Chapter 102: The Final Winner (1)

Smiling at Qing Ling, Yang Zhilan asked with a curious smile, "In that case, even I am a bit curious. Madam Lou, what item do you have? Present it so that I may also see it."

Qing Ling stepped forward, slowly lifting the item hidden in her sleeve. She replied in an unhurried, neither humble nor arrogant manner, "It is well known that the Seventh Prince of Liaoyue, Bai Yi, is staying at the Prime Minister's Mansion by the Emperor's special permission. Today, in Bai Yi's room, I accidentally discovered some letters that unexpectedly mentioned matters within the Qiongyue court from time to time. As a mere woman, I do not understand these court politics, so I specifically request the Emperor and the Empress Dowager to examine and decide."

Su Ling's dark eyes flashed, Dan Yulan shook his head with a wry smile, Lou Xiyan smiled without a word, and Lou Muhai was completely confused.

They were all thinking to themselves: if she called herself ignorant of court politics, then who came up with this strategy of "countering a plan with a plan" and "making a feint to the east while attacking in the west"?!

Yan Hongtian swept a glance at Yang Zhilan beside him. Although her face showed no unusual color, her hands were already trembling uncontrollably. Yan Hongtian's eyes darkened as he said coldly, "Present it."

The eunuch delivered the letters to Yan Hongtian. Yan Hongtian only glanced at them a few times before his expression turned dark and gloomy. Throwing the letters in his hand in front of the still-confused Yang Zhilan, Yan Hongtian roared in a low voice, "Gao Jin, go to the Prime Minister's Mansion and summon the Seventh Prince of Liaoyue, Bai Yi, to the palace."

"Yes." Gao Jin dared not hesitate and immediately trotted out of the Imperial Study.

Yan Hongtian's expression changed drastically. Yang Zhilan was completely bewildered. After picking up the letters and reading them roughly, Yang Zhilan suddenly opened her eyes wide, glaring at the calm Zhuo Qing in the hall. Her trembling voice kept muttering, "This, this is impossible?!"

The big man wearing a large bamboo hat kept his head down, focusing on driving the carriage. Two thin black horses trotted along with a clatter. The low-key gray-blue carriage traveled through the small roads of the capital, and no one gave it a second look.

Inside the carriage, Bai Yi leaned against the window frame. Through the thin bamboo blinds, he squinted his eyes and gazed at the full moon that had just pushed aside the night curtain. Thinking of Zhuo Qing taking those letters into the palace to see Yan Hongtian, he felt incomparably refreshed. He never expected such an unexpected harvest from this trip to Qiongyue; it was truly satisfying!

Tapping his fingers on the window frame joyfully, he felt something still hidden in his sleeve. Bai Yi took it out and saw the two lines of poetry Zhuo Qing had written when she asked him to demonstrate a woman's handwriting that afternoon. Although they were just a few casual characters, he wouldn't let them remain in the Prime Minister's Mansion.

Just as he was about to tear the white paper to shreds, the moonlight reflecting off the full moon shone onto the folded paper. Bai Yi suddenly felt something was wrong. Opening the paper, his face, which had been smiling, instantly turned cold and grim, and a fierce, sinister, and icy light shot from his eyes.

"Fu Yu." The cold yet fiery roar startled the big man driving the carriage, who hurriedly replied, "Here."

"Return to Liaoyue immediately!" The words, spat out almost word by word through gritted teeth, showed that the person inside the carriage was in a fit of rage. Hadn't the master been in a very good mood just a moment ago? How could he be this angry in less than an hour?!

Although the big man was incomparably curious, he dared not ask another word and could only reply in a low voice, "Yes."

His dark eyes, filled with rage, stared fixedly at the blank white paper. His hands slowly tightened, and the veins on his wrists bulged one by one. Only when he had crushed the paper in his hand until it was almost fused together did Bai Yi throw it fiercely into the other corner of the carriage.

What a Qing Ling!

She actually dared to scheme against him!

No one could fool him like this!

Next time, if they ever had the chance to face each other again, he would definitely make her wish she were dead!

Because of his extreme rage, his bloodshot eyes were full of ruthlessness and violence. His young face was filled with unwillingness and accumulated resentment. No one would doubt his words, if there were a next time.

Inside the Imperial Study, the Emperor's expression was uncertain, and the Empress Dowager was full of astonishment. The atmosphere was quite oppressive and strange.

Throwing the items in his hand fiercely onto the desk, Yang Zhilan glared at Zhuo Qing and replied sternly, "I have never seen these things, nor do I have any dealings with Liaoyue. Furthermore, the handwriting in the letters is not my own. These things are simply forged to frame me!"

Compared to Yang Zhilan's agitation, Zhuo Qing remained as she was, asking, "Is the Empress Dowager saying that because the handwriting is not yours, it proves these things are forged?"

Yang Zhilan couldn't help but roar, "Of course!" She also didn't know why such a thing would happen. The seal on the letters was indeed her personal seal, but her seal had always been kept in the Xixia Palace. How did she get her hands on it? And the Seventh Prince's seal—how did she get that?

Zhuo Qing nodded slowly, but this time she looked at Yan Hongtian and asked coldly, "Then why can't this logic be applied to Xi Yan's case? In the letters produced by the rebels, the handwriting is not that of the Lou father and son either. According to the Empress Dowager's logic, those things should also be forged. Why is some forged evidence enough to put a Prime Minister of a country in prison? Or is it that members of the imperial family are different from ordinary officials?"

Yan Hongtian's expression became even colder due to Zhuo Qing's aggressiveness. Yang Zhilan panicked and scolded sternly, "Presumptuous! What Lou Xiyan committed is the crime of treason and usurpation; naturally, it cannot be treated lightly!"

She could now be certain that these so-called letters of collusion were definitely forged by this woman. How did she have such ability? Was it Lou Xiyan helping in secret, or were Su Ling and Dan Yulan also on their side? Sweeping her gaze over the few men below who were slightly bowing their heads with "innocent" expressions, Yang Zhilan only regretted why she hadn't drowned her back then!

Zhuo Qing nodded slowly and asked loudly, feigning ignorance, "So that's how it is. Does the Empress Dowager mean to say: treason is a serious crime, but colluding with an enemy country is not?"

"You!" Pointing at Zhuo Qing, her hand trembling with anger, Yang Zhilan was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to respond.

Zhuo Qing changed the subject and looked at Yan Hongtian again, asking, "Emperor, Qing Ling only wants to know now: is this evidence valid or invalid?"

With a cold eagle-eyed gaze, Yan Hongtian replied in a cold and dangerous tone, "What if it is valid, and what if it is invalid?"

This man's gaze was like needles. Just looking at him like this required all her strength, especially when a single word from him could decide a person's life or death. That kind of fear would make people only dare to crawl at his feet.

Zhuo Qing was secretly shocked. Every time she looked at him, she would think of that night when she was almost strangled by him. That feeling of almost dying—every time she thought of it, her throat would burn and breathing would become difficult. After secretly adjusting her breathing for a long time, Zhuo Qing replied loudly, "If it is valid, it means the Empress Dowager may have colluded with an enemy country. If the Son of Heaven breaks the law, he should be punished the same as a commoner; the Empress Dowager should even more so be imprisoned and accept punishment and investigation. If it is invalid, it means that in the Emperor's eyes, such evidence is insignificant and not to be trusted. Then, Xi Yan, who was imprisoned based on similar evidence, even if he cannot be released without guilt, should at least be able to go home to recuperate and cooperate with the investigation, instead of being locked in prison for those baseless charges!"

She would absolutely not retreat, because she knew what she was fighting for.

Yan Hongtian raised his brows secretly. Are all the women of the Qing family anomalies? She actually wasn't afraid of him? Just like that woman in the harem who dared to shout back at him. Concealing the interest in his eyes, when he looked up again, it was that pair of cold eyes.

Turning to look at Yang Zhilan, who was clearly uneasy, Yan Hongtian asked coldly, "What does Mother think?"

Yang Zhilan wanted to defend herself, but after thinking for a while, she closed her mouth. In the end, she only replied in a low voice, "Everything is decided by the Emperor!"

Looking at the man who had remained silent and even had a faint smile on his lips, Yan Hongtian asked unhappily, "Does the Prime Minister have any high opinions?"

Shaking his head lightly, Lou Xiyan was as calm as ever, "Everything is decided by the Emperor." He was currently a man awaiting judgment, wasn't he?

Glaring at Lou Xiyan secretly, Yan Hongtian turned to look at Dan Yulan and asked, "Official Dan, you have been investigating the Golden Case for quite a while. What have you discovered?"

Dan Yulan complained secretly. Wasn't Su Ling the chief investigator of this matter, and he just the assistant? Why didn't the Emperor ask General Su?

Tilting his head slightly, Dan Yulan looked at Su Ling beside him. Who knew Su Ling would turn away coldly, pretending not to see his gaze. Dan Yulan had no choice but to resign himself to his fate, step forward, and reply, "Reporting to the Emperor, apart from being able to produce a few letters, the rebel leaders have no further evidence of being ordered by the Lou father and son. And among the seven letters, one is dated two years ago and bears the current official seal of the old General Lou. However, the official seals of generals in various regions were uniformly changed one year ago. The letter from two years ago actually bears a seal that was only changed a year later; there is a great doubt here. Secondly, one of the rebel leaders, Yu Xiang, is a native of Wu County. Between the ages of twenty-four and thirty, he was the chief guard of the current Minister of Personnel, Li Hongmin's mansion, and later left without a trace. During interrogation, Yu Xiang did not admit to having been the chief guard in Lord Li's house, and his words were evasive; it is truly suspicious."

Just as Dan Yulan finished speaking, Yang Zhilan's expression had changed several times. At this time, Gao Jin, who had gone to the Prime Minister's Mansion, also rushed back. Standing in the hall, Gao Jin reported truthfully, "Reporting to the Emperor, after Madam Lou entered the palace, the Seventh Prince immediately left the Prime Minister's Mansion and is now nowhere to be found."

"Such a coincidence?" Yan Hongtian said while looking at Zhuo Qing. Zhuo Qing looked back at him with an innocent expression. Yan Hongtian looked at Yang Zhilan again. Yang Zhilan coughed lightly and replied, "Emperor, this must be a strategy of alienation used by Liaoyue. Bai Yi must have anticipated this long ago, which is why he chose the right time to escape. Those so-called letters are truly not to be trusted!"

Colluding with an enemy country—this charge was not something she could bear, nor could the entire Yang family bear it!

Nodding slowly, Yan Hongtian said loudly, "Since the Empress Dowager also believes that such letters are not to be trusted, then the so-called crime of treason by the Lou father and son is baseless. From this day on, I grant the Lou father and son permission to be released from prison, return home, and be reinstated in their official positions."

"Thank you, Emperor." Zhuo Qing let out a long sigh of relief, walked to Lou Xiyan's side, and held his hand tightly. Lou Xiyan held her hand back and smiled gently. Lou Muhai had been watching everything in the hall and seemed to understand a little, but also seemed not to understand very well. But no matter what, it was fine; they were finally out.

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 103 =====