The identity of Yaoguang, the princess of the Gaochang Kingdom, was confirmed by the queen.
This mysterious princess who had appeared out of nowhere, carrying the mystery of the fall of the Gaochang Kingdom, strongly attracted everyone.
Previously, the eldest princess had thought herself the hunter. She wielded great power and looked down upon the world. She could deal with anyone she disliked. Even the future emperor had to avoid her sharp edges and lie low under her attacks.
But today, at this grand banquet, countless aristocrats were watching her make a fool of herself.
She had become the lamb waiting to be slaughtered.
The eldest princess's mind was racing, thinking to the limit.
No matter what this suddenly appeared princess said, Yue Chengkong, who had colluded with the barbarians to attack the Gaochang Kingdom, was already dead. There was no way to confront him.
The dead could not jump out and implicate her.
Even if she was the mastermind behind it, without absolute evidence, the emperor would not believe that she had betrayed the country.
She had saved the emperor's life, and they were siblings of the same mother. The bond of blood was unbreakable.
The emperor's focus had always been on Yaoguang and did not notice the several changes in the eldest princess's face.
He was eager to ask Yaoguang about the traitor who had betrayed the country.
He couldn't understand what kind of huge interests could make a person betray their own country?
Make the innocent people of a country bleed like rivers?
"Yaoguang, besides the barbarians, who else was involved in the destruction of your motherland?"
"The former military commander of Hengzhou back then, Yue Chengkong."
Without looking at the eldest princess, Yaoguang restrained the hatred in her eyes and said word by word. Her clear voice echoed through the hall, "As a seventh - rank military commander, he dared to collude with the barbarians with just twenty thousand troops and invaded the capital of the Gaochang Kingdom, intending to seize our national treasure, the Blood - Drop Rose!"
Hearing Yue Chengkong's name, the eldest princess's sensitive nerves twitched violently.
She hid the turmoil in her heart and pretended to be nonchalant.
Yaoguang's words were concise but stirred up a thousand waves.
Before coming onto the dais, she had thought carefully about what to say.
Her words clearly answered the emperor's question but also subtly threw out a hook -
The noble ladies and young misses on the women's side might be more interested in Yaoguang's experiences.
The court officials sitting on the men's side were more concerned about the tricks behind the whole incident.
The whispers grew louder. Seeing that the emperor did not stop them, the officials boldly voiced their opinions.
Grand Tutor Wen was the first to stand up and express his doubts.
"How could Yue Chengkong dare to collude with the barbarians? He was just a seventh - rank official back then. Without someone's instigation, how could he have had the courage? Who was the one who instigated him? How greedy and cruel this person must be to let a country bleed for a treasure!
Such an act simply disregards the common people. With the fall of the Gaochang Kingdom, the Great Zhou was constrained by the barbarians and was in a passive position in the border wars. This person put personal interests above national interests, was shameless and ungrateful, and deserved unforgivable punishment!"
Grand Tutor Wen truly lived up to his reputation as the leader of the civil officials.
With just a few words, he hit the nail on the head.
There seemed to be dark clouds gathering on the emperor's face, and his eyes grew colder.
One of the eldest princess's cronies sighed, "It's a pity that Yue Chengkong has already confessed his crime and was executed. His confidants around him were also completely eliminated by the crown prince. I'm afraid that those who knew the truth back then can no longer speak. And we can't capture the barbarians to testify."
He seemed to be pitying the emperor for not being able to catch the mastermind, but there was a hint of imperceptible relief in his tone.
The crown prince's sharp gaze swept across the man's face. "Who told you that Yue Chengkong was dead?"
The eldest princess's face changed in shock.
The emperor was stunned. "Hong'er, the memorial you submitted to me when you were in Yunzhou clearly stated that the entire Yue family was executed..."
The crown prince bent his knees and knelt down.
Even on his knees, his noble air remained undiminished.
"Father, please forgive my sin. Yue Chengkong is an important witness. To prevent him from being silenced, I had to lie in the memorial. Although he is now disabled, he is still alive and can definitely testify."
The emperor showed no sign of anger or joy. His face was calm, but there was a hint of imperial might in his eyes.
The crown prince lowered his head, obediently ready to bear his father's anger.
The crimes of the Yue family were related to the eldest princess's reputation. His father had told him to handle the matter low - key.
All the crimes should end with the Yue family.
The emperor had intended to protect the eldest princess, but how could he know that the eldest princess was willing to betray the country for her own self - interest?
The crown prince did not regret his disobedient act.
If his father wanted to blame him afterwards, he would have no complaints.
As the crown prince of the country, he knew he was doing the right thing.
The eldest princess let out a series of cold laughs. "Your Majesty, look, the crown prince has truly grown up and has his own opinions. In order to embarrass this aunt of his, he doesn't even take your orders to heart."
In an ordinary family, saying that a child has grown up and has his own opinions is a compliment.
But in the royal family, such words are fatal.
If the crown prince has too many opinions and disobeys the emperor, it is not only filial piety but also a sign of ambitious intentions.
The eldest princess blatantly mocked the crown prince for being eager to ascend the throne and replace the emperor.
When the crown prince decided to go against the imperial edict, he knew this moment would come.
He didn't want to make too many excuses for himself.
If he said too much, it would seem like he was guilty, as if he really had the intention of replacing the emperor.
He lowered his eyes, his back straight, using his silent body language to express his attitude.
"Your Majesty, please don't blame the crown prince. It was the poor Taoist who strongly advised the crown prince to spare Yue Chengkong's life. Compared with the eldest princess's reputation and the national interests, the crown prince made the right choice."
Liang Yuzhou stepped forward, his voice sonorous and powerful.
The crown prince's gaze met his. The former enemies who had once tried to kill each other now united in tacit understanding to fight the enemy.
The eldest princess looked sarcastic, and her words became even more venomous. "Exactly. Liang Er is well - known as an unfilial son. The crown prince befriends him. As the saying goes, 'He who touches pitch shall be defiled therewith.' He has even abandoned filial piety. Your Majesty values filial piety the most and advocates governing the country with filial piety. But the most important crown prince has openly disobeyed his father's order. If this gets out, won't it be criticized by the whole world?"
She finally caught the crown prince's mistake and attacked fiercely.
The emperor's face darkened, and his expression grew colder.
The queen wanted to step forward and persuade them, but the crown prince was her own son. If she spoke in his favor, it would seem biased.
On such an occasion, as the mother of the country, her words could not show any partiality.
Moreover, the eldest princess had charged the crown prince with the serious crime of "disobeying the imperial edict and deceiving the emperor."
She could only look at the crown prince worriedly, her heart tightening, praying that the emperor would not get angry in public.
The atmosphere in the hall was stagnant. Everyone felt oppressed, and even their breathing became heavier.
Now, they urgently needed someone with influence and the right to discuss state affairs to resolve the deadlock and give the emperor a way out.