The Minister of War forced a smile, spitting out a mouthful of teeth, his eyes filled with hatred as he said, "Your subject has already confessed. The person was indeed killed by a hired assassin."
The Emperor's face was stern. "Think carefully. You have no need to take the blame for others!"
The Minister of War snorted coldly and remained silent, his backbone unbroken. Did it even matter? He had no family left in this world anyway, so it was better to join them sooner rather than later.
The Emperor could see that the Minister of War had long since resigned himself to death. Whether he had committed the murder or not, he would not confess truthfully. In his eyes, as long as he could cause trouble for the court, his death would not be in vain.
The Emperor could handle those with weaknesses, but someone like this, he feared, would find death a release.
"You should think carefully. The crime of harming an imperial heir is punishable by the extermination of nine generations. You will be dismembered alive."
"Your Majesty, rest assured. Of my nine generations, only I remain. As for being dismembered, I couldn't ask for more!" He had lingered on this earth for so many years, how could he be worthy of meeting his departed loved ones intact?
"Also, Your Majesty, do you truly believe the Second Prince is your own son?" the Minister of War asked, a half-smile on his face, his contorted features filled with malicious glee.
"What do you mean?" The Emperor shot to his feet, his eyes wide with horror.
Although he knew this information had been deliberately leaked to him to be passed on to the Emperor, he didn't care as long as it meant revenge.
"Consort Hua was indeed carrying Your Majesty's child back then, but she lost it amidst the schemes of the harem. For the Yu family, she specifically sought out someone to 'borrow seed.' It's laughable that Your Majesty has been kept in the dark all this time!" The Minister of War cackled madly, his eyes alight with excitement. If this royal secret were to spread, the Emperor being cuckolded would make the imperial family a true laughingstock.
The Emperor's face instantly darkened. He didn't believe a mere Minister of War could uncover such a secret. But since someone was using his mouth to convey this information, there must be evidence.
The Emperor waved his hand, signaling for the man to be dragged away. "Enough. When a person dies, their lamp is extinguished. I am old now, and there's no need to clarify so many things. This is probably what everyone wants to see!"
Because of this royal scandal, the Emperor naturally no longer cared who had killed Feng Liyan. He resolved the matter according to the reason provided by Feng Liyu. Even if Feng Liyan were not dead, knowing that the esteemed Second Prince was not his own son would likely have led him to act against him in secret. This way, it was all the more convenient.
Feng Liyu had thoroughly understood the Emperor's mindset, certain that he would not pursue the matter further, which was why he had found such a scapegoat. To others, his actions might seem redundant. But he and Feng Liyan had been in a fierce rivalry for years, and many people he cared about had died at Feng Liyan's hands. He had only learned of this recently. Not taking matters into his own hands was merely to preserve a shred of dignity for the royal family.
With Feng Liyan's death, the forces that had supported him also fell into disarray. Feng Liyu seized the opportunity to strike, winning over those he could, eliminating those he couldn't, or exiling them to remote regions. With the Emperor's support, he especially eradicated the family behind Consort Hua.
Not long after, the Emperor found an excuse to demote Consort Hua to the cold palace. After secretly extracting the identity of her lover, he orchestrated an accident that led to her death. The demise of a few unfavored consorts in the harem was a common occurrence.
Soon, with widespread support, Feng Liyu quickly gained control of the entire court. The Emperor, responding to popular sentiment, elevated the Third Prince to the position of Crown Prince.
Although Feng Liyan had kept his promise and not acted against the Prime Minister, Bai Yulin had chosen the wrong side. Knowing he would not gain the trust of the future heir, Feng Liyu's faction of ministers began to ostracize Bai Yulin intentionally or unintentionally. Eventually, Bai Yulin could not even retain his position as Prime Minister. The Bai family gradually withdrew from the center of power.
Xing Yuan returned to the Prime Minister's mansion the next day. Fortunately, ancient people always wore long sleeves, so the injuries on Xing Yuan's body were completely hidden by her clothing.
Seeing Xing Yuan return, Bai Qingyue's heart settled back into place. The previous day, the Second Prince had been attacked, and the entire capital was under martial law. Xing Yuan had disappeared somewhere, and she had been truly worried that Xing Yuan would be mistaken for an assassin and arrested.
"Sister was waiting for me?" Xing Yuan looked at Bai Qingyue, who was pacing back and forth at the courtyard entrance, with a hint of pleasant surprise.
"Mm." Bai Qingyue nodded with a hint of reserve. "Something big happened in the capital last night. You must know about it!"
Xing Yuan nodded. Not only did she know, but she was also the one who had orchestrated it! However, she blinked her eyes, her face full of innocence. "Yes! For no reason, people came to search. Something big must have happened."
Bai Qingyue's expression turned grave. "The Second Prince is dead!"
A look of surprise crossed Xing Yuan's face. "Is that so? He seemed quite formidable!"
"So, you shouldn't go out for the next few days. The city is under martial law, and you have the appearance of a martial artist. If the court can't catch the culprit, they might just arrest someone randomly to fill the quota." Bai Qingyue pulled her into the courtyard, her worry evident in her eyes.
"Okay~ I understand! I won't go anywhere. I'll stay here with Sister, alright?" Xing Yuan said obediently.
"Mm!" Bai Qingyue turned her face away. Although she was accustomed to Xing Yuan's occasional overly intimate actions, she still felt a strange sensation each time.
"Then, if the Second Prince is dead, does Sister no longer have an engagement?" Xing Yuan suddenly asked about the matter that currently concerned her the most.
Bai Qingyue hadn't considered this. The events of last night had been so sudden, and everyone was busy distancing themselves. There was no time to think about engagements.
"Mm, that's right, it's not needed anymore!" Bai Qingyue realized this now, and her mood was unexpectedly good. Then her belongings should be returned to her, right?
Seeing Bai Qingyue's relieved expression, Xing Yuan understood. As expected, Sister also disliked that self-righteous fellow!
With the Second Prince dead, Bai Yulin became extremely paranoid and began to look for a way out. Only after Feng Liyu announced the so-called culprit were the suspects released from the Dali Temple. Remembering the promise made earlier, he specifically sent a trusted subordinate to return the items to their rightful owner.
Bai Yulin followed the Third Prince's confidant, who led him directly to the courtyard of the Prime Minister's legitimate daughter. After a polite announcement, he handed over the jade box in his hand.
"Miss Bai, this is your item, isn't it?" The confidant had been instructed beforehand, so his attitude was exceptionally good.
Bai Qingyue slightly raised her hand and opened the jade box. Upon seeing the contents, a flicker of surprise flashed in her eyes, and she quickly said, "It is mine. Thank you for returning it, sir."
"It is my duty. This is indeed my responsibility!" The confidant did not presume. Having become Feng Liyu's confidant, his ability to read people was top-notch.