in party struggles, but his unlucky daughter suddenly jumped out and insisted on wading into this muddy water!
Unfortunately, he was Shen Shuang's father.
People would assume that his daughter's attitude was his attitude.
Shen Shangshu had no choice but to grit his teeth and stand up, bowing to Emperor Qi: "This matter involves the two highnesses and is of great importance. My daughter spoke recklessly with the consideration of the royal reputation, so I ask Your Majesty to forgive her inappropriate words and actions!"
Emperor Qi smiled kindly and waved his hand: "It's okay. Miss Shen is right. Some things should indeed be investigated."
At this point, he looked at Xiao Jin: "Prince Yan, you don't have to worry. Even the emperor is subject to the law like common people. If you have evidence, please present it. I will ensure justice for you."
Xiao Jin smiled.
You'll ensure justice for me?I don't believe you.
However, Xiao Jin noticed something.
From Emperor Qi's tone, why did it seem like he didn't believe she had evidence?
But it was too late for Xiao Jin to turn back now.
Moreover, she had already arranged everything before entering the palace, so there was no need to back down.
So Xiao Jin nodded and said to Ye Juege beside her, "Bring in Qin Xueting and Xia Sanniang."
....
At the moment Qin Xueting and Xia Sanniang entered, Chu Shao was very keen to catch the expressions of everyone present.
Although she had not spoken since Xiao Jin threw out the short blade, it was not that she had nothing to say, but that there were too many things to say.
Therefore, she didn't know what to say.
Moreover, she also understood that it was not a good time to speak now.
So Chu Shao just lowered her eyes and looked at the sheath of the knife placed on the table by Xiao Jin.
Exquisite and restrained, it would only reveal a momentary sharpness when drawn from its sheath.
It lay there alone, much like the owner of the short blade.
Chu Shao quietly watched until Qin Xueting and Xia Sanniang entered, and then she knew what she could do now.
Since Xiao Jin could not see now, she was Xiao Jin's eyes.
In fact, Chu Shao's observational skills were not inferior to Xiao Jin's.
She could see the expressions of the people on the high seat very clearly.
Even the momentary stupor and suspicion in Emperor Qi's eyes, as well as the incredulity and fear in the Fourth Prince's eyes, were all seen by her.
Qin Xueting and Xia Sanniang followed Ye Juege into the hall, knelt down to Emperor Qi and wished him a long life.
Emperor Qi had already regained his usual demeanor and nodded, saying, "Rise."
After the two got up, it was Xiao Jin's turn to take the lead and make an introduction: "Father, these two were originally ordinary people from ChunTan Street in Xinyang. When I was traveling to the south, I happened to pass by ChunTan Street and heard someone calling for help, so I dispatched several guards by my side and rescued them."
The Fourth Prince, who knew everything, wanted to stand up and expose Xiao Jin's lie.
When he sent someone to kill the Qin mother and daughter, it was clearly in the middle of the night!
How could Xiao Jin, with her ability, happen to pass by the street and save them?
However, the Fourth Prince couldn't speak out and missed the last chance to threaten Xiao Jin.
Xiao Jin had already finished the introduction, and then she left the stage to Qin Xueting: "The rest, you can speak up."
She even smiled and added, "Your Majesty will see through everything, so you can speak your mind."
Qin Xueting responded, "Yes."
Then she spoke out everything in detail.
Subsequently, she spoke in great detail, including her father's tragic death, the buried gold and silver in the backyard, and the night of Qin Xueyi's death.
Throughout, Qin Xueting's tone was calm, her organization and logic were extremely clear, and everyone present was quite convinced.
Qin Xueting knelt down and kowtowed to Emperor Qi, "Your Majesty, someone wants to buy the lives of the entire family of commoners. In order to avoid exposing their identity, they entrusted someone else to brutally kill the younger sister of the commoner girl, ultimately resulting in their own downfall and death. Isn't this a punishment from heaven?"
When the Prince heard the words "punishment from heaven," he smiled slightly, lifted the lid of his cup, took a sip of tea, and said in a warm voice, "Listening to Miss Qin's description of everything, I suddenly remembered a certain high-ranking official who died in a similar manner not long ago."
The Prince didn't mention it before, but once he did, it instantly brought to mind memories for all the ministers.
After all, there was only one high-ranking official who died in this way not long ago, Mu Yuan.
After Mu Yuan's death, Mu Xiang also submitted his resignation and retired to his hometown. From then on, the Mu clan declined.
The ministers discussed it among themselves, with one person saying, "Could the person that Qin Xueting is referring to be Mu Yuan? It makes sense and is well-founded. I was also wondering before, why did Your Majesty suddenly clear out the Mu family? It turns out it was because there was an intention to assassinate the Prince Yan."
Another person shook their head and said with a deep meaning, "Brother Zhang, I think that Your Majesty clearing out the Mu family is probably not because of the Prince Yan, but because of that sentence spoken by the Fourth Prince earlier..."
Zhang was puzzled, "I am ignorant, I do not know which sentence my wise brother is referring to?"
The other person said, "The Fourth Prince had previously said that on the day of his assassination, the Crown Prince and Vice Commander Tang were at the Imperial Prince's residence. The Fourth Prince was so bold as to try to win over the Crown Prince and Vice Commander Tang, as the son of Your Majesty, it's no wonder that Your Majesty took action against the Mu family!"
Zhang suddenly realized, and whispered, "Wise brother, I'm afraid that was not the Fourth Prince's idea, but the Mu family's. That's why the decline of the Mu family was inevitable."
Those who could attend the banquet were all shrewd and experienced people in the court.
They had already figured out these reasons, and everyone present naturally knew them as well.
However, they didn't reveal their knowledge.
Only Xu Fanghai dared to overturn his cup and exclaim, "Died at home? Could it be that the person Miss Qin is referring to is Mu Yuan... Mr. Mu who has gone to the West on a crane?"
Sitting at the banquet, Xiao Jin had a hard time trying to suppress her laughter.
Governor Xu's superb acting skills were truly admirable, and he deserved a large chicken leg as a reward.
The courtiers suddenly realized what was going on and exclaimed, "So that's it!"
Emperor Qi knew everything, even the order to kill Mu Yuan was issued by him personally.
He was sitting at the high seat, showing little emotion on his face, just touching the Buddhist beads in his hand and glancing at the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince was also looking at Emperor Qi.
In response to his gaze, he gave a very respectful smile and asked, "What does Father think?"
"Mu Yuan's assassination of the Third Prince is a heinous crime and he deserves to be punished." Emperor Qi said.
Xiao Jin sighed, "It's a pity that Mu Yuan has already suffered divine punishment. Your Majesty cannot dig him out of the coffin and punish him again."
Hearing Xiao Jin's words, Qin Xueting said to Emperor Qi, "The commoner's father only went astray and sold himself to others to assassinate the Third Prince for the sake of his family's livelihood."
Then she raised her head and looked at the Fourth Prince, "The commoner's father should die, but the mastermind behind the assassination of the Third Prince is still at large and living a happy life!"
The Fourth Prince's face turned pale as he knelt on the ground, looking up at Xiao Shuang on the high seat and then at Emperor Qi.
Finally, he trembled and said, "You...you ignorant woman, you're slandering the palace! Third Brother is a brother of the palace. How could we send someone to assassinate him?"
At this point, Chu Shao lightly laughed, "It is understandable that Fourth Prince does not believe the words of a child. Why not listen to what Xia Sanniang has to say?"
Xia Sanniang kowtowed to the ground and sobbed, "Your Majesty, the common woman's daughter has been obedient and truthful since she was young. Every word she said is true, without deceit! If there is any falsehood, let the common woman fall into the abyss of hell!"
The courtiers looked at Xia Sanniang's crying appearance and were also deeply moved.
Bai Zheng also sighed softly.
In a voice loud enough for everyone in the hall to hear, she said, "Since she dares to make such a poisonous oath, it is clear that there is no deception."
Hearing Bai Zheng's words, the courtiers who were friendly with her also echoed, "Yes, that's right. If there were any deceit, she would not dare to make such a poisonous oath. It shows that...the Fourth Prince must have been involved in the assassination of the Third Prince to some extent."
Xu Fanghai was sitting at the banquet and also felt emotional, "Fortunately, the Third Prince has a deep blessing, which has turned the danger into safety. But the bright sword is easy to dodge, and the dark arrow is hard to defend against. If the Third Prince had not been able to avoid this calamity, another valuable contributor to Qi Country would have been lost."
Countless words whispered into the Fourth Prince's ears, leaving him bewildered and clueless as to where he had gone wrong.
Was it listening to his grandfather and befriending Princess Zhao Yang? Or was it listening to Princess Zhao Yang and secretly plotting against Xiao Jin, leaving behind a forged rose jade pendant to drive a wedge between Xiao Jin and the Crown Prince? As he reminisced about his past actions, the Fourth Prince realized that every step he had taken was wrong.
But the biggest mistake was undoubtedly listening to his father, who had instructed him to test Xiao Jin and Princess Zhao Yang's loyalties and then get rid of the Qin mother and daughter. His father had promised to grant him a fiefdom in a wealthy and peaceful land, where he could live out the rest of his days.
Even if the Fourth Prince didn't carry out the task, his father had promised to secure his future.
That was when his father had been at his kindest.
The Fourth Prince believed him and carried out the task, but instead of a peaceful life, he was met with betrayal and abandonment.
Now, he was scared and uncertain, not knowing whom he could trust or rely on. No one was willing to speak up for him.
It was when the Fourth Prince was sitting on the ground in despair that Cocunbine Mu slowly walked out from the banquet.
Mu Yan was always a shrewd woman who knew when to advance and retreat.
When she was demoted from Noble Consort to Concubine, she remained silent.
When the Mu family suffered successive demotions, she never pleaded for mercy.
But now, Mu Yan spoke up and said to the Emperor, "Your Majesty, please spare Yi'er's life for the sake of the decades I've spent by your side."
The Emperor looked at her but said nothing.
He did want to spare his son's life, but with so many eyes watching, how could he?
Yi'er had assassinated the Prince Yan and murdered his own siblings. Even if the Emperor spared his life, he would still be condemned to a lifetime of imprisonment.
Mu Yan looked steadily at the Emperor, and her elegant and dignified face revealed a hint of relief.
She knew what she had to do.
As everyone's gaze was focused on Emperor Qi, Mu Yan gently reached out her hand and pulled out the golden hairpin from her hair bun.
With a sudden swipe, she cut her fair and slender neck.
Then, amidst the crowd's cries of astonishment, she fell to the ground.
Blood spilled from her gorgeous robes and flowed all over the floor.
Xiao Jin couldn't see what was happening inside and could only hear the noisy clamor, "Someone, quickly call the imperial physician! Cocunbine Mu has committed suicide by cutting her throat..."
"How can she be saved? The Cocunbine Mu has already passed away."
The Fourth Prince held Mu Yan's body, dumbfounded, and watched the blood constantly flowing from her neck, as if he had just had a dream.
It wasn't until he touched the warmth of the blood that he realized it wasn't a dream.
The Cocunbine Mu was dead.
The Fourth Prince held Mu Yan's body, unaware, tears falling to the ground, but drowned out by the shouts of the crowd.
After a moment, he looked at the tears on the ground and suddenly stopped crying.
In that instant, he grew up.
And he realized that only by not being deposed, only by staying alive, could she avenge the Cocunbine Mu.
So he put down Mu Yan's body, stumbled towards Emperor Qi, knelt at his feet and trembled, "Father, I've been wrongly accused. Those two women were bought off by Xiao Jin. She wanted to kill me. You know, Father, you know..."
At this moment, the Fourth Prince finally regained his consciousness.
Even though he begged for mercy on his knees, he knew he couldn't expose Xiao Shuang, so he only mentioned Xiao Jin.
When Xiao Jin heard the delirious words of the fourth prince, she felt amused but also a little pity.
She held the Jade Pendant in her hand and hesitated whether to take it out or not.
Chu Shao sat on the side and noticed Xiao Jin's hesitation. She smiled and said softly, "Your Highness, you must understand the principle of getting rid of the roots of the problem."
Xiao Jin touched the jade pendant in her hand and remained silent for a while.
On the high seat next to her, the fourth prince suddenly remembered something and shouted to the emperor in a high-pitched voice, "Father, Xiao Jin's witness is fake and cannot be trusted. She has no physical evidence and only wants to frame me!"
The fourth prince knew that he couldn't be driven out of the capital and had to avenge his mother.
He looked at the emperor, so excited that he almost wanted to touch the boots embroidered with golden dragon totems with his blood-stained hands. "If father wants to deal with me, he has to deal with Chu Shao too! She wanted to assassinate me, but I have a witness. She tried to assassinate the prince, she deserves to die..."
The emperor didn't look at the fourth prince but turned his gaze towards the Crown Prince sitting at the bottom.
The Prince who was skilled at disguising his emotions rarely showed his gloom and anger in his eyes.
On the other side, Xiao Jin's pity for the fourth prince had diminished significantly after hearing his remarks against Chu Shao.
She was about to hand over the Jade Pendant when Xiao Shuang spoke first.
Xiao Shuang finally finished drinking the tea in her cup, closed the lid, and smiled at the emperor, "Your Majesty, I'm afraid you really can't forgive Yi'er now."
The emperor withdrew his gaze and asked, "Why did my sister say that?"
Xiao Shuang didn't even look at the fourth prince kneeling on the ground, and spoke slowly and calmly, "Because Yi'er not only tried to assassinate Jin'er but also committed the crime of deceiving the Emperor."
The crime of deceiving the Emperor?
Upon hearing Xiao Shuang's words, Xiao Jin was stunned.
Those present also stopped their actions and looked towards the Princess Zhao Yang in the crimson robe.
Xiao Shuang raised her hand and habitually touched the wooden hairpin on her bun.
Her tone was very calm: "Because that guard has never been in the Shenji Camp before and has nothing to do with the batch of soldiers who supported the Prince Yan."
The Fourth Prince looked at Xiao Shuang dumbfoundedly: "Aunt..."
But Xiao Shuang remained unmoved, her eyebrows and eyes indifferent as she continued, "His Majesty only needs to investigate to know that this person has no record of being in the Shenji Camp. Even if there is a record, it has been carefully forged."
The guard suddenly turned pale and knelt down, shouting to the emperor, "Your Majesty! I am being wronged, I...I really stayed in the Shenji Camp..."
Xiao Shuang looked at the guard and casually asked, "Since you stayed in the Shenji Camp, can you tell this palace which team you were in?"
The guard hesitated for a moment, gritted his teeth and answered, "I was in the 23rd team."
"Twenty-third team, very good." Xiao Shuang heard the answer and smiled, "Then tell me, who was the seventh commander of the 23rd team in the Shenji Camp?"
Silence fell.
Not to mention that the guard could not answer, even Xiao Jin, who had read many books, could not remember.
Xiao Shuang looked at the guard's gray and defeated face, shook her head and said, "The soldiers in the Shenji Camp have always known the name of each commander. If you don't even know this, how could you have stayed in the Shenji Camp?"
Perhaps considering the Fourth Prince, the Emperor, although feeling exhausted, finally spoke up: "Sister, he has left the Shenji Camp for so long, it's normal that he can't remember the name of every commander."
Xiao Shuang smiled and said, "Your Majesty doesn't know. If it were any other team, it would be fine, but this guard just happened to say that he was from the 23rd team."
"The 23rd team, is there anything special about it?" the Emperor asked in confusion.
Xiao Shuang said lightly, "The 23rd team itself is nothing special, but the deeds of its seventh commander have always been widely publicized by each commander when new soldiers enter the team."
At this point, Xiao Jin was a bit puzzled.
Can you really drink alcohol in the military camp? Even in the most exaggerated ancient dog-blood novels, it's not that ridiculous.
As expected, Emperor Qi frowned and said, "According to the laws of Qi Country, alcohol is prohibited in the army."
Xiao Shuang nodded, "Alcohol is prohibited in the army, so those men haven't had a drink in a long time. When they get their hands on a jug of wine, they drink recklessly all night, and when they get drunk, they even smash the training equipment."
Emperor Qi still wanted to save the Fourth Prince, so he began to scold the commander, "This person disregards military discipline and acts recklessly. How can he command the elite of Qi Country?"
He then looked at the kneeling guard and said with a serious tone, "It's understandable if you can't remember such a commander."
The guard quickly followed Emperor Qi's lead and said, "Yes, Your Highness... I have always been well-behaved and obedient. Why should I remember a commander who violates military discipline? I... I can't remember him either."
Xiao Shuang laughed and said, "That's true. After all, that person has only been a commander for one day."
The guard was overjoyed and was about to say something more, but then heard Xiao Shuang lightly say, "But the seventh commander of the 23rd team is named Xiao Jin, and she is the third prince of Qi and also the Prince Yan personally appointed by His Majesty."
"If Prince Yan, Xiao Jin can't remember you, this palace can still understand, but you keep saying that you don't remember Prince Yan, Xiao Jin.
Do you think this is normal?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Translator's note: WAHAHAHA~ It's hilarious that even Xiao Jin doesn't remember she was the commander! 😆 Well, after all, she doesn't have the memory of the original owner. Sigh... I'm glad Princess Zhao Yang is Xiao Jin's ally. Maybe... something might be involved in this... maybe Xiao Jin's mother and Princess Zhao Yang have a good relationship.
TO BE CONTINUE...