It's good thаt shе fainted. Fаinting means shе wоn't witnеss thе slаughtеr that follоws.
After a brief moment оf stunnеd silenсe, Yin Gеzhi fеlt а wаve оf rеliеf. Не reаched out, рiсked uр the persоn dressed in thе imperiаl guаrd unifоrm, аnd hаndеd hеr to Guan Zhi аnd Lingshu.
Lingshu frоwned dеерly. Аs she turnеd, shе quickly whisреred, "Тhe princе's orders havе аlrеadу been relауеd."
With that, hеr rеd rоbеs swirlеd аs she аnd Guаn Zhi attеmptеd to takе Feng Yuе аwаy аmidst thе сhаos.
"Halt!" Аmid the curtain of rain, Рrime Minister Shi suddеnly stoоd up, роinting at thеm and declaring, "We cannot let the murderer who killed His Majesty escape!"
Everyone around was horrified. The Empress and the Crown Prince, who had been weeping bitterly moments before, also rose to their feet. The guards following the imperial procession instantly surrounded the temple.
Rainwater streamed down his cheeks. Yin Gezhi gently raised his hand, wiped his face, removed his silver robe embroidered with three-clawed dragon patterns, and softly covered Emperor Wen of Wei's face. Then he looked up and asked Shi Hongwei, "Prime Minister, who do you claim is the murderer of my father?"
Pointing sharply at the red-robed "Guan Qingyue," Shi Hongwei angrily replied, "Only the remnants of the Guan family would have the motive to kill His Majesty! Everyone present here is either a member of the imperial family or someone His Majesty deeply trusted and valued! Only this woman was forcibly brought here by the prince! Now that His Majesty has been murdered, the prince must give us an explanation!"
"Yes, an explanation to the officials and to the people of the realm!" The Crown Prince's faction immediately echoed in agreement.
Yin Gezhi swept a glance over the crowd and shook his head. "Guan Qingyue was at least five steps away from my father. It is absolutely impossible for her to have killed him."
"What does five steps matter?" the Empress snapped. "Even from five steps away, could she not have used a hidden weapon?"
"She could," Yin Gezhi sneered. "But to use a hidden weapon right before my eyes without me noticing even the slightest trace is impossible."
Everyone was taken aback. The Empress frowned and scolded, "What is there to say? Since you brought her here, she must have acted under your orders to murder His Majesty!"
The thunder had faded into the distance. Yin Gezhi's movements were no longer stiff, and his gaze sharpened instantly. "Under my orders? May I ask Her Majesty the Empress, why would I want to kill my father? Not to mention that I would never commit such an act against morality and ethics, even if I had lost my mind and sought to seize the throne, wouldn't I have to kill the Crown Prince as well?! Otherwise, without legitimacy, the throne would never fall to me!"
The Empress fell silent, her gaze shifting uneasily to the ground.
Seeing the Empress at a loss for words, Shi Hongwei frowned and said, "Who in the realm doesn't know that Yin Chenbi is cunning and resourceful? Since he dared to murder His Majesty, he must have planned everything that follows! If I am not mistaken, the prince will likely claim next that His Majesty was killed by the Crown Prince, who sought to usurp the throne!"
Truly, Prime Minister Shi is a man of great learning. With these words, he instantly blocked Yin Gezhi's escape route, making it impossible for him to accuse the Crown Prince.
Yin Gezhi's expression darkened slightly as he lowered his gaze in contemplation.
This situation was highly unfavorable for him. After all, the ones closest to Emperor Wen of Wei at the time were precisely him and "Guan Qingyue." Now, with the Empress and the Prime Minister both siding with the Crown Prince's faction and confronting him head-on, he needed to find a breakthrough. He couldn't speak recklessly.
Seeing him fall silent, Shi Hongwei was overjoyed. He snorted, wiped the rainwater from his face, and prepared to speak again!
Unexpectedly, someone suddenly leaped out from the side."Since Prime Minister Shi has said as much, I shall indeed ask!" Feng Ming, who had always been heedless of consequences, stood up and declared loudly, "I dare ask the Crown Prince, is it because the First Prince has returned to the kingdom, been enfeoffed as a prince, and received the golden seal, making you feel your position in the Eastern Palace is precarious, that you sought to harm His Majesty, hoping to ascend the throne earlier while you still hold the title of Crown Prince?!"
Upon hearing this, Yin Chenjue's expression changed, and he lowered his head, not daring to utter a word.
The Empress was furious. "Feng Ming, how dare you! Without evidence, how can you speculate about the Crown Prince in such a manner?"
"Without evidence, one cannot speculate?" Feng Ming laughed. "Then I dare ask, what evidence does Prime Minister Shi hold that allows him to speculate so boldly about Prince Xiao, who holds the golden seal?"
Shi Hongwei was taken aback, his eyes darkening. "General Feng truly lives up to his reputation as the one who helped Guan Qingyue escape prison back then. Every word you speak favors the rebellious traitors!"
With a sharp "clang," a long sword cut through the rain, carrying a chilling mist, and came to rest against Shi Hongwei's neck.
Shi Hongwei froze, turning his head in surprise to see Yin Gezhi gripping the hilt with an expressionless face, his voice low and firm. "Before His Majesty passed away, he had already finished reading the Proclamation of Guilt, declaring the Guan family innocent. Now, with His Majesty's body not yet cold, if the Prime Minister dares to refer to those who have been exonerated as 'rebellious traitors' in His Majesty's presence, do not blame this prince for sending you down to accompany His Majesty!"
His voice, infused with inner strength, pierced through the rain curtain, echoing across half of Longtai Mountain, causing the kneeling ministers below to tense with fear.
Shi Hongwei frowned slightly, his body stiffening. "If Your Highness wishes to kill this old minister, you may do so directly. Why bother finding such a lofty pretext?"
"A lofty pretext?" Yin Gezhi glanced around and asked the crowd below, "Is anyone well-versed in the laws of Great Wei?"
Wu Ze stepped forward, kneeling and cupping his hands. "This humble official is well-versed!"
"Then recite the third article of the Great Wei laws for the Prime Minister to hear."
Wu Ze cupped his hands and recited word by word, "The state honors the sovereign as supreme, with ancestors and former emperors as the highest authority. Anyone who offends them, violates their teachings, or disrespects their decrees—from royalty to commoners—shall be punished by beheading!"
Each word was resolute, causing Shi Hongwei's face to pale. He immediately corrected himself, "This minister spoke out of turn!"
The Empress grew anxious, stamping her foot. "Speak properly! Put down the sword first! With His Majesty still here, how can weapons be drawn?"
Yin Gezhi nodded, threw down the sword, and clasped his hands behind his back. "His Majesty's passing is a grave matter. Since everyone believes His Majesty was murdered, no one present shall leave. This prince has already sent for the imperial physicians and coroners. Soon, I believe the truth will come to light."
Yin Chenjue grew somewhat panicked, frowning. "In such heavy rain, must everyone remain exposed like this?"
"Easy enough." Yin Gezhi pointed to the temple behind them. "You may take shelter inside."
With that, he bent down, lifted Emperor Wen of Wei's body, and led the way toward the temple.
The crowd bowed in unison. The Crown Prince, however, was so frightened that he jumped aside, shrinking back as he watched, following closely behind the Empress as they moved forward.
This scene was witnessed by all present. Among the court officials were those of impartial stance, and seeing this, they began to form their own judgments.
The Empress felt uneasy and gently tugged at Shi Hongwei's sleeve.Shi Hongwei narrowed his eyes, glanced at the surrounding guards, and suddenly said, "After all, the civil and military officials are outsiders. This temple has two floors. The first floor shall be reserved for His Majesty and the members of the royal family. The rest of you, go upstairs."
Feng Ming frowned. "Why? There's nothing wrong with everyone staying together."
"General Feng is young, so I suppose you are unaware of many funeral customs." Shi Hongwei sneered. "His Majesty has just passed away. Only close relatives with blood ties may remain by his side. All others should withdraw."
"Then the imperial body should be placed on the higher floor. How can it be that the officials go upstairs?"
"The imperial body should not be moved up and down!" With a flick of his sleeve, Shi Hongwei angrily said, "These customs are not for General Feng to interfere with!"
The nearby ministers began pushing and shoving as they made their way upstairs. Yin Gezhi watched coldly as many guards followed them up. It seemed these people would not be able to come down later.
With a light laugh, he waited quietly until only the members of the royal family and Shi Hongwei remained in the surroundings before speaking. "Prime Minister Shi, do you not intend to go upstairs?"
"This old man has something to say to Your Highness." His gaze deep and profound, Shi Hongwei waved a hand, and the guards outside silently entered, surrounding the more than twenty members of the royal family present.
"What is the Prime Minister doing?" a panicked prince asked.
The atmosphere instantly grew tense. Except for Nan Ping, who was still immersed in the sorrow of the emperor's passing, everyone else looked grim.
Yin Gezhi turned, reaching out to shield Guan Zhi, Lingshu, and the unconscious person behind him before calmly looking at Shi Hongwei. "Prime Minister, speak freely."
"Who caused His Majesty's death—both you and I know very well." With a solemn expression, Prime Minister Shi cupped his hands and said, "Everyone fears Your Highness's unparalleled martial skills and profound cunning, even His Majesty was no exception. Now that His Majesty has passed away, the Crown Prince is left without support. This old man is truly worried that Your Highness might plot to usurp the throne. Therefore, I wish to send Your Highness on your way."
A gust of wind swept in from outside, lifting Yin Gezhi's dark hair slightly. He pressed his lips together and spoke softly, "Who killed my father—I know very well. Now I am only waiting for evidence to avenge this patricide. If the Prime Minister intends to strike at me before the evidence arrives, then do not blame me for being impolite."
Hearing this, Shi Hongwei chuckled. "Impoliteness? How does Your Highness plan to be impolite? To prevent any rebellion, this old man has specially dispatched five hundred elite soldiers to guard this place. Even if Your Highness possesses heaven-defying abilities, what can you do?"
As if in response to his words, the surrounding guards drew their swords one after another. The cold gleam of steel frightened the others, who gasped in alarm.
Yet, Yin Gezhi's expression remained unchanged. Clad only in a close-fitting robe, he did not appear frail in the slightest; instead, he seemed intimidating.
"Many years ago, Guan Canghai, because he was not eloquent and did not resist, could not even cry out for justice." He sighed softly, raised his eyes, swept his gaze over Yin Chenjue and Empress Shi, and finally settled on Shi Hongwei, whispering:
"Today, many years later, I will not allow such a tragedy to repeat itself. Those who deserve to die shall die. Those who do not—you shall not lay a finger on them!"
"Ha!"
As his words fell, a thunderous roar of soldiers suddenly erupted from outside, as if responding to him. The sound was so loud it echoed throughout the mountain forest, lingering for a long time.
Shi Hongwei, not yet comprehending, took two steps forward and craned his neck to look outside."Reporting to my lord," Guan Zhi finally spoke up. "The rescue order has been delivered to Lidu. Over three thousand troops from the Lidu City Garrison and Imperial Guard are on their way. One thousand Imperial Guards have already assembled around the temple, ensuring the safety of the imperial relatives!"
Upon hearing this, the imperial relatives collectively breathed a sigh of relief. Shi Hongwei, however, turned back in disbelief, looking at Yin Gezhi.
Meeting his gaze calmly, Yin Gezhi's thin lips parted slightly. "This prince has always arranged reinforcements before engaging in battle. Prime Minister Shi's preparations were insufficient—it seems today you will suffer a crushing defeat."
OpenNovel