A deafening crash echoed through the hall, instantly plunging it into complete silence.
Feng Linche's mahogany table beside him had been shattered into pieces by his powerful blow.
His face was as dark as ink, his eyes sharp as if they could shoot out daggers. A menacing aura emanated from his entire being.
Everyone was so frightened that they immediately prostrated themselves on the ground in unison. Not a single soul dared to utter a word of consolation like "Your Majesty, please calm down."
Only Bai Zheng remained calm, clearly unfazed.
She lowered her head, concealing the coldness at the corner of her mouth, and carefully sorted out her thoughts.
From the moment Feng Jingxuan's body was discovered to the sealing off of the Third Prince's Mansion, not much time had passed.
Although Feng Jingxuan was of poor character, one had to admit that his abilities far surpassed those of Feng Jingye. He also had a highly developed sense of anti - surveillance.
Over the years, he had rooted out countless spies placed in the Third Prince's Mansion by others. If the people arranged by the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion hadn't hidden deeply, they would have been thrown out by Feng Jingxuan long ago.
She didn't believe that Bai Sheng and Zhuo Lingxiao could, like Feng Linyuan, rely on the previously planted spies to communicate with the outside world and buy off Li Xiaoming during the strict sealing - off of the entire Third Prince's Mansion.
In that case, it was highly likely that Li Xiaoming had been arranged by Bai Sheng when she and the Zhuo Yi father - son pair had planned to harm her before Feng Jingxuan's accident.
Regardless of whether Feng Jingxuan was accidentally blown to death or not, these people would make a big deal out of the so - called conspiracy between the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion and the Crown Prince.
This way, they could clear themselves of the suspicion of burning someone to death, get rid of the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion, which they regarded as a thorn in their side, and also pull down the Crown Prince Feng Jingye, causing chaos in the Great Zhou and allowing the Western Liang to reap the benefits. It was truly a brilliant move that achieved multiple goals with one stroke.
She just didn't know when exactly Li Xiaoming had been bought off by Bai Sheng and how much information he had revealed to the other side.
Bai Zheng frowned slightly and tightly pursed her pale pink lips.
Unlike Bai Zheng, who had a clear train of thought, Feng Jingye was now completely flustered.
The confidence that he had finally mustered with the encouragement of Feng Linyuan and his wife had long disappeared without a trace after Feng Linche's powerful slap on the table. His lips trembled, and he looked extremely terrified.
Even though he wasn't very smart, he knew that the court was full of hidden arrows. Once one failed to dodge, it would mean certain doom!
Empress Chu beside him also clearly knew that the situation was unfavorable. She leaned weakly against a pillar, her eyes wide open in shock and her eyes bloodshot. Her mouth was slightly open, but she couldn't make a sound.
After listening to Li Xiaoming's words, Consort Yi finally sorted out all the clues. Her eyes instantly turned scarlet. She rushed in front of Feng Jingye, grabbed his collar, and said viciously, as if she wanted to take a bite out of him: "Feng Jingye, it was really you! You are so vicious, so incredibly vicious!"
Feng Jingye instinctively dodged and pushed Consort Yi away. He stammered in panic: "It wasn't me. I didn't do it!"
But his voice sounded so timid that it was completely overshadowed by Consort Yi's imposing manner.
Consort Yi was extremely agitated and stared fixedly at Feng Jingye. As a woman raised in the deep palace, she naturally didn't have the physical strength of Feng Jingye, who had been riding horses and shooting arrows since childhood.
No matter how angry she was, she knew that she couldn't harm Feng Jingye. She narrowed her eyes, turned around, and rushed in front of Feng Linche. She knocked her head on the ground and cried out in blood - curdling sobs:
"Your Majesty! The gods are watching from above. Xuan'er died so miserably. You must avenge him!
This Feng Jingye, as the Crown Prince, he plotted against his own younger brother. This is a lack of benevolence! He made his younger brother die without a whole body. This is a lack of righteousness! He made Your Majesty, an old man, bury his son. This is a lack of filial piety! He destroyed the marriage alliance between the Great Zhou and our Western Liang. This is a lack of loyalty!
Such a person, who is unloyal, unfilial, unkind, and unrighteous, and is also cruel and cold - blooded. If Your Majesty still wants to pass on the throne to him, the Great Zhou's country and society will be in great danger!"
Princess Yunxi also stepped forward with tears in her eyes. She also bowed her head to the ground and said loudly: "Now that the real culprit has been found, Yunxi sincerely asks Your Majesty to fulfill your promise, avenge the Third Prince, and give him justice!"
Feng Linche took a deep breath.
After the initial outburst of anger, he had calmed down a great deal.
After all, Feng Jingye was currently the only useful son he had. If he really severely punished Feng Jingye and deprived him of the Crown Prince's position, then once something happened to him, the Great Zhou would have no successor, and that would truly be a dangerous situation.
Feng Linche understood this very clearly.
Feng Jingye wasn't completely irreplaceable, but that had to be after he found someone to replace him.
He stood up. The sunlight shone in through the windows on both sides, casting a long shadow on the ground. The shadow slowly approached Feng Jingye until it completely covered him.
"Ye'er," Feng Linche looked down from a height, his eyes slightly lowered at Feng Jingye, who was kneeling on the ground almost in a daze. "Did you really collude with the Marquis of Dingyuan?"
Feng Linche asked this question in an extremely calm tone, without a trace of emotion.
Everyone in the hall pricked up their ears, listening intently to the conversation between this father - son pair.
Feng Jingye's face was ashen. After hearing the question, he hesitated slightly.
If one were to say that he had colluded with Feng Linyuan, it seemed that he really had... But his purpose of colluding wasn't to murder Feng Jingxuan. He just wanted to find evidence of Feng Jingxuan's private army so that he could deal with his third younger brother openly.
Thinking of this, he raised his head and replied confidently: "Father! Your son has never thought of colluding with the Marquis of Dingyuan to kill the third younger brother in such a vicious way. Your son can swear!"
Saying this, he stretched out his palm and placed it beside his ear, solemnly swearing: "Heaven is above. I, Feng Jingye, hereby swear that if I ever intentionally killed the third younger brother Feng Jingxuan, may I be struck by lightning and die a miserable death!"
"Ye'er!" Empress Chu's face turned deathly pale. She hurriedly wanted to step forward to stop him, but it was too late. Feng Jingye had already finished the entire oath.
Feng Linche remained expressionless.
Unlike Empress Chu, who was overly worried and confused, he had already keenly noticed that his son's answer had completely evaded his previous question.
He had asked, "Did you collude?" But Feng Jingye had answered, "I didn't want to kill Feng Jingxuan."
Feng Linche knew the hidden meaning very well. But for now, he didn't want to expose him. He just calmly and slowly nodded.
"Since Ye'er has sworn like this, then I will believe you," he said indifferently.
"Your Majesty!" Consort Yi, Princess Yunxi, Zhuo Yi and his son and others all changed their expressions in unison and shouted unhappily in a higher pitch.
But Feng Linche waved his index finger at them and cast a cold glance at everyone.
In fact, from the moment he asked that question, he had already sent a signal to everyone.