"Don't rush,"
Ji Binyu, though equally anxious, managed to calm himself and reassure, "Wu Dezheng's family is all under my control. If he dares to betray me, he'll face dire consequences. Besides, he has poison hidden in his mouth..."
To his surprise, Feng Ninghe had managed to investigate this person.
Wu Dezheng had always been extremely cautious; how could anyone suspect him?
Lin Yuran said no more, secretly breaking into a cold sweat.
Feng Ninghe stood calmly before Wu Dezheng, her cold eyes devoid of any extra emotion. Her icy voice slowly spoke, "Everyone, take a good look. Was it him who attacked you?" httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
Wu Dezheng kept his head bowed so low his face was almost touching the ground. His mouth was gagged with a cloth, so even if he wanted to speak, only muffled whimpers would escape.
Sensing his intention, Feng Xing let out a soft grunt. She reached out and pinched his chin, giving him no chance to lower his head.
The young women leaned in to examine Wu Dezheng, their gazes scrutinizing him from head to toe.
"It's him! I remember very clearly. This person appeared before me, and then I lost consciousness!"
"This person looks rather familiar. Let me think where I've seen him before... I remember too! It was him! He knocked me out!"
"This person looks so respectable, I never expected him to be so cruel and attempt to harm us!"
The young women recalled what happened before they lost consciousness, their faces filled with anger as they cursed him incessantly.
Feng Ninghe removed the gag from Wu Dezheng's mouth.
Given the opportunity to speak, he desperately shook his head, denying everything, his face etched with panic. "You must have mistaken me. I'm a good person, how could I do such a heinous thing?"
"I will never forget this face, not even in death! It was you who attacked me!"
"The truth is laid bare before us, and you still dare to quibble!"
The young women were enraged and walked towards Wu Dezheng. Some even kicked him.
Wu Dezheng winced in pain, continuously denying, "You must have mistaken me! There are many people who look alike in this world, you must have mistaken him!"
"Parents, I saw it clearly! It was him who knocked me out! We absolutely cannot let this person go!"
"I almost lost my life! I cannot swallow this injustice!"
The young women spoke one after another. Their relatives also came forward at this moment, pointing at Wu Dezheng with furious expressions. The hot-tempered ones even picked up stones and hurled them at him!
The common people, who had nearly lost their loved ones, could not let this injustice slide.
"Empress! This person has committed countless evils and deserves to be executed! If he could do such a heinous thing, he might do even worse in the future!"
"Empress, in my opinion, he should be beheaded immediately, so he doesn't harm others in the future!"
The common people spoke out one after another, their faces filled with rage.
In their eyes, Wu Dezheng was unforgivable.
The scene before them was also within Feng Ninghe's expectations. She calmly looked at the gathered people and spoke softly, "This person has committed many evils and done many outrageous things, so naturally, he cannot be let go. He is merely a subordinate and lacks the courage to do such things on his own. I believe we must also find the mastermind behind this."
"The mastermind?"
"Empress, according to your words, someone is secretly orchestrating all of this?"
The people's tone immediately shifted.
They had almost lost their loved ones, their hearts were filled with grief, and they hated the mastermind to the bone.
Learning that someone was secretly orchestrating these events, they wished they could tear the mastermind apart with their own hands to exact revenge.
Feng Ninghe nodded, "Indeed, this matter was not planned by him alone. There is a mastermind behind the scenes."
The young women immediately became agitated, exclaiming, "Empress, whoever could do such a wicked deed must be brought to justice!"
"I narrowly escaped death and managed to survive. These wicked individuals must die!"
For a moment, everyone spoke in unison, their will firm, wanting to capture the mastermind and avenge themselves.
Lin Yuran's pupils involuntarily contracted. She bit her lip, her heart filled with anxiety.
She instinctively took a step back and spoke in a voice only they could hear, "Binyu, what should we do now? Hasn't Lin Ninghe discovered what we've been doing in secret?"
Ji Binyu was equally anxious, forcing himself to suppress his panic. "Our identities might not have been exposed yet. To be safe, Wu Dezheng must die!"
They could not afford any risk.
Only the dead could keep their mouths completely shut.
Lin Yuran nodded with a hint of approval, a flicker of unease dancing within her. "We'll act as the situation permits. Once an opportunity arises, kill him immediately!"
"This attendant looks so familiar," the Grand Tutor said, his brow furrowed as if struck by a thought, falling into contemplation.
The ministers, also reminded by the Grand Tutor's words, quickly chimed in, "I remember now! This person seems to be General Ji's attendant!"
"Yes! General Ji, he is your man!"
The ministers echoed in agreement.
Ji Binyu had intended to bide his time and strike when the moment was right, but now all eyes were on him.
He had no choice but to step forward and explain.
So many people had witnessed Wu Dezheng's actions; he could not protect Wu Dezheng.
His immediate priority was to distance himself from this matter.
Ji Binyu feigned anger, stepping out from the crowd with a furious roar, "Wu Dezheng, I treated you well. When your mother was gravely ill, I specifically hired a doctor for her and granted you leave to visit home. Yet you would do such a thing!"
These seemingly righteous words were, in fact, a warning.
Upon hearing about his ailing mother, Wu Dezheng's expression clearly changed. He looked at Ji Binyu with panicked eyes. "General Ji, I was wrong! I shouldn't have done such a wicked deed!"
Ji Binyu closed his eyes, appearing heartbroken, and suddenly drew a long sword. "Since you have betrayed me, I cannot keep you. You know I never keep traitors by my side."
The long sword glinted sharply under the sunlight.
Wu Dezheng's body trembled involuntarily, his face filled with terror.
Facing death, he was extremely frightened, yet he gritted his teeth and continued to apologize, "General Ji, I am sorry for doing this behind your back! You have treated me so well, no matter what you do to me, I will not resist!"
Wu Dezheng took all the blame upon himself. If Feng Ninghe hadn't witnessed it firsthand, she might have easily believed him and concluded that he had acted alone.
Ji Binyu sighed, but a hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes. "You have done such things, and heaven will not forgive you. You can only use your life to atone for the sins against these young women."
He suddenly raised his long sword and swung it fiercely towards Wu Dezheng's head!
This strike left no room for mercy.
As the sword descended, Wu Dezheng had no chance of survival; he was doomed.