Chapter 479

Yuwen Ang's eyes were as red as fire, the veins on his forehead bulging, and he pointed at Chen Yan and roared: "When did this King confess without reservation?"

His chest heaved violently, his voice hoarse and distorted by extreme anger, and his spit splattered onto the golden bricks: "You surnamed Chen, this is a frame-up!"

As he spoke, he turned abruptly toward the throne, his forehead knocking against the bricks with a thud, and fresh blood instantly stained the hair on his forehead red: "Your Majesty, please see clearly! The Duke of Wei is looking for an excuse to commit a crime, framing and fabricating facts. He wants to use Your Majesty's hand to eradicate the imperial clan and monopolize power! I beg Your Majesty to make the decision for this younger brother!"

Has Yuwen Ang become stupid to this extent?........... Yuwen Yong saw this, his brows furrowed slightly, he muttered in his heart, his deep gaze swept over Houmochen Yi and Yuwen Yi who were standing by and bowing below the steps, and he said in a deep voice: "Two ministers, is there such a thing?"

In the eyes of this current Emperor, harming some commoners is something an older brother can cover up and maneuver, turning big problems into small ones...

But involving Yuwen Hu, the nature of the matter is different!

It is necessary to show an attitude!

Houmochen Yi stepped forward abruptly, his robes rustling with the movement, his face flushed red, and he cupped his hands and knocked them heavily on the ground: "Reporting to Your Majesty, there is indeed such a thing!"

Before his voice fell, he raised his head abruptly, his gaze sweeping over Yuwen Ang below the steps like a torch, his voice suddenly raised, carrying awe-inspiring anger: "And what the Duke of Wei said is only a very small part of what happened at the time!"

Every word was resonant, hitting the golden bricks of the main hall with a buzzing sound.

The more he spoke, the more excited he became, his beard and hair bristling, his chest heaving violently: "The Prince of Qiao actually cursed the Grand Tutor for 'usurping power and disrupting politics' and having 'wolfish ambitions.' It can be said that his words were extremely filthy, without half a bit of the dignity of the imperial clan, and without even a shred of respect from a subject to a regent!"

Houmochen Yi had no hesitation, focusing on following the lead...

He wanted the Duke of Wei to see his sincerity!

As for the life or death of the Prince of Qiao, what did it have to do with him...

"???"

Yuwen Ang sat slumped on the golden bricks, his pupils shrinking to the size of needles, staring at Houmochen Yi's silhouette for a long time without coming back to his senses.

His brain felt like it was being struck by thousands of bronze bells at the same time, buzzing, and he even forgot to regulate his breathing.

His originally pale face flushed red, the corners of his mouth twitching, and he roared abruptly: "Houmochen Yi, you motherfucker, you're farting!"

"When has this King ever belittled the Grand Tutor..."

The word "sentence" was still stuck in his throat when he suddenly stopped.

His turbid eyeballs rolled abruptly, his unfocused gaze instantly condensed, and the panic and anger on his face receded like a tide, replaced by a realization that bordered on madness.

Yuwen Ang slapped his thigh abruptly and scrambled up from the ground, his hair disheveled and blood dripping from his forehead, but he was completely unaware. Instead, he pointed at Houmochen Yi and laughed loudly, his voice sharp and hoarse: "This King understands! This King gets it!"

Yuwen Yong on the throne knitted his brows even tighter, a trace of obvious confusion flashing in his eyes. This manic transformation came too abruptly, making him mutter in his heart: "Why is this guy so jumpy?"

"What exactly does he understand...?"

Yuwen Ang's chest heaved violently, he cupped his hands and bowed heavily, speaking with conviction: "Imperial brother, Chen Yan has bribed Houmochen Yi. These two are colluding, birds of a feather, and have joined forces to frame this younger brother!"

Immediately, he turned his head abruptly and glared fiercely at Houmochen Yi, his eyes filled with venomous resentment, and he added through gritted teeth: "That's why Houmochen Yi appeared from the room behind the scene..."

At that moment, Yuwen Ang connected everything. It was these two bastards who set a trap to harm him!

Looking at Yuwen Ang, who was spitting and speaking with conviction below the steps, he hooked the corners of his lips into a very faint arc, amusement flashing in his eyes, and he secretly sighed in his heart: "My imperial uncle's brain turns quite fast!"

But that smile vanished in an instant, replaced by a touch of regret. He lowered his eyes slightly, his long eyelashes covering the cold light in his eyes, and continued in his heart: "But unfortunately..."

His own older brother is the kind of person who either doesn't do something, or if he does, he will do it to the end...

Yuwen Ang knocked his head heavily against the golden bricks with a "thud," the wound on his forehead bleeding profusely, mixing with sweat and covering his face, but he didn't care to wipe it at all.

He supported himself on the ground with his arms, his body trembling violently from extreme excitement, and the plea squeezed from his throat was hoarse and shrill: "Imperial brother, you must not be deceived by them!"

At the same time, he gripped the bricks on the ground tightly, dust embedding in his fingernails, and cried hysterically: "You must make the decision for this younger brother and return this younger brother's innocence!"

Houmochen Yi also knelt on both knees with a "thud," his robes spread out on the golden bricks, his hands cupped and raised high above his head, his body straight, his voice like a bell shaking the hall beams: "This subject swears by the Houmochen clan and the title of Duke of Liang that those words came from the mouth of the Prince of Qiao!"

His gaze was like a torch, sweeping over Yuwen Ang below the steps, his tone carrying the determination of burning the boats: "If this subject and the Duke of Wei had the slightest collusion beforehand, may the Houmochen clan end without descendants!"

He looked like he was chasing him down to kill him.

Houmochen Yi had no psychological burden because the content of the accusation against Yuwen Ang was all from his own mouth, but he didn't specify who the specific target was, so it didn't count as breaking the oath...

Moreover, after being called to that Cao residence, he went in directly with Yuwen Yi and didn't have the slightest communication with Chen Yan.

"Damn it!"

Yuwen Yi, the Junior Chancellor standing to one side, took in this scene, his pupils shrinking slightly, and a stormy sea surged in his heart: "This guy, the Duke of Liang, is truly ruthless!"

"He swears oaths as easily as breathing..."

As soon as the thought fell, he collected his mind, lowered his eyes, and realized a more important problem...

Houmochen Yi, this old fox, couldn't have helped the Duke of Wei for no reason. Could a dignified Grand Pillar of State have such a kind heart?

There must be huge benefits to drive him to this point...

Yuwen Ang froze in place, his blood seemingly freezing instantly, and the hysterical crying that had just been happening stopped abruptly.

He widened his eyes, staring at Houmochen Yi, who was kneeling and swearing, and was dumbfounded once again, his lips trembling, unable to squeeze out a complete sentence for a long time: "You... you... Houmochen Yi, you!"

His voice trembled like leaves in the autumn wind, carrying unbelievable panic and despair.

Who the hell could have expected this old man to be so ruthless as to bet the lives of his entire clan and his hereditary title on such a vicious blood oath just to harm him?

Yuwen Ze suddenly stepped forward, his brocade robe brushing against the golden bricks with a light sound, a cold smile hanging on the corners of his lips, his gaze piercing Yuwen Ang, who was stunned on the ground, like a knife: "Prince of Qiao, are you trying to say that the Duke of Liang is framing you with the lives of his entire clan?"

He paused, then leaned forward slightly, the amusement in his eyes fading away, leaving only bone-chilling sharpness: "Even if the Duke of Wei and the Duke of Liang have the best friendship, it would be absolutely difficult to do this, right?"

Yuwen Ze had been watching quietly before, just waiting for this opportunity to pin the blame and kill the heart...

Yuwen Yi took a deep breath, and after weighing the pros and cons repeatedly, he collected his mind and finally stepped forward.

He tidied his lapels, bowed to the throne, his movements steady and measured, and said loudly: "Your Majesty, at that time, this subject was also taken to the scene by the Duke of Wei and the Prince of Ancheng together with the Duke of Liang..."

As his voice fell, the gazes that had been focused on Yuwen Ang and Yuwen Ze instantly turned toward him.

The silence in the hall became even deeper, and even Yuwen Ang's sobbing stopped abruptly, leaving only Yuwen Yi's clear and powerful voice echoing in the hall: "I witnessed the whole process in the room after the Prince of Qiao arrived!"

Yuwen Ang had already been in despair, but hearing Yuwen Yi speak, it was like a dying person grabbing the last straw. His turbid eyeballs suddenly lit up, and an unbelievable ecstasy burst forth from his eyes.

He struggled to crawl up from the ground, ignoring the dust and blood all over his body, and stumbled toward Yuwen Yi, his voice hoarse and trembling with excitement: "Yes!"

"The Junior Chancellor was also there!"

He grabbed the hem of Yuwen Yi's official robe tightly, his fingernails almost embedding into the fabric, his eyes burning with desperate hope, and he pleaded repeatedly: "Brother, you must speak a word of justice for this King!"

This Prince of Qiao became more and more urgent, incoherent but carrying extreme expectation.

They both shared the surname Yuwen and were clan brothers, flowing with the same blood. Yuwen Ang did not believe he would invert black and white!

Everyone in the hall focused their gazes on the two, even Houmochen Yi looked sideways slightly, and Yuwen Yong sat on the throne, waiting quietly for the Junior Chancellor's follow-up.

The hem of Yuwen Yi's robe swung out in a sharp arc, then he knelt on both knees with a "thud," pointed directly at his own neck, his gaze like iron, his tone weighing more than a thousand catties: "This subject can guarantee with the head on my shoulders..."

"If there is half a word of falsehood, this subject is willing to accept the punishment of being cut in half at the waist, with my head hung on the city gate as a warning to others!"

Yuwen Ang stared fixedly at Yuwen Yi's kneeling back, his chest heaving violently, and he even forgot to breathe.

Holding his breath, he was completely unaware of the blood dripping from his forehead.

Seeing the Junior Chancellor solemnly kowtow and point to his neck to swear an oath to defend him, his turbid eyeballs suddenly widened, the dead wasteland in his eyes was suddenly ignited by ecstasy, and his whole body's blood seemed to be boiling!

There is still justice in the world!

His clan brother could actually do this for him; he must repay him well in the future!

Sorry, Prince of Qiao............ Yuwen Yi glanced at Yuwen Ang from the corner of his eye, whispered in his heart, then suddenly puffed out his chest, cupped his arms high above his head, his voice deafening: "The words of the Duke of Wei, the Prince of Ancheng, and the Duke of Liang are every word true!"

Obviously, this clan brother, whom Yuwen Ang regarded as a life-saving straw, sold him out without hesitation.

After all, compared to clan loyalty, his own interests were not worth mentioning at all...

Being able to use this opportunity to connect with the Grand Tutor and his son, as well as the Duke of Wei, for a marginal imperial clan member like himself, was absolutely worth it!

Question the Duke of Liang, understand the Duke of Liang, become the Duke of Liang, surpass the Duke of Liang!

"???"

The ecstasy on Yuwen Ang's face instantly froze, as if someone had poured a basin of ice water over his head, and his blood suddenly froze.

He froze in place, his mouth wide open, but he couldn't make a sound, and the excitement and hope in his eyes shattered into powder at this moment.

How could he have expected that the backstabbing would come so suddenly?!

Yuwen Yi knelt on the golden bricks, his back straight as a pine, his gaze sharp as a knife, and he stepped forward half a step again to kowtow: "Your Majesty, the Prince of Qiao not only harmed the people of Chang'an but also disrespected the Grand Tutor. He must not be tolerated!"

His voice suddenly raised, every word carrying awe-inspiring righteousness, "I ask Your Majesty to punish him severely!"

Since he had chosen to gamble and chosen a camp, he had to stand completely with the Duke of Wei and the Prince of Ancheng...

He must not give the Prince of Qiao any way out!

Otherwise, if he really let him escape, the first one to be retaliated against would be himself...

"Slap!"

The imperial desk was slapped loudly by Yuwen Yong, the porcelain brush washer jumped up half an inch, and ink splashed out in black spots.

He leaned forward from the throne, his dragon eyes wide open, glaring at the slumped Yuwen Ang below the steps, his voice exploding like thunder: "Yuwen Ang!"

"The Duke of Liang and the Junior Chancellor have no reason to frame you!" He raised his hand and pointed at Yuwen Ang, his fingertips trembling slightly from extreme rage, and he scolded sternly, "Do you have anything else to quibble about!"

Yuwen Ang lay on the golden bricks, his bones seemingly extracted, and a deep sense of powerlessness, accompanied by despair, drowned him.

The frustration of being unable to defend himself was stuck in his throat, turning into hoarse cries. His forehead kept knocking heavily against the ground, and his face was covered with blood mixed with dust: "Imperial brother, this younger brother is wronged!"

He knocked quickly and heavily, the blood on the golden bricks blurring into a patch, and the wound on his forehead tore open again, causing his whole body to twitch with pain, but he still didn't stop: "Wronged!"

Yuwen Yong's face was as cold as iron, his brows knitted into a "chuan" shape, thunderous anger surging in his eyes, his gaze like a sharp blade carving into Yuwen Ang, and he scolded sternly: "The Grand Tutor is the Dinghai Shenzhen (stabilizing needle) of our Great Zhou! The pillar supporting the sky!"

"Since the late Emperor, the Grand Tutor has served as regent for three dynasties, internally rectifying the administration and pacifying refugees, and externally resisting strong enemies and expanding territory. For the prosperity of our Great Zhou, he has truly given his heart and blood!" His voice was resonant, every word carrying deliberate respect and protection, "Without the Grand Tutor's painstaking management, how could there be peace today? How could the imperial clan live in stability?"

"Such a pillar of the country, a meritorious minister of the state, how can you, a mere yellow-mouthed child, wantonly blaspheme!" Yuwen Yong suddenly raised his tone, and his pressure swept through the hall.

"You open your mouth and speak filthy words, insulting the regent minister—this is contempt for the court and shaking the foundation of the country! If you are not punished severely today, who will dare to give their all for Great Zhou in the future?!"

Yuwen Yong knew very well that since Yuwen Ze and Chen Yan were both present today, for the sake of his long-term plan, he had to show this attitude!

And he had to break this wrist!

"This younger brother did not!"

Yuwen Ang was covered in tears and snot, the tears mixing with the blood on his forehead into dirty streaks. His chest heaved violently from extreme despair, his voice so hoarse it was almost unrecognizable: "Even if you gave this younger brother ten thousand guts, I would not dare to speak disrespectfully to the Grand Tutor!"

He struggled to lift his head, his bloodshot eyes staring fixedly at Chen Yan, his fingers trembling as he pointed at him, his voice full of venom: "It's all Chen Yan plotting against this younger brother!"

"With both human and material evidence, you still dare to quibble!"

Yuwen Yong's angry shout exploded like thunder, shaking the hall beams. He slapped the imperial desk abruptly, porcelain shards splashing, the anger in his eyes almost solidifying, and he scolded sternly: "You still dare to splash dirty water on the Duke of Wei?"

"You have not the slightest heart of repentance!"

This guy Yuwen Yong is a smart person. Before the time is right, he won't act recklessly............ Chen Yan took in the reaction of the young Emperor on the steps, made a judgment in his heart, and immediately stepped forward, bowed and cupped his hands, his back straight, and said in a deep voice: "I ask Your Majesty to punish the Prince of Qiao severely and return justice to the people of Chang'an!"

This man Chen is not afraid of Yuwen Yong pretending; he is only afraid that he won't pretend...

【"In the Wude Hall, the Prince of Qiao, Ang, faced the Spirit Emperor. The evidence of his crimes was clear, yet he denied them. The Founding Emperor, anticipating his quibbling, had summoned two eyewitnesses to testify. The Duke of Liang, Yi, did not fail the trust, did not fear power or favor, stood up and spoke, swearing by the Houmochen clan and his own ducal title, forcefully proving the Founding Emperor's words.

At that time, the Junior Chancellor, Yi, distinguished right from wrong, willing to use his own head as a pledge to forcefully prove the logic, and again pleaded with the Spirit Emperor to punish the Prince of Qiao severely to rectify the court discipline.

These two are truly good ministers of the state and treasures of the country.

The Spirit Emperor was dark and deep, good at disguising and enduring. To deceive the Grand Tutor, he first praised him as the Dinghai Shenzhen and the pillar supporting the sky, showing him extreme favor.

Immediately, he angrily scolded the Prince of Qiao and clarified his crimes. The cleverness of his political tactics can be seen from this."】

【— "History of Wei" · Annals of Emperor Wen, the Founding Emperor】