HomeAfter I Bloom Hundred Flowers DieChapter 97: A Forceful Thrust

Chapter 97: A Forceful Thrust

“Crown Prince of the Northwest, you’re spewing vicious lies!” Kong Wang’s face reddened as he shouted.

Shen Yun’an didn’t spare him a glance, remaining bowed before Emperor Youning: “This matter is of grave importance. I feared my sister might have been mistaken, so I dared not report to Your Majesty immediately. Instead, I sent people to secretly monitor. Someone just sought me out holding the token of my scout who was investigating the southern mountains, which is why I left with him. The Xue family’s lady was worried about me and secretly followed. If not for her rescue, I would likely have met a dire fate.”

At this point, Shen Yun’an’s eyes reddened at the corners as he glared at Kong Wang with hatred: “I never imagined Kong Wang would kill multiple birds with one arrow, using someone to impersonate the Fourth Princess’s palace maid to lure my sister, nearly causing her to fall victim to a murderous plot!”

“Your Majesty, this is false, absolutely false!” Kong Wang ignored Shen Yun’an, frantically pleading his innocence. “My loyalty to you is as clear as the sun and moon! The Northwest Crown Prince and the Princess are slandering me with baseless accusations. I beg Your Majesty to grant me justice!”

Since the matter involved private weapon forging—a capital offense—none of the court officials present, whether friend or foe to Kong Wang, dared speak up easily.

However, some knew Kong Wang well and were skilled in scheming, such as Wang Zheng, the Vice Director of the Chancellery: “Your Majesty, private weapon forging is an act of treason. You are in your prime years. You have implemented benevolent policies, and the realm has long been at peace. Moreover, the Crown Prince is still here, and all princes are accomplished in both civil and military matters. How could Prince Kong harbor treasonous thoughts?”

“Lord Wang’s words are rather biased,” Xue Heng, the Director of the Department of State Affairs, stepped forward. “Whether Prince Kong harbors treasonous thoughts or whether the Northwest Crown Prince is making false accusations should be determined by Your Majesty’s wise judgment. As your subjects and close ministers, we serve as your ears, eyes, and arms. In such major matters, we must not make arbitrary judgments based on personal opinions that might cloud Your Majesty’s wisdom.”

Since Xue Jinqiao was involved, the Xue family couldn’t remain uninvolved. While Xue Heng didn’t take sides, he wouldn’t stand by and watch Wang Zheng shield Kong Wang.

“Your Majesty, since the Northwest Crown Prince dares make such claims, I deeply believe it’s not without foundation—there must be evidence,” Tao Zhuanxian also stepped forward to support his grandson, especially since Shen Xihe was now unconscious. His gaze could have turned into daggers, piercing several bloody holes in Kong Wang!

He wished this wretch would bleed out and die a slow, torturous death!

Emperor Youning’s expression was unreadable: “Buwei, do you have evidence?”

“In response to Your Majesty, I do!” Shen Yun’an clasped his hands. “The men who ambushed me have already been captured.”

“Where are they? Bring them forward,” Emperor Youning ordered.

Soon, two corpses were carried in and placed in the main hall.

“They’re all dead?” Emperor Youning’s authority was intimidating even without anger.

“Your Majesty, these men had poison pouches in their mouths and took their own lives upon capture,” Shen Yun’an explained calmly. “However, my scouts in the southern mountains had already informed me that the private guards protecting the weapon forge all have a bow and crossbow insignia on their arms.”

After speaking, Shen Yun’an tore the sleeves of the two men, revealing the insignias on their arms.

Seeing these insignias, Kong Wang’s lips trembled, and his feet turned cold as he finally realized—he was finished!

The men sent to harm Shen Xihe and Shen Yun’an were indeed his, stemming from events two days ago when he visited the secret forge and noticed someone following him. After much effort, he discovered it was Shen Yun’an’s people.

He had considered confessing to the Emperor, but after calming down, he chose to deal with Shen Xihe and Shen Yun’an first.

He had relied on their weak position in the capital and used men who supposedly couldn’t be traced back to him. Even if unsuccessful, they wouldn’t leave evidence. He couldn’t possibly have deployed the guards from the forge—those were the Emperor’s men!

Yet the guards there did have these exact insignias on their arms, identical in position and size!

These weren’t his men!

“Your Majesty, I know the location of the private forge. If Your Majesty sends people to search, the truth will be revealed!” Shen Yun’an said solemnly.

Hearing this, Kong Wang, who had been like an ant on a hot pan, calmed down. The Emperor would protect him—he was working for His Majesty!

“Your Majesty, I am loyal and won’t accept the Northwest Crown Prince’s slander. Please investigate clearly!” Kong Wang spoke forcefully.

This left the observing ministers’ gazes shifting between the two, unable to immediately judge truth from falsehood.

Emperor Youning’s eyes flashed with severity, inwardly furious at Kong Wang’s incompetence, yet forced to cover for him. He didn’t want to waste years of careful planning, and the weapon forging involved too much.

One source was an iron mine—he had concealed a reported mine. If the private forging was discovered and large quantities of weapons were seized, they would investigate the source: Where did the iron come from?

It would be like pulling up a radish and bringing up the soil with it. One misstep and the confidants he had cultivated in secret would suffer massive losses!

“Buwei, tell the Imperial Censors the location. I’ll send them personally!” Emperor Youning instructed.

“Your Majesty, the mountain paths are treacherous and winding. It would be more appropriate for me to guide the Censors,” Shen Yun’an requested.

Emperor Youning’s expression remained unchanged, his voice calm: “Zhaoning has been frightened, and she has no close relatives in the capital. It would be more appropriate for you to stay.”

This was a reminder that his precious sister was in the palace.

Most civil and military officials didn’t suspect Emperor Youning, assuming he didn’t want to expose the Imperial Censors’ identities and thus wouldn’t let Shen Yun’an accompany them.

Wang Zheng added: “Your Majesty speaks wisely. While the dispute between the Crown Prince and Kong Wang remains unresolved, neither should be involved to avoid accusations of framing.”

The Director of the Department of State Affairs Xue Heng and the Director of the Chancellery Cui Zheng, who hadn’t noticed anything amiss before, both raised their eyebrows.

Wang Zheng was a sycophant, excellent at pleasing the Emperor and never acting without profit. His behavior now…

After brief contemplation, both men’s eyes flickered, but they remained silent.

As these two stayed quiet, others following Wang Zheng’s lead spoke up. Before Tao Zhuanxian could speak, Shen Yun’an preempted: “Your Majesty is wise. I shall stay to care for my sister.”

So Emperor Youning had Shen Yun’an sketch a simple route map and sent the Imperial Censors rushing out of the palace on horseback.

These men weren’t going to gather evidence but to silence witnesses and destroy evidence.

Kong Wang’s lips curled in a sneer as he shot Shen Yun’an a mocking look.

When the Imperial Censors returned empty-handed, he could counter-accuse the Shen siblings of slandering royal kin and court officials!

Shen Yun’an completely ignored him, instead keeping vigil by Shen Xihe’s bedside, his eyes full of anxiety as he watched her deathly pale sleeping face.

Shen Xihe had said this was all fake, but her complexion was terrifyingly pale. Moreover, while they had no one in the Imperial Medical Office, none of the imperial physicians could tell that Shen Xihe was pretending. He truly worried whether she had been frightened or if something had gone wrong with their plan…

Just as Shen Yun’an was lost in worried thoughts, while the officials’ wives were being sent away and the officials were waiting with Emperor Youning for results, someone from the Capital Prefecture outside the palace came to report: “Your Majesty, a great fire has broken out in the southern part of the South City. As residents gathered to extinguish it, they discovered people privately forging weapons…”

Shen Xihe, lying in the inner chamber, slowly curved her lips into a smile.

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