allonlinenovel Chapter 65 Prince Duan's plot fails!
Chapter 65 Prince Duan's plot fails!
However, just as they were preparing to return to the palace with the evidence and report everything to the emperor, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from afar.
Dust billowed as Prince Duan's guards led a troop of elite cavalry, charging menacingly towards them.
Prince Duan's personal guard, mounted on his horse, glared angrily at Xiao Jingchuan and Gu Liuli, gritting his teeth as he said, "You ruined our plans, and none of you will leave here alive today!" With that, he brandished his long sword, and the cavalry behind him charged towards them like a tidal wave.
On the other side, Li Mingxuan, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, investigated day and night and finally found conclusive evidence of Prince Duan's rebellion in a hidden cellar—a magnificent dragon robe embroidered with a five-clawed golden dragon, the gold threads shimmering coldly in the candlelight, as if telling of Prince Duan's unspeakable ambition.
In addition, there are some secret letters exchanged with foreign forces, which detail their collusion plans and transactions.
Li Mingxuan knew the gravity of the matter and dared not delay. He immediately sent the message to Xiao Jingchuan at top speed. Upon receiving the news, Xiao Jingchuan's expression turned solemn, a resolute glint flashing in his eyes. He decisively ordered, "Gather troops and surround the Prince Duan's residence. We must not allow Prince Duan to escape!"
In an instant, the sound of horses' hooves thundered and dust billowed. Soldiers surged toward the Prince Duan's residence like a black tide.
Before long, the Prince Duan's residence was completely surrounded, with no room to move. Xiao Jingchuan, wearing a black cloak, sat astride a tall horse, his expression cold and his eyes fixed intently on the tightly closed vermilion gate of the Prince Duan's residence.
Inside the Prince Duan's residence, Prince Duan Xiao Ming was discussing countermeasures with Chen Qi and their ministers, attempting to salvage the situation after the iron mine affair was exposed.
Suddenly, a guard rushed in, shouting, "Your Highness, something terrible has happened! The entire palace is surrounded by Xiao Jingchuan's men!"
The teacup in Prince Duan's hand fell to the ground with a "crack" and shattered. His face instantly turned deathly pale, and large beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, but he still tried to remain calm and roared, "What's the panic! They have no evidence, what can they do to me!"
The high-ranking officials present said with great concern, "Your Highness, things have come to this point, and we can no longer afford to be complacent. Since the Emperor dared to surround the Prince's residence, he must have some fatal evidence."
Prince Duan paced back and forth in the hall, his eyes revealing a hint of panic and resentment. He gritted his teeth and said, "Could it be that my grand plan, meticulously crafted over many years, has been ruined just like that?"
Just then, the loud voice of Li Mingxuan, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, came from outside: "Prince Duan, Xiao Ming, you have plotted to usurp the throne and committed heinous crimes. Now the evidence is conclusive, so why don't you surrender immediately!"
Prince Duan was shocked. He knew that the situation was hopeless, but his years of ambition and arrogance made him unwilling to surrender.
He drew his sword and roared, "Xiao Jingchuan, don't be so arrogant! Even if I die, I won't let you get away with this!" With that, he led the remaining guards in the mansion, preparing to fight to the death.
But Chen Qi stopped him: "Your Highness, it's too late to resist now!"
Prince Duan gave up resistance and knelt before Xiao Jingchuan in the Imperial Study, his face ashen, his former arrogance completely gone. He lowered his head, not daring to meet Xiao Jingchuan's stern and scrutinizing gaze.
At this moment, the door to the Imperial Study creaked open, and the Emperor strode in with steady steps. He wore a bright yellow dragon robe, his face solemn, his eyes filled with both anger at Prince Duan's betrayal and worry about the situation.
Upon seeing the emperor arrive, Xiao Jingchuan knelt on one knee and respectfully said, "Your Majesty, the evidence of Prince Duan's rebellion is conclusive. He has now been captured and awaits Your Majesty's judgment." After speaking, he presented the dragon robe, secret letter, and other evidence that Li Mingxuan had found.
The emperor took the evidence, glanced at it hastily, and his face grew increasingly grim. He glared at Prince Duan and said sternly, "Xiao Ming, I have treated you well. Why did you commit such a treasonous act?"
Prince Duan trembled all over, and with a thud, his forehead hit the ground heavily. His voice was choked with sobs: "Your Majesty, I...I was momentarily blinded by greed and power, and committed this unforgivable crime. I beg Your Majesty to have mercy and spare my life!"
The emperor snorted coldly, his eyes filled with disdain: "Have mercy? You have been manufacturing weapons privately, colluding with foreign enemies, and attempting to usurp the throne. How many innocent people have suffered because of you? Have you ever thought about having mercy?"
Prince Duan was speechless and could only keep kowtowing, blood soon seeping from his forehead.
At this moment, Li Mingxuan spoke up: "Your Majesty, Prince Duan has committed numerous crimes that cannot be tolerated under the law. However, considering that he is a member of the royal family, I urge Your Majesty to consider his case carefully in order to uphold the law and appease the people."
The emperor nodded slightly, and after a moment of contemplation, said, "Xiao Ming, I should have executed you on the spot as a warning to others. But considering that we are related by blood, I will grant you a cup of poison and leave you with a whole corpse, which can be considered as preserving some dignity for the royal family."
Upon hearing this, Prince Duan was struck dumb and collapsed to the ground.
After a long while, he slowly raised his head, his eyes filled with despair and regret, and said in a trembling voice, "Thank you, Your Majesty... for sparing my life..."
Then, a eunuch carrying a tray with a cup of poisoned wine on it walked up to Prince Duan.
Prince Duan looked at the cup of poisoned wine, his hand trembling as he reached out. After hesitating for a moment, he gritted his teeth and drank the poisoned wine in one gulp.
Not long after, Prince Duan coughed up blood, swayed a few times, and collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
The emperor looked at the corpse of Prince Duan with a complicated expression, and sighed deeply: "Drag the body away and give it a proper burial. Announce to the world that Prince Duan suddenly fell ill and died." With that, he waved his hand, as if to ward off this exhausting rebellion.
After dealing with Xiao Ming's matter, he rubbed his temples, wondering how things were going with Chuan'er.
On the other side, the Prince Duan's guards, whose fierce attack had been abruptly halted, found their weapons weighing as if they were a thousand pounds, unable to lift them any further. They looked at each other, their eyes filled with terror and confusion, their once firm beliefs crumbling in an instant.
One of the leading guards dropped his long sword with a clang, his knees buckled, and he knelt down with a thud, muttering, "The prince is gone, what are we still fighting to the death for..." Seeing this, the other guards also put down their weapons and knelt down to surrender.
Xiao Jingchuan looked at the guards with a cold expression and said loudly, "You aided and abetted the wicked and participated in Prince Duan's rebellion. You should be severely punished. However, considering that you were only acting under orders, if you are willing to truthfully confess Prince Duan's crimes and accomplices, you may be given a lighter punishment."
Upon hearing this, the guards kowtowed in gratitude, expressing their willingness to confess everything. Xiao Jingchuan then arranged for men to escort these guards to the Ministry of Justice prison, where they were interrogated by Li Mingxuan, the Vice Minister of Justice.
In the Ministry of Justice prison, Li Mingxuan interrogated the guards overnight. Hoping for leniency, the guards spoke frankly and without reservation.
They not only revealed the detailed process of Prince Duan's private weapon manufacturing and the list of officials involved, but also disclosed the specific methods and contacts of Prince Duan's collusion with foreign forces.
As the interrogation deepened, a vast network of treason gradually came to light. Li Mingxuan dared not slacken his efforts and quickly compiled this information into a memorial, which he then submitted to the emperor.
Upon seeing the memorial, the emperor was furious and immediately ordered, "Investigate all those involved thoroughly; let no one escape!" A massive purge ensued throughout the court. Those officials who had colluded with Prince Duan were arrested, imprisoned, and executed in the autumn!
Meanwhile, Gu Liuli was not idle either. She knew that although the incident had come to an end, the follow-up work of appeasing the people was equally important. In particular, the miners at the iron mine had suffered under the oppression of Prince Duan for a long time and were exhausted both physically and mentally.
Gu Liuli personally went to the iron mine, bringing a large amount of food, medicine, and daily necessities. She comforted the miners and promised to help them rebuild their lives. Thanks to her efforts, the iron mine gradually recovered, and the miners recuperated and returned home after their recovery.
Xiao Jingchuan looked at Gu Liuli with deep affection in his eyes: "If it weren't for your exceptional intelligence and courage in venturing into dangerous territory, we wouldn't have been able to expose Prince Duan's conspiracy so smoothly."
Gu Liuli smiled slightly and said softly, "This is our joint achievement. Only by working together can we protect the people of this world."
Beneath the walls of Ningguta, war drums thundered and battle cries shook the heavens. Jiang Liushen, clad in dragon-scale golden armor, sat atop a tall horse, his expression cold and stern, his gaze fixed intently on Xiao Jingchuan atop the city wall. With a flick of his spear, the army behind him surged toward the city gate like a tidal wave.
Xiao Jingchuan remained fearless and calmly commanded the city's defenders. Arrows rained down from the city walls, striking the enemy's shields with a clanging sound. The two sides clashed in close combat, the sounds of battle rising and falling, and blood staining the land of Ningguta.
The battle was exceptionally fierce, lasting from dawn until dusk. Jiang Liushen, as expected of a seasoned emperor, commanded with unparalleled skill, ensuring the army's orderly advance and retreat.
Xiao Jingchuan was equally resourceful, and with his familiarity with the terrain and clever tactical arrangements, he repeatedly thwarted the enemy's offensives.
As night fell, the battlefield finally quieted down temporarily. Both sides withdrew their troops and tallied their casualties.
The battle ended in a draw. Jiang Liushen returned to his tent, his brows furrowed, his fear of Xiao Jingchuan's strength deepening.
He originally thought that with his personal command, he would be able to quickly take Ningguta and deter all forces, but he did not expect Xiao Jingchuan to be so difficult to deal with.