"Father Emperor, think about it carefully. Not only were the congratulatory gifts secretly replaced, but there was also an assassination attempt. Immediately after, Lord Feng came out to accuse me. Every step was aimed at taking my life and my mother's. I admit to the embezzlement of supplies, but the rest are mere conjectures and deliberate framing! Father Emperor!"
Since the person was already dead and he hadn't been directly involved in the private salt trade, a strategic retreat might actually help him escape punishment.
Most importantly, based on his understanding of Emperor Qi, simply claiming innocence was useless. Constantly asserting that he was being framed would only make the Emperor suspicious, thus giving him time and opportunity to refute.
Especially since his words had implicated the Empress's maternal clan, the Pang family.
Their influence in the court had been waning for years, so Emperor Qi hadn't investigated them much.
Since the Sixth Prince dared to accuse them, he naturally had some leverage.
Suddenly, the previously one-sided situation was loosened by his words. The Crown Prince and the Empress glared at the Sixth Prince, clearly no longer exhibiting the "filial piety and brotherly affection" they had moments before.
Instead, their faces were filled with disgust and wariness.
Even if he won this battle, it would only be to save his life.
But he was confident. If the Ninth Prince could make a comeback from his situation, why should he be afraid?
Moreover, he still had Wei Shaochen.
Yes, Wei Shaochen!
His heart pounded like a drum, and he wasn't entirely sure Emperor Qi would spare him, so he knelt on the ground and prayed silently.
Unfortunately, having reached this point, if he couldn't be eliminated in one go, it would be a case of the snake that escaped biting the hand that failed to kill it.
Xiao Tingyi would not allow it, nor would the Feng family.
He had completely fallen out with the Sixth Prince. If the Sixth Prince lived, the safety of everyone in the Feng family would be in jeopardy.
Furthermore, he had blood on his hands, and sending him to the afterlife was not excessive.
"The Sixth Prince is indeed skilled at eloquent deception. If all these matters have nothing to do with you and you know nothing about them, then what about your collusion with Jiao Ren and the people of Southern Yue, plotting against Great Jin? And the recent flood disaster, was that also a scheme you concocted with them? Do you admit to this or not!"
The one speaking was Elder Xu. When he entered, he not only held a large stack of correspondence but also had several people brought in behind him.
Those people were familiar to everyone; they were subordinates of the Third Prince Jiao Ren.
Elder Xu stepped forward and said,
"Your Majesty, ever since the flood disaster occurred, I have been suspicious of Jiao Ren. Unfortunately, he had already left Dongdu City at the time, and everything in the posthouse had been meticulously cleaned up. I thought nothing had been left behind, but who knew he had arranged for his subordinates to remain in the capital, whether to spy on our secrets or for some other purpose. Following the clues, I actually found many things. Your Majesty, please take a look."
With that, Elder Xu handed over the correspondence.
The Sixth Prince was instantly dumbfounded. Hadn't he already told Prince Jiao Ren that these things should not be kept? He had burned everything on his end, yet Jiao Ren's side had preserved them so perfectly.
Suddenly, he understood. This was Prince Jiao Ren's doing.
He had planned to use these as leverage once the Sixth Prince gained power, ensuring his compliance.
What a case of lifting a rock only to drop it on one's own feet!
The flood disaster had indeed helped him greatly. He had obtained supplies and been promoted to Prince Heqin.
With the situation looking so promising, how could this happen!
Suddenly, a person appeared in his mind. It was him! He must be manipulating everything from behind the scenes; he did it intentionally!
So, without regard for the consequences, he spilled all the secrets.
"Father Emperor, I am wronged, Father Emperor, it's Ninth Brother! He has returned for revenge!"
Ninth Brother? That was the Ninth Prince!
The sudden declaration that a person believed to be dead had returned sent a chill down everyone's spine.
Especially the Empress. Although she wasn't present when the Ninth Prince died, she had personally sent Lady Wei on her way. Would she also return for revenge?
A shiver ran down her spine, and she was filled with fear.
"Don't spout nonsense. Ninth Brother is dead. He poisoned himself in front of Father Emperor. How could he frame you!"
"He's not dead! Ninth Brother is not dead! I suspected it. How could a person like him, with his ambition, commit suicide after such a downfall? As expected, when I dug up his coffin, it was empty. Ninth Brother merely used the 'golden cicada shedding its shell' trick to make the world believe he was dead. And his target was the Crown Prince! I was merely a pawn. He thought I was the Crown Prince's man, and by eliminating me, he would also sever an arm of the Crown Prince. That's why he has been framing me repeatedly, Father Emperor!"
His words carried too much information, stunning everyone.
The Ninth Prince was not dead!
Then where had he gone?
The Wei family's influence had been uprooted. How could he still have the means and connections to arrange all this!
Could he have been lurking in the capital all along?
These were all questions, but soon they were answered.
Emperor Qi gritted his teeth and said, "Qian Prefecture, he went to Qian Prefecture!"
"Father Emperor! What does this mean?"
"Qian Prefecture has the wealth, grain, and weapons hoarded by the Wei family. They have been training private soldiers, and this has been going on for more than a day. Hahahaha, indeed, a good son I have raised, capable of faking his own death."
He faked his death, which in turn exposed the Ninth Prince and the Wei family, leading to confiscation of property and extermination of families, with far-reaching implications.
The Ninth Prince also faked his death, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.
To have reached this point between father and son, no one showed any mercy. It was both pathetic and laughable.
He was not clear about the exact number of troops in Qian Prefecture.
However, he had sent people to investigate, but due to unfamiliarity with the local situation, the feedback was not good.
Now that he dared to deal with the Sixth Prince, he must have made preparations.
A father knows his son best. After a moment of contemplation, Emperor Qi called out into the air.
"Little Jiu, come out. I know you are here too!"
The Empress and the Crown Prince exchanged glances, instinctively taking half a step back.
Their fear of the Wei family had become almost instinctive. After being suppressed for so many years, they were still somewhat afraid.
Moreover, he was someone who had returned from the dead!
As expected, not long after Emperor Qi's words, a person resembling a guard walked out.
Wiping away the disguise on his face, it was none other than the Ninth Prince, who was supposedly long dead.
He looked at everyone with a sinister gaze, as if he had returned to his former domineering self.
"Father Emperor truly shares my heart. You guessed I was here so quickly. Truly remarkable!"
Emperor Qi gave a wry smile. The Ninth Prince resembled him so much. If he had planned all this, he would have been present to witness it himself, which was why he knew the Ninth Prince would definitely be here.