Jingyi entered wearing court robes, his imposing manner unmistakable.

He walked past Jinghua on the ground and went directly before Emperor Qizhen, cupping his hands and lowering his head. “Your son arrived late to rescue you. I beg Father Emperor’s forgiveness.”

Emperor Qizhen pressed one hand against his chest, gasping for breath. He didn’t respond to Jingyi’s words but instead looked at Jinghua kneeling on the ground. He raised his weakened hand and slapped it on the table.

“Treasonous son!”

His fury was extreme.

“I was thinking that if you still harbored even a trace of remorse, I would spare you and let bygones be bygones. But you persist in your delusion, breaking my heart.”

His voice grew lower and lower, increasingly aged and weak.

Jingyi’s face showed tension as he ordered the eunuch at the door, “Quickly summon the imperial physicians.”

“Yes.”

The eunuch hurried off.

Jinghua on the ground was still in a somewhat stupefied daze, his face pale with fright. In his eyes were disbelief and endless terror.

He raised his head to look and asked Jingyi, “Why?”

Why was this happening?

His plan had been flawless. Today was his grand wedding, with all the civil and military officials at the Eastern Palace. Who would have thought that the groom would secretly leave and lead troops to kill his own father?

Jingyi maintained a cold, stern expression and said, “Jinghua, you conspired with Yan Weiyi to harm Father Emperor, secretly transferring your Eastern Palace guards into the imperial palace. Although today is your wedding day and moving troops into the palace is somewhat understandable, you mustn’t forget that General An guarding the palace gates is no fool—he already informed me of this matter in advance.”

“Even so, how could you…”

“How could I replace your Eastern Palace guards before you besieged the palace?” Jingyi directly completed his sentence.

“…”

“Because Yan Weiyi has already confessed. He’s in the Ministry of Justice’s prison. If you wish to confront him, I’ll have him brought here.”

“Yan Weiyi?” Jinghua shook his head. “I don’t even know this person.”

“Really?” Jingyi pointed at the overturned bowl of medicine on the ground. “Yan Weiyi said that stone-spotted poison was added to this bowl of medicine. This poison was made by Yan Weiyi himself. You two have been secretly colluding.”

His words rang with authority!

After speaking, Jingyi turned to Emperor Qizhen and said, “Father Emperor, your son has also learned that when Jingrong left the capital to investigate the Linjing Case, Jinghua secretly ordered Yan Weiyi to assassinate him multiple times, also using stone-spotted poison. If Father Emperor doesn’t believe this, you need only summon Jingrong to ask—he’ll know. There’s also that Master Ji. She also knows about this poison and knows it was made by Yan Weiyi. However, lacking evidence, she was unable to report it to Father Emperor.”

A frame-up.

A blatant frame-up!

Jinghua immediately refuted, “You’re lying! I never sent anyone to kill Jingrong. I don’t accept this accusation.”

His body struggled excitedly, but the guards on both sides still forcefully pressed him to the ground.

Hearing his refutation, Jingyi didn’t respond but secretly curved his lips in a cold smile, thinking: since I can frame you for one thing, I’m not afraid to frame you for two.

So he continued telling Emperor Qizhen, “Not only that, but this recent Chengqing Hall fire was also the Crown Prince’s doing.”

What?

Jinghua was certain he hadn’t misheard.

The Chengqing Hall fire—what did that have to do with him?

His face flushed red as he began to grow agitated. His knees shifted on the ground as he struggled forcefully, roaring, “This Crown Prince dares to own up to what he’s done. This Yan Weiyi person, this Chengqing Hall fire—they’re all fabrications. Clearly you just want to frame and entrap me. Jingyi, oh Jingyi, you despicable villain! If this Crown Prince can turn things around, I’ll kill you first!”

Like a red-eyed killer!

Still calling himself “Crown Prince” repeatedly—truly shameless.

Emperor Qizhen listened to Jingyi’s every word, his mind digesting all these incidents. The anger from before dissipated, replaced by calm as he asked Jingyi.

“Regarding the Chengqing Hall matter, is there evidence?”

“Yes!”

Plenty of it.

Jingyi signaled with his eyes to the guard at the door, who immediately brought someone in from outside.

The person entering was none other than Zhang Bo.

Zhang Bo from the Palace Service Department.

He entered and knelt.

Prostrating himself, his voice trembling, “This subject… pays respects to the Emperor.”

Emperor Qizhen forced his eyes open to look at Zhang Bo and asked, “Regarding the Chengqing Hall matter, you know about it?”

“Yes, this subject… knows!”

The Crown Prince kneeling beside him stared at him with blood-red eyes, his face showing fear mixed with hot sweat and fury. His body lunged toward Zhang Bo as he shouted, “Zhang Bo, the Chengqing Hall matter has nothing to do with this Crown Prince. If you dare fabricate evidence, that’s deceiving the sovereign!”

His voice was extremely loud, the last sound drawn out very long!

Zhang Bo’s body shifted slightly to the side as he cautiously glanced at Jingyi standing nearby.

Jingyi spoke in a warning tone, “Minister Zhang, you need only tell everything you know. The Emperor is merciful and will spare your life.”

Zhang Bo’s throat tightened!

The lives of over a dozen family members were all in Jingyi’s hands. If he didn’t speak according to Jingyi’s instructions, forget his relatives—today, he wouldn’t think of leaving Fuyang Hall alive either.

He had no choice—

He prostrated himself again and said to Emperor Qizhen, “Your Majesty, regarding the Chengqing Hall fire, this subject only knows that the batch of lanterns transported from Fangshui City was switched by the Crown Prince just as they entered the city. The Crown Prince then ordered this subject not to reveal this, threatening to kill this lowly subject otherwise. This subject had no idea the Crown Prince was actually planning to harm Your Majesty. However, Prince Rong seemed to have gotten word of this and came to the Palace Service Department, switching out the batch of lanterns the Crown Prince had substituted. But he didn’t discover the problem was with the iron wire, which led to the Chengqing Hall fire.”

After finishing, he quickly added, “Every word this subject speaks is true. I beg Your Majesty’s mercy, spare this lowly subject.”

After listening, Emperor Qizhen only asked one question: “You mean that Jingrong knew early on there was a problem with that batch of lanterns, so he secretly switched them out, yet concealed this matter for the Crown Prince, willingly going to prison?”

“Yes, Prince Rong had people switch the lanterns and forbade this subject from revealing a word. But who would have thought the problem was with the iron wire, not the lanterns!”

Zhang Bo spoke with utmost sincerity!

Jingyi listened with great satisfaction, Emperor Qizhen listened with growing disappointment.

Jinghua listened with shock and fury.

“Zhang Bo, you’re lying! This isn’t the truth. This Crown Prince never did this.” He roared, then said, “Did Jingyi tell you to say this, to frame this Crown Prince? Tell me, did he threaten you? Did he?”

“Crown Prince, at this point, why would this lowly subject lie? It was you who switched the lanterns sent from Fangshui City and ordered this lowly subject not to speak of it. Have you forgotten?”

“Bah! This Crown Prince never did such a thing.” He then looked pitifully at Emperor Qizhen. “Father Emperor, you must believe your son!”

“Believe?” Emperor Qizhen wore an expression of disappointment as he rose again from the soft couch, supported by Zhang Quan, walking step by step to stand before Jinghua.

“Today, you besieged the palace to force abdication. If not for Jingyi’s timely discovery, I would already have been killed by you. Tell me, how can I believe you?”

His chest ached with fury.

Emperor Qizhen raised one hand, his sharp brows drawing upward fiercely.

“Bring the sword.”

And so, the sword the Crown Prince had left outside without bringing in was placed in his hand.

“This sword—I gave it to you back then. Today, I will use this very sword to personally kill you, this treasonous beast!”