"Nothing improper? Then where did the bruise on your face come from?"
Dongfang Qi subconsciously covered the bruise on his face and still wanted to continue to quibble. "Father, Your Majesty—"
"Smack!"
Dongfang Chuan grabbed the porcelain cup on the low table and threw it at Dongfang Qi. The atmosphere in the main hall became even more solemn.
Dongfang Qi was so frightened that his face turned pale and he didn't dare to move for a moment.
"Do you really think that I'm old and my mind is muddled, so you can act so wantonly?!"
After Dongfang Chuan scolded with a dark face, he gave an order again. "Come here! Bring that culprit to me!"
Dongfang Qi and many ministers in the main hall were all confused. Soon, the guards escorted a haggard - looking man forward. When Dongfang Qi saw his appearance clearly, his face became even paler. His body trembled and he almost fell to the ground.
"Prince Helan, on the night of the palace banquet, both the witness and physical evidence pointed to your Yuan Kingdom's envoy, but the envoy refused to admit it. And you insisted on finding out the real culprit. I ordered you to find out the mastermind behind the culprit within the limited time. Now, is this the answer you give me?"
Helan Yanting, who was named, took a wobbly step forward, bowed slightly to Dongfang Chuan, and then followed with a fit of coughing. "Cough, cough, cough..."
"Your Majesty, this man is exactly the mastermind that Helan has found out. And he has confessed everything. I hope Your Majesty will make a careful investigation."
As soon as Helan finished speaking, the crown prince suddenly turned his head and glared at Helan. "You're simply talking nonsense! The assassin that night was clearly instigated by your Yuan Kingdom's envoy. Both the witness and physical evidence are there. Now you just find someone at random to convict in order to escape suspicion!"
"Father, Your Majesty, you must make a careful investigation! There must be something fishy about this—"
"Did I allow you to speak? Have you reflected on what happened just now?"
"Father, Your Majesty, your son... your son knows his mistake!"
Helan Yanting glanced at Dongfang Qi with the bruise on his face indifferently. Coincidentally, Dongfang Qi was also sizing him up secretly. When their eyes met, Dongfang Qi felt a chill down his back, shivered involuntarily, and immediately withdrew his gaze.
"Your Majesty, I will never arrest people randomly. Here is this man's confession. Please have a look, Your Majesty."
Helan Yanting took out a small booklet from his sleeve. The emperor ordered the eunuch beside him to take it up and read it.
While the emperor was reading the booklet, Dongfang Qi's face looked as ugly as if he had eaten a fly. The other ministers in the court were all sensible enough to keep quiet. They didn't even dare to breathe loudly for fear of being implicated.
After the emperor finished reading, he threw the booklet in front of Dongfang Qi. "Crown prince, take a good look at this. Put your wanton energy into the right things! If there is a next time, I will never forgive you lightly!"
Dongfang Qi grabbed the confession and read it carefully. His hand holding the booklet trembled even more.
Helan Yanting glanced at him and said slowly, "Why is the crown prince's hand shaking? Could it be that your body is too weak due to over - indulgence?"
"Helan Yanting!"
Dongfang Qi trembled again, this time really out of anger. He gritted his teeth and glared at Helan with a ferocious look on his face as if he wanted to eat someone.
"Cough, cough, cough... What's wrong with you, Crown Prince? Helan was just kindly concerned. Why is the crown prince so angry?"
In the silent main hall, one could faintly hear the sound of Dongfang Qi grinding his teeth. Before he could explode, Dongfang Chuan coughed lightly above. "Immediately drag the culprit out and behead him in public! Immediately release the envoys of the Yuan Kingdom and escort them back to their country in a few days."
Dongfang Qi quickly winked at several ministers beside him with an anxious look on his face. But these ministers glanced at each other, looked hesitant, and all bowed their heads and pretended to be deaf and dumb, which made Dongfang Qi so angry that he almost exploded on the spot.
"Prince Helan, it was a misunderstanding on my part. Please don't take it to heart."
"Hehe," Helan showed an embarrassed but polite smile. "Your Majesty is being too kind. As long as Your Majesty is in good health, Helan will naturally not take this matter to heart."
Dongfang Chuan sat above, squinting his eyes and sizing up Helan Yanting indifferently.
"How is the prince's health recently? I've ordered the imperial hospital to pick out several century - old ginseng roots, the best pilose antlers, and golden thread bird's nests and send them to your mansion. You must take good care of your health."
"Cough... Thank you for Your Majesty's concern. But my illness is an inborn root cause. It hasn't improved for many years. I've already come to terms with it and just let fate take its course..."
After hearing this, Dongfang Chuan's expression changed slightly, and the change flashed by.
"I'm tired today. The morning court is over. All of you, retreat."
After saying that, Dongfang Chuan looked at the crown prince. "Crown prince, after you go back, copy the 'Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Government' twenty times and reflect on your mistakes properly."
"Yes, Father, Your Majesty! Your son will definitely reflect on his mistakes properly!"
As the emperor left, the other ministers in the hall also dispersed in groups of three or four, whispering to each other from time to time.
"What do you think is going on with this matter? Was the assassin that night really that culprit in the court? I think this matter is very fishy..."
"Since the emperor has already made a conclusion, as his subjects, we should just follow his order obediently. Don't make wild guesses. The emperor's mind is unfathomable."
...
Helan Yanting walked out of the main hall unhurriedly. There came the sound of eager footsteps behind him.
Dongfang Qi stopped beside Helan Yanting, glaring at him with a gloomy face. "Good for you, Helan. You're really capable. Hmph, you dare to touch the people of this crown prince. You're just a lackey of my third brother! Just wait and see. I will surely repay this humiliation today doubly!"
Helan Yanting calmly twirled the ring on his hand and looked at Dongfang Qi with a half - smile. "Your Highness the Crown Prince, instead of showing off your power here, why don't you find a doctor to see how to treat your kidney deficiency? Besides, it's better not to go out during the day in the short term with this face of yours. What if you scare people?"
After saying that, Helan Yanting continued to walk forward with a smiling face and in a very good mood. Dongfang Qi was so angry that he clenched his fists tightly and his bones creaked.
On the way back to his mansion, Helan learned from Yan Qi that Feng Yunshu had taken Xiaoling and the maids out on the pretext of shopping. He took a sip of hot tea and slowly said—
"Turn around. Go and see what's going on with the princess."
...
On the long street, the Wuxiang Pavilion became even more bustling.
"What are you still quibbling about?! If the Wuxiang Pavilion were given to you, it would have been emptied by you long ago. You're simply a good - for - nothing who is addicted to women and gambling. No matter how much silver you get, you'll squander it all. The Wuxiang Pavilion must not be given to you!"
"Uncle, it's not like this! I really didn't go to the brothel last night! I remember clearly that I suddenly felt a bit dizzy after dinner and then went back to my room to sleep..."
"You went back to your room to sleep? Hmph, if you went back to your room to sleep, how could you be carried back by the people from the brothel? And the people from the gambling house also came to collect the gambling debt you owed. It's clearly written on paper. What else do you have to say?!"
Feng Yunshu walked to the outer periphery of the crowd. Seeing the sea of people in front of her, she immediately asked Zilan beside her to shout, "Ah! There's a huge mouse on the ground! Be careful!"
Suddenly, the human wall began to stir. Everyone looked down at the ground. Taking this opportunity, Zilan immediately made a way for Feng Yunshu, and she successfully walked to the center.