“What… can this possibly prove?”

He questioned Li Cheng.

Li Cheng, however, had completely changed from his usual casual, cynical appearance. His face was cold as he said solemnly, “Left Premier Gong wouldn’t be unaware that the person who possesses this seal stamp is your son Gong Shilin, would he?”

“Just because this is stamped on the book, you conclude that Shilin is the murderer?”

“Of course not! Even if this book bears this seal stamp, it cannot prove that he is the murderer. It can only prove that he perhaps had contact with the murderer! However… as far as I know, this book only exists in the Hanlin Academy! And books from the Hanlin Academy cannot be taken out of the Imperial Palace—but there is one person who can!”

He looked at Gong Shilin and continued, “That person is you!”

Gong Shilin remained silent.

“Among the books transported into the literary hall along with Du Mubai that night was this book! And the person who could donate this book to the literary hall, aside from you, was no one else. Therefore, the murderer who painstakingly planned and prepared this killing was precisely you!”

Precisely you!

When Li Cheng said these words, his voice trembled.

All these years, he had wished he could tear Gong Shilin limb from limb.

He would even frequently curse him when waking up at night.

Curse him to have misfortune his entire life.

Choke to death while eating!

Drown while drinking water!

Die of exhaustion while walking!

Get hit and killed when going out!

And so on—any bad curse imaginable, he had gone through them all with Gong Shilin.

But he had never imagined that Gong Shilin would face retribution as a murderer.

This was something he wouldn’t have dared dream of.

Throughout, Gong Shilin maintained a calm appearance.

However, only now did he realize it was his own carelessness!

Back then, he had carried several books from the palace intending to take them home to read, but the books slipped from his arms and all fell to the ground. Then he accidentally knocked into his exclusive personal seal stamp.

When the seal stamp fell, it happened to strike two books!

Of course, he hadn’t noticed at all.

Much less cared.

Yet unexpectedly, by a twist of fate, one of those books ended up packed into the crate along with Du Mubai.

Perhaps this was something already destined by fate.

Finally, he spoke. “That’s right, Du Mubai… I killed him!”

No sophistry!

No defense!

He admitted it.

Li Cheng’s palm tightened, the corner of his eye twitched, and his eyes were filled with disappointment and pain. “Then… why did you kill Du Mubai?”

“Does it matter?”

“I want to hear the reason!”

“Whatever the reason, I don’t want to say! In any case, I confess. I killed Du Mubai. I will bear all the charges alone.”

Li Cheng knew how stubborn Gong Shilin’s temper was. If he didn’t want to speak, no one could pry open his mouth.

Li Cheng only felt his back growing cold.

His palms were also numb.

Ultimately, he couldn’t accept this truth—accept the truth that Gong Shilin was the murderer.

He struggled to suppress that emotion in his heart, gripping the book at hand, and said, “Fine. Since you’ve already admitted it, I will hand you over to the Ministry of Justice to be imprisoned in the jail. We’ll discuss further when you’re willing to reveal your reason! Come, escort him to the Ministry of Justice.”

“Yes!”

The guards entered and seized Gong Shilin.

Left Premier Gong suddenly shouted, “Stop!”

He strode forward quickly.

The two guards immediately released Gong Shilin.

Left Premier Gong then grabbed his arms, his eyes sharp and gleaming as he said, “Shilin, as long as you say one sentence—that you didn’t kill anyone! Then today, no one will be able to take you away.”

“Father…”

“Speak!”

But Gong Shilin remained unwilling to say it.

“As long as you say it, you’ll be safe and sound. Speak!”

He roared.

Just one sentence—”I didn’t kill anyone”—and he could be safe and sound.

But Gong Shilin still gave up.

He smiled bitterly. “Father, I truly and certainly… killed someone!”

“You…”

“I already said, no matter what the outcome, I accept it willingly. Father, you need not protect me either.”

“If I had known this would happen, I should have sent you out of the capital overnight.” Left Premier Gong was heartbroken.

“It would have been useless!”

In the end, Gong Shilin was still taken to the Ministry of Justice.

Li Cheng dismissed all the guards from the great hall one by one.

Only he, Left Premier Gong, and his own father, Marquis Pingyang, remained.

At this moment, Left Premier Gong still stood in place, his gaze fixed on the doorway, watching helplessly as his son was forcibly taken away.

Marquis Pingyang’s complexion was extremely unpleasant.

After all, the murderer was Left Premier Gong’s son.

And the one who ordered the arrest was his own son.

This was tantamount to openly breaking with the Gong family.

He walked to Left Premier Gong’s side and said, “General Gong, now that things have reached this point, we can only find a way to remedy the situation.”

Hearing these words—

“Remedy?” Left Premier Gong laughed coldly, looking at him. “How will you remedy this? By killing your son to remedy it?”

His words were harsh.

Through clenched teeth!

Marquis Pingyang knew he was furious. “You should know that this case has already caused a sensation throughout the entire capital and reached the King’s ears. Acheng is in charge of this case—he had no choice! What we can do now is find a way to preserve Shilin’s life.”

Left Premier Gong completely refused to listen to his words. “I already came to you yesterday, and you repeatedly assured me you would resolve this matter! Originally, as long as Li Cheng didn’t pursue it or investigate, then no one could touch Shilin. But now it seems that your Li family are truly loyal ministers! For the sake of merit, to demonstrate your fairness and integrity before the King, you didn’t hesitate to destroy our decades of friendship.”

His voice boomed like a great bell.

Echoing throughout the Ministry of Justice’s great hall.

Marquis Pingyang could only try to explain. “Shilin and Wenshu are betrothed after all. Just based on this alone, I will protect him to the end. But once we harbor him, if the King finds out, neither you nor I will have a good outcome.”

“Ha ha.” Left Premier Gong couldn’t help but laugh mockingly, the hatred in his eyes deepening further. “I thought we were in the same boat, but unexpectedly, you’ve already gotten ashore and left the people of my Gong family on a broken boat. Fine! Li Wenshi, since you are heartless, don’t blame me for being unrighteous!”

Immediately, he reached out and took a long sword from the screen rack beside him.

He drew it out.

Then he viciously hacked at the chair he had just been sitting in.

With a “bang.”

The perfectly good chair was immediately chopped in half.

He was after all born a military general!

Even though he had long since removed his armor, that spirit in his bones remained.

Marquis Pingyang was stunned.

Left Premier Gong said to him, “From now on, the Li and Gong families are like this chair.”

Having said this, he violently threw the long sword in his hand onto the ground.

He turned and left with a sweep of his sleeves.

The thing he had worried about had still happened.

Marquis Pingyang glanced at Li Cheng.

His face was full of fury.

He harshly uttered one phrase: “Unfilial son!”

Dropping these two words, he also left.

Li Cheng could only sigh where he stood.

His mood was a complex mixture.

For the sake of justice, to find out who killed Du Mubai, he had not only offended the Gong family but also offended his own father. And now, with the Li and Gong families thus falling out, there would inevitably be a storm of bloodshed…